The 101 Best Graphic Novels


Source of the lists on this page: Stephen Weiner, The 101 Best Graphic Novels (edited by Keith R.A. DeCandido), NBM (Nantier, Beall, Minoustchine): New York (2001).

Biographical note about the author, from the back cover:

Stephen Weiner is a leading specialist in building graphic novel collections in public libraries which are embracing the form enthusiastically. He has published articles, reviews and poetry, and is the author of Bring an Author to your Library as well as 50 Community Service Projects for Teens (with Senator Edward Kennedy). He is the director of the Maynard Public Library in Maynard, MA, and holds a M.A. in Children's Literature.
Note: The list below, of "the 101 Best Graphic Novels" includes only books that are in print. This is because the list is intended as a guide for libraries, who can only purchase books which are in print. Some out-of-print suggestions are included at the end the book (and are also listed at the bottom of this page). From The 101 Best Graphic Novels, page 19:
Narrowing the tremendous field of choices to 101 was difficult enough--to rank them within that would be impossible. Therefore, the following list is in the indiscriminate form of alphabetical by creator(s)... Note well that these choices were made based on what is currently in print and available!
CreatorsTitleYear Pub.Publisher
Michael Allred Madman: The Oddity Odyssey 1994 Acacia Press Latter-day Saint
Sergio Aragones and Mark Evanier Groo & Rufferto 2000 Dark Horse
Peter Bagge Hey Buddy! Volume 1 of the Complete Buddy Bradley Stories from Hate 1995 Fantagraphics Books
Kyle Baker Why I Hate Saturn 1990 DC Comics
Alison Bechdel Dykes to Watch Out For 1998 Firebrand Books
Brian Michael Bendis Fortune and Glory 2000 Oni Press
Joyce Brabner, Harvey Pekar and Frank Stack Our Cancer Year 1994 Four Walls, Eight Windows
Raymond Briggs Ethel & Ernest 1998 Jonathan Cape
Raymond Briggs The Snowman 1978 Random House
Chester Brown I Never Liked You 1994 Drawn & Quarterly
Charles Burns Big Baby 1999 Fantagraphics Books
Kurt Busiek and Brent Anderson Kurt Busiek's Astro City: Life in the Big City 1996 DC Comics agnostic (Busiek)
Kurt Busiek and Alex Ross Marvels 1994 Marvel Entertainment Group agnostic (Busiek)
John Byrne Man of Steel 1988 DC Comics
Raymond Chandler and Michael Lark Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlow: My Little Sister 1997 Fireside Books
Daniel Clowes Ghostworld 1997 Fantagraphics Books
Robert Crumb The Complete Crumb Comics: The Death of Fritz the Cat 1992 Fantagraphics Books
Howard Cruse Stuck Rubber Baby 1995 DC Comics
Will Eisner A Contract with God and Other Tenement Stories 1978 DC Comics Jewish
Will Eisner To The Heart of the Storm 2000 DC Comics Jewish
Will Eisner Minor Miracles 2000 DC Comics Jewish
Will Eisner The Spirit Archives, Volume 1 2000 DC Comics Jewish
Jules Feiffer Meanwhile... 1997 HarperCollins
Jules Feiffer Tantrum! 1979 Fantagraphics Books
Jan Michael Friedman, Peter David and Pablo Marcos Star Trek: The Modala Imperative 1992 DC Comics Jewish (David)
Neil Gaiman et al The Books of Magic 1993 DC Comics Jewish Scientologist (lapsed)
Neil Gaiman et al The Sandman: The Doll's House 1990 DC Comics Jewish Scientologist (lapsed)
Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean Mr. Punch 1994 DC Comics Jewish Scientologist (lapsed)
Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean Violent Cases 1987 Kitchen Sink Press Jewish Scientologist (lapsed)
Rick Geary The Borden Tragedy: A Memoir of the Infamous Double Murder at Fall River, Mass., 1892 1997 NBM ComicsLit
Rick Geary Jack the Ripper: A Journal of the Whitechapel Murders 1888-1889 1995 NBM ComicsLit
Vittorio Giardino A Jew in Communist Prague, Volume 1: Loss of Innocence 1997 NBM ComicsLit
Larry Gonick Larry Gonick's The Cartoon History of the Universe 1982 William Morrow
Archie Goodwin and Al Williamson Classic Star Wars 1990 Dark Horse
DC Comics The Greatest Joker Stories Ever Told 1989 DC Comics
DC Comics The Greatest Superman Stories Ever Told 1987 DC Comics
DC Comics The Greatest Team-Up Stories Ever Told 1991 DC Comics
Bill Griffith Zippy Annual #1 2000 Fantagraphics Books
Matt Groening et al Simpsons Comics a Go-Go 2000 HarperPerennial Mennonite family background
Herge Tintin in Tibet 1975 Little, Brown
Gilbert Hernandez Love & Rockets: Poison River 1994 Fantagraphics Books
Jack Jackson Lost Cause: The True Story of Famed Texas Gunslinger John Wesley Hardin 1998 Kitchen Sink Press
Lynn Johnston A Look Inside... For Better or For Worse: The Tenth Anniversary Collection 1989 Andrews & McMeel
Franz Kafka and Peter Kuper Give It Up! and Other Stories by Franz Kafka 1995 NBM ComicsLit
Nabiel Kanan Lost Girl 1999 NBM ComicsLit
Ben Katchor Julies Knipl, Real Estate Photographer: Stories 1996 Little Brown
Russell Keaton The Aviation Art of Russell Keaton 1995 Kitchen Sink Press
Walt Kelly Pogo, Volume 11 2000 Fantagraphics Books
Megan Kelso Queen of the Black Black 1998 Highwater Books
Rudyard Kipling and P. Craig Russell Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book 1997 NBM Anglican (Kipling)
Jack Kirby Jack Kirby's New Gods 1998 DC Comics Jewish
Henry (Yoshitaka) Kiyama The Four Immigrants Manga: A Japanese Experience in San Francisco, 1904-1924 1998 Stone Bridge
Joe Kubert Fax from Sarajevo 1996 Dark Horse
Kazuka Kudo Mai the Psychic Girl: The Perfect Collection 1995 Viz Communications
Peter Kuper The System 1997 DC Comics
Roland Laird, Taneshia N. Laird and Elihu Bey Still I Rise: A Cartoon History of African Americans 1997 Norton
David Lapham The Collected Stray Bullets 1998 El Capitan Books
Stan Lee, Chris Claremont and John Byrne The Dark Phoenix Saga 1990 Marvel Entertainment Group Jewish (Lee); ? (Claremont)
Stan Lee and Steve Ditko The Essential Spider-Man, Volume 1 1996 Marvel Entertainment Group Jewish; Objectivist
Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, et al The Essential Avengers, Volume 1 1999 Marvel Entertainment Group Jewish
Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, et al The Essential Fantastic Four, Volume 1 1998 Marvel Entertainment Group Jewish
Jason Lutes Jar of Fools 1997 Black Eye
David Mairowitz and Robert Crumb Introducing Kafka 1994 Totem Books
Scott McCloud Scott McCloud's Zot! 1998 Kitchen Sink Press
Dave McKean Cages 1998 Kitchen Sink Press/NBM
Frank Miller 300 2000 Dark Horse atheist
Frank Miller and Klaus Janson Batman: The Dark Knight Returns 1988 DC Comics atheist
Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli Batman: Year One 1988 DC Comics atheist
Alan Moore and Steve Bissette The Saga of the Swamp Thing 1987 DC Comics ?
Alan Moore and Brian Bolland Batman: The Killing Joke 1988 DC Comics ?
Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell From Hell 1999 Eddie Campbell ?
Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neil The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen 2000 America's Best Comics ?
Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons Watchmen 1987 Warner Books ?
Terry Moore Strangers in Paradise: I Dream of You 1996 Abstract Studio
Dennis O'Neil and Neal Adams et al Green Lantern/Green Arrow: More Hard Traveling Heroes 1993 DC Comics
R.F. Outcault R.F. Outcault's The Yellow Kids: A Centennial Celebration of the Kid Who Started the Comics 1995 Kitchen Sink Press
Wendy Pini and Richard Pini ElfQuest: The Hidden Years 1994 Warp Graphics
Paul Pope The Ballad of Doctor Richardson 1993 Horse Press
John Porcellino Perfect Example 2000 Highwater Books
Charles Schulz Around the World in 45 Years: Charlie Brown's Anniversary Collection 1994 Andrews & McMeel
Maurice Sendak In the Night Kitchen 1970 HarperCollins
Seth It's a Good Life if You Don't Weaken 1996 Drawn & Quarterly
Dave Sim Jaka's Story 1990 Aardvark-Vanaheim
Jeff Smith Out From Boneville 1995 Cartoon Books
Art Spiegelman and Francoise Mouly Little Lit: Folklore and Fairytale Funnies 2000 HarperCollins
Art Spiegelman Maus: A Survivor's Tale 1997 Pantheon Books
James Steranko (Jim Steranko) et al Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. 2000 Marvel Comics
Bryan Talbot The Tale ofOne Bad Rat 1995 Dark Horse
Osamu Tezuka Adolf: A Tale of the Twentieth Century 1996 Viz Communications
Craig Thompson Good-bye, Chunky Rice 1999 Top Shelf Communications
Adrian Tomine 32 Stories: The Complete Optic Nerve Mini-Comics 1995 Drawn & Quarterly
G.B. Trudeau Read My Lips, Make My Day, Eat Quiche, and Die! 1989 Andrews & McMeel
Mark Waid and Fabian Nicieza, et al Justice League: A Midsummer's Nightmare 1997 DC Comics
Mark Waid and Alex Ross Kingdom Come 1996 DC Comics
Chris Ware Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Kid On Earth 2000 Pantheon/Fantagraphics Books
Bill Watterson The Indispensable Calvin & Hobbes: A Calvin & Hobbes Treasury 1992 Andrews & McMeel
Oscar Wilde and P. Craig Russell The Fairy Tales of Oscar Wilde: The Birthday of the Infanta 1998 NBM Church of Ireland (Anglican); Catholic (Wilde)
Marv Wolfman and George Perez Crisis on Infinite Earths 2001 DC Comics
Jim Woodring Frank, Volume 1 1998 Fantagraphics Books
Phil Yeh Winged Tiger's World Peace Party Puzzle Book 1993 Hawaya Inc.



Graphic Novels and Books on Comics that are Out of Print but Essential
CreatorsTitleYear Pub.Publisher
Eric Drooker Flood! 1992 Eight Walls, Eight Windows
Jules Feiffer The Greatest Comic Book Heroes 1965 Dial Press
George Herriman The Komplete Kolor Krazy Kat 1993 World Service Books
Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli Daredevil: Born Again 1990 Marvel Entertainment Group atheist
James Steranko The Steranko History of Comics 1970 Supergraphics
Joseph Witek Comic Books as History: The Narrative Art of Jack Jackson, Art Spiegelman, and Harvey Pekar 1990 University of Mississippi Press



Selected Novels Featuring Comic Book Characters
CreatorsTitleYear Pub.Publisher
Neil Gaiman The Sandman: The Dream Hunters 1999 DC Comics Jewish Scientologist (lapsed)
Craig Shaw Gardner Spider-Man: Wanted Dead or Alive 1998 Berkley Boulevard
Christopher Golden X-Men: Codename Wolverine 1998 Berkley Boulevard
Stan Lee (editor) The Ultimate Silver Surfer 1995 Berkley Boulevard Jewish
Dennis O'Neil Batman: Knightfall 1994 Bantam Books
Richard Pini and Wendy Pini ElfQuest: Journey to Sorrow's End 1993 Ace Books

Web page created 23 October 2005. Last modified 19 April 2007.
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