What are graphic novels?

Graphic novels tell stories using sequential panels of illustrations. Most graphic novels use text and images to tell the narrative, but art is crucial to moving the story forward. They contain a complete narrative, just like a novel, though often told over multiple volumes. Bound collections of comic books initially released as individual issues can be considered graphic novels, particularly if they tell a continuous story arc.  

What happens in graphic novels?

• Whether a book has a single author or separate writers and artists, the interplay of art and text conveys the story. Visual signifiers of mood, tone, and action communicate information efficiently.  
• Akin to the script of a play, dialogue in graphic novels plays an important role in  establishing characters and carrying the story forward.   
• Art also sets the pace, with elements like detailed or sketchy panels inviting readers to peruse or turn pages, respectively.  
• The unlimited artistic possibilities of the format allow for intricate world-building, kinetic action sequences, and in-depth character studies representing emotion with expression, body language, and color.

Author Suggestions

Kate Beaton, Canadian, writes autobiographical and socially conscious graphic novels with quiet humor and emotional depth. 

Start With: Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands

Alison Bechdel Her introspective and emotionally layered storytelling explores identity and complex family dynamics. 

Start with: Fun Home

Roz Chast uses a Cartoonist style with humorous and neurotic observations about daily life

Start With: Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant?

Daniel Clowes writes satirical, melancholic, and character driven stories about disconnection, identity, and suburban ennui featuring colourful illustrations.

Start with: Ghost World

Guy Delisle writes travel memoirs with gentle humor, observational tone, clean line art.

Start with: Pyongyang: A Journey in North Korea

Will Eisner writers groundbreaking literary graphic novels which explore urban life and human character with detailed and delicate illustrations.

Start with: A Contract with God

Emil Ferris, Deeply personal, richly detailed, and artistically stunning graphic memoir-style storytelling exploring themes of trauma, identity, and history with sensitivity and nuance. Hand-drawn sketchbook style.

Start with: My Favorite Thing Is Monsters

Neil Gaiman combines fantasy, mythology, and literature in richly imagined worlds with philosophical depth.

Start with: The Sandman

Jeff Lemire’s work features quiet, emotional storytelling often set in small-town or rural Canada; expressive, sketch-like art that complements the introspective tone.

Start With: Essex County

Michel Rabagliati is a Canadian graphic novelist best known for his semi-autobiographical Paul series. His work captures everyday life in Quebec with warmth, humor, and emotional depth, often reflecting on personal growth and family relationships.

Start with: Paul has a Summer Job

Marjane Satrapi’s groundbreaking autobiographical work about growing up in Iran presents political history through a personal lens, using simple visuals and strong emotional storytelling. Start with: Persepolis

Joann Sfar is a French comic book artist, whose torytelling blends fantasy, philosophy, and personal heritage, often exploring themes of identity and imagination.

Start with: The Rabbi’s Cat

Art Spiegelman is a pioneering graphic novelist and cartoonist, best known for his groundbreaking work Maus, which uses the medium of comics featuring emotionally raw black-and-white visuals to tell the harrowing story of his father’s experience during the Holocaust. Start with: Maus (A Pulitzer Prize-winning classic)

Adrian Tomine writes subtle, realistic stories focused on urban life, identity, and relationships, drawn in a clean, minimalist style.

Start with: Shortcomings

Brian K. Vaughan’s work blends imaginative genre storytelling with emotionally resonant characters and contemporary social themes.

Start with: Saga

Want help with recommendations? Use NOVELIST !

NoveList is a reader's advisory database. It includes book reviews, read-alikes, discussion guides, and reading lists, for both fiction and non-fiction works. This is a great tool to help give personalized recommendations based on a book a patron has already read, OR to search for book recommendations using different genres or themes. For instance, you can look for reading lists based on moods (e.g.: "Feel-good/Likeable" or "Lyrical/Cinematic") and subgenres ( e.g.: "Women in Historical Fiction" or "Diverse Romances"). You can also search for books and genres for specific reading levels (Adult, Teen, Ages 9-12, Ages 0-8). 
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