50 Best Graphic Novels, IMHO

I put together this list of 50 best graphic novels as a result of a request posted on the Graphic Novels for Libraries email discussion list. Stephen Weiner, author of several books about graphic novels (such as Faster than a Speeding Bullet and 101 Best Graphic Novels) asked members of the gn4lib list for input on his current research project. Weiner's requirement that the titles must be currently in print made it easier to whittle my favourites down to 50. (My heart broke a little when I learned that some of my favourites -- like Hannah Berry's Britten and Brulightly and Pascal Blanchet's White Rapids -- are out of print.) Many of the titles below include links to my reviews over the past five years.

Lynda Barry. What It Is. Drawn and Quarterly. 2008

Alison Bechdel. Fun Home. Mariner. 2007

Herve Bouchard & Janice Nadeau. Harvey. Groundwood. 2010

Chester Brown. Louis Riel. Drawn and Quarterly. 2013

Lilli Carre. Heads or Tails. Fantagraphics. 2012

Genevieve Castree. Susceptible. Drawn and Quarterly. 2013

Leela Corman. Unterzakhn. Schocken. 2012

Guy Delisle. Jerusalem: Chronicles from the Holy City. Drawn and Quarterly. 2012

Renaud Dillies & Regis Hautiere. Abelard. NBM. 2012

Joyce Farmer. Special Exits. Fantagraphics. 2010

Ray Fawkes. One Soul. Oni. 2011

Nicole Georges. Calling Dr. Laura. Mariner. 2013

Faith Erin Hicks. Friends with Boys. First Second. 2012

Gareth Hinds. The Odyssey. Candlewick. 2010

Mat Johnson & Simon Gane. Dark Rain: A New Orleans Story. DC Comics. 2012

Chip Kidd & Dave Taylor. Batman: Death by Design. DC Comics. 2012

Jeff Lemire. The Collected Essex County. Top Shelf. 2009

Robert Lepage & Marie Michaud. The Blue Dragon. House of Anansi. 2011

Cathy Malkasian. Temperance. Fantagraphics. 2010

David Mazzucchelli. Asterios Polyp. Pantheon. 2009

Carla Speed McNeil. The Finder Library. Dark Horse. 2011

Rutu Modan. Exit Wounds. Drawn and Quarterly. 2008

Papadimitriou & Doxiadis. Logicomix. Bloomsbury. 2009

Sanjay Patel. Ramayana: Divine Loophole. Chronicle. 2010

Matt Phelan. The Storm in the Barn. Candlewick. 2011

Paul Pope. 100% DC Comics. 2010

Nate Powell. Any Empire. Top Shelf. 2011

Kevin Pyle. Take What You Can Carry. Square Fish. 2012

Greg Rucka & J.H. Williams III. Batwoman: Elegy. DC Comics. 2011

Joe Sacco. Footnotes in Gaza. Metropolitan. 2010

Marjane Satrapi. The Complete Persepolis. Pantheon. 2007

Mark Seigel. Sailor Twain. First Second. 2012

Seth. George Sprott: 1894-1975. Drawn and Quarterly. 2009

Posy Simmonds. Tamara Drewe. Mariner. 2008

David Small. Stitches. WW Norton. 2010

Jeff Smith. Bone: Out from Boneville. Scholastic. 2005 (The entire Bone epic, really.)

Marzena Sowa. Marzi. Vertigo. 2011

Art Spiegelman. Maus: A Survivor’s Tale. Penguin. 2003

Mary Talbot & Bryan Talbot. Dotter of Her Father’s Eyes. Dark Horse. 2012

Raina Telgemeier. Smile. Graphix. 2010

Craig Thompson. Blankets. Top Shelf. 2011

Craig Thompson. Habibi . Pantheon. 2011

Mariko Tomaki & Jillian Tomaki. Skim. Groundwood. 2010

Adrian Tomine. Shortcomings. Drawn and Quarterly. 2007

Sara Varon. Robot Dreams. First Second. 2007

Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples. Saga: Vol. 1. Image Comics. 2012

Chris Ware. Building Stories. Pantheon. 2012

Winshluss. Pinocchio. Last Gasp. 2011

Joff Winterhart. Days of the Bagnold Summer. Jonathan Cape. 2012

Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas. Red: A Haida Manga. Douglas & McIntyre. 2010