Best New Comics of 2021 for Adults

50 Books Found

  • After the Rain

    Art by David Brame | Chioma is a Nigerian American who is visiting her aunts in the Nigerian countryside. She becomes haunted and hunted by a curse she doesn’t understand. Part horror and part magical realism, this title makes you question what fear really is.
    Cover of After the Rain
  • Asadora! Volume 1

    Art by Naoki Urasawa | How does a typhoon in 1959 Nagoya lead to a gigantic monster making Tokyoites flee for their lives in 2020? One thing is certain: our lovable protagonist Asa is going to be at the heart of it all!
    Cover of Asadora! Volume 1
  • Ballad for Sophie

    Art by Juan Cavia | The curtains of a famous pianist's life are pulled back by a determined reporter to uncover secrets, betrayal, highs, and lows, and finally closes on a shared passion for music.
    Cover of Ballad for Sophie
  • Barbalien: Red Planet

    Art by Gabriel Hernandez Walta | In this Black Hammer spinoff, Barbalien takes a closer look at the life of Mark Markz in his early days on Earth as a police officer and superhero. But Mark has a secret that leads to an internal battle, all while facing the costs of police brutality during the AIDS epidemic.
    Cover of Barbalien: Red Planet
  • The Black Panther Party: A Graphic Novel History

    Art by Marcus Kwame Anderson | Many know the name, but not many know the story. Vibrant colors and realistic drawings invite readers to learn about key figures, important events, and the tragic downfall—and enduring legacy—of a political party called the Black Panther Party.
    Cover of The Black Panther Party: A Graphic Novel History
  • The Body Factory: From the First Prosthetics to the Augmented Hum

    Art by Heloise Chochois, translated by by Kendra Boileau | A young man who loses an arm in an accident goes on a journey through space and time with the ghost of pioneering French surgeon Ambroise Paré. Discover more about amputations, prosthetics, and other life-saving treatments that improved the lives of the disability community.
    Cover of The Body Factory: From the First Prosthetics to the Augmented Hum
  • The Comic Book Guide to Growing Food: Step-By-Step Vegetable Gard

    Art by Liz Anna Kozik | Want your own vegetable garden, but not sure where to start? Follow Mia, a young professional, and her mentor/neighbor, George, as they take you through the steps of growing your own food in this helpful visual guide.
    Cover of The Comic Book Guide to Growing Food: Step-By-Step Vegetable Gard
  • Covid Chronicles: A Comics Anthology

    Art by Various | This anthology gives us stories of a wide array of people and their experiences during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
    Cover of Covid Chronicles: A Comics Anthology
  • The Crossover, 1: Kids Love Chains

    Art by Geoff Shaw | The ultimate crossover is upon us: comic books and reality! When a cosmic event causes fictional characters to spring to life, it is up to comic superfan Ellie to solve the conspiracy and help newly marginalized comic folk get back home.
    Cover of The Crossover, 1: Kids Love Chains
  • Crude: A Memoir

    Art by Damien Roudeau | From the perspective of the lead lawyer, this beautifully illustrated book shows the continuous struggles of the indigenous Ecuadorians as they try to sue the Texaco/Chevron company for the damage that their oil fields did to the Amazon and her people.
    Cover of Crude: A Memoir
  • Cyclopedia Exotica

    Art by Aminder Dhaliwal | This light-hearted and funny comic strip follows a group of people with just one eye, rather than the "normal" two. Their daily frustrations mirror all kinds of inequality that people experience.
    Cover of Cyclopedia Exotica
  • The Delicacy

    Art by James Albon | In this culinary cautionary tale, Rowan and Tulip leave their rural Scottish home to pursue their dream of opening a farm-to-table restaurant in London. But when sinister forces threaten their idyllic vision, the path to success becomes deadly.
    Cover of The Delicacy
  • The Department of Truth Volume 01: The End of the World

    Art by Martin Simmonds | In a world where conspiracy theories reshape the universe, Cole finds himself working for an organization responsible for keeping reality in check. But the more he digs, the more questions arise. What is the Department of Truth hiding?
    Cover of The Department of Truth Volume 01: The End of the World
  • Did You Hear What Eddie Gein Done?

    Art by Eric Powell | What do Norman Bates, Buffalo Bill, and Leatherface have in common? They were all inspired by real-life murderer Edward Gein. This incredibly well-researched book with beautifully rendered images tells the story of the Butcher of Plainfield.
    Cover of Did You Hear What Eddie Gein Done?
  • Djeliya: A West African fantasy Epic

    Art by Juni Ba | In this West African-inspired fantasy epic, disgraced prince Mansour Keita—with his loyal djeli, Awa Kouyaté, as a guide—seeks to reclaim his father’s throne in a post-apocalyptic world.
    Cover of Djeliya: A West African fantasy Epic
  • The Down River People

    Art by Matt Fox | While reeling from the death of his father, Myers uncovers sinister truths about his family and his small-town community in this understated, unsettling, and intriguing mystery.
    Cover of The Down River People
  • Dryad, Volume One

    Art by Didier Kassaï | Morgan and Yale thought they escaped, but the past doesn't stay quiet forever. Thirteen years later, their children now join their dangerous adventure. With mistrust building, will the family be able to overcome their struggles or will the children pay for their parents' sins?
    Cover of Dryad, Volume One
  • The Fall. Volume One

    Art by Jared Muralt | When an unprecedented health crisis creates worldwide social, economic, and political collapse, one family will do whatever they need to protect each other and survive in this new world.
    Cover of The Fall. Volume One
  • Feelings: A Story in Seasons

    Art by Manjit Thapp | A meditative, poetic reflection on the mental and emotional changes we experience as the seasons turn. The dream-like art takes center stage and encourages contemplation and catharsis.
    Cover of Feelings: A Story in Seasons
  • Fictional Father

    Art by Joe Ollmann | This faux memoir follows Caleb Wyatt, the son of famous cartoonist Jimmy Wyatt whose saccharine family stories betray the overwhelming neglect that he has for his real family. Can Caleb learn from these failures or will he repeat them?
    Cover of Fictional Father
  • For Justice: The Serge & Beate Klarsfeld Story

    Art by Sylvain Dorange | "The slap felt round the world" leads this unrelenting couple across the world to seek justice for past Holocaust atrocities and to uncover criminals hiding in plain sight.
    Cover of For Justice: The Serge & Beate Klarsfeld Story
  • Forget Me Not

    Art by Alix Garin | On a surprise road trip, struggling student Clémence connects with her Alzheimer's afflicted grandmother in this bittersweet and remarkable comic.
    Cover of Forget Me Not
  • Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, 1

    Art by Tsukasa Abe | What happens after the big magical quest is done? Follow elf mage Frieren as she slowly learns more about feelings and human life as she confronts her own immortality in this lush, melancholy manga.
    Cover of Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, 1
  • The Good Asian. Volume One

    Art by Alexandre Tefenkgi, Lee Loughridge, & Jeff Powell | In this 1930s San Francisco whodunnit, cynical Chinese American detective Edison Hark tries to solve the mystery of a missing young woman, a serial killer at large, and how these crimes may be connected to his adoptive family.
    Cover of The Good Asian. Volume One
  • Hawkeye: Freefall

    Art by Otto Schmidt | Can the heroic yet sarcastic Hawkeye take down a crime boss while his personal life is falling to pieces around him? Read this humorous Avengers tale to find out!
    Cover of Hawkeye: Freefall
  • A House Without Windows

    Art by Kassai Didier | Through a combination of photography, illustration, and interactive video, this graphic nonfiction work shares the harrowing experiences of children in the Central African Republic.
    Cover of A House Without Windows
  • I Never Promised You a Rose Garden

    Art by Mannie Murphy | What does the tragic life and death of River Phoenix have to do with the dark history of Portland, Oregon? In this chilling diary, Murphy takes readers on a multilayered journey of '90s pop culture and the history of white supremacy in the Pacific Northwest.
    Cover of I Never Promised You a Rose Garden
  • I'm a Wild Seed: My Graphic Memoir on Queerness and Decolonizing

    Art by Sharon Lee De La Cruz | With New York swagger, cheeky humor, and wondrous curiosity, Sharon Lee De La Cruz discusses her identity and beliefs as a queer woman of color in this graphic memoir.
    Cover of I'm a Wild Seed: My Graphic Memoir on Queerness and Decolonizing
  • In: A Graphic Novel

    Art by Will McPhail | A popular New Yorker cartoonist gives us his semi-biographical quest to find a real human connection. What can we discover when we question our social anxiety and dig down past "small talk"?
    Cover of In: A Graphic Novel
  • Infinitum: An Afrofuturist Tale

    Art by Tim Fielder | Gorgeous art, few words, and modern themes, Infinitum tells the experience of King Aja Ọba, a man that cannot die, and with all the time in the universe, cannot find true happiness. Immortality can be a curse it seems.
    Cover of Infinitum: An Afrofuturist Tale
  • Iranian Love Stories

    Art by Deloupy | Love comes with harsh rules and stern regulations for some. Journey to the country of Iran to hear testimonies of those who seek, find, and hide their love.
    Cover of Iranian Love Stories
  • Monsters

    Art by Barry Windsor-Smith | Kindhearted and naive Bobby Bailey wants to join the United States military, who uses his eagerness as an excuse to turn him into a monstrous experiment. The more you read, the more you discover who the real monsters in this story are.
    Cover of Monsters
  • My Body In Pieces

    Art by Marie-Noëlle Hébert | In this deeply emotional graphic memoir, Marie-Noëlle Hébert recalls her frustrating obsession with physical perfection.
    Cover of My Body In Pieces
  • Our Not-So-Lonely Planet Travel Guide, 1

    Art by Mone Sorai | Asahi and Mitsuki are about to embark on an around-the-world vacation. They vow to marry if their relationship is intact at the end of their journey. Oh, the places you will see in this travel-centric yaoi manga!
    Cover of Our Not-So-Lonely Planet Travel Guide, 1
  • The Parakeet

    Art by Espé | In this semi-autobiographical comic, a young child struggles to understand his mother's mental illness in 1970s France.
    Cover of The Parakeet
  • Parenthesis

    Art by Élodie Durand | Durand recounts her life following a tumor-related epilepsy, which left her with dementia-like symptoms in her early 20s. Pieced together by family anecdotes, medical history, and her raw sketches while in this hazy state, Parenthesis puts us quite literally in the author's head.
    Cover of Parenthesis
  • Renegade Rule

    Art by Sam Beck | A rag-tag team of queer women compete in a virtual game competition, hoping to leave with their friendships and love lives intact.
    Cover of Renegade Rule
  • Run: Book One

    Art by L. Fury & Nate Powell | Following up on his highly-acclaimed March series, Run continues John Lewis's journey to achieving equal voting rights for all, in this thrilling, dramatic, posthumous memoir.
    Cover of Run: Book One
  • Seek You: A Journey Through American Loneliness

    Art by Kristen Radtke | A bold exploration of something we can all relate to this year: loneliness. With a scope that covers chat rooms, laugh tracks, CB radios, and mass shooters, our most solitary and personal thoughts suddenly feel cosmically communal.
    Cover of Seek You: A Journey Through American Loneliness
  • Shadow Life

    Art by Ann Wu | Rebellious 76-year-old Kumiko escapes from a senior home to happily live on her own. But Death's shadow is stalking her every step. Can quick-witted Kumiko hold on to her independence....and her life?
    Cover of Shadow Life
  • Skulldigger and Skeleton Boy

    Art by Tonči Zonjić | After the harrowing death of his parents amidst the turmoil of Spiral City, Skeleton Boy is torn between the gritty vigilantism of the ominous Skulldigger and the determined, compassionate Detective Reyes.
    Cover of Skulldigger and Skeleton Boy
  • Solo Leveling, 1

    Art by DUBU (Redice Studio) | Jinwoo Sung isn't the strongest, fastest, or smartest member of his raiding party, though he always manages to survive. But when he accompanies his team to a deceptively dangerous dungeon, he'll need more than luck to persevere.
    Cover of Solo Leveling, 1
  • Spy Island: A Bermuda Triangle Mystery

    Art by Elise McCall & Rachelle Rosenberg | Join superspy Nora as she navigates an unusual assignment at a whimsically terrifying Bermuda Triangle resort—complete with brochures, signage, and of course, killer mermaids—in this sleek, sexy, silly, and all kinds of strange comic.
    Cover of Spy Island:  A Bermuda Triangle Mystery
  • Stone Fruit

    Art by Lee Lai | Bron and Ray have a complicated relationship that eases when Ray's imaginative niece plays pretend with them. The external stresses put on them by their families, however, force them to take some time apart and examine their personal demons, for better or for worse.
    Cover of Stone Fruit
  • Stray Dogs

    Art by Trish Forstner | Sophie finds herself living with a new owner but can't remember how she got there, at least not until a smell triggers her memory. Sophie has to convince her new pack that something isn't right with their 'master' and solve the mystery of what happened to their previous owners.
    Cover of Stray Dogs
  • Thirsty Mermaids

    Art by Kat Leyh | In this hilarious fish-out-of-water tale, three feisty mermaids struggle to adapt to human life on land as they make new friends and try to stay out of trouble.
    Cover of Thirsty Mermaids
  • Two-Week Wait: An IVF Story

    Art by Mara Wild | Follow a married couple, Conrad and Joanne, as they go through the difficult and expensive journey of trying to conceive a child through in-vitro fertilization.
    Cover of Two-Week Wait: An IVF Story
  • The Waiting

    Art by Keum Suk Gendry-Kim | Drawing on interviews, Gendry-Kim illustrates the fear and destruction of families fleeing North Korea in the 1950s and their attempts at reunions decades later.
    Cover of The Waiting
  • Wake: The Hidden History of Women-Led Slave Revolts

    Art by Hugo Martínez | Through haunting black and white illustrations, Rebecca Hall takes readers on her search for the buried stories of women-led slave revolts.
    Cover of Wake: The Hidden History of Women-Led Slave Revolts
  • We Hereby Refuse

    Art by Ross Ishikawa & Matt Sasaki | This moving biography of three young Japanese Americans shows a side of the incarceration camps you have never seen as they each fight their imprisonment and resist in different ways during World War II. Full title: We Hereby Refuse: Japanese American Resistance to Wartime Incarceration.
    Cover of We Hereby Refuse