Staff Picks: Top Comics for 2025

Angelica was a high-achieving girl until...she burned out. When she gets an internship at the local theater to help with the winter play, she's hoping she can get back on track. She's also hoping to figure out who's in the Peri the Bear costume and behind the Peri the Bear social media account, because... she might have a bit of a crush.

I loved Nguyen's first book, The Magic Fish, so I was excited to pick up Angelica and the Bear Prince. With a feisty, funny protagonist and Nguyen’s gorgeous art, Angelica and the Bear Prince is a heartwarming story that handles grief and mental health with sensitivity, delighting me.

discussion of grief; a couple of curse words and one gesture; one racist comment

Megan Rupe

Mark and his friend Luka attend a Catholic school; while Luka isn't particularly religious, Mark is a devout Catholic and will soon give his first reading at Sunday Mass. Luka is actually changing schools soon, partially because being a gay teen going to a Catholic school is a tough time, and Luka challenges Mark to consider this. Mark then embarks on a journey of discovery, both about the queer icons of Catholicism throughout the ages and about his own identity. It even includes more information about the people mentioned, along with further reading in the back.

Considering the subject matter, this comic is ideal for readers who are experiencing situations similar to Mark's or who are close to someone going through this kind of situation. It's also a very well-constructed narrative with lovely drawings, well-written summaries, and information on some of the more unusual and interesting facets of Catholicism's history.

Discussions of homophobia in both the present and the past

Shannan Prukop

In this world where animals are part of the earth itself, often literally part rock or plant, a young girl named Lu dreams of seeing all the interesting creatures her grandmother writes about as a geozoologist. But when her grandmother's letters stop, both she and her mother are worried that something bad has happened. Lu, joined by her friend Ren, travels to the places in her grandmother's journals in hopes of finding her. Along the way, Lu realizes that people are just as complex as the science that explains the natural phenomena her grandmother spent her life observing.

For fans who love the unique creatures of Avatar the Last Airbender or The Tea Dragon Society will love this story.

Tense parent/child relationships

Tayla Cardillo

Instead of making friends, Erika prefers to obsess over her current favorite actors and idols; when she starts at a new school, that obsession shifts to a boy there: Christian. She also wants to be a director, so when the theater class offers the possibility of writing and directing one-act plays, Erika writes one perfect for Christian, and for some reason, he agrees. The small crew making this play happen goes through it all, but in the end, pulls together Erika's vision. Christian also seems not to just tolerate Erika, which baffles her until they get to know each other better.

A very clever adaptation of The Phantom of the Opera, having an unfriendly and somewhat unlikable main character, can be so important, particularly in a narrative geared towards teens. This comic could easily be a great pick for readers who have seen or read Phantom and want to see the similarities, readers who feel they, too, have obsessions too strong to be normal or likable, and those who love a juicy drama with a happy ending.

Shannan Prukop

In this loosely biographical graphic novel, Loewinsohn takes us through her adolescence. We start in her middle school years, when she is struggling both academically and socially. Her home life is not much of a respite, though, as her parents are divorced and seem largely absent from her life. As she gets older, she finds a group of people to hang out with at lunch and to go to punk shows with on weekends, which seems to be one of the few sources of happiness in her life. But teenage friendship is not without its ups and downs, and we see Briana continue to navigate these struggles largely on her own. The majority of the story is told through journal entries and class notes, a unique storytelling choice in a graphic novel that gives the work a real sense of intimacy.

Fans of a bittersweet, unflinching graphic memoir about family, such as Hey, Kiddo, will feel seen reading this book.

Discussions of addiction, depictions of absent parents/child neglect, underage drinking

Tayla Cardillo

2011: Annick’s grandmother is dying, but she has discovered she is not related biologically to the family she thought was hers. Annick sets out to find her grandmother’s family and hopefully a bone marrow match. The only clue she has are a series of prints her grandmother has had since she was a child. 1943: After seeing Jewish families separated, student Emma decides to join the resistance to help rescue Jewish families and resist the Nazi occupation; she soon finds herself acting as a courier and printer of coupons, IDs, and more.

Song of a Blackbird was the read I needed this year. I was captivated by the interwoven story of ordinary heroes and the power of art, beautifully captured in von Lieshoult’s wonderful, bold artwork. Song of a Blackbird is on several lists this year, including the National Book Award longlist, for good reason. If you’re looking for a story that sparks hope or want more titles similar to those from our Confronting Injustice list, you don’t want to miss Song of a Blackbird.

Violence and destruction, but not especially gruesome

Megan Rupe

In a family of geniuses, Oberon feels like the lone screw up, especially after his recent meltdown and subsequent dropping out of university. So when he wakes up one day, and it seems like he's hallucinating, it just feels like another sign of his inadequacy. But then the hallucinations, or maybe dreams, keep showing up, and can affect him, and for some reason often take the shape of Kon, a friend he lost touch with years ago. As Oberon starts to get a grip on himself, the mystery of Kon deepens. Dreams and reality come crashing together as he solves that mystery, and a few others on the way.

This comic is a little more surreal or conceptual than some out there, and that, partnered with the sci-fi setting, makes this a great pick for readers who have enjoyed stories such as The Summer Hikaru Died or Skip, where things are never quite what they seem, and sometimes the ghost is an allegory.

Shannan Prukop

Abby is the new girl at the all-girls catholic school, Wilberton Academy, and she is just trying to stay under the radar and survive until graduation. But when the theatre club's crown jewel, Elizabeth, is found dead the morning after opening night of their production of Romeo and Juliet, Abby gets pulled into the whirlwind investigation to find Elizabeth's killer because she was the last one to talk to her the night before her body was found.

True crime fans who long for the days of mix tapes and passing notes in class will want to savor this book.

Death, brief discussions of suicide, period-typical homophobia, depictions of a drug overdose, and discussions of sexual abuse

Tayla Cardillo