DC Comics is proud to present 30 Essential Graphic Novels!
Here are the best-selling titles that you must read - whether you are just beginning to discover graphic novels or you are an established fan looking to expand your collection.
WATCHMEN - The Hugo Award-winning graphic novel chronicles the fall from grace of a group of super-heroes plagued by all-too-human failings. The concept of the super-hero is dissected as the heroes are stalked by an unknown assassin.
Alan Moore: Bio | Other works
Dave Gibbons: Bio | Other works
"A work of ruthless psychological realism, it's a landmark in the graphic novel medium. It would be a masterpiece in any." - Time, Time Magazine's 100 best English-language novels from 1923 to the present
THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN : THE BLACK DOSSIER, THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN VOL. 1 & VOL. 2 - Literary figures from throughout time and various bodies of work are brought together to face any and all threats to Britain. Allan Quartermain, Mina Murray, Captain Nemo, Dr. Henry Jekyll and Edward Hyde and Hawley Griffin, the Invisible Man, form a remarkable legion of intellectual aptitude and physical prowess.
Alan Moore: Bio | Other works
Kevin O'Neill : Bio | Other works
"Acclaimed comics author Moore (Watchmen) has combined his love of 19th-century adventure literature with an imaginative mastery of its 20th-century corollary, the superhero comic book." - Publishers Weekly
"A sharp-witted gloss on the scientific and sexual obsessions of Victorian society." - Time
V FOR VENDETTA - The basis for the hit movie - in the near future, England has become a corrupt, totalitarian state, opposed only by V, the mystery man wearing a white porcelain mask who intends to free the masses through absurd acts of terrorism.
Alan Moore: Bio | Other works
David Lloyd: Bio | Other works
"Dark, gripping storytelling." - Entertainment Weekly
THE SANDMAN VOL. 1: PRELUDES & NOCTURNES - The first story of Morpheus, Lord of Dreams, tells of his plight and the quest he must undertake to regain his lost kingdom.
Neil Gaiman: Bio | Other works
Sam Kieth: Bio | Other works
Mike Dringenberg: Bio | Other works
Malcolm Jones III: Bio | Other works
"A clever, literate comicbook series that rewrote the conventions of horror and superhero comics for a new generation of adult readers." - The Boston Phoenix
THE SANDMAN: ENDLESS NIGHTS - The legend of the Endless, a family of magical and mythical beings who exist and interact in the real world, is finally revealed. Born at the beginning of time, Destiny, Death, Dream, Desire, Despair, Delirium, and Destruction are seven brothers and sisters who each lord over their respective realms.
Neil Gaiman: Bio | Other works
"The Best Comic Ever Returns." - Entertainment Weekly
FABLES VOL 1: LEGENDS IN EXILE - The infamous inhabitants of folklore were forced into exile when a savage creature known as the Adversary conquered the fabled lands of legendsand fairy tales. These magical characters now disguise themselves as normal citizens in modern-day New York and around the world.
Bill Willingham: Bio | Other works
Lan Medina: Bio | Other works
Steve Leialoha: Bio | Other works
"[A] wonderfully twisted concept...features fairy tale characters banished to the nourish world of present-day New York." - Washington Post
SUPERMAN FOR ALL SEASONS - This coming-of-age tale is an emotional and insightful examination of Clark Kent's transformation from a powerful boy into a heroic man. Told through the course of four seasons in the Man of Steel's adolescent life, it illustrates that it is the person, not the powers, that makes the Man of Steel a hero.
Jeph Loeb: Bio | Other works
Tim Sale: Bio | Other works
ALL STAR SUPERMAN VOL. 1 - Writer Grant Morrison and artist Frank Quitely redefine the Man of Steel for a new generation in this Eisner Award-winning story that Entertainment Weekly and Time magazine named one of the best comics of 2007.
Grant Morrison: Bio | Other works
Frank Quitely: Bio | Other works
"Taking The Man of Steel back to his roots and into the future at the same time, All Star Superman is exciting, bold and supercool...all the makings of a classic." - Variety
SUPERMAN/BATMAN: PUBLIC ENEMIES - Comics' most iconic characters join forces for epic tales that pit the Man of Steel and the Dark Knight against the world's greatest villains.
Jeph Loeb: Bio | Other works
Ed McGuinness: Bio | Other works
"Fans of DC Comics' classic characters will find much to love here." - The Atlanta Journal Constitution
BATMAN: ARKHAM ASYLUM - A hard-hitting psychological horror story featuring Batman and the villains of Arkham Asylum, the house for the criminally insane. The Joker leads the inmates in a takeover of the asylum, seizing control of the staff. The villains are willing to release their hostages, but only if their lone demand is met: Batman must be turned over to them to become one of their own. Now the Dark Knight must face down both his most dangerous foes and his inner demons.
Grant Morrison: Bio | Other works
Dave McKean: Bio | Other works
BATMAN: THE LONG HALLOWEEN - The Dark Knight must discover the identity of a mysterious killer who murders his prey only on holidays in this taut mystery that takes place during Batman's early days of crimefighting.
Jeph Loeb: Bio | Other works
Tim Sale: Bio | Other works
"One of the best trade paperbacks of all time." - Wizard
BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS - The classic graphic novel - Gotham City has sunk deeper into decadence and lawlessness ten years after an aging Batman has retired. The Dark Knight returns in a blaze of glory when his city needs him most to end the threat of a brutal new generation of criminals while encountering the Joker, Two-Face and the Man of Steel for the final time.
Frank Miller: Bio | Other works
"Groundbreaking." - USA Today
"It's film noir in cartoon panels." - Vanity Fair
BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT STRIKES AGAIN - The sequel to the groundbreaking BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS. Bruce Wayne has been keeping his eye on the world above from his underworld civilization. As that false Camelot reaches its breaking point, it's up to the Dark Knight to emerge from the shadows and return order to chaos once again.
Frank Miller: Bio | Other works
"A visual masterpiece." - The Village Voice
BATMAN: YEAR ONE - Bruce Wayne spent his adolescence and early adulthood traveling the world to hone his body and mind into the perfect fighting and investigative machine. He now returns to Gotham City as a costumed vigilante with the guise of a giant bat to fight injustice and bring down a corrupt political system.
Frank Miller: Bio | Other works
David Mazzucchelli: Bio | Other works
Steve Leialoha: Bio | Other works
"The artwork by Mazzucchelli...may be the best 'Batman' has ever had. As for Miller, his characterization of Batman-Bruce Wayne is intelligent and convincing, and his ability to mount an action scene is second to none...an interesting, entertaining update." - LA Times Book Review
BATMAN: HUSH VOL. 1 & VOL. 2 - In this story of murder, mystery and romance, Batman sets out to discover the identity of the mysterious character wreaking havoc in his life by using the Joker, the Riddler, Ra's al Ghul and his other enemies and allies as his own private pawns.
Jeph Loeb: Bio | Other works
Jim Lee: Bio | Other works
"It's beautiful stuff. Catwoman has rarely looked so seductive, nor has Batman's heroic but fearsome image often been used so well. [HUSH] make[s] readers look at Batman and his colleagues with a fresh, enthusiastic eye." - Publishers Weekly, starred review
KINGDOM COME - A grim tale set just after the dawn of the 21st century that pits the old guard - Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and their peers - against a new, uncompromising generation of heroes in a final war to determine the future of the planet.
Mark Waid: Bio | Other works
Alex Ross: Bio | Other works
"One of the best comic stories ever told." - Washington Examiner
IDENTITY CRISIS - When the spouse of a JLA member is brutally murdered, the entire super-hero community searches for the killer, fearing their own loved ones may be the next targets. Before the mystery is solved, a number of long-buried secrets will threaten to divide the heroes before they can bring the killer to justice.
Brad Meltzer: Bio | Other works
Rags Morales: Bio | Other works
"Mystery novelist Brad Meltzer shows that even superheroes have reasons to be afraid." - Spin Magazine
JLA VOL. 1: NEW WORLD ORDER - Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Green Lantern, Aquaman and The Martian Manhunter protect the earth against all threats as The Justice League of America.
Grant Morrison: Bio | Other works
Howard Porter: Bio | Other works
GREEN LANTERN: REBIRTH - Former test pilot Hal Jordan takes back the mantle as Earth's Green Lantern, the most revered member of a corps of intergalactic police that protects the universe armed with power rings that can create anything its bearer imagines.
Geoff Johns: Bio | Other works
Ethan Van Sciver: Bio | Other works
CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS - The story that changed the DC Universe forever. A mysterious being has begun a crusade across time to bring about the end of all existence. As alternate Earths are systematically destroyed, a team of super-heroes from across time and space is assembled to stop the destruction.
Marv Wolfman: Bio | Other works
George Pérez: Bio | Other works
TRANSMETROPOLITAN VOL. 1: BACK ON THE STREET - Outlaw journalist Spider Jerusalem attacks the injustices of his surreal 21st century through black humor as an investigative reporter for the newspaper The Word.
Warren Ellis: Bio | Other works
Darick Robertson: Bio | Other works
PRIDE OF BAGHDAD - A startlingly original look at life on the streets of Baghdad during the Iraq War inspired by the true event of a pride of lions that escaped from the Baghdad Zoo during an American bombing raid. Lost and confused, hungry but finally free, the four lions roamed the decimated streets of Baghdad in a desperate struggle for their lives.
Brian K. Vaughan: Bio | Other works
Niko Henrichon: Bio | Other works
"You can put it right next to Watchmen. It's that good." - ign.com
HELLBLAZER: ORIGINAL SINS - John Constantine, an unconcerned, somewhat amoral occultist with a British working-class background, is a hero, of sorts, who manages to come out on top through a combination of luck, trickery, and genuine magical skill.
Jamie Delano: Bio | Other works
John Ridgway: Bio | Other works
Alfredo Alcala: Bio | Other works
Y: THE LAST MAN VOL. 1: UNMANNED - The saga of Yorick Brown, an unemployed slacker who discovers he is the only male left in a world inhabited solely by women after a plague of unknown origin instantly kills every mammal with a Y chromosome.
Brian K. Vaughan: Bio | Other works
Pia Guerra: Bio | Other works
"Complete and utter comic gold." - Washington Post
KAMIKAZE KAITO JEANNE - By day, Kusakabe Maron is an ordinary high school girl with more than her share of problems. But by night, she is Kamikaze Kaito Jeanne, the reincarnation of Joan of Arc! Her mission: to hunt down demon-possessed paintings and exorcise the evil spirits!
Arina Tanemura: Bio | Other works
CRAYON SHINCHAN VOL. 1 - The original manga featuring the star of the hit late-night Adult Swim series. He's rude, he's crude, and adults tremble whenever he's around. His inappropriate comments and obsession with body parts and bodily functions make life stressful for his struggling parents. No one is safe from Shinchan's verbal outbursts...and now, neither are you!
Yoshito Usui: Bio | Other works
EX MACHINA VOL. 1: THE FIRST HUNDRED DAYS - Civil engineer Mitchell Hundred becomes America's first living, breathing super-hero after a strange accident gives him amazing powers. He eventually tires of risking his life merely to maintain the status quo, retires from masked crimefighting and runs for mayor of New York City, winning by a landslide.
Brian K. Vaughan: Bio | Other works
Tony Harris: Bio | Other works
"...Compelling entertainment with fiery thoughtfulness." - Entertainment Weekly, Top 10 Best Fiction '05
WATCHMEN - The Hugo Award-winning graphic novel chronicles the fall from grace of a group of super-heroes plagued by all-too-human failings. The concept of the super-hero is dissected as the heroes are stalked by an unknown assassin.
Alan Moore: Bio | Other works
Dave Gibbons: Bio | Other works
"A work of ruthless psychological realism, it's a landmark in the graphic novel medium. It would be a masterpiece in any." - Time, Time Magazine's 100 best English-language novels from 1923 to the present
THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN : THE BLACK DOSSIER, THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN VOL. 1 & VOL. 2 - Literary figures from throughout time and various bodies of work are brought together to face any and all threats to Britain. Allan Quartermain, Mina Murray, Captain Nemo, Dr. Henry Jekyll and Edward Hyde and Hawley Griffin, the Invisible Man, form a remarkable legion of intellectual aptitude and physical prowess.
Alan Moore: Bio | Other works
Kevin O'Neill : Bio | Other works
"Acclaimed comics author Moore (Watchmen) has combined his love of 19th-century adventure literature with an imaginative mastery of its 20th-century corollary, the superhero comic book." - Publishers Weekly
"A sharp-witted gloss on the scientific and sexual obsessions of Victorian society." - Time
V FOR VENDETTA - The basis for the hit movie - in the near future, England has become a corrupt, totalitarian state, opposed only by V, the mystery man wearing a white porcelain mask who intends to free the masses through absurd acts of terrorism.
Alan Moore: Bio | Other works
David Lloyd: Bio | Other works
"Dark, gripping storytelling." - Entertainment Weekly
THE SANDMAN VOL. 1: PRELUDES & NOCTURNES - The first story of Morpheus, Lord of Dreams, tells of his plight and the quest he must undertake to regain his lost kingdom.
Neil Gaiman: Bio | Other works
Sam Kieth: Bio | Other works
Mike Dringenberg: Bio | Other works
Malcolm Jones III: Bio | Other works
"A clever, literate comicbook series that rewrote the conventions of horror and superhero comics for a new generation of adult readers." - The Boston Phoenix
THE SANDMAN: ENDLESS NIGHTS - The legend of the Endless, a family of magical and mythical beings who exist and interact in the real world, is finally revealed. Born at the beginning of time, Destiny, Death, Dream, Desire, Despair, Delirium, and Destruction are seven brothers and sisters who each lord over their respective realms.
Neil Gaiman: Bio | Other works
"The Best Comic Ever Returns." - Entertainment Weekly
FABLES VOL 1: LEGENDS IN EXILE - The infamous inhabitants of folklore were forced into exile when a savage creature known as the Adversary conquered the fabled lands of legendsand fairy tales. These magical characters now disguise themselves as normal citizens in modern-day New York and around the world.
Bill Willingham: Bio | Other works
Lan Medina: Bio | Other works
Steve Leialoha: Bio | Other works
"[A] wonderfully twisted concept...features fairy tale characters banished to the nourish world of present-day New York." - Washington Post
SUPERMAN FOR ALL SEASONS - This coming-of-age tale is an emotional and insightful examination of Clark Kent's transformation from a powerful boy into a heroic man. Told through the course of four seasons in the Man of Steel's adolescent life, it illustrates that it is the person, not the powers, that makes the Man of Steel a hero.
Jeph Loeb: Bio | Other works
Tim Sale: Bio | Other works
ALL STAR SUPERMAN VOL. 1 - Writer Grant Morrison and artist Frank Quitely redefine the Man of Steel for a new generation in this Eisner Award-winning story that Entertainment Weekly and Time magazine named one of the best comics of 2007.
Grant Morrison: Bio | Other works
Frank Quitely: Bio | Other works
"Taking The Man of Steel back to his roots and into the future at the same time, All Star Superman is exciting, bold and supercool...all the makings of a classic." - Variety
SUPERMAN/BATMAN: PUBLIC ENEMIES - Comics' most iconic characters join forces for epic tales that pit the Man of Steel and the Dark Knight against the world's greatest villains.
Jeph Loeb: Bio | Other works
Ed McGuinness: Bio | Other works
"Fans of DC Comics' classic characters will find much to love here." - The Atlanta Journal Constitution
BATMAN: ARKHAM ASYLUM - A hard-hitting psychological horror story featuring Batman and the villains of Arkham Asylum, the house for the criminally insane. The Joker leads the inmates in a takeover of the asylum, seizing control of the staff. The villains are willing to release their hostages, but only if their lone demand is met: Batman must be turned over to them to become one of their own. Now the Dark Knight must face down both his most dangerous foes and his inner demons.
Grant Morrison: Bio | Other works
Dave McKean: Bio | Other works
BATMAN: THE LONG HALLOWEEN - The Dark Knight must discover the identity of a mysterious killer who murders his prey only on holidays in this taut mystery that takes place during Batman's early days of crimefighting.
Jeph Loeb: Bio | Other works
Tim Sale: Bio | Other works
"One of the best trade paperbacks of all time." - Wizard
BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS - The classic graphic novel - Gotham City has sunk deeper into decadence and lawlessness ten years after an aging Batman has retired. The Dark Knight returns in a blaze of glory when his city needs him most to end the threat of a brutal new generation of criminals while encountering the Joker, Two-Face and the Man of Steel for the final time.
Frank Miller: Bio | Other works
"Groundbreaking." - USA Today
"It's film noir in cartoon panels." - Vanity Fair
BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT STRIKES AGAIN - The sequel to the groundbreaking BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS. Bruce Wayne has been keeping his eye on the world above from his underworld civilization. As that false Camelot reaches its breaking point, it's up to the Dark Knight to emerge from the shadows and return order to chaos once again.
Frank Miller: Bio | Other works
"A visual masterpiece." - The Village Voice
BATMAN: YEAR ONE - Bruce Wayne spent his adolescence and early adulthood traveling the world to hone his body and mind into the perfect fighting and investigative machine. He now returns to Gotham City as a costumed vigilante with the guise of a giant bat to fight injustice and bring down a corrupt political system.
Frank Miller: Bio | Other works
David Mazzucchelli: Bio | Other works
Steve Leialoha: Bio | Other works
"The artwork by Mazzucchelli...may be the best 'Batman' has ever had. As for Miller, his characterization of Batman-Bruce Wayne is intelligent and convincing, and his ability to mount an action scene is second to none...an interesting, entertaining update." - LA Times Book Review
BATMAN: HUSH VOL. 1 & VOL. 2 - In this story of murder, mystery and romance, Batman sets out to discover the identity of the mysterious character wreaking havoc in his life by using the Joker, the Riddler, Ra's al Ghul and his other enemies and allies as his own private pawns.
Jeph Loeb: Bio | Other works
Jim Lee: Bio | Other works
"It's beautiful stuff. Catwoman has rarely looked so seductive, nor has Batman's heroic but fearsome image often been used so well. [HUSH] make[s] readers look at Batman and his colleagues with a fresh, enthusiastic eye." - Publishers Weekly, starred review
KINGDOM COME - A grim tale set just after the dawn of the 21st century that pits the old guard - Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and their peers - against a new, uncompromising generation of heroes in a final war to determine the future of the planet.
Mark Waid: Bio | Other works
Alex Ross: Bio | Other works
"One of the best comic stories ever told." - Washington Examiner
IDENTITY CRISIS - When the spouse of a JLA member is brutally murdered, the entire super-hero community searches for the killer, fearing their own loved ones may be the next targets. Before the mystery is solved, a number of long-buried secrets will threaten to divide the heroes before they can bring the killer to justice.
Brad Meltzer: Bio | Other works
Rags Morales: Bio | Other works
"Mystery novelist Brad Meltzer shows that even superheroes have reasons to be afraid." - Spin Magazine
JLA VOL. 1: NEW WORLD ORDER - Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Green Lantern, Aquaman and The Martian Manhunter protect the earth against all threats as The Justice League of America.
Grant Morrison: Bio | Other works
Howard Porter: Bio | Other works
GREEN LANTERN: REBIRTH - Former test pilot Hal Jordan takes back the mantle as Earth's Green Lantern, the most revered member of a corps of intergalactic police that protects the universe armed with power rings that can create anything its bearer imagines.
Geoff Johns: Bio | Other works
Ethan Van Sciver: Bio | Other works
CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS - The story that changed the DC Universe forever. A mysterious being has begun a crusade across time to bring about the end of all existence. As alternate Earths are systematically destroyed, a team of super-heroes from across time and space is assembled to stop the destruction.
Marv Wolfman: Bio | Other works
George Pérez: Bio | Other works
TRANSMETROPOLITAN VOL. 1: BACK ON THE STREET - Outlaw journalist Spider Jerusalem attacks the injustices of his surreal 21st century through black humor as an investigative reporter for the newspaper The Word.
Warren Ellis: Bio | Other works
Darick Robertson: Bio | Other works
PRIDE OF BAGHDAD - A startlingly original look at life on the streets of Baghdad during the Iraq War inspired by the true event of a pride of lions that escaped from the Baghdad Zoo during an American bombing raid. Lost and confused, hungry but finally free, the four lions roamed the decimated streets of Baghdad in a desperate struggle for their lives.
Brian K. Vaughan: Bio | Other works
Niko Henrichon: Bio | Other works
"You can put it right next to Watchmen. It's that good." - ign.com
HELLBLAZER: ORIGINAL SINS - John Constantine, an unconcerned, somewhat amoral occultist with a British working-class background, is a hero, of sorts, who manages to come out on top through a combination of luck, trickery, and genuine magical skill.
Jamie Delano: Bio | Other works
John Ridgway: Bio | Other works
Alfredo Alcala: Bio | Other works
Y: THE LAST MAN VOL. 1: UNMANNED - The saga of Yorick Brown, an unemployed slacker who discovers he is the only male left in a world inhabited solely by women after a plague of unknown origin instantly kills every mammal with a Y chromosome.
Brian K. Vaughan: Bio | Other works
Pia Guerra: Bio | Other works
"Complete and utter comic gold." - Washington Post
KAMIKAZE KAITO JEANNE - By day, Kusakabe Maron is an ordinary high school girl with more than her share of problems. But by night, she is Kamikaze Kaito Jeanne, the reincarnation of Joan of Arc! Her mission: to hunt down demon-possessed paintings and exorcise the evil spirits!
Arina Tanemura: Bio | Other works
CRAYON SHINCHAN VOL. 1 - The original manga featuring the star of the hit late-night Adult Swim series. He's rude, he's crude, and adults tremble whenever he's around. His inappropriate comments and obsession with body parts and bodily functions make life stressful for his struggling parents. No one is safe from Shinchan's verbal outbursts...and now, neither are you!
Yoshito Usui: Bio | Other works
EX MACHINA VOL. 1: THE FIRST HUNDRED DAYS - Civil engineer Mitchell Hundred becomes America's first living, breathing super-hero after a strange accident gives him amazing powers. He eventually tires of risking his life merely to maintain the status quo, retires from masked crimefighting and runs for mayor of New York City, winning by a landslide.
Brian K. Vaughan: Bio | Other works
Tony Harris: Bio | Other works
"...Compelling entertainment with fiery thoughtfulness." - Entertainment Weekly, Top 10 Best Fiction '05