Comic Books & Graphic Novels

In some sense, comic books are the world's oldest form of literature. Cave paintings, Egyptian wall art, Greek murals—they're all essentially graphic novels, pictoral representations of real life, beliefs, and stories. The fact that so much of today's literati reject comics and graphic novels us "un-literary" simply indicates the supreme heights of snobbery to which an overabundance of education will lead you.

For the rest of us, stories with lots of pictures are pretty important. It's not because we live in the age of the image, or because we're all TV addicts, that this is true; it's true because the world is a place we see, and often to learn we need to see rather than just hear. Sure, there are plenty of comics that are worthless and garbage and bad literature; but there are plenty that help us understand ourselves and our world as much as any novel without pictures.

Technically, there's a difference between comic strips and graphic novels: comic strips are usually funny, while graphic novels tend to have more serious themes and are longer stories. Some of the earliest examples of the graphic novel, and among our favorite books, are the Tintin series by the Belgian artist Herge. Tintin is a young reporter who travels the world having adventures with his dog Snowy and a variety of colorful friends, and often his adventures reflect to some degree the political currents in Europe during the first half of the 20th-century.

Comic strips have been around longer, and collections of comic strips in book form are what led eventually to graphic novels. Some of the most beloved comics of all time are Charles Schulz's Peanuts strips, which offer (often sobering) reflections on life and growing up. Schulz's Christian worldview is clearly demonstrated throughout the series, as is his sometimes laugh-out-loud, sometimes more subtle sense of humor.

Then there's Calvin and Hobbes. That the kid and his stuffed tiger are named for the greatest theologian and one of the greatest philosophers in the Western tradition will come as no surprise once you read their wise and hilarious adventures. A newer comic we've come to love, and which chronicles the adventures of a young man surprisingly like Waterson's Calvin, is Frazz by Jef Mallett. Frazz works as a janitor at a school, and shares his offbeat thoughts and love of music with the kiddos.

Again, there are plenty of comics we wouldn't touch with a ten-foot pole, which is largely the reason we don't carry many titles. We're looking to expand our collection, but we want to handpick good series, not just bring in whatever's popular to fill the shelves. Comics are supposed to be fun, but even our fun needs to honor the Lord; we think the books we carry are prime candidates for encouraging the right kind of enjoyment.

Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he's a husband and father who loves church, good food, and weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur. Read more of his reviews here.
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Adventures of Loupio Volumes 1-4
by Jean-Francois Kieffer, translated by Carrie Akoun
from Ignatius Press
for 2nd-6th grade
in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC)
$22.00 (1 in stock)
American History: The Civil Rights Movement & Vietnam 1960-1976
from Saddleback Educational Publishing
for 3rd-5th grade
in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
Animal Farm Graphic Novel
by George Orwell, Adapted and Illustrated by Odyr
from Mariner Books
for 3rd-Adult
in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC)
$19.99
Apollo 11 Moon Landing: July 20, 1969
24 Hour History
by Nel Yomtov
from Capstone Press
for 3rd-5th grade
in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Assassination of John F. Kennedy: November 22, 1963
24 Hour History
by Terry Collins
from Capstone Press
for 3rd-5th grade
in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.: April 4, 1968
24 Hour History
by Terry Collins
from Capstone Press
for 3rd-5th grade
in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Bolivar
by Sean Rubin
from Archaia
for 3rd-6th grade
in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC)
$14.99
Boxcar Children #01 - Graphic Novel
by Gertrude Chandler Warrner (creator), Shannon Eric Denton (adapter), Mike Dubisch (illustrator)
from Albert Whitman & Company
for 1st-4th grade
in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Complete Maus
by Art Spiegelman
from Pantheon Books
for 10th-Adult
in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
D-Day: June 6, 1944
24 Hour History
by Agnieszka Biskup
from Capstone Press
for 3rd-5th grade
in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Hobbit Graphic Novel
by David Wenzel (illustrator), adapted by Charles Dixon and Sean Deming
from William Morrow & Company
for 3rd-6th grade
in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC)
$23.00
Houdini: The Handcuff King
by Jason Lutes & Nick Bertozzi, Introduction by Glen David Gold
from Little, Brown & Company
for 5th-8th grade
in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC)
$12.99 $7.50 (1 in stock)
Mr. William Shakespeare's Plays
by William Shakespeare presented by Marcia Williams
from Walker Books
for 3rd-6th grade
in Shakespeare Materials (Location: LIR-SHA)
On the Run in Ancient China
The Time Travel Guides
by Linda Bailey, illustrated by Bill Slavin
from Kids Can Press
for 2nd-5th grade
in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Pecos Bill, Colossal Cowboy
by Sean Tulien, Illustrated by Lisa Weber
from Stone Arch Books
for 1st-6th grade
in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC)
They Called Us Enemy
by George Takei, Justin Eisinger, Steven Scott, illustrated by Harmony Becker
from Top Shelf Productions
for 6th-12th grade
in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC)
$8.00 (2 in stock)
Things in the Basement
by Ben Hatke
from First Second
for 3rd-6th grade
in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC)
$14.99
True Stories of World War II
Graphic Library: Stories of War
by Terry Collins, illustrated by Pat Kinsella
from Capstone Press
for 3rd-5th grade
in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Watership Down Graphic Novel
by Richard Adams, adapted and illustrated by Joe Sutphin
from Ten Speed Press
for 5th-8th grade
in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC)
$26.99
We Hereby Refuse
from Chin Music Press
for 6th-12th grade
in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC)
$8.00 (1 in stock)