Best Graphic Novels To Read And Enjoy

The tragedy of the Holocaust sets the backdrop of this graphic novel as it deals with the life of a survivor who is guilt ridden of having survived the great tragedy that was inflicted upon humankind. The next generation of this survivor listens to the harrowing experience and understands the impact it has had on the countless that died and survived the hollowness of true evil. Altering between two different timelines the story weaves around the experience of Vladek, who survived the infamous concentration camp of Auschwitz. This account of a horror and terror that resulted not in death but someone surviving it talks about the resilience of mankind and also about how it afterwards has affected the near and dear ones. Art Spiegelman in his book Maus has used animals as characters and is symbolic to the nature of a prey and its attacker. This graphic novel would be the perfect choice if one is a beginner to the concept of it.

Many would argue that this graphic novel is simply about superheroes and does not dwell on anything deeper, but then their argument would definitely fall short as, Watchmen in its true essence deals with much more complex and tricky notions of philosophical concepts. The subjectivity of right and wrong along with how fair and justifiable vigilantism is beautifully depicted and written in this graphic novel. There are complex characters behind the all powerful and mighty capes and masks, the story ends with the world being pushed to the edge of impending doom and leaves a question of what it really means to be a hero. With the beautiful yet complex storytelling of Alan Moore and the artistic work of Dave Gibbons breathes life into the story that questions moral and philosophical concepts that every human faces in their life in one way or another.

A story steeped in the struggles of finding the true meaning of freedom and identity, Persepolis is the autobiographical account of the writer Marjane Satrapi who endured the dynamically changing socio-political structure of Iran pre and post Islamic revolution. Why is Persepolis regarded as one of the best graphic novels of all time? The answer lies in its simplicity and yet a powerful and true to understand account of the real life experience of tumultuous and politically regressive times. Marjane Satrapi has taken great care of portraying the struggles of her time and the people around her with the politically sensitive surrounding. Her writing is a blend of humour and sadness that draws readers more into her narrative and the graphic depiction does due justice to the words written with grace and precision. 

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This politically sensitive time with the struggles between Israel and Palestine requires the reading of this book named after the state of Palestine itself Palestine tells the real life account of the writer Joe Sacco when he spent two months in the now war torn region of Gaza and West Bank. This graphic novel is a humorous and heartfelt take on the lives of Palestinians. The novel has been often labeled as a unique take on the conflict of two states that share the border and are close knit neighbours. This graphic novel is a must read for the current times as it may shed some light on the conflict that has had a history of violent and historically significant resurgence. 

The heartwrenching account of a grieving daughter after she loses her mother is carefully written and crafted in this graphic novel that relies on the heavy emotions related to sadness and debilitating loss of a close member of the family. Dancing at the Pity Party takes us through the crippling journey of Tyler Feder whose mother is a cancer patient and her chances of survival bleak. This book is the journey of the author from holding on to hope despite knowing it all too well in her heart that the hope will one day get shattered into countless pieces and then the process of going through the grief and realising that life is a limited endeavour and will one day end comes to the realization. Tyler Feder’s personal and heartbreaking account is humorous and is carefully crafted with attractive visuals. This book is like a warm hug for people who are processing the passing away of their loved ones.