Because I love drawing and good stories, I’m drawn to graphic novels. I appreciate the various styles of visual storytelling. And I love that they can be totally imaginative and out of this world, or depict real life stories.

Based on what I read in 2024, here a some recommendations you may enjoy, even if you don’t think you like graphic novels. (Links at the end.)

If you’re looking to get new perspectives on history, culture, and conflicts, I recommend The Faithful Spy (Hitler’s Germany), Palestine, Safe Area Gorazde (Bosnia), and Such a Lovely Little War (Vietnam), The Arab of the Future (Syria in the 80s), and This Country (rural Idaho).

Joe Sacco’s work is a standout for his graphic journalism covering Palestine and Bosnia. Also, I highly recommend The Arab of the Future, which is a series of books that unfortunately have not all been translated from the original French.

If you grew up in the 80s, love Star Wars and watched He-Man, and want to understand how your nostalgia has been fabricated, check out The He-Man Effect.

Side note: This Country and The He-Man Effect both referred to the political slogan first used by Ronald Reagan during his 1980 presidential campaign: “Let’s make America great again.” I didn’t know that. And history repeating.

For a fantasy rebellion story written 40 years ago that feels like the present, read V for Vendetta.

How about a matriarchal world with monsters and talking cats—check out the Monstress series. It is currently on volume 9. While the characters, cities, and politics are sometimes overwhelming to follow, the story line is compelling—and the illustration is amazing!

Shubeik Lubeik is a fantasy story based in Cairo where wishes can be bought and sold (and come in different levels of quality).

And lastly, for insight into a cultural (and marketing) phenomenon, read The Moomins and the Great Flood. Inspired by a trip to Helsinki, I knew very little about the origin story of the Moomins, and I was delighted to learn how and when Tove Jansson created these characters during World War II. Jansson envisioned the Moomins as a way to provide a sense of hope and comfort amidst a dark and uncertain time.

Together, these are a great mix of history, cultural empathy, and escapism that is well worth exploring.

Ratings, If I Must

While I recommend them all, if I had to rank them, here’s the rating.