Designed to Feel by Peter Burchardt
Bestseller by Peter Burchardt
Designed to Feel
Why Evolution Built Your Emotions, and How to Make Them Work for You
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Best Graphic Novels Books

The graphic novel — long-form sequential art that uses the combination of image and text to tell stories — achieved literary respectability with Art Spiegelman's Maus, which won the Pulitzer Prize in 1992. Since then, the form has expanded to encompass memoir (Alison Bechdel's Fun Home, Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis), journalism (Joe Sacco's Palestine), science fiction (Brian K. Vaughan's Saga), literary adaptation (Chris Ware's Building Stories), and superhero narrative of genuine complexity (Alan Moore's Watchmen). The graphic novel reads differently from prose: the reader constructs meaning in the gutters between panels, in the tension between what is drawn and what is written, in the rhythm of page and spread.

50 titles ranked · Scored across 40+ editorial sources
#1
Treasure Island
literary-fiction

Treasure Island

Robert Louis Stevenson· 1880
Library Journal
Editorial Score55/100
#2
Анна Каренина
literary-fiction

Анна Каренина

Лев Толстой· 1876
Publishers Weekly
Editorial Score55/100
#3
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
literary-fiction

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Mark Twain· 1817
Publishers Weekly
Editorial Score55/100
#4
The Jungle
literary-fiction

The Jungle

Upton Sinclair· 1791
Library Journal
Editorial Score55/100
#5
Cover of The Hobbit
literary-fiction

The Hobbit

J.R.R. Tolkien· 1937
Kirkus Reviews
Editorial Score55/100
#6
Cover of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
literary-fiction

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Robert Louis Stevenson· 1875
Kirkus Reviews
Editorial Score55/100
#7
Cover of Black Beauty
literary-fiction

Black Beauty

Anna Sewell· 1905
Kirkus Reviews
Editorial Score55/100
#8
Cover of Amulet
fantasy

Amulet

Kazu Kibuishi· 2008
Library Journal
Editorial Score55/100
#9
鋼の錬金術師 1
fantasy

鋼の錬金術師 1

荒川弘· 2002
Library Journal
Editorial Score55/100
#10
Cover of 鋼の錬金術師 2
fantasy

鋼の錬金術師 2

荒川弘· 1999
Kirkus Reviews
Editorial Score55/100
#11
Dog Man
mystery-thriller

Dog Man

Dav Pilkey· 2002
Kirkus Reviews
Editorial Score55/100
#12
The Legend of Zelda
adventure

The Legend of Zelda

姫川明· 2000
Kirkus Reviews
Editorial Score55/100
#13
W.I.T.C.H.
adventure

W.I.T.C.H.

Elisabetta Gnone· 2018
Kirkus Reviews
Editorial Score55/100
#14
A Midsummer Night's Dream
literary-fiction

A Midsummer Night's Dream

William Shakespeare· 1600
Kirkus Reviews
Editorial Score50/100
#15
Cover of The Marvelous Land of Oz
literary-fiction

The Marvelous Land of Oz

L. Frank Baum· 1904
Kirkus Reviews
Editorial Score50/100
#16
Cyrano de Bergerac
literary-fiction

Cyrano de Bergerac

Edmond Rostand· 1821
Publishers Weekly
Editorial Score50/100
#17
À la recherche du temps perdu
literary-fiction

À la recherche du temps perdu

Marcel Proust· 1919
Kirkus Reviews
Editorial Score50/100
#18
The tragedy of Macbeth
literary-fiction

The tragedy of Macbeth

William Shakespeare· 1790
Kirkus Reviews
Editorial Score50/100
#19
Cover of Death Note, Vol. 8
fantasy

Death Note, Vol. 8

Tsugumi Ohba· 2005
Kirkus Reviews
Editorial Score50/100
#20
More Stories to Remember -- Volume II
mystery-thriller

More Stories to Remember -- Volume II

Thomas Bertram Costain· 1958
Kirkus Reviews
Editorial Score50/100
#21
Cover of Hellboy
horror

Hellboy

Mike Mignola· 1999
Library Journal
Editorial Score50/100
#22
Cover of Twilight
literary-fiction

Twilight

Stephenie Meyer· 2005
Publishers Weekly
Editorial Score45/100
#23
The Man with the Golden Gun
literary-fiction

The Man with the Golden Gun

Ian Fleming· 1965
Kirkus Reviews
Editorial Score45/100
#24
Cover of Artemis Fowl
literary-fiction

Artemis Fowl

Eoin Colfer· 1999
Publishers Weekly
Editorial Score45/100
#25
Cover of New Moon
literary-fiction

New Moon

Stephenie Meyer· 2006
Kirkus Reviews
Editorial Score45/100
#26
Cover of Les cigares du pharaon
literary-fiction

Les cigares du pharaon

Hergé· 1934
Kirkus Reviews
Editorial Score45/100
#27
Maître du monde
literary-fiction

Maître du monde

Jules Verne· 1902
Publishers Weekly
Editorial Score45/100
#28
Watchmen
classic-literature

Watchmen

Alan Moore· 1986
Library Journal
Editorial Score45/100
#29
Cover of A Wrinkle In Time
classic-literature

A Wrinkle In Time

Hope Larson· 2007
Publishers Weekly
Editorial Score45/100
#30
Cover of 魔法騎士レイアース 5
science-fiction

魔法騎士レイアース 5

CLAMP· 1999
Kirkus Reviews
Editorial Score45/100
#31
Cover of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
science-fiction

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

Ransom Riggs· 2011
Publishers Weekly
Editorial Score45/100
#32
Cover of Wish 1
fantasy

Wish 1

CLAMP· 1996
Kirkus Reviews
Editorial Score45/100
#33
Cover of GloomCookie
fantasy

GloomCookie

Serena Valentino· 2001
Library Journal
Editorial Score45/100
#34
Cover of The Red Pyramid
fantasy

The Red Pyramid

Orpheus Collar· 2012
Kirkus Reviews
Editorial Score45/100
#35
Cover of Skeleton Key
mystery-thriller

Skeleton Key

Anthony Horowitz· 1999
Kirkus Reviews
Editorial Score45/100
#36
Adventures in Cat Town
mystery-thriller

Adventures in Cat Town

Li Chen· 2025
Kirkus Reviews
Editorial Score45/100
#37
Cover of The Gashlycrumb Tinies
horror

The Gashlycrumb Tinies

Edward Gorey· 1981
Library Journal
Editorial Score45/100
#38
Cover of Get Jiro!
cooking-food

Get Jiro!

Anthony Bourdain· 2012
Kirkus Reviews
Editorial Score45/100
#39
処刑少女の生きる道(バージンロード)5 ―約束の地―
adventure

処刑少女の生きる道(バージンロード)5 ―約束の地―

佐藤真登· 2022
Publishers Weekly
Editorial Score45/100
#40
Lore Olympus
graphic-novels

Lore Olympus

Rachel Smythe· 2023
Library Journal
Editorial Score45/100
#41
L'Odyssée d'Astérix
graphic-novels

L'Odyssée d'Astérix

Albert Uderzo· 1979
Notable Work
Editorial Score43/100
#42
Modesty Blaise
graphic-novels

Modesty Blaise

Peter O'Donnell· 1965
Notable Work
Editorial Score43/100
#43
Batman
graphic-novels

Batman

Dennis O'Neil· 1991
Notable Work
Editorial Score43/100
#44
No Man's Land, Vol. 5
graphic-novels

No Man's Land, Vol. 5

Bob Gale· 1999
Notable Work
Editorial Score43/100
#45
What's Michael?
graphic-novels

What's Michael?

Makoto Kobayashi· 1990
Notable Work
Editorial Score43/100
#46
It's a good life if you don't weaken
graphic-novels

It's a good life if you don't weaken

Seth· 1996
Notable Work
Editorial Score43/100
#47
Kurt Busiek's Astro City
graphic-novels

Kurt Busiek's Astro City

Kurt Busiek· 1996
Notable Work
Editorial Score43/100
#48
Beakman & Jax's Microscope Book
graphic-novels

Beakman & Jax's Microscope Book

Jok Church· 1995
Notable Work
Editorial Score43/100
#49
Charlie Brown's 'Cyclopedia Volume 3
graphic-novels

Charlie Brown's 'Cyclopedia Volume 3

Charles M. Schulz· 1990
Notable Work
Editorial Score43/100
#50
Batman's dark secret
graphic-novels

Batman's dark secret

Kelley Puckett· 1999
Notable Work
Editorial Score43/100
Happy Children
The Parenting Companion
Happy Children
What Evolution Actually Built Your Child’s Emotions For
Your child’s emotions are not the problem. They are the operating system.
Get It on Amazon →Paperback & Kindle

By Country

🇺🇳International2354🇬🇧United Kingdom53🇺🇸United States39🇯🇵Japan36🇮🇳India9🇩🇪Germany6🇮🇪Ireland5🇫🇷France4🇵🇱Poland3🇵🇪Peru1🇮🇹Italy1

Key Authors

Mark TwainJ.R.R. TolkienWilliam ShakespeareMarcel ProustPaulo CoelhoNeil GaimanMario Vargas LlosaPhilip PullmanAgatha ChristieAndy Weir

Graphic Novels Books — FAQ

What are the best graphic novels books of all time?

The top-ranked graphic novels books include Treasure Island, Анна Каренина, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer — all with high editorial consensus scores across major literary prizes and critic lists.

How are graphic novels books ranked on 50 Best Books?

Rankings are based on aggregate editorial scores drawn from Nobel Prizes, Booker Awards, Pulitzer Prizes, and 40+ other critical sources. Each mention is weighted by prestige, recency, and scope.

Which countries produce the most acclaimed graphic novels books?

International, United Kingdom, United States lead our rankings in graphic novels, producing the most internationally recognised titles in the genre.

Who are the most acclaimed graphic novels authors?

Key authors in graphic novels include Mark Twain, J.R.R. Tolkien, William Shakespeare, whose works consistently appear across major prize lists and critic selections.

Are there graphic novels books for beginners?

Yes — our rankings include books at every level. Look for titles with broad critical acclaim and accessible descriptions. Start with books scoring 70+ on our editorial scale.