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Recommended Graphic Novels For Teens

These collected comics pull together gorgeous art and written dialogue into a single, unforgettable experience.  

"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 City--Abraham Slam, Golden Gail, Colonel Weird, Madame Dragonfly, and Barbalien--now lead simple lives in an idyllic, timeless farming village from which there is no escape! But as they employ all of their super abilities to free themselves from this strange purgatory, a mysterious stranger works to bring them back into action for one last adventure!"--.

When a superhuman terrorist group that calls itself The People sparks a violent uprising, the land famed for its incredible technology and proud warrior traditions will be thrown into turmoil. If Wakanda is to survive, it must adapt - but can its monarch survive the necessary change?

This is a Batman story like no other--the harrowing and eloquent autobiographical tale of writer Paul Dini's courageous struggle to overcome a desperate situation. The Caped Crusader has been the all-abiding icon of justice and authority for generations. But in this surprising original graphic novel, we see Batman in a new light--as the savior who helps a discouraged man recover from a brutal attack that left him unable to face the world.

Deep dark fears by Fran Krause

A devilishly funny collection of comics that explores our most gruesome, hilarious, and bizare fears - and the dangers lurking around every corner.

Gene understands stories - comic book stories, in particular. Big action. Bigger thrills. And the hero always wins. But Gene doesn't get sports. As a kid, his friends called him "Stick" and every basketball game he played ended in pain. He lost interest in basketball long ago, but at the high school where he now teaches, it's all anyone can talk about. The men's varsity team, the Dragons, is having a phenomenal season that's been decades in the making. 

Emmy always knew that the woods surrounding her home crawled with ghosts and monsters. But on the eve of her eighteenth birthday, she learns that she is connected to these creatures - and to the land itself - in a way she never imagined.

Giant days. Volume 1 by John Allison

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. But in the face of hand-wringing boys, "personal experimentation," influenza, mystery-mold, nu-chauvinism, and the willful, unwanted intrusion of "academia," they may be lucky just to make it to spring alive. Going off to university is always a time of change and growth, but for Esther, Susan, and Daisy, things are about to get a little weird

The ghost and the lady. 1 by Kazuhiro Fujita

"Deep in London's Scotland Yard sits an evidence room dedicated to the greatest mysteries of British history. In this "Black Museum" sits a misshapen hunk of lead--two bullets fused together--the key to the untold story of a wartime encounter between Florence Nightingale, the mother of modern nursing, and a supernatural Man in Grey. The record books show Florence fought for compassion as empires' petty rivalries threatened to destroy the hopes and lives of common people. But a gues in the Black Museum knows the truth is not so simple, and the famed Lady with Lamp had a ghastly secret..."---Back cover.

In real life by Cory Doctorow

Immersing herself in an online fantasy game, Anda confronts a difficult choice when she befriends a disadvantaged Chinese child who illegally collects rare items in the game and sells them to other players.

Upset about her on-again, off-again relationship with her girlfriend Laura Dean, Freddy Riley depends on her friends, a local mystic, and a relationship columnist for help in dealing with her situation

Ms. Marvel. Vol. 1, No normal by G. Willow Wilson

"Kamala Khan is an ordinary girl from Jersey City - until she's suddenly empowered with extraordinary gifts. But who truly is the new Ms. Marvel? Teenager? Muslim? Inhuman? Find out as she takes the Marvel Universe by storm! When Kamala discovers the dangers of her newfound powers, she unlocks a secret behind them, as well. Is Kamala ready to wield these immense new gifts? Or will the weight of the legacy before her be too much to bear? Kamala has no idea, either. But she's comin' for you, New York!"--.

Nimona by Noelle Stevenson

Lord Blackheart, a villain with a vendetta, and his sidekick, Nimona, an impulsive young shapeshifter, must prove to the kingdom that Sir Goldenloin and the Institution of Law Enforcement and Heroics aren't the heroes everyone thinks they are.

A Plea From the Future On the day that Naho begins 11th grade, she recieves a letter from herself ten years in the future. At first, she writes it off as a prank, but as the letter's predictions come true one by one Naho realizes that the letter might be the real deal. Her future self tells Naho that a new transfer student, a boy named Kakeru, will soon join her class. The letter begs Naho to watch over him, saying that only Naho can save Kakeru from a terrible future. Who is this mystery boy, and can Naho save him from his destiny?

Paper girls. 1 by Brian K Vaughan

In the early hours after Halloween of 1988,four 12-year-old newspaper delivery girls uncover the most important story ofall time. Suburban drama and otherworldly mysteries collide in this smash-hitseries about nostalgia, first jobs, and the last days of childhood.

Princess Jellyfish. 01 by Akiko Higashimura

"Tsukimi Kurashita has a strange fascination with jellyfish. She’s loved them from a young age and has carried that love with her to her new life in the big city of Tokyo. There, she resides in Amamizukan, a safe-haven for girl geeks who regularly gush over a range of things from trains to Japanese dolls. However, a chance meeting at a pet shop has Tsukimi crossing paths with one of the things that the residents of Amamizukan have been desperately trying to avoid—a beautiful and fashionable woman! But there’s much more to this woman than her trendy clothes! This odd encounter is only the beginning of a new and unexpected path for Tsukimi and her friends" --.

The orphans at Grace Field House lead a comfortable life under the care of "Mom," but Emma and Norman uncover a dark truth that is going to change their lives completely.

A silent voice. 1 by Yoshitoki Ōima

"Shoya is a bully. When Shoko, a girl who can't hear, enters his elementary school class, she becomes their favorite target, and Shoya and his friends goad each other into devising new tortures for her. But the children's cruelty goes too far. Shoko is forced to leave the school, and Shoya ends up shouldering all the blame. Six years later, the two meet again. Can Shoya make up for his past mistakes, or is it too late?"--provided from Amazon.com.

Stephen McCranie's Space Boy. Volume 1 by artist 1987- Stephen McCranie

Amy lives on a colony in deep space, but when her father loses his job the family moves back to Earth, where she has to adapt to heavier gravity, a new school, and a strange boy with no flavor.

Tomboy by Liz Prince

Eschewing female stereotypes throughout her early years and failing to gain acceptance on the boys' baseball team, Liz learns to embrace her own views on gender as she comes of age, in an anecdotal graphic novel memoir.