Because no one demanded it, my favorite graphic novels of 2025! (And one from. 2024)!!

I read The Novel Life of Jane Austen by Janice Barchas and Isabel Greenberg recently and it is phenomenal! It mingles words from her letters and works to depict three distinct episodes of the famous author’s life. I think it would appeal to fans and newbies, too.

Have you read Spectators by Brian K. Vaughan & Niko Henrichon? It’s an epic ghost story that’s about humanity’s potential mass extinction coming about from social media and escalating mass shootings. It’s also a commentary on our growing desensitization from what media experiences we can access.

You know what’s a great series? Absolute Wonder Woman. @kellythompson.bsky.social & @cleanlined.bsky.social raise the bar on stories about the Amazon Princess, recasting her in an epic way, with new abilities and weapons but the same mission of compassion. The artwork makes everything next level.

Agreed. It’s more about censorship than anything else.

I just read Justice Warriors vol.1 by @mattbors.bsky.social & @benclarkson.bsky.social and it is a biting commentary on our lives and times. It features amazing action sequences & comedic timing, awesome artwork, and very memorable visuals. Another triumph from @ahoycomicmags.bsky.social!

Merry Spurgemas!

In case you think you have to stay locked into Spotify…

I just read Out of Alcatraz by @ifyoucantwell.bsky.social & @mrtylercrook.bsky.social published by @oni-press.bsky.social and it is a great thriller that constantly ramps up the suspense while simultaneously telling a very poignant, human romance. It’s breathtaking how much happens in 5 chapters!

A Thanksgiving classic!

This book is gorgeous and moving, and you should get a copy in your hot, little hands.

Amen!

The Six Sidekicks of Trigger Keaton by @thekylestarks.bsky.social & @schweizercomics.bsky.social is an excellent comic that has so much going for it: a rich backstory soaked in action movies, so-bad-they’re-good ‘80s shows, and a feud between actors and stuntmen.

I love mini-comics!, part 2: I just read Bezoar no. 5 by a bunch of folks from and around Athens, GA. The great cover by @neilaglet.bsky.social contains a bunch of fun and spooky/romance-themed stories and a couple of illustrations and comics by the incomparable Patrick Dean (RIP).

I love mini-comics!, part 1: Joining @mikedawson.bsky.social’s Patreon means I get one in the mail every month. A great decision on my part!

Truth!

I just read Where the Body Was by Ed Brubaker, @seanphillips.bsky.social & @thatjacobphillips.bsky.social and HOLY CROW. I have read every book and series these guys have collaborated on, but I may love this one most of all. From @imagecomics.com

Post a film you’ve seen more than 7 times with a gif

Check out this great anthology of comics! I just ordered a copy and you might want one, too!

Happy Halloween! To celebrate, you could go read Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees. I was late to the party reading this one, and it’s just as creepy suspensefully good as advertised. Seeing cutesy animals do vile things is not just a gimmick but part of an unreal, unsettling ambience.

Go check out this wonderful spooky comic. There’s more where it came from, on his Patreon!

Laughter is good medicine for these times. Consider pitching in to spread some more!

Thank you for the reminder!

If you are looking for a vibrant and funny Halloween comic, and you like stickers and puzzles, then you should check out Witch Hazel: Variety Hour by @coltonthefox.bsky.social and Beige Blum, published by @silversprocket.net. 48 pages, no ads, and great entertainment!

Get some great art and help out some good folks. Win-win!

I just backed A1 DEADLINE SPECIAL on @kickstarter.com. Maybe you would like to also?

This trick-or-treat season, why not read about one of the ultimate tricksters? @georgeoconnor.bsky.social ‘s Asgardians: Loki is an eye-opening look at Odin’s (not Thor’s) wily half-brother. I loved being introduced and re-introduced to these tales, which are very different from the Marvel version!

I just read book 13(!) of Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales: Bones and Berserkers, and it is wonderfully gruesome and fun. The artwork is a little more graphic, but this is a treasure trove of nonfictional horror, with a healthy dash of dark humor. Perfect for Halloween season! @nathanhale.bsky.social

I recently read DC’s Misfits of Magic by @matthewdowsmith.bsky.social, which stars teen-aged versions of Dr. Occult, Blue Devil, Deadman, and Enchantress. It’s a fun riff on DC’s magic users, and a perfect YA graphic novel for this Halloween season 🎃

I just reread Golem Pit 224 by @ohmyghoulia.bsky.social and it’s a great graphic novel to read this (or any) month. The emotional and physical quagmires these characters get into makes this book wonderfully weird. I love the tone set by the amorphous panels and earthy coloring as well. Check it out!

I just read Pushing Buttons, a graphic novel by Danish cartoonist Ursula Blix. I loved the artwork and how the story slowly shed light on Margit’s soul-sucking work and relationship with her supervisor/best friend Chloe. I will definitely be looking for more work from Blix and Black Panel Press.

Actual intelligence!

Next up in my great graphic novel catch-up: the first volume of @jefflemire171.bsky.social’s Minor Arcana. It’s features many of the best aspects of his work: strong characters, slow burn reveals, family secrets, and just the right amount of supernatural surprises. So good and compelling!

Big Jim and the White Boy by @davidfwalker.bsky.social and Marcus Kwame Anderson is a phenomenal graphic novel. More than an American classic reimagined, it’s an epic tale of its own that firmly places Jim into US history and culture in a substantial and moving way. I read it a few weeks ago, and it

My great graphic novel catch-up continues with Sunshine by @studiojjk.bsky.social. It’s a book that can make you smile and also shed a tear, showing people with medical conditions that many would typically shy away from. It’s a hopeful, affirming read.

I just read Marvel All-On-One by @ryannorth.ca and Ed McGuiness. It’s told all in splash pages, and it’s a fun smash-‘em-up tale that captures the spirit of the bashful, blue-eyed favorite nephew of Aunt Petunia.

My kids have been reading books in the I Survived graphic novel series, so I decided to check one out. I Survived the Shark Attacks of 1916 is a fun way to learn about history and sharks from a kid’s point of view. I’ll definitely be checking out more soon!

Cheetah and Cheshire Rob The Justice League #2 continues this great heist series. Here they start getting the crew together, and I love the combination of newer and more established, less used characters. The writing by @gregrucka.com is taut, and the characters really sing and pop, in no small

I just read Mahdi Khene’s Yirasuka: The Baddest Bitch in Sector Six issue 2, and it’s a wild, fun, and profane ride. This exciting comic also includes a number of guest interludes, including one featuring @santossisterscomic.bsky.social , which was a great surprise to me. Adults only!

I recently read Huda F Cares? by @yesimhotinthis.bsky.social and it is a superb sequel that may even be better than the first one. It’s hilarious and very realistic/relatable in terms of sibling and family dynamics. Do yourself a favor and read this book!!!!

In these uncertain and dangerous times, we all need to know the Constitution, and maybe the best way to read it is Constitution Illustrated by @rsikoryak.bsky.social & from @dandq.bsky.social. I loved figuring out the references for the images, and it’s as much about comics history as it is US govt.

Is The Cartoonists Club by @goraina.bsky.social & @scottmccloud.bsky.social good? No, it’s GREAT! It’s a clever, charming book that tells a fun story while also organically teaching comics-making fundamentals. I cannot wait to share it with students I teach!

I finally read Lunar New Year Love Story by @geneluenyang.bsky.social and Leuyen Pham, and it deserves every accolade it has gotten and then some. It’s got strong characters, tons of revelations about families and cultures, and the ending gave me goosebumps. You’ve got to get it into your life!

I just did used the directions on this site to change my Firefox settings to get rid of all the AI Google suggestions, and it worked! Huzzah!

Wow. Just wow. I had no idea he had done so much…

If you have not read this series, you are missing out!

The latest book from my catch-up reading pile: Mujirushi:The Sign of Dreams by Naoki Urasawa. It’s a charming heist/mystery tale that features the Louvre museum heavily in plot and setting. Because it’s only one volume, it’d be a great introduction for those interested in his work. From @viz.com

I have taken many a pizza out of an oven with a paddle, and this is NEXT LEVEL

Karate Prom by @thekylestarks.bsky.social & @schweizercomics.bsky.social is something you need in your life. It’s a teen romance/battle royale book that’s got thrills, jokes, and action galore. And ninjas, bowling, and kissing, too!