I think it is probably fair to say that I’m a power reader. In 2023, I read a little over 230 books, including novels, novellas, short story collections, and a lot of manga and graphic novels. Without pulling the numbers (I’m a book person, please don’t ask me to count), I’d say anywhere between 45-50% of my reading last year was some kind of graphic story. Before we get into it, here’s a quick overview of the difference between comics, graphic novels and manga/manwha:
Comics are traditionally Western, made up of panels of art with color, with characters, dialogue, and action taking place within those panels. They are usually serialized in single issues and later collected into volumes, and let’s be honest, are usually coming from DC or Marvel, and are about superheroes or are at least adjacent.
Graphic novels are also Western, and often a more contained story, either as a single, larger book, or they may run for issues, but they have a definitive beginning, middle, and end to them. Art styles vary wildly depending on the artists and the story they are telling; most are in color, and often use monochromatic palettes as part of a wider theme. Graphic novels can be fiction, non-fiction, and range hugely across topic and audience.
Manga is a Japanese style of story telling, with a wide array of art styles, however the art is almost always in black and white with the exception of special issues or splash pages. The story is told from right to left, and is usually printed as chapters as part of a larger monthly publication – Shonen Jump is probably the most popular example. These chapters are usually later printed as volumes, with some stories spanning over 100s of chapters, and others fit within a single volume. Manga covers all genres and age groups.
Manwha is the term used for South Korean comics, which have been directly influenced by manga. Manwha is read left to right, like most Western writings, and has mostly become popular outside of South Korea through Webtoons. The art is usually colorized and structured to be read on a phone or other device, although more stories are making the move to print.
Here are just some of the graphic novels, manga, and manwha I read and enjoyed last year. If nothing here takes your fancy, check out this list of manga and manwha available at your library that will help meet one of the Read Harder challenges for 2024!
“Witch Hat Atelier” by Kamome Shirahama (11 volumes in English currently, on-going)
This manga series follows a girl named Coco who accidentally discovers how the magic in her world works, and in doing so, turns her mother to stone. She is taken into the tutelage of Master Qifrey, who takes her to his atelier, where Coco meets other young witches in training. I don’t know if I forgot or missed the part where Coco’s mother is turned to stone, but I went into this series thinking it would be a very cute and cozy story with magic and friendship and learning. And it is those things, for the first few volumes, and then the series took a surprisingly dark turn.
I don’t think the story is taking a darker tone just for the sake of it, I think it absolutely suits the story and the world that these characters inhabit. One of the joys (and frustrations) that come when reading serialized stories is the ending often is not clear, whether the ending for the entire series, or even just a story arc. To that end, I’m not sure if this initial dark turn is setting up for something even more intense down the line, if the whole series will be about the current conflict, or if this is just an initial story arc that will seem small in comparison to the rest of the story as it unfolds. My money is on the first two, personally.
Who I would recommend this for: People that enjoyed The Owl House, readers who enjoy a bit of darkness in an otherwise cute story, people looking to pick up a first manga.
“My Hero Academia” by Kohei Horikoshi (36 volumes in English currently, on-going)
In the world of My Hero Academia, approximately 80% of people have developed superpowers, known in-universe as Quirks. They range in ability and power level, and have led to a society of superheroes being commonplace. Unfortunately, not everyone can or does use their Quirk for the benefit of others, and there are villains in the society as well. As such, there are schools specifically for students to become superheroes.
Enter Izuku Midoriya, a young man born without a Quirk, but still dreams of being a hero just like his idol, All Might. After a chance encounter with All Might, Midoriya begins training to become a hero! How, I hear you ask? Well, you’ll just have to pick up the series and find out for yourself!
The author has said the manga is in its final arc, although that announcement was first made back in 2021, so if you prefer to wait until a series is finished, give it another year or two, and try to avoid spoilers.
Who I would recommend this for: People burnt out on Marvel movies, superhero fans, readers who enjoy fast-paced action.
“Mage and the Endless Unknown” by S.J. Miller (standalone)
From the jump, I’ll let any prospective readers know that even though the titular Mage character is very cute and looks childlike, the story told in this graphic novel features significant body horror. This graphic novel leans heavy into the graphic side of things, in so much as it is almost entirely without dialogue or any words at all. As the reader, we are following the Mage through their harrowing adventures, as they meet companions, and try to stay in one piece. It’s not clear what journey the Mage is on until the very end of the story, but the constant perseverance they have throughout is something to be admired.
Who I would recommend this for: Readers interested in horror stories but think that Junji Ito is too intense, people looking for near wordless stories, anyone who thinks the medium of art can’t tell stories as effectively as the written word.
“Solo Leveling” by Chugong (13 volumes, 7 currently out in English)
In an alternate Earth, portals to “dungeons” can appear which require Hunters to enter them and clear them out. Hunter Sung Jin-woo, also known as the weakest hunter, tries to clear dungeons with others to make some money and help his family. When the dungeon he enters turns out to be much more dangerous than it seemed, Jinwoo is mysteriously the only survivor. Something has chosen him as a champion, and gives him powers that no other Hunters have. Jinwoo then sets out on a journey as he fights against all kinds of enemies, both man and monster, to discover the secrets of the dungeons and the true source of his powers.
So far I’ve really enjoyed the level of power scaling this manwha series has done, and I’m looking forward to reading more!
Who I would recommend this for: MMORPG players, people who struggled to read or watch Sword Art Online, those looking to try a manwha!
“DeadEndia” by Hamish Steele (2 volumes out, final volume expected spring 2024)
In this graphic novel series, Barney gets a job with his friend Norma working at the Dead End theme park. Barney might be staying at the haunted house in the park for reasons that will be made clear later. At night though, the haunted house turns into a tourist destination for demons! From Hell! Which Norma is totally cool with, much to Barney’s surprise. What follows are their adventures with demons, wizards, talking dogs and maybe even romance?
This series started as an animated short, then was a webcomic, was turned into a show for a couple of seasons, and is now a graphic novel series! The story is so twisty and turny, and the end of the second volume set things up that I was truly not expecting or ready for.
Who I would recommend this for: Readers looking for messy queer characters, people who enjoyed the show Dead End: Paranormal Park before it got cancelled, enjoyers of horror and comedy mashed together.
What graphic novels or manga have you picked up and enjoyed? Do any of these sound appealing to you? Let us know, we have a wide collection available at your library!
