The Combined Best Graphic Novels of 2015!

Over the last few months there have been many, many websites with “Best of 2015” lists concerning comic books and graphic novels. If you’ve looked at a few, you may have noticed some of the same books on different lists and seen some unique to only that list.

I went through 94 different “Best Of” Lists regarding comic books and graphic novels and combined them into a spreadsheet. There are 1,822 different listings of books from these websites. I should note that I included books that were given honorable mentions. In short, if somebody thought it was a good book that you should check out, it’s on here. Pivot tables have been created to show which books appeared on the number of lists. Here are the books with 5 or more recommendations, starting with a tie for the top spot with 25 recommendations:

 

Book Title	Count	Writer	Artist	Publisher
Step Aside, Pops: A Hark! A Vagrant Collection	25	Kate Beaton	Kate Beaton	Drawn & Quarterly
Ms. Marvel	25	G. Willow Wilson	Adrian Alphona	Marvel Comics
SuperMutant Magic Academy	24	Jillian Tamaki	Jillian Tamaki	Drawn & Quarterly
Nimona	24	Noelle Stevenson	Noelle Stevenson	Harper Collins
The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl	23	Ryan North	Erica Henderson	Marvel Comics
March: Book Two	21	John Robert Lewis, Andrew Aydin	Nate Powell	Top Shelf
Killing and Dying	21	Adrian Tomine	Adrian Tomine	Drawn & Quarterly
Bitch Planet	20	Kelly Sue DeConnick	Valentine De Landro	Image Comics
The Wicked + The Divine	20	Kieron Gillen	Jamie McKelvie	Image Comics
Paper Girls	20	Brian K. Vaughan	Cliff Chiang	Image Comics
Saga	20	Brian K. Vaughan	Fiona Staples	Image Comics
Southern Bastards	19	Jason Aaron	Jason Latour	Image Comics
Lumberjanes	16	Grace Ellis, Noelle Stevenson	Brooke Allen	Boom!
The Sculptor	15	Scott McCloud	Scott McCloud	First Second
Descender	15	Jeff Lemire	Dustin Nguyen	Image Comics
The Story of My Tits	15	Jennifer Hayden	Jennifer Hayden	Top Shelf
The Sandman: Overture	14	Neil Gaiman	J.H. Williams III	DC Comics/Vertigo
Two Brothers	14	Fábio Moon and Gabriel Bá	Fábio Moon and Gabriel Bá	Dark Horse Comics
Archie	13	Mark Waid	Fiona Staples, Annie Wu	Archie Comics
Secret Wars	13	Jonathan Hickman	Esad Ribic	Marvel Comics
The Fade Out	12	Ed Brubaker	Sean Phillips	Image Comics
The Divine	12	Boaz Lavie	Asaf Hanuka and Tomer Hanuka	First Second
The Multiversity	12	Grant Morrison	Frank Quitely, Ivan Reis and Jim Lee	DC Comics/Vertigo
Black River	11	Josh Simmons	Josh Simmons	Fantagraphics Books
Batgirl	11	Brenden Fletcher and Cameron Stewart	Babs Tarr	DC Comics/Vertigo
The Omega Men	11	Tom King	Barnaby Bagenda and Toby Cypress	DC Comics/Vertigo
Invisible Ink: My Mother’s Love Affair With A Famous Cartoonist	11	Bill Griffith	Bill Griffith	Fantagraphics Books
Wytches	11	Scott Snyder	Jock	Image Comics
Sacred Heart	10	Liz Suburbia	Liz Suburbia	Fantagraphics Books
The Arab of the Future: A Childhood in the Middle East, 1978-1984: A Graphic Memoir	10	Riad Sattouf	Riad Sattouf	Metropolitan Books
Airboy	10	James Robinson	Greg Hinkle	Image Comics
Midnighter	10	Steve Orlando	ACO, Alec Morgan, Stephen Mooney	DC Comics/Vertigo
Fante Bukowski	10	Noah Van Sciver	Noah Van Sciver	Fantagraphics Books
Jem and The Holograms	9	Kelly Thompson	Sophie Campbell	IDW Publishing
Harrow County	9	Cullen Bunn	Tyler Crook	Dark Horse Comics
Drawn & Quarterly: Twenty-five Years of Contemporary Cartooning, Comics and Graphic Novels	9	Various	Various	Drawn & Quarterly
Russian Olive To Red King	8	Kathryn Immonen	Stuart Immonen	Adhouse Books
Giant Days	8	John Allison	Lissa Treiman	Boom!
Frontier	8	Various	Various	Youth in Decline
Hawkeye	8	Matt Fraction	David Aja, Francesco Francavilla	Marvel Comics
Ruins	8	Peter Kuper	Peter Kuper	Abrams
Nanjing: The Burning City	8	Ethan Young	Ethan Young	Random House
Hellboy in Hell	8	Mike Mignola	Mike Mignola	Dark Horse Comics
Star Wars	7	Jason Aaron	John Cassaday and Stuart Immonen	Marvel Comics
One-Punch Man	7	ONE	Yusuke Murata	Viz Media
Sexcastle	7	Kyle Starks	Kyle Starks	Image Comics
Lazarus	7	Greg Rucka	Michael Lark	Image Comics
Providence	7	Alan Moore	Jacen Burrows	Avatar Press
Mowgli’s Mirror	7	Olivier Schrauwen	Olivier Schrauwen	Retrofit Comics
The Autumnlands	7	Kurt Busiek	Benjamin Dewey	Image Comics
Silver Surfer	7	Dan Slott	Mike Allred	Marvel Comics
Monstress	7	Marjorie Liu	Sana Takeda	Image Comics
Terror Assaulter (O.M.W.O.T.)	7	Benjamin Marra	Benjamin Marra	Fantagraphics Books
Displacement: A Travelogue	7	Lucy Knisley	Lucy Knisley	Fantagraphics Books
COPRA	7	Michel Fiffe	Michel Fiffe	Self-Published
Rat Queens	6	Kurtis J. Wiebe	Roc Upchurch and Stjepan Šejić	Image Comics
MIND MGMT	6	Matt Kindt	Matt Kindt	Dark Horse Comics
Trashed	6	Derf Backderf	Derf Backderf	Abrams
Star Wars: Darth Vader	6	Kieron Gillen	Salvador Larroca and Edgar Delgado	Marvel Comics
Unflattening	6	Nick Sousanis	Nick Sousanis	Harvard University Press
The Oven	6	Sophie Goldstein	Sophie Goldstein	AdHouse Books
Sex Criminals	6	Matt Fraction	Chip Zdarsky	Image Comics
Wuvable Oaf	6	Ed Luce	Ed Luce	Fantagraphics Books
Roller Girl	6	Victoria Jamieson	Victoria Jamieson	Dial Books
Grayson	6	Tim Seeley and Tom King	Mikel Janin, Stephen Mooney	DC Comics/Vertigo
The Eternaut	6	Héctor Germán Oesterheld	Francisco Solano López	Fantagraphics Books
Borb	6	Jason Little	Jason Little	Uncivilized Books
Alex + Ada	5	Jonathan Luna and Sarah Vaughn	Jonathan Luna	Image Comics
Sky In Stereo	5	Mardou	Mardou	Revival House/Alternative Comics
I Hate Fairyland	5	Skottie Young	Skottie Young	Image Comics
Pablo	5	Julie Birmant & Clément Oubrerie	Clément Oubrerie	SelfMadeHero
Exquisite Corpse	5	Penelope Bagieu	Penelope Bagieu	First Second
The Age of Selfishness	5	Darryl Cunningham	Darryl Cunningham	Abrams
Not Funny Ha-Ha	5	Leah Hayes	Leah Hayes	Fantagraphics Books
Private Eye: Deluxe Edition	5	Brian K. Vaughan	Marcos Martin	Image Comics
Generous Bosom	5	Conor Stechschulte	Conor Stechschulte	Breakdown Press
Bright-Eyed at Midnight	5	Leslie Stein	Leslie Stein	Fantagraphics Books
The Humans	5	Keenan Marshall Keller	Tom Neely	Image Comics
Fütchi Perf	5	Kevin Czap	Kevin Czap	Czap Books
Gotham Academy	5	Brenden Fletcher and Becky Cloonan	Karl Kerschl	DC Comics/Vertigo
Island	5	Various	Various	Image Comics
Lady Killer	5	Joëlle Jones and Jamie S. Rich	Joëlle Jones	Dark Horse Comics
Prez	5	Mark Russell	Ben Caldwell	DC Comics/Vertigo
East of West	5	Jonathan Hickman	Nick Dragotta	Image Comics
Daredevil	5	Mark Waid	Chris Samnee	Marvel Comics
We Can Never Go Home	5	Matthew Rosenberg and Patrick Kindlon	Josh Hood	Black Mask Studios
Space Dumplins	5	Craig Thompson	Craig Thompson	Scholastic
Bacchus Omnibus Edition, Vol. 1	5	Eddie Campbell	Eddie Campbell	Top Shelf
Stray Bullets: Sunshine & Roses	5	David Lapham	David Lapham	Image Comics
The Last Man	5	Bastien Vivès, Michaël Sanlaville, Balak	Bastien Vivès, Michaël Sanlaville, Balak	First Second
Kaijumax	5	Zander Cannon	Zander Cannon	Oni Press
Fantasy Sports	5	Sam Bosma	Sam Bosma	Nobrow Press
Huck	5	Mark Millar	Rafael Albuquerque	Image Comics
Melody: Story Of A Nude Dancer	5	Sylvie Rancourt	Sylvie Rancourt	Drawn & Quarterly

Also of note, a handful of reviewers included a webcomic within it’s best books lists. There was a clear winner with Lighten Up by Ronald Wimberly getting picked by 4 websites. Every other webcomic was only picked once.

 
 

The full spreadsheet with pivot tables for books, writers, publishers and more is available here.

 

 

Regarding Publishers:

Image was the most popular with 87 different titles.

Marvel and DC tied for 2^nd with 50 titles each.

Fantagraphics and Dark Horse tied for 3^rd with 33 titles.

Viz Media was 4^th with 20 titles.

Drawn and Quarterly was 5^th with 17 titles.

45 Self-Published books made the lists too.

 

Caveats:

Where websites broke up their lists into parts, I’ve counted that as 1 list.

Where a website does more than 1 list (say best Comic Books and best Graphic Novels) I’ve counted that as two separate lists.

Where a writer wrote ‘best of’ lists for multiple websites, I’ve cross referenced their lists and removed books that were named twice. I did not think it would be fair if those writers could tip the popularity scale by naming the same book(s) over and over again on multiple websites.

If a writer wrote for multiple sites, but one of those sites picks was a group effort, I did not remove books that are listed twice.

I did not include lists that were a mixed of prose books and graphic novels.

I did not use nominations for upcoming awards.

There were also a couple of “Best Books for 2016” lists that I did not include.

For simplicity sake, if a list named a specific comic book issue or specific volume of a graphic novel, I removed those specifics and just listed the series title. Apologies to the reviewers of those books.

Some writers included books that were technically published in 2014 and at least 1 just listed best books they read that year, but the vast majority of those lists were 2015 books. The number of non 2015 books in the spreadsheet is very tiny and insignificant to the overall list.

Most of the lists were general ‘best/favourite books’ of 2015, but I also included lists dedicated to young readers, manga, etc… What type list is noted on column B in the spreadsheet.

A small number of lists also had rankings and those are included in Column C.

Here are the websites I used, including the ones with lists broken up into multiple pages.

Robert Boyd – http://www.thegreatgodpanisdead.com/2015/12/my-favorite-comics-of-2015.html
Slate – http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/books/2015/12/adrian_tomine_kate_beaton_jillian_tamaki_best_comics_and_graphic_novels.html
Good Reads – https://www.goodreads.com/choiceawards/best-graphic-novels-comics-2015
Tech Times – http://www.techtimes.com/articles/107899/20151203/best-comics-of-2015.htm
Kirkus – https://www.kirkusreviews.com/lists/best-middle-grade-graphic-novels-of-2015/ also on http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kirkus/best-middlegrade-graphic-_b_8690024.html
A.V. Club – http://www.avclub.com/article/our-favorite-graphic-novels-one-shots-and-archives-229423
Rob Kirby Comics – http://robkirbycomics.com/Rob_Kirby_Comics/Blog/Entries/2015/12/15_Robs_Top_30_Comics_and_Comics-related_Things_of_2015_%28see_2014_list_here%29.html
Vulture – http://www.vulture.com/2015/12/10-best-comic-books-of-2015.html
Vulture – http://www.vulture.com/2015/11/10-best-graphic-novels-2015.html
Paste Magazine – http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2015/12/10-small-press-and-self-published-comics-you-shoul.html
Amazon.com – http://www.amazon.com/b/ref=s9_acss_bw_cg_boty15_3a1?_encoding=UTF8&node=13127711011&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-6&pf_rd_r=100NMR6DKYNC4X3J66V2&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=2325173882&pf_rd_i=13108091011
The Comic Reporter 5 For Friday – http://www.comicsreporter.com/index.php/fff_results_post_441_the_year_in_comics/
Forbes – http://www.forbes.com/sites/robsalkowitz/2015/12/21/ten-best-graphic-novels-of-2015/
The Beat – http://www.comicsbeat.com/the-best-comics-of-2015/
CBR – http://www.comicbookresources.com/article/cbrs-top-100-comics-of-2015-100-76
CBR – http://www.comicbookresources.com/article/cbrs-top-100-comics-of-2015-75-51
CBR – http://www.comicbookresources.com/article/cbrs-top-100-comics-of-2015-50-26
CBR – http://www.comicbookresources.com/article/cbrs-top-100-comics-of-2015-25-11
CBR – http://www.comicbookresources.com/article/cbrs-top-100-comics-of-2015-10-1
Bleeding Cool – http://www.bleedingcool.com/2015/12/30/bleeding-cools-11-best-graphic-novels-of-2015/
Mental Floss – http://mentalfloss.com/article/72457/25-best-comics-and-graphic-novels-2015
i09 – http://io9.gizmodo.com/the-20-best-comics-and-graphic-novels-of-2015-1748709046
Comicosity – http://www.comicosity.com/best-of-2015-graphic-novel/
Comicosity – http://www.comicosity.com/best-of-2015-indie-comics/
Entropy Mag – http://entropymag.org/best-of-2015-comics-graphic-novels/
Barnes & Noble – http://www.barnesandnoble.com/blog/sci-fi-fantasy/the-best-new-manga-series-of-2015/
Comics and Cola – http://www.comicsandcola.com/2015/12/2015-in-comics-reading-guide.html
Comics Alternative – http://comicsalternative.com/episode-168-our-favorite-comics-of-2015/
CBC – http://www.cbc.ca/books/bestbooks2015/
Savage Critic – http://www.savagecritic.com/uncategorized/abhay-2015-another-year-that-i-mindlessly-consumed-entertainment-almost/
Comics for Grownups – http://comicsforgrownups.tumblr.com/post/136118333648/episode-54-best-of-2015
Journeys in Darkness and Light – https://journeysindarknessandlight.wordpress.com/2015/12/16/best-comics-of-2015-my-top-10/
Publishers Weekly – http://best-books.publishersweekly.com/pw/best-books/2015/comics
Nerdist – http://nerdist.com/the-10-best-comics-of-2015/
Polygon – http://www.polygon.com/comics/2015/12/23/10636552/best-comics-2015
Vox – http://www.vox.com/2015/12/11/9890256/12-best-comic-books-2015
CBR – http://www.comicbookresources.com/article/in-your-face-jam-top-10-series-of-2015
Bleeding Cool – http://www.bleedingcool.com/2015/12/31/bleeding-cools-11-best-comics-of-2015/
ComicBook.com – http://comicbook.com/2015/12/15/the-best-comics-of-2015-part-one/
ComicBook.com – http://comicbook.com/2015/12/15/the-best-comics-of-2015-part-two-/
Paul Gravett – http://www.paulgravett.com/articles/article/my_top_ten_comics_of_2015
The Factual Opinion – http://www.factualopinion.com/the_factual_opinion/2015/12/the-best-comics-of-2015-sure-why-not.html
popOptiq – http://www.popoptiq.com/best-comics-of-2015-part-one/
popOptiq – http://www.popoptiq.com/best-comics-of-2015-part-two/
Paste Magazine – http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2015/12/the-best-comic-books-of-2015.html?a=1
Guide Live – http://www.guidelive.com/comic-books/2015/12/30/top-10-comics-2015-year-newcomers-indies-took-reins
Mutha Magazine – http://muthamagazine.com/2015/12/ask-a-mutha-whats-the-good-stuff-a-readingwatching-picks-list-for-2015/
Just Indie Comics – http://justindiecomics.com/2016/01/09/best-comics-of-2015-part-one/
Just Indy Comics – http://justindiecomics.com/2016/01/12/best-comics-of-2015-part-two/
Vice – http://www.vice.com/read/vices-top-ten-comics-of-2015
CBR – Comics Can Be Good – http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/2016/01/12/my-top-ten-comics-of-2015/
ABS-CBN – http://news.abs-cbn.com/lifestyle/12/30/15/the-top-comic-books-of-2015
Anime News Network – http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/feature/2015-12-11/the-best-and-most-memorable-manga-of-2015/.96203
App.com – http://www.app.com/story/entertainment/books/2015/12/25/exciting-new-comics/77875946/
A.V. Club – http://www.avclub.com/article/our-favorite-ongoing-and-serial-comics-2015-229119
Comic Bastards – http://comicbastards.com/comics/best-of-2015-best-comic-of-the-year/
American Library Association – http://www.ala.org/news/member-news/2016/01/yalsa-names-2016-great-graphic-novels-teens
CBR Comics Should Be Good – http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/2016/01/16/dont-worry-about-those-other-best-comics-of-the-year-lists-because-this-is-the-one-youve-been-waiting-for/
Comics Anonymous – https://comicsanonymous2015.wordpress.com/tag/best-of-2015/
Your Chicken Enemy – http://danielrelkin.blogspot.ca/2015/12/top-10-comics-i-reviewed-of-2015.html
Entertainment Weekly – http://www.ew.com/article/2015/12/22/best-comics-2015
GQ – http://www.gq.com/story/the-10-best-graphic-novels-of-2015
The Hollywood Reporter – http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/top-10-comics-2015-851021
ICV2.com – http://icv2.com/articles/columns/view/33360/2015-comics-favorites-delights-guilty-pleasures
The Independent – http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/features/the-best-graphic-novels-of-2015-a6750376.html
Longbox Coffin – http://arecomicsevengood.tumblr.com/post/136186593959/top-comics-of-2015
Multiversity Comics – http://www.multiversitycomics.com/columns/2015-best-new-series/
Existential Ennui – http://www.existentialennui.com/2015/12/the-ten-best-graphic-novels-and-comics.html
NPR – http://apps.npr.org/best-books-2015/#/tag/comics-and-graphic-novels
Panel Platter – http://www.panelpatter.com/2016/01/james-2015-favorites.html
Panel Platter – http://www.panelpatter.com/2016/01/scotts-year-of-comics-or-his-favorite.html
Panel Platter – http://www.panelpatter.com/2016/01/guy-thomass-top-ten-favorite-comics-of.html
Publishers Weekly – http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/comics/article/69024-the-sculptor-tops-pw-s-10th-annual-graphic-novel-critics-poll.html
Sequential – http://www.sequential.cc/2015/12/top-ten-graphic-novels-of-2015.html
sktchd – http://sktchd.com/column/creators-share-their-favorite-comics-of-2015/
sktchd – http://sktchd.com/column/the-sktchies-favorite-comics-of-2015/
School Library Journal – http://www.slj.com/2015/11/feature-articles/top-10-graphic-novels-2015/
School Library Journal – http://blogs.slj.com/goodcomicsforkids/2015/12/15/the-good-comics-for-kids-2015-gift-guide/
Forward.com – http://forward.com/culture/books/328162/from-ira-glass-to-ultra-orthodox-ya-heroines-the-best-jewish-graphic-novels/?attribution=home-hero-item-img-4
Smoo Comics – http://www.smoo-comics.com/2015/12/five-great-comics-i-read-this-year/
The Gaurdian – http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/dec/07/best-graphic-books-2015-adrian-tomine-rachael-ball-jillian-tamaki-andy-hixon?CMP=twt_gu
The Village Voice – http://www.villagevoice.com/arts/the-outstanding-comics-of-2015-bring-it-all-back-home-7957185
Washington Post – https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/best-graphic-novels-of-2015/2015/11/18/89086376-7902-11e5-b9c1-f03c48c96ac2_story.html
Creative Bloq – http://www.creativebloq.com/comics/best-graphic-novels-2015-121518520
Comic Alliance – http://comicsalliance.com/comics-alliance-best-of-2015-winners/
The Kansas City Star – http://www.kansascity.com/entertainment/books/article49301710.html
The Alligators Mouth – http://www.thealligatorsmouth.co.uk/#!Books-of-the-Year-2015-Comics-Graphic-Novels/co3i/56571c7f0cf22d6285177161
Library Journal – http://reviews.libraryjournal.com/2015/11/best-of/best-books-2015-graphic-novels/
Panels – http://panels.net/bestof2015/
Richland Library – http://www.richlandlibrary.com/recommend/best-comics-2015-biased-selection
Under the Radar – http://www.undertheradarmag.com/lists/under_the_radars_top_25_comic_books_and_graphic_novels_of_2015/
Clear Eyes Full Shelves – http://cleareyesfullshelves.com/blog/2015-list-of-awesome-comics-graphic-novels
News OK – http://newsok.com/article/5469978
ConTV – http://blog.contv.com/best-new-comic-series-and-graphic-novels-of-2015/
Harris County Public Library – http://www.hcpl.net/content/2015-staff-favorites-graphic-novels-part-one
Harris County Public Library – http://www.hcpl.net/content/2015-staff-favorites-graphic-novels-part-two
The Globe & Mail – http://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/books-and-media/the-globe-100-the-best-books-of-2015/article27607992/#collection/comicsfive/
The Mary Sue – http://www.themarysue.com/the-best-of-pull-wisely-2015/
Heroic Girls – http://www.heroicgirls.com/the-best-all-ages-comics-for-girls-in-2015/
Vertigology – http://vertigology.net/2015/12/23/the-top-30-comics-of-2015/
Outlandish Lit – http://outlandishlit.blogspot.ca/2016/01/best-comics-of-2015.html
Book Minx Reads – https://bookminxreads.wordpress.com/2015/12/23/top-ten-week-best-comicsgraphic-novels-read-in-2015/