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.
Did you find this review helpful?
130 Items found Print
Active Filters: In-Stock Books & Materials
9/11 Report: A Graphic Adaptation
by Sid Jacobson and Ernie Colon
from Hill and Wang
for 6th-12th grade
in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC)
$8.50 (1 in stock)
Above the Trenches
by Nathan Hale
from Amulet Books
for 2nd-6th grade
in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC)
$15.99
Action Bible Expanded Edition
by Sergio Cariello
from David C. Cook
for 2nd-6th grade
in Bible Stories for Kids (Location: BIBR-STO)
$32.99
Adventures of Herge
by Michael Farr
from Last Gasp
for 4th-10th grade
in Adventures of Tintin (Location: COM-TIN)
$29.95
Adventures of Tintin - Complete Package
by Herge
from Little, Brown & Company
Comic Book for 2nd-6th grade
in Adventures of Tintin (Location: COM-TIN)
$241.39
Adventures of Tintin - Young Readers Collection
by Herge
for 2nd-6th grade
in Adventures of Tintin (Location: COM-TIN)
$52.76
Adventures of Tintin Volume 1 (3-in-1)
Adventures of Tintin
by Herge
from Little, Brown & Company
Comic Book for 2nd-6th grade
in Adventures of Tintin (Location: COM-TIN)
$27.99
Adventures of Tintin Volume 2 (3-in-1)
Adventures of Tintin
by Herge
from Little, Brown & Company
Comic Book for 2nd-6th grade
in Adventures of Tintin (Location: COM-TIN)
$27.99
Adventures of Tintin Volume 3 (3-in-1)
Adventures of Tintin
by Herge
from Little, Brown & Company
Comic Book for 2nd-6th grade
in Adventures of Tintin (Location: COM-TIN)
$27.99
Adventures of Tintin Volume 4 (3-in-1)
Adventures of Tintin
by Herge
from Little, Brown & Company
Comic Book for 2nd-6th grade
in Adventures of Tintin (Location: COM-TIN)
$27.99
Adventures of Tintin Volume 5 (3-in-1)
Adventures of Tintin
by Herge
from Little, Brown & Company
Comic Book for 2nd-6th grade
in Adventures of Tintin (Location: COM-TIN)
$27.99
Adventures of Tintin Volume 6 (3-in-1)
Adventures of Tintin
by Herge
from Little, Brown & Company
Comic Book for 2nd-6th grade
in Adventures of Tintin (Location: COM-TIN)
$27.99
Adventures of Tintin Volume 7 (3-in-1)
Adventures of Tintin
by Herge
from Little, Brown & Company
Comic Book for 2nd-6th grade
in Adventures of Tintin (Location: COM-TIN)
$27.99
Ain't Burned All the Bright
by Jason Reynolds, illustrated by Jason Griffin
from Atheneum
for 5th-Adult
2023 Caldecott Honor Book
in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC)
$19.99
Alamo All Stars
Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales #6
by Nathan Hale
from Amulet Books
for 3rd-8th grade
in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC)
$14.99
All's Faire in Middle School
by Victoria Jamieson
from Dial Books for Young Readers
for 4th-7th grade
in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC)
$12.99
Art of the Graphic Memoir
by Tom Hart
from St. Martin's Griffin
for 9th-Adult
in Advanced Drawing Instruction (Location: ELE-ARTDRAD)
$15.00 (1 in stock)
Attack of the Deranged Mutant Killer Monster Snow Goons
by Bill Watterson
from Andrews McMeel
for 5th-9th grade
in Calvin and Hobbes (Location: COM-CAL)
$16.99
Beowulf - A Graphic Novel Adaptation
by Gareth Hinds
from Candlewick Press
for 5th-9th grade
in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC)
$14.99
Big Bad Ironclad!
Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales #2
by Nathan Hale
from Amulet Books
for 4th-8th grade
in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC)
$14.99 $9.00 (1 in stock)
Black Island
Adventures of Tintin
by Herge
from Little, Brown & Company
Comic Book for 2nd-6th grade
in Adventures of Tintin (Location: COM-TIN)
$14.99
Blades of Freedom
Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales #10
by Nathan Hale
from Amulet Books
for 4th-8th grade
in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC)
$14.99
Blue Lotus
Adventures of Tintin
by Herge
from Little, Brown & Company
Comic Book for 2nd-6th grade
in Adventures of Tintin (Location: COM-TIN)
$13.99 $7.50 (1 in stock)
Bolivar Eats New York
by Sean Rubin
from Archaia
for Kindergarten-3rd 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)
$3.20 (1 in stock)
Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse
by Charlie Mackesy
from HarperOne
for 6th-Adult
in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC)
$11.50 (1 in stock)
Broken Ear
Adventures of Tintin
by Herge
from Little, Brown & Company
Comic Book for 2nd-6th grade
in Adventures of Tintin (Location: COM-TIN)
$13.99
Calculus Affair
Adventures of Tintin
by Herge
from Little, Brown & Company
Comic Book for 2nd-6th grade
in Adventures of Tintin (Location: COM-TIN)
$13.99
Calvin & Hobbes Collection
by Bill Watterson
from Andrews McMeel
for 5th-9th grade
in Calvin and Hobbes (Location: COM-CAL)
$159.69
Calvin and Hobbes
by Bill Watterson
from Andrews McMeel
for 5th-9th grade
in Calvin and Hobbes (Location: COM-CAL)
$16.99
Calvin and Hobbes Lazy Sunday Book
by Bill Watterson
from Andrews McMeel
for 5th-9th grade
in Calvin and Hobbes (Location: COM-CAL)
$16.99
Castafiore Emerald
Adventures of Tintin
by Herge
from Little, Brown & Company
Comic Book for 2nd-6th grade
in Adventures of Tintin (Location: COM-TIN)
$14.99
Catherine's War
by Julia Billet and Claire Fauvel, translated by Ivanka Hahnenberger
from Harperalley
for 7th-8th grade
in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC)
$12.99
Chinese Mythology: The Four Dragons
from PowerKids Press
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Chosen Volume 1 - Graphic Novel
by Ryan Swanson, Tyler Thompson, Dallas Jenkins
from David C. Cook
in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC)
$21.25
Cigars of the Pharaoh
Adventures of Tintin
by Herge
from Little, Brown & Company
Comic Book for 2nd-6th grade
in Adventures of Tintin (Location: COM-TIN)
$13.99
Cold War Correspondent
by Nathan Hale
from Amulet Books
for 2nd-6th grade
in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC)
$14.99
Complete Maus
by Art Spiegelman
from Pantheon Books
for 10th-Adult
in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
Crab With the Golden Claws
Adventures of Tintin
by Herge
from Little, Brown & Company
Comic Book for 2nd-6th grade
in Adventures of Tintin (Location: COM-TIN)
$13.99
Days Are Just Packed
by Bill Watterson
from Andrews McMeel
for 5th-9th grade
in Calvin and Hobbes (Location: COM-CAL)
$18.99
Destination Moon
Adventures of Tintin
by Herge
from Little, Brown & Company
Comic Book for 2nd-6th grade
in Adventures of Tintin (Location: COM-TIN)
$13.99
Donner Dinner Party
Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales #3
by Nathan Hale
from Amulet Books
for 4th-8th grade
in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC)
$14.99
Dragon Lord #2: River Fox
Dragon Lord Saga Volume 2
by Jonny Jimison
First Ediition from Rabbit Room Press
for 1st-3rd grade
in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC)
$15.99
Dune: The Graphic Novel - Book 1
by Frank Herbert, adapted by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson, illustrated by Raul Allen and Patricia Martin
from Abrams Books for Young Readers
for 9th-Adult
in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC)
$24.99
Dune: The Graphic Novel - Book 2
by Frank Herbert, adapted by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson, illustrated by Raul Allen and Patricia Martin
from Abrams Books for Young Readers
for 9th-Adult
in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC)
$24.99
El Deafo
by Cece Bell
1st edition from Amulet Books
for 3rd-7th grade
2015 Newbery Honor Book
in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC)
$14.99
Explorers on the Moon
Adventures of Tintin
by Herge
from Little, Brown & Company
Comic Book for 2nd-6th grade
in Adventures of Tintin (Location: COM-TIN)
$14.99
Faint of Heart
by Kerilynn Wilson
from Greenwillow Books
for 3rd-Adult
in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC)
$26.99
Faithful Spy
by John Hendrix
from Harry N. Abrams, Inc.
for 8th-Adult
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$18.99
Flight 714 to Sydney
Adventures of Tintin
by Herge
from Little, Brown & Company
Comic Book for 2nd-6th grade
in Adventures of Tintin (Location: COM-TIN)
$13.99
Golden Key Graphic Novel
by George MacDonald, adapted and illustrated by Stephen Hesselman
from Rabbit Room Press
for 3rd-6th grade
in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC)
$29.99
Hereville
by Barry Deutsch
from Amulet Books
in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC)
$17.99
Homicidal Psycho Jungle Cat
by Bill Watterson
from Andrews McMeel
for 5th-9th grade
in Calvin and Hobbes (Location: COM-CAL)
$18.99
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
How To Draw Comics The Marvel Way
by Stan Lee, John Buscema
Reprint from Touchstone
for 5th-Adult
in Advanced Drawing Instruction (Location: ELE-ARTDRAD)
$17.99
Iliad Graphic Novel
by Homer, adapted by Gareth Hinds
from Candlewick Press
for 3rd-8th grade
in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC)
$17.99 $12.00 (1 in stock)
In the Shadow of the Fallen Towers
by Don Brown
from Clarion Books
for 3rd-6th grade
in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC)
$19.99
It's a Magical World
by Bill Watterson
from Andrews McMeel
for 5th-9th grade
in Calvin and Hobbes (Location: COM-CAL)
$19.99
King Ottokar's Sceptre
Adventures of Tintin
by Herge
from Little, Brown & Company
Comic Book for 2nd-6th grade
in Adventures of Tintin (Location: COM-TIN)
$14.99
Lafayette!
Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales #8
by Nathan Hale
from Amulet Books
for 4th-8th grade
in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC)
$14.99
Land of Black Gold
Adventures of Tintin
by Herge
from Little, Brown & Company
Comic Book for 2nd-6th grade
in Adventures of Tintin (Location: COM-TIN)
$14.99
Legends of Zita the Space Girl
Zita the Spacegirl #2
by Ben Hatke
from First Second
for 1st-6th grade
in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC)
$14.99
Major Impossible
Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales #9
by Nathan Hale
from Amulet Books
for 4th-8th grade
in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC)
$14.99
March (Book One)
by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin
from Top Shelf Productions
for 5th-9th grade
Robert F. Kennedy Book Award Winner, Coretta Scott King Honor Book
in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
March (Book Two)
by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin
from Top Shelf Productions
for 5th-9th grade
Robert F. Kennedy Book Award Winner, Coretta Scott King Honor Book
in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
March - Boxed Set
by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin
from Top Shelf Productions
for 5th-9th grade
Robert F. Kennedy Book Award Winner, Coretta Scott King Honor Book
in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC)
$24.00 (1 in stock)
Martin and Marco
Dragon Lord Saga Volume 1
by Jonny Jimison
from Rabbit Room Press
for 1st-3rd grade
in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC)
$14.99
Maus I: My Father Bleeds History
by Art Spiegelman
from Pantheon Books
for 10th-Adult
in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Mighty Jack and the Goblin King
Mighty Jack #2
by Ben Hatke
from First Second
for 3rd-6th grade
in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC)
$14.99
Mighty Jack and Zita the Space Girl
by Ben Hatke
from First Second
for 3rd-6th grade
in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC)
$14.99
Mighty Jack Trilogy - Boxed Set
Mighty Jack #1
by Ben Hatke
from First Second
for 3rd-6th grade
in Boxed Sets & Literature Packages (Location: FIC-BOX)
$44.97
Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales - 12 Book Set
by Nathan Hale
from Amulet Books
for 6th-8th grade
in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC)
$144.68
New Kid
by Jerry Craft
from HarperCollins
for 4th-8th grade
in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC)
$12.99
New Shoes
from First Second
for Preschool-4th grade
in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC)
$19.99 $10.00 (1 in stock)
Night of the Crash-Test Dummies
by Gary Larson
from Andrews McMeel
for 4th-Adult
in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Odyssey Graphic Novel
by Homer, adapted by Gareth Hinds
from Candlewick Press
for 4th-6th grade
in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC)
$18.99
Official Book of Homeschooling Cartoons - Set
by Todd Wilson
from Family Man Ministries
for Adult
in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC)
Official Book of Homeschooling Cartoons Volume 3
by Todd Wilson
from Family Man Ministries
for All Ages
in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC)
$7.99
One Dead Spy
Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales #1
by Nathan Hale
from Amulet Books
for 3rd-8th grade
in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC)
$14.99
Persepolis:
by Marjane Satrapi
1st edition from Pantheon Books
for 10th-Adult
in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC)
$8.00 (2 in stock)
Picture Bible
by Iva Hoth & Andre Le Blanc
from Cook Communications
for 4th-6th grade
in Bible Stories for Kids (Location: BIBR-STO)
$24.99
Pizarro and the Incas
Stories From History
by Nicholas Saunders
from School Specialty Publishing
for 3rd-5th grade
in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Prince Valiant and the Golden Princess - Book 5
Prince Valiant Book 5
by Hal Foster, text adapted by Max Trell
from Nostalgia Press
for 6th-Adult
in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
$14.00 (1 in stock)
Prince Valiant In the New World - Book 6
Prince Valiant Book 6
by Hal Foster
from Nostalgia Press
for 6th-Adult
in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Prisoners of the Sun
Adventures of Tintin
by Herge
from Little, Brown & Company
Comic Book for 2nd-6th grade
in Adventures of Tintin (Location: COM-TIN)
$14.99
Raid of No Return
Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales #7
by Nathan Hale
from Amulet Books
for 4th-8th grade
in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC)
$14.99
Red Rackham's Treasure
Adventures of Tintin
by Herge
from Little, Brown & Company
Comic Book for 2nd-6th grade
in Adventures of Tintin (Location: COM-TIN)
$13.99
Red Sea Sharks
Adventures of Tintin
by Herge
from Little, Brown & Company
Comic Book for 2nd-6th grade
in Adventures of Tintin (Location: COM-TIN)
$13.99
Return of Zita the Space Girl
Zita the Spacegirl #3
by Ben Hatke
Fir from First Second
for 1st-6th grade
in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC)
$14.99
Revenge of the Baby-Sat
by Bill Watterson
from Andrews McMeel
for 5th-9th grade
in Calvin and Hobbes (Location: COM-CAL)
$14.99
Richard Nixon - 37th U.S. President
by Joeming Dunn
for 3rd-6th grade
in Clearance: Biographies (Location: ZCLE-BIO)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Roller Girl
by Victoria Jamieson
from Dial Books for Young Readers
for 4th-7th grade
2016 Newbery Honor Book
in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC)
$13.99
Samuel Morse and the Telegraph
by David Seidman; illustrated by Rod Whigham, Keith Williams, and Charles Barnett
from Capstone Press
for 3rd-6th grade
in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Scientific Progress Goes "Boink"
by Bill Watterson
from Andrews McMeel
for 5th-9th grade
in Calvin and Hobbes (Location: COM-CAL)
$14.99
Secret of the Unicorn
Adventures of Tintin
by Herge
from Little, Brown & Company
Comic Book for 2nd-6th grade
in Adventures of Tintin (Location: COM-TIN)
$14.99
Seven Crystal Balls
Adventures of Tintin
by Herge
from Little, Brown & Company
Comic Book for 2nd-6th grade
in Adventures of Tintin (Location: COM-TIN)
$13.99
Shooting Star
Adventures of Tintin
by Herge
from Little, Brown & Company
Comic Book for 2nd-6th grade
in Adventures of Tintin (Location: COM-TIN)
$14.99
Something Under the Bed is Drooling
by Bill Watterson
from Andrews McMeel
for 5th-9th grade
in Calvin and Hobbes (Location: COM-CAL)
$16.99
Strongest Man in the World: Louis Cyr
by Nicolas Debon
from Groundwood Books
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Stuntboy, In the Meantime
by Jason Reynolds, illustrated by Raul the Third
from Atheneum
for 3rd-6th grade
in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
12