What Literary Graphic Novel Should I Be Reading?

Sparse, cartoonish black and white line drawings

Highly stylized color illustrations

Highly stylized black and white drawings

Line drawings with occasional muted tones, but which are primarily in black and white

Illustrations that focus on setting and enhance the descriptions of a central character

Historical Fiction

Autobiography

Horror

Fantasy

Science Fiction

Broad geographical landscapes that reflect current international borders

Mythical or fantastical worlds of an author’s imagination

Most of the story occurs in a single and oftentimes ominous space

Dark urban landscapes

Domestic spaces that exist primarily in the memory of the main character

In the historical past

In a character’s past

In the future

The time frame is irrelevant; the pace of the story is more important to me

Outside the traditional boundaries of human history

I will tolerate books where violence occurs, but I prefer if it lacks an element of suspense

I am okay with violence only if it exists in a historical context

I have a high tolerance for violence, particularly if it helps to advance the plot

I enjoy novels where the potential for violence is central to the story

I prefer stories that contain a minimal amount of violence

A balance dialogue and narrative acts as a complement to the illustrations

I prefer graphic novels with minimal narration. The illustrations should tell most of the story

The story is told primarily through dialogue between characters

The story is told primarily from the perspective of a narrator who explains the illustrations

The story is told through a combination of dialogue between characters and highlighting a character’s private thoughts

A group of friends trying to overcome a problem

Familial relationships

The individual is posited against society

The relationship between individuals and society

Non-human characters on a quest

Suspense

Humor

Human interest

International history

Hypothetical realities