Comics and graphic novels
Comics and graphic novels worth reading, from the classics to new releases: what they are about, who made them and where to read them legally.
12 articles on Stories With Pictures
Maus and the Graphic Novel: How a Comic Won a Pulitzer
Art Spiegelman's Holocaust memoir, drawn with Jews as mice and Germans as cats, changed what comics could do. How it was made, received and challenged.
Great stories this week, 2–8 November
New graphic novels this week, 2–8 November: the Bad Batch trade and Mandalorian art book on 3 November, plus Fantagraphics' The Abyss of Oblivion, with dates still to confirm.
Persepolis: Marjane Satrapi's Graphic Memoir of Iran
Marjane Satrapi's black-and-white memoir of a childhood in revolutionary Iran. What happens in it, how its drawings work, and why schools argue over it.
Great stories this week, 26 October – 1 November
New graphic novels this week: none confirmed for 26 October – 1 November. Single issues dated 28 October, a true sea rescue and a wordless pick.
Great stories this week, 19–25 October
New graphic novels this week, 19–25 October: Front Desk listed for 20 October, Doom Patrol and Ghost Rider collections on 21 October, and our pick.
Marvel's Midnight Imprint: Is It a Good Place to Start?
Marvel's Midnight horror imprint for new readers: launch titles, release dates, whether you need Marvel continuity, and what is still unknown.
How to Read a Comic: Panels, Gutters and the Space Between
Panels, gutters, balloons and the reader's imagination: a plain guide to how comics work, drawing on Scott McCloud's Understanding Comics.
A Short History of the Comic Strip: From Töpffer to Webtoon
From a Swiss teacher's picture stories in 1827 to Sunday colour pages, daily strips, syndicates and phones: how the comic strip was born and changed.
Public Domain Comics: What You Can Read, Share and Reuse
Which old comics are free to read, share and remix in the United States, how the 95-year rule works, and the traps of renewals, notices and trademarks.
The Greatest Superhero Comic Runs
Kirby and Lee on Fantastic Four, Claremont on X-Men, Moore on Swamp Thing, Miller on Batman: four runs that changed superhero comics, and why.
Graphic Novel vs Comic Book: What's the Difference
Is a graphic novel just a comic with a better cover? Where the term came from, why some creators dislike it, and the differences that really matter.
How Webtoons Changed Comics
Born on Korean web portals and read by scrolling down a phone, webtoons now reach 180 million readers a month. How the format works and why it took off.