Graphic Novels
Graphic novels are, simply defined, book-length comics. Sometimes they tell a single, continous narrative from first page to last; sometimes they are collections of shorter stories or individual comic strips. Comics are sequential visual art, emphasizing everything from drama, adventure, character development, striking visuals, politics, or romance over laugh-out-loud comedy.
Links
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Columbia University Libraries - Graphic Novel Page
A university website with a compilation of weblinks, including awards, publishers, conventions, and blogs. -
Comic Book Resources
Comic book news updated daily. -
Comics Timeline
The history of comics in America. -
Dark Horse Books
Home of Buffy, Conan, Hellboy, Frank Miller, Star Wars, and more. -
DC Comics
Home to Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Arrow, The Flash, Green Lantern, The Watchmen and many other classic comic book superheroes. -
Drawn and Quarterly
Candian publisher of independent and alternative graphic novels from artists like Lisa Hanawalt, Joe Sacco, Lynda Barry, Kate Beaton, and Tove Jansson. -
Fantagraphics
Publisher of alternative comix, classic comics, and graphic novels from creators like Peter Bagge, Charles Burns, Daniel Clowes, Ellen Forney, and Chris Ware to name just a few. -
Free Comic Book Day
The official website of Free Comic Book Day, the first Saturday in May when comic book stores give away free comics to their customers. -
Google Play
Enjoy millions of the latest Android apps, games, music, movies, TV, books, magazines, and more. -
IDW
Home of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Locke and Key, Star Trek, Transformers, G.I. Joe, and My Little Pony. -
Image
Image is a comics and graphic novels publisher formed in 1992 by seven of Marvel Comics’ best-selling artists. Since that time, Image has gone on to become the third largest comics publisher in the United States. -
iTunes App Store
Browse and download apps to your iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch from the App Store, including the Overdrive Media Console app. -
Kindle App Store
Instant access to thousands of the most popular free and best-selling apps and games, including the Overdrive Media Console app. -
Marvel Comics
Home of Spider-Man, X-Men, The Avengers, Daredevil, Fantastic Four, and many other legendary comic book characters. Excelsior! -
Newsarama
Source for comic book news, reviews and all-things genre entertainment since 1998. -
NOOK Store
Your one-stop-shop for all things NOOK. -
Panels
A celebration of comics, the people who make them, and the people who love them. -
Rumic World
Rumiko Takahashi has been called "The Princess of Manga," and this site celebrates her life and works in both manga and anime. Includes news, history, series overviews, and character profiles from such popular works as Urusei Yatsura, Ranma 1/2, and InuYasha, among others. -
The Beat
News Blog of Comics Culture: Comic blog from Publisher Weekly, with extensive links. -
The Internet Public Library's Guide to Graphic Novels
Including the history of graphic novels, anime and manga, web comics, and more. -
The Mary Sue
Comic book and pop culture news site highlighting women in the geek world and providing a prominent place for their voices. -
The Otaku
Updated daily with news, fandom features, and a blog; free manga, art and wallpaper, an interactive art gallery for registered users, and loads of fun quizzes from favorite anime like, "What character are you?" -
Tokyopop
Lots of goodies from the leading manga magnet. -
Top Shelf
Publishes comics and graphic novels by authors and artists such as Alan Moore, Craig Thompson, Nate Powell, Alex Robinson, Jeff Lemire, and Matt Kindt. -
Vertigo
DC Comics imprint that publishes content for mature readers with horror and supernatural themes with titles like The Sandman, Hellblazer, Swamp Thing, V for Vendetta, and Preacher. -
VIZ Media
A treasure trove for manga fans.
Independent Black Comic Books and Graphic Novels by explore
Black independent comic books are crucial in ensuring that the comic book industry reflects the diversity of its audience. They provide a platform for authentic, innovative, and impactful stories that celebrate Black culture and offer new perspectives. Through creativity, entrepreneurship, and activism, Black independent comics not only enrich the medium but also contribute to broader societal conversations about race, identity, and representation.
Manga - Single Volumes and Short Series by FLPTeens
Manga series can stretch for dozens and dozens and volumes, but these ones are short and easy to finish quickly.
Manga - All the Big Hits (15 items)
These classic manga series have been popular for decades. Try these titles if you want to find out what all the hype is about!
Manga - New and Popular (37 items)
New hits and popular classics from a variety of genres.
Ghastly Graphic Novels (42 items)
Illustrated horror full of eerie images and scary stories.
Graphic Novel Memoirs (90 items)
Take a trip into someone else's life story shared in nontraditional graphic novel format.
Anime and Manga - Manga for You and Me (5 items)
Learn the techniques behind the creation of anime.
Anime and Manga - Hot Manga (14 items)
Get your hands on the newest manga we have.
Graphic Novels - Teen Manga (16 items)
Classic teen manga favorites.
Graphic Novels - Superheroes (83 items)
Biff! Bam! Pow!
Graphic Novels - Realistic stories for Teens (15 items)
Graphic novels that reflect real life.
Graphic Novels - Non-violent Stories for Tweens (6 items)
Suitable for middle schoolers.
Graphic Novels - for Tweens (14 items)
For the younger set.
Graphic Novels - Beginning Readers (8 items)
A first experience with comic books.
Graphic Novels - Girl Power (10 items)
Graphic novels that appeal to girls and women.
Graphic Novels - Books to Screen (13 items)
From graphic novels into movies.
Graphic Novels - Bestsellers (10 items)
Not sure where to start? How about with the most popular graphic novels?
Graphic Novels - Award Winners (6 items)
Find out more about the popular world of graphic novels.
Award Winning Graphic Novels (23 items)
Graphic novels which have won notable awards.
Electronic Resources
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ComicsPlus All Access
ComicsPlus All Access has thousands of digital comics, graphic novels, & manga for kids, teens, and adults. A Free Library of Philadelphia card and PIN is required for onsite and offsite use. Mobile app available: use library card and PIN.
Available To: All Free Library locations and online with your library card.
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ComicsPlus Children
Adventure Time, Bone, Minecraft, and the Big Nate series and more. Simultaneous use will allow whole-class read-alongs. A Free Library card and PIN is required for onsite and offsite use. Mobile app available: use library card and PIN.
Available To: All Free Library locations and online with your library card.
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ComicsPlus Teens
Thousands of digital comics, graphic novels, and manga especially for teens. A Free Library of Philadelphia card and PIN is required for onsite and offsite use. Mobile app available: use library card and PIN.
Available To: All Free Library locations and online with your library card.
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Upcoming Events
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Queer Comics Club
Join our book club where we explore graphic novels and manga centering queer stories and voices. Open to all… more details
Sat, July 12, 2025 11:00 AM
Philadelphia City Institute
1905 Locust Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103-5730
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Comix Club
We typically gather every third Thursday, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. to read, talk and draw comics. If… more details
Thu, July 17, 2025 5:30 PM
Parkway Central Library
1901 Vine Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
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Queer Comics Club
Join our book club where we explore graphic novels and manga centering queer stories and voices. Open to all… more details
Sat, July 26, 2025 11:00 AM
Philadelphia City Institute
1905 Locust Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103-5730
Related Tags
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Queer Comics Club
Join our book club where we explore graphic novels and manga centering queer stories and voices. Open to all… more details
Sat, August 9, 2025 11:00 AM
Philadelphia City Institute
1905 Locust Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103-5730
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Blog Posts
Black Independent Comic Books and Philadelphia's Impact
Comic books and graphic novels are a dynamic and significant presence in the mainstream media. The number of films, television, and other media centered on and inspired by the illustrated pages and fantastic stories of comics…
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Teen Reads for Women's History Month
March is Women's History Month! Did you know that Women’s History Month has its roots in the struggle for workers’ rights? In 1908, women garment workers protested the poor working conditions inside factories. This…
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Manga 101: Manga and Beyond at the Free Library
In our Manga 101 series , we’ve covered a lot of manga-related topics. We looked at some commonly asked questions , explored demographic categories , reviewed several popular manga genres, and discussed related types of media . In…
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Manga 101: Related Concepts
In our Manga 101 series, we’ve answered some frequently asked questions , defined some common manga terms , and looked at some of the most popular manga genres found at the Free Library. This time, we’ll take a look at other…
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Faces of the Free Library: Meet Rasheem!
The Free Library has been expanding staffing efforts throughout the library system in recent months. With all the hiring excitement, there’s a mix of both new and familiar faces in all of the branches, and you might be wondering…
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Manga 101: Horror
In our last Manga 101 installments, we touched on romance and LGBTQIA+ themes in manga. This time, we’ll take a look at a new genre: horror . Though the roots of manga can be traced back through centuries of Japanese art,…
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Comix Club Spotlight Review, Plus a Special Event This Month!
This month’s Review Round-up features two cartoonists who frequently work on their comics in the Art Department , plus a peek inside Reptile House Comix ’s latest summer issue. Smell ya later, summer! Gecko by Nate…
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Manga 101: BL, GL, and Beyond
In our previous Manga 101 installment, we covered romance manga. This time, we’ll take a look at two subgenres of romance manga (BL and GL), as well as some non-romantic LGBTQ+ manga. BL BL is an abbreviation for Boys’…
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Comix Club's New Titles Spotlight Review
With this month’s Comix Club drawing nigh (that’s Tuesday, August 29 from 5:30–7:30 p.m. in the Art Department), here is a Review Spotlight of sparkly new additions to the Philadelphia Comics Collection .…
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Manga 101: Romance
Previous Manga 101 installments took a look at isekai and sports manga; this time, we’ll explore another popular genre of manga: romance . From poignant stories of high school love to doomed romances with supernatural…
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Manga 101: Sports
In the previous Manga 101 installment, we took a look at the manga genre known as isekai . Now, we’ll continue with an exploration of another popular manga genre: sports! Sports manga as a genre is precisely what it sounds like…
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Manga 101: Isekai
One way of classifying manga is by demographic categories like shonen and shojo (for more information, check out the previous Manga 101 blog post ). However, manga can also be divided into genres of similar subject matter. While…
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Bryn Ziegler's Don’t Look Into The Abyss and Other Philadelphia Comics
The Art Department is thrilled to host the launch of Don’t Look Into The Abyss , a new graphic novel illustrated and published by Bryn Ziegler . Ziegler is a book and comic artist specializing in intimate,…
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Manga 101: Demographic Categories
Manga is often published chapter-by-chapter in anthology magazines which are marketed towards particular audiences. Some magazines focus on specific genres of manga (like fantasy, romance, etc.) while others publish stories in a variety…
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Manga 101: Answering Common Questions
Some of the most popular titles at the Field Teen Center are manga, or Japanese graphic novels. Manga includes a wide range of genres and art styles with more than 100 titles in our collections. Navigating it all can be overwhelming,…
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The Philadelphia Comics Collection Debuts in the Art Department
Are you an avid reader of comics, and of the age 18+? The Art Department is stoked to announce an exciting new collection for you to explore: The Philadelphia Comics Collection (PCC) is a living, growing, cutting-edge catalog made up of…
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ComicsPlus is Here!
Like comics? You're going to love this! Our newest electronic resources from ComicsPlus bring thousands of digital comics, graphic novels, and manga from a variety of library-friendly publishers for kids,…
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Explore Creative Careers with Field Teen Center!
Throughout the month of July, Field Teen Center recorded interviews with a voice actor, four game designers, and a comic book writer. If you’re interested in creative jobs or if you just want to learn more about how your favorite…
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Early Black Comic Book Writers, Illustrators, and Newspaper Cartoonists
Are you a fan of comic book characters such as Marvel Comics' Black Panther or DC Comics' Black Lighting ? These Black superhero comics gained renewed popularity in recent years as a result of blockbuster movies and TV series.…
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21 Great Graphic Novels and Comics from 2021
Another year, another stack of superhero stories, fascinating biographies, funny books, and extraordinary illustrated tales that defy classification! While not necessarily a "Top 10" (especially since I selected 21!), and…
