Great Graphic Novels for Teens

Librarians Speak!

By Rebecca Buchanan
March 1, 2006

Thank the Gods of Comics for librarians. They have been a driving force in spreading the wonder of comics and graphic novels to the masses. My local library is a prime example: they can't keep graphic novels on the shelves. They are immensely popular with younger kids, teens and adults.

The American Library Association has taken note of the popularity of graphic novels, and is now polling its members for recommendations: great reads for teenagers. As of this writing, twenty-nine titles have been nominated by librarians from around the country, all published between September 2005 and the present. [Note: the ALA organizes titles by author or author/artist, so, no, artists are not listed, too.]

Baker, Kyle. Plastic Man Volume 2: Rubber Bandits (DC).

Baum, L. Frank. Puffin Graphics: Wizard of Oz
(Penguin/ Puffin Graphics).

Burns, Charles. Black Hole (Random House/Pantheon Graphic Novels).

Chmakova, Svetlana. Dramacon (TOKYOPOP).

Clugston, Chynna. Queen Bee (Scholastic/Graphix).

Crane, Jordan. The Clouds Above (Fantagraphics).

Eiichiro, Oda. One Piece Volume 8 (VIZ).

Foglio, Kaja. Girl Genius Book 4: Agatha Heterodyne and the Circus of Dreams (Studio Foglio/Airship Entertainment).

Holm, Jennifer. Babymouse: Our Hero (Random House/Books for Young Readers).

Katayama, Kyoichi. Socrates in Love: Volume One (VIZ).

Kneese, Mark. Trailers (NBM).

Meltzer, Brad. Identity Crisis (DC).

Moore, Alan. V for Vendetta (DC).

Moore, Alan. Watchmen: Absolute Edition (DC).

Murakami, Maki. Kimi No Unaji ni Kanpai! Volume 1 (TOKYOPOP).

Naifeh, Ted. Unearthly (Seven Seas Entertainment).

Natsuki, Takaya. Fruits Basket Volume 12 (TOKYOPOP).

Ohba, Tsugumi. Death Note Volume 2 (VIZ).

Pekar, Harvey. The Quitter (DC/Vertigo).

Quick, Jen Lee. Off*Beat Volume 1 (TOKYOPOP).

Rivkah. Steady Beat Volume 1 (TOKYOPOP).

Shakespeare, William. Macbeth (Penguin/Puffin Graphics).

Sizer, Paul. Moped Army (Cafe Digital).

Takanashi, Mitsuba. Crimson Hero (Viz).

Takeshi, Konomi. The Prince of Tennis Volume 10 (Viz).

Tomasi, Peter. Light Brigade (DC).

Vaughn, Brian K. Ex Machina Volume 2: Tag (DC/Wildstorm).

Whitta, Gary. Death, Jr. (Image Comics).

Yazawa, Ai. Nana (Viz).

These titles run the gamut from super hero (Identity
Crisis) to true life (Dramacon) to surreal (The Clouds Above) to humorous horror (Death, Jr.) to supernatural (Light Brigade) to steampunk (Girl Genius); and, of course, plenty of manga. A nice rounded selection. :) I do notice, however, that most of them are published by DC, TOKYOPOP and Viz. Hopefully, the final list will include offerings from some of the many indy publishers, such as SLG, Oni, Dark Horse, Gemstone, I-Box and, heck, even Marvel.

Speaking of that final list: not being a librarian, I'm not eligible to make any nominations. :( On the other hand, I'm sure that a few librarians check out ST every month. So, a few — okay, more than a few — helpful suggestions. :)

2 Sisters (Top Shelf) by Matt Kindt is a labyrinthine espionage adventure set during World War II;

Amy Unbounded: Belondweg Blossoming (Pug House Press) by Rachel Hartman follows the
coming-of-age adventures of a girl in a medieval society;

Avigon: Gods and Demons (Image) by Jimmie Robinson and Che Gilson asks such deep questions as what it means to be human and what it means to be free;

Birds of Prey (DC)
has been collected into a number of trade paperbacks, all of which focus on a core team of heroines, their adventures, and their friendship;

The Complete Copybook Tales (Oni) by J. Torres and Tim Levins follows two comic geek friends over several years;

Electric Girl (Mighty
Gremlin) by Michael Brennan explores what it might be like to really have electrical powers;

Four Letter Worlds (Image) by various creators analyzes the themes of love, hate, fear and fate in a series of short stories;

Hopeless Savages (Oni) by Jen Van Meter, Christine Norrie and Chynna
Clugston-Major centers around a devoted family of British punk rockers;

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen ( class="store">ABC) by Alan Moore, Kevin O'Neill, Ben Dimagmaliw and
Bill Oakley teams Alan Quartermain, Captain Nemo and other literary greats
to battle Dr. Moriarty;

Leave It to Chance (Homage/Image) by James Robinson, Paul Smith and Jeromy Cox follows an adventurous teen girl in a magical city;

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (Viz) by Hayao Miyazaki is set in a post-apocalyptic
world, and only a teen princess can save what remains of civilization;

Quicken Forbidden (Cryptic
Press) by Dave Roman, John Green and Adam Dekraker, collected into
two volumes, explores what might happen if a young girl discovers a gateway to parallel worlds;

Salamander Dream (Adhouse) by Hope Larson is a gentle, surreal tale of friendship and growing up;

Soulwind (Oni) by
Scott Morse is a graphic tapestry, interweaving Arthurian myth, space
travel, time travel, Buddhism and the Gaia Hypothesis;

Tales of the Slayers (Dark
Horse) by various creators tells the stories of several Slayers who
proceeded Buffy, and who all knew the fate that awaited them;

Thieves and Kings (I-Box) by Mark Oakley, at this point five volumes in length, centers around a boy thief, a crazy wizard, a time-tossed wizard-in-training, and a deposed princess trying to reclaim her throne;

finally, Ultimate Spider-Man (Marvel) now at an impressive fourteen volumes, which
features a teen Peter Parker and Mary Jane, and all the adventures and
problems that arise after he is bitten by that radioactive spider.

Yeah, okay, some of these violate the nomination rules as they were published prior to September 2005. But, hey, they're still in print! Doesn't that count?

Why these particular titles? Well, for starters, I would have read them as a teenager. :) Additionally, many of these graphic novels feature either teen protagonists or issues that are important teens. Others are just plain fun reads, filled with action and derring-do. Still others delve deeply into matters of humanity and faith and the nature of reality. Heady stuff.

Hello, librarians! :) Head on over to the ALA site and cast your vote
today. After all, this is your chance to make your voice heard, and
potentially affect the selections of your fellow librarians across the
country. And, um, keep some of my suggestions in mind. :)

American Library Association — American Library Association
Great Graphic Novels for Teens — Great Graphic Novels for Teens