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Best Comics

Topic List99 of 135 books20 recommendations total

The comics and graphic novels creators and critics recommend most — superhero epics, literary graphic memoir and manga. Independent series included, each showing who recommended it.

Curated list content

Where to start: Comics recommended most often

Recommended books, ranked by how many of the 10 people behind this list recommended each one.

  1. 1Preacher4 recommendations · recommended by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg
  2. 2Batman3 recommendations · recommended by Naval Ravikant, Scott Johnson and Mitch Gerads
  3. 3The Best We Could Do2 recommendations · recommended by Bill Gates
  4. 4Fables2 recommendations · recommended by Naval Ravikant
  5. 5Planetary2 recommendations · recommended by Naval Ravikant
1
No coverPreacher
Preacher

Book One

4 recommendations

Recommended by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg

Description

"I often give [this book] to people." - Evan Goldberg

2
Book cover for “Batman”
Batman

The Dark Knight Returns Book & Mask Set

3 recommendations

Recommended by Naval Ravikant, Scott Johnson and Mitch Gerads

Description

This masterpiece of modern comics storytelling brings to vivid life a dark world and an even darker man. Together with inker Klaus Janson and colorist Lynn Varley, writer/artist Frank Miller completely reinvents the legend of Batman in his saga of a nearfuture Gotham City gone…

3
Book cover for “The Best We Could Do”
The Best We Could Do

An Illustrated Memoir

2 recommendations

Recommended by Bill Gates

Description

This illustrated memoir is about the search for a better future and a longing for the past. Exploring the anguish of immigration and the lasting effects that displacement has on a child and her family, Bui documents the story of her family_x0092_s daring escape after the fall of…

4
No coverFables
Fables

The Deluxe Edition Book One

2 recommendations

Recommended by Naval Ravikant

Description

One of Naval Ravikant's answers to "top 10 graphic novels?"

5
No coverPlanetary
Planetary

Omnibus

2 recommendations

Recommended by Naval Ravikant

Description

One of Naval Ravikant's answers to "favorite comic books?"

6
No coverSaga
Saga

Compendium One

1 recommendation

Recommended by Anna Akana

Description

THE ULTIMATE BINGEREADCollecting the first nine volumes of the critically acclaimed, New York Times bestselling series into one massive paperback, this compendium tells the entire story (so far!) of a girl named Hazel and her starcrossed parents.

7
Book cover for “Paper Girls”
Paper Girls

Volume 1

1 recommendation

Recommended by Waleed Shahid

Description

Finally, the entire Eisner Awardwinning epic in one complete volume, featuring a new cover from cocreator CLIFF CHIANG!Four twelveyearold newspaper delivery girls from the year 1988 uncover the most important story of all time.

8
No coverAbsolute All Star Superman
1 recommendation

Recommended by Joe Hill

Description

The Eisner Awardwinning 12issue series from Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely is available in Absolute format! The Man of Steel battles Bizarro, Zibarro and more before facing the final revenge of Lex Luthor. Plus: a bonus sketchbook section and more!

9
Book cover for “Kingdom Come”
1 recommendation

Recommended by Scott Johnson

Description

Writer Mark Waid, coming from his popular work on Flash and Impulse, and artist Alex Ross, who broke new ground with the beautifully painted Marvels, join together for this explosive book that takes place in a dark alternate future of the DC Superhero Universe.

10
No coverMarch
March

Book One

1 recommendation
Description

March is a vivid firsthand account of John Lewis? lifelong struggle for civil and human rights, meditating in the modern age on the distance traveled since the days of Jim Crow and segregation. Rooted in Lewis?

11
No coverBlack Hammer Volume 1
Black Hammer Volume 1

Secret Origins

1 recommendation

Recommended by James Gunn

Description

Once they were heroes, but the age of heroes has long since passed. Banished from existence by a multiversal crisis, the old champions of Spiral CityAbraham Slam, Golden Gail, Colonel Weird, Madame Dragonfly, and Barbaliennow lead simple lives in an idyllic, timeless farming…

12
No coverBatman: The Dark Knight Returns
1 recommendation

Recommended by Naval Ravikant

Description

"Favorite childhood comic." - Naval Ravikant

Show 83 more books with a single recommendation
13
Book cover for “BTTM FDRS”
Description

Once a thriving working class neighborhood on Chicago_x0092_s south side, the _x0093_Bottomyards_x0094_ is now the definition of urban blight.

14
Book cover for “Copra Round One”
Description

They're ugly. They're mean. But up until today, they've always been loyal. So when one of their own betrays them, COPRA has no choice but to turn their nightmarish skills back on everyone who ever even looked at them

15
No coverEast of West Volume 1
Description

This is the world. It is not the one we wanted, but it is the one we deserved. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse roam the Earth, signaling the End Times for humanity, and our best hope for life, lies in Death.Collecting: East Of West 15

16
No coverI Killed Adolf Hitler
Description

In this graphic novel, a hitman travels back in time tokill Adolf Hitler in 1939... but things go spectacularly wrong.

17
Book cover for “Patience”
Description

Patience is a psychedelic sciencefiction love story, veering with uncanny precision from violent destruction to deeply personal tenderness in a way that is both quintessentially "Clowesian"and utterly unique in the author's body of work.

18
No coverPrince of Cats
Description

PRINCE OF CATS is the B side to Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, played at an eighties block party in a NY where underground sword dueling blossomed alongside hiphop, punk, disco, and no wave.

19
Book cover for “Punk Rock Jesus”
Description

A New York Times Bestseller!A reality TV show starring a clone of Jesus Christ causes chaos across the U.S. of the near future in PUNK ROCK JESUS, a new graphic novel written and drawn by Sean Murphy, the acclaimed illustrator of JOE THE BARBARIAN and AMERICAN VAMPIRE.J2 causes…

20
Book cover for “Runaways by Rainbow Rowell Vol. 1”
Description

GET READY TO RUN!The "IT" book of the early 2000s with the original cast is backNico! Karolina! Molly! Chase! Old Lace! And, could it be...GERT! The heart of the Runaways died years ago, but you won't believe how she returns!

21
No coverSex Criminals Volume 1
Sex Criminals Volume 1

One Weird Trick

Description

Suzie_x0092_s just a regular gal with an irregular gift: when she has sex, she stops time. One day she meets Jon and it turns out he has the same ability. And sooner or later they get around to using their gifts to do what we_x0092_d ALL do: rob a couple banks.

22
Book cover for “Secret Wars”
Description

The Marvel Universe is no more! The interdimensional Incursions have eliminated each and every alternate universe one by one. And now despite the best eff orts of scientists, sages and superhumans the Marvel Universe and Ultimate Universe have collided...and been destroyed!

23
Book cover for “Assassin Nation Volume 1”
Book Summary

Assassin Nation Volume 1 is a fast, joke-heavy comic that treats hitman tropes as punchlines: rapid-fire swears, cartoony violence, and setpieces built to land laughs rather than moral weight. Kyle Starks' scripting prioritizes one-liners and momentum, so the book works best as a short, high-energy diversion. Main value is its comic timing and willingness to push boundaries; main limitation is thin character depth and repetitive gag cycles that can blunt impact by the midpoint.

24
No coverMidnighter Vol. 1
Description

Spinning out of GRAYSON comes a solo series starring the man who can predict your every move... but no one will be able to predict what he_x0092_ll do next!

25
Book cover for “Berlin”
Book Summary

Berlin is a long-form graphic chronicle that unfolds in black-and-white panels, following a wide ensemble as the city shifts toward Nazism. Its chief value is the sustained, scene-by-scene immersion: small domestic moments, street life, and visual detail make large historical change feel lived-in. Its main limitation is pace and scope — long stretches of observational material, frequent viewpoint shifts, and many minor characters can make the narrative feel diffuse and slow for readers who prefer tight plotting or brisk momentum.

26
Book cover for “Fullmetal Alchemist”
Fullmetal Alchemist

Fullmetal Edition, Vol. 1 (1)

Book Summary

Fullmetal Alchemist opens like an action-adventure manga with quick, kinetic panels and a jokey elder-brother/smaller-brother rapport; that surface gradually gives way to darker moral riddles and serialized conspiracies wrapped around questions of sacrifice and state power. What works best is its mix of tight plotting, emotional stakes, and steady escalation from episodic cases into an interconnected arc. The main limit: tone shifts from light to grim can feel abrupt, and some readers find stretches of exposition and tangled conspiracy lore slow the middle volumes.

27
No coverHawkeye by Matt Fraction & David Aja Omnibus
Description

It's Marvel's most critically acclaimed comic in recent memory! Clint Barton, breakout star of a little Marvel movie you might have seen a while back, continues his fight for justice...and good rooftop BBQs!

28
No coverStrangers In Paradise Omnibus Edition SC
Description

The greatest love story ever told is finally available in an affordable softcover omnibus edition! This twobook package contains all 2128 pages of Terry Moore's epic tale featuring Katchoo, Francine, David, and Casey as they face life's biggest challenges by facing them…

29
No coverSuperman Smashes the Klan
Description

The year is 1946, and the Lee family has moved from Chinatown to Downtown Metropolis. While Dr. Lee is eager to begin his new position at the Metropolis Health Department, his two kids, Roberta and Tommy, are more excited about being closer to the famous superhero Superman!Tommy…

30
Book cover for “Bone”
Bone

The Complete Cartoon Epic in One Volume

Description

An American graphic novel first! The complete 1300 page epic from start to finish in one deluxe trade paperback.Three modern cartoon cousins get lost in a pretechnological valley, spending a year there making new friends and outrunning dangerous enemies.

31
Book cover for “DC”
DC

The New Frontier

Description

Writer/illustrator Darwyn Cooke's critically acclaimed masterpiece DC: THE NEW FRONTIER is celebrated in this oversized Absolute edition featuring new story pages, detailed annotations, alternate sequences and an extensive gallery of sketches, pinups, action figure art and much…

32
Book cover for “Fear Agent Library Edition Volume 1”
Fear Agent Library Edition Volume 1

ReIgnition, My War, The Last Goodbye

Description

When downandout alien exterminator Heath Huston stumbles upon an extraterrestrial plot to commit genocide against the human species, he must put down the bottle and resume his role as a peacekeeper...the last Fear Agent!Acclaimed writer Rick Remender (Uncanny XForce, Venom) is…

33
Book cover for “Kid Gloves”
Kid Gloves

Nine Months of Careful Chaos

Description

If you work hard enough, if you want it enough, if you_x0092_re smart and talented and _x0093_good enough,_x0094_ you can do anything.Except get pregnant.Her whole life, Lucy Knisley wanted to be a mother.

34
No coverLone Wolf and Cub Omnibus Volume 1
Description

Shogunate executioner Ogami Itto is framed as a traitor by the agents from a rival clan. With his wife murdered and with an infant son to protect, Ogami chooses the path of the ronin, the masterless samurai.

35
Book cover for “Mister Miracle”
Description

No prison can hold him. No trap can contain him. He is Scott Free, the worldwide celebrity sensation known as Mister Miracle, and he is the greatest escape artist who ever lived.

36
No coverAdventure Time Vol. 1
Description

It's ADVENTURE TIME! Join Finn the Human, Jake the Dog, and Princess Bubblegum for allnew adventures through The Land of Ooo.The totally algebraic adventures of Finn and Jake have come to the comic book page!

37
Book cover for “Batman Vol. 1”
Batman Vol. 1

The Court of Owls (The New 52) (Batman (DC Comics Paperback))

Description

Following his groundbreaking, critically acclaimed run on Detective Comics, writer Scott Snyder (American Vampire) alongside artist Greg Capullo (Spawn) begins a new era of The Dark Knight as with the relaunch of Batman, as a part of DC Comics_x0097_The New 52!After a series of…

38
No coverCriminal
Description

A woman in trouble, friends on the run from cops and mobsters, and a secret no one is prepared to face! Five years ago, Jake was a happy family man, longretired from the life of crime he grew up in, and then the police made him the prime suspect in a horrible crime and ripped…

39
Book cover for “Daytripper”
Description

What are the most important days of your lifeMeet Brás de Oliva Domingos. The miracle child of a worldfamous Brazilian writer, Brás spends his days penning other people's obituaries and his nights dreaming of becoming a successful author himself_x0097_writing the end of other…

40
Book cover for “Exit Stage Left”
Exit Stage Left

The Snagglepuss Chronicles

Description

Heavens to Murgatroyd! HannaBarbera_x0092_s very own Snagglepuss is reimagined in a brandnew series, EXIT STAGE LEFT: THE SNAGGLEPUSS CHRONICLES, by author Mark Russell (THE FLINTSTONES)!It_x0092_s 1953.

41
No coverHildafolk
Description

_x0093_Hilda is the little girl. And this is her folk tale. And pretty much everything you need to know about how good this is, is there on that absolutely gorgeously delightful cover above.

42
No coverMarvels
Description

Welcome to New York. Here, burning figures roam the streets, men in brightly colored costumes scale the glass and concrete walls, and creatures from space threaten to devour our world. This is the Marvel Universe, where the ordinary and fantastic interact daily.

43
No coverBoxers & Saints Boxed Set
Description

Boxers & Saints Boxed Set EditionOne of the greatest comics storytellers alive brings all his formidable talents to bear in this astonishing new work.In two volumes, Boxers & Saints tells two parallel stories.

44
No coverDCeased
Description

What happens to the World's Finest if the world ends With death spreading across the planet, who will live and who will turn in this apocalyptic tale of heroism, sacrifice and annihilationIt's the end of the world as we know it!Six hundred million people worldwide are instantly…

45
Book cover for “From Hell”
Book Summary

Alan Moore's From Hell is a long, slow-burn graphic novel that reconstructs notorious Victorian murders into an atmospherically grim, obsessive underworld. It rewards readers who enjoy layered storytelling: dense, dialogue-heavy panels, extended historical context, and unsettling visual sequences by the artist. What works best is its immersive, forensic atmosphere and moral ambiguity; its main limitation is relentless bleakness and periodic digressions into detail that feel repetitive, which can numb empathy and grind pacing for readers expecting a straightforward thriller.

46
No coverGhosts
Description

Catrina and her family are moving to the coast of Northern California because her little sister, Maya, is sick. Cat isn't happy about leaving her friends for Bahía de la Luna, but Maya has cystic fibrosis and will benefit from the cool, salty air that blows in from the sea.

47
No coverHellboy in Hell Volume 1
Description

After saving the world in The Storm and the Fury but sacrificing himself and Great Britain, Hellboy is dead, cast into Hell, where he finds many familiar faces and a throne that awaits him.Mike Mignola returns to draw Hellboy_x0092_s ongoing story for the first time since…

48
No coverHere
Description

From one of the great comic innovators, the longawaited fulfillment of a pioneering comic vision. Richard McGuire_x0092_s Here is the story of a corner of a room and of the events that have occurred in that space over the course of hundreds of thousands of years.(With fullcolor…

49
No coverMy Favorite Thing Is Monsters
Description

Set against the tumultuous political backdrop of late _x0092_60s Chicago, My Favorite Thing Is Monsters is the fictional graphic diary of 10yearold Karen Reyes, filled with Bmovie horror and pulp monster magazines iconography.

50
No coverRunaways
Runaways

The Complete Collection Volume 1

Description

They were six normal teenagers linked only by their wealthy parents' annual business meeting_x0085_until a chance discovery revealed the shocking truth: their parents are the secret criminal society known as the Pride!

51
Book cover for “Saga, Vol. 1”
Description

When two soldiers from opposite sides of a neverending galactic war fall in love, they risk everything to bring a fragile new life into a dangerous old universe. From bestselling writer Brian K.

52
No coverScott Pilgrim Vol. 1
Scott Pilgrim Vol. 1

Precious Little Life (1)

Description

Scott Pilgrim's life is totally sweet. He's 23 years old, he's in a rockband, he's "between jobs" and he's dating a cute high school girl.

53
Book cover for “Astro City”
Astro City

Life in the Big City (New Edition)

Description

Welcome to Astro City, a shining city on a hill where super heroes patrol the skies. Each chapter in this collection is a standalone story, highlighting different aspects or characters in the Astro City world...The city_x0092_s leading super hero tries to be everywhere at once,…

54
No coverDescender, Vol. 1
Description

Young Robot boy TIM21 and his companions struggle to stay alive in a universe where all androids have been outlawed and bounty hunters lurk on every planet. Written by awardwinning creator, Jeff Lemire, Descender is a riproaring and heartfelt cosmic odyssey.

55
No coverFun Home
Fun Home

A Family Tragicomic

Description

In this graphic memoir, Alison Bechdel charts her fraught relationship with her late father.Distant and exacting, Bruce Bechdel was an English teacher and director of the town funeral home, which Alison and her family referred to as the Fun Home.

56
No coverImmortal Hulk Vol. 1
Immortal Hulk Vol. 1

Or is he Both (Immortal Hulk (1))

Description

THE RETURN OF BRUCE BANNER! You know Bruce Banner. He's quiet, calm, never complains. He's a man who believes he can use the darkest elements of his personality to do good in the world. If someone were to shoot him in the head... All he'd do is die. But the horror lives deeper.

57
Book cover for “Ms. Marvel Volume 1”
Description

Marvel Comics presents the new Ms. Marvel, the groundbreaking heroine that has become an international sensation! Kamala Khan is an ordinary girl from Jersey City _x0097_ until she's suddenly empowered with extraordinary gifts. But who truly is the new Ms.

58
Book cover for “Omega Men by Tom King”
Omega Men by Tom King

The Deluxe Edition

Description

Awardwinning author Tom King's critically acclaimed Omega Men is now available in deluxe hardcover format for the first time ever!A group of alien freedom fighters pose as terrorists to accomplish their mission, from the mind of exCIA analyst Tom King.

59
No coverSouthern Bastards Volume 1
Description

Welcome to Craw County, Alabama, home of Boss BBQ, the state champion Runnin' Rebs football team...and more bastards than you've ever seen. When you're an angry old man like Earl Tubb, the only way to survive a place like this...is to carry a really big stick.

60
Book cover for “Superman”
Superman

Birthright

Description

The entire modern day retelling of Superman _x0097_ from his early days in Smallville with Lana Lang and Lex Luthor, to his first meeting with Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen and Perry White in Metropolis _x0097_ is recounted in this lavish hardcover collection by writer Mark Waid and…

64
Book cover for “Bitch Planet, Vol. 1”
Bitch Planet, Vol. 1

Extraordinary Machine

Description

Eisner Awardnominated writer Kelly Sue DeConnick (Pretty Deadly, Captain Marvel) and Valentine De Landro (XFactor) team up to bring you the premiere volume of Bitch Planet, a deliciously vicious riff on womeninprison scifi exploitation.In a future just a few years down the road…

65
No coverBlack Hammer
67
No coverBlack Science
Black Science

Premiere Hardcover Volume 1 Remastered Edition

68
No coverBlacksad
70
No coverChew
72
Book cover for “Giant Days Vol. 1”
Description

Susan, Esther, and Daisy started at university three weeks ago and became fast friends. Now, away from home for the first time, all three want to reinvent themselves.

75
No coverHellblazer
76
No coverHellboy
Hellboy

Omnibus Volume 1: Seed of Destruction

78
Book cover for “Infinite Kung Fu”
Description

Infinite Kung Fu walks you through familiar corridors in the house of martial mayhem, but still smashes your face through walls of wonder and into rooms where kung fu is afraid to go!

79
No coverInvincible
80
No coverJessica Jones
Jessica Jones

Alias Vol. 1

Description

Meet Jessica Jones. Once upon a time, she was a costumed super hero...but not a very good one. Her powers were unremarkable compared to the amazing abilities of the costumed icons that populate the Marvel Universe. In a city of Marvels, Jessica Jones never found her niche.

81
No coverLocke & Key
82
No coverLone Wolf and Cub
83
No coverLove & Rockets
85
No coverMs. Marvel
86
No coverNextwave: Agents of H.A.T.E.
87
No coverPunisher Max
88
Book cover for “Ragnarok Volume 1”
Ragnarok Volume 1

Last God Standing

Description

Ragnarok... the Twilight of the Gods in Norse mythology... the destruction of the Nine Worlds. And now, three hundred years later, the birth of vengeance. Collects issues #16. Walter Simonson returns to comics in a BIG way with an allnew series.

89
No coverSaga of the Swamp Thing
91
No coverSex Criminals
93
No coverSouthern Bastards
95
No coverSweet Tooth

Recommended Comics by Naval Ravikant

Naval Ravikant recommends 4 books on this list. See all book recommendations by Naval Ravikant

Recommended Comics by Scott Johnson

Scott Johnson recommends 2 books on this list. See all book recommendations by Scott Johnson

Recommended Comics by Anna Akana

Anna Akana recommends 1 book on this list. See all book recommendations by Anna Akana

Comics: common questions

What are the most recommended comics?
Preacher, Batman and The Best We Could Do are the most recommended comics on BookMentions, ranked by how many people recommended them.
Who recommends comics?
Naval Ravikant, Scott Johnson, Anna Akana and Bill Gates are among the people who recommend books on this list. Each name links to their full set of book recommendations.
Which of these comics should I read first?
Preacher is the most recommended here with 4 recommendations, which makes it the safest place to start.

Built from recommendation data, category signals, and source-backed book records. Use this list as a starting point; open any book to see proof, context, and Amazon options where available.

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About this list

This list aggregates books that appear in public recommendation sources, reader-interest signals, and category data. Books are ranked by their position from the source list; recommendation counts and ratings are shown where available. Open any book to see source-backed recommendation proof, editorial context, and Amazon options — the per-book detail page is where the trust signals live.

Recommended books by person: who recommends comics

Books recommended by the people below. Open a profile to see everything they recommend, with the source behind each pick.