101 Outstanding Graphic Novels

Overview

The popular primer on the best graphic novels, initially called The 101 Best Graphic Novels, is back in its third updated edition. Expert librarian Stephen Weiner—with the crowdsourcing help of professionals in the field, from artists to critics to leading comic store owners—has sifted through the bewildering thousands of graphic novels now available to come up with an outstanding, not-to-be-missed 101. With an all-encompassing variety of genres, including both fiction and nonfiction, this serves as a great introduction to this increasingly influential world of pop culture and entertainment while also serving as a reference list for fans on what they may have possibly overlooked.

Reviews

"While comics (books and strips) have been around for more than a century, graphic novels have only appeared in serious numbers in the last two decades. Since then, with publication of titles like Art Spiegelman's Maus and Chris Ware's Jimmy Corrigan, graphic novels have gained a growing regard as a literary medium. But for noncomics readers, navigating the field can be a challenge. Weiner, a librarian, former teacher and longtime comics reader, provides just the kind of information needed."  —Publishers Weekly

"The strengths of Weiner's book lie in the scanned black-and-white reproductions of most of the book covers, which give users firsthand experience of the rich diversity of illustrative styles, and a balance of fiction, in several of its genres, with nonfiction."  —School Library Journal

"Librarians who want to build a core graphic novel collection and who don't have the time or the budget to look through 1,000 or more books in a list will find this book much more manageable." —Voya

Author Biography

Stephen Weiner is the director of the Maynard Public Library in Maynard, Massachusetts, and a comics historian and critic who has been a pioneering advocate for graphic novels in public libraries and education and has published numerous articles and reviews about comic art. He is the author of 100 Graphic Novels for Public Libraries, The 101 Best Graphic Novels, and Faster than a Speeding Bullet: The Rise of the Graphic Novel. He is coauthor of Hellboy: The Companion, Using Graphic Novels with Children and Teens: A Guide for Teachers and Librarians, and The Will Eisner Companion. He is a recipient of the Comic Creator's Guild Award. He lives in Maynard, Massachusetts. Daniel J. Fingeroth is a former writer and editor at Marvel Comics and has written stories for comics anthologies including Studs Terkel's Working. He is the author of Disguised as Clark Kent: Jews, Comics, and the Creation of the Superhero; and Superman on the Couch: What Superheroes Really Tell Us About Ourselves and Our Society; The Rough Guide to Graphic Novels. He is a creative consultant to Will Eisner Studios and Wizard World Comics Conventions.