Staff Picks: Cool Comics Biographies

In 1926, Agatha Christie disappeared, only to eventually reappear (but not before making her cheating husband sweat). The creators use Agatha Christie’s disappearance to start exploring the mystery writer’s life story. Snippets of her family, travel adventures, and works piece together the full story of the acclaimed writer's life.

This is an engaging read that effectively captures the whole life of Agatha Christie beyond her many accomplishments. The lack of formal contextualization makes it seem like you’re reading an unfolding mystery adventure of Christie’s life. It goes without saying that Agatha Christie fans will want to check out Agatha: The Real Life of Agatha Christie. Additionally, readers who want a nonfiction read but not a traditional biography may enjoy the mystery-adventure style of this biography.

Megan Rupe

The complicated and fascinating story of Patricia Highsmith, the woman who penned more stories than many people realize. Woven between her writing career is her personal life, where things are truly complicated, as Highsmith struggled with her attraction towards women. The art is lovely, with an orange-forward palette that highlights the greys and blacks that otherwise dominate the landscape, and panels that really shape the narrative and its pacing. There's also a great section in the back with a biography, notes on the characters, art direction, and even a classroom teaching guide.

Pick this one up to learn more about the author behind many comics in the 1950s and novels that continue to inspire films, or if a 1950s setting in a comic is intriguing enough to learn more, because the art is absolutely worth flipping through at least. And because Highsmith is an essential figure in lesbian history, this is a good read to learn more about a somewhat enigmatic figure.

Discussions of conversion therapy, mild anti-semitism, depictions of smoking and drinking alcohol

Shannan Prukop

In this early reader biography, we learn about the life of Mae Jemison, the first African-American woman to go to space. We start with her childhood, gazing up at the stars and watching Lieutenant Uhura on Star Trek, to her using her passion for science to help people on Earth apply the breakthroughs in science we make in space. This series also includes biographies of influential women, such as tennis star Billie Jean King, Native American explorer Sacagawea, and civil rights leader Rosa Parks.

Beginning readers interested in learning more about famous women's lives but are not ready for longer graphic novels will love these digestible portraits of both historical and modern icons.

Tayla Cardillo

Liberated follows the life of Claude Cahun, the French Jewish artist born in the late 1800s. The comic chooses to voice the story in first person, as if Claude is telling us the tale themself, which helps make it feel more conversational and less didactic. It also makes the depictions of Claude's life during World War II more personal and highlights aspects of the experience that are not often covered. Interspersed among the art, in soft greys and purples, are actual archival photos of Claude's work, which is a very thoughtful detail.

While this story is historical and, of course, can appeal to those interested in more perspectives on the World Wars or in more facets of queer history, it feels like an even better pick for readers looking to learn more about art and artists from different eras. It often feels like art from this era gets glossed over; it was, frankly, startling to see some of the creations of the time.

Depictions of Nazis and fascism, antisemitism

Shannan Prukop

This graphic novel highlights the life of university professor and civil rights activist Angela Davis. Davis was an active member of the Black Communist Party and worked with other groups fighting for racial equality, including the Black Panther Party, during her time as a professor at UCLA. Her name became nationally known when she was wrongly implicated in a shooting at a Marin County Courthouse. Davis was imprisoned for this crime, and people around the country rallied for her release. Davis was ultimately found not guilty and continued her work both in academia until 2008. She continues her work fighting for the rights of marginalized groups and prison reform.

Those interested in social justice and the civil rights movement will enjoy this biography of another pivotal figure, one other than MLK or Malcom X.

Racism, gun violence, and deceptions of the prison system

Tayla Cardillo

In this collective biography, we learn how three of the leading researchers in the study of primates went from dreaming about them to getting up close and personal with them to getting out in the field. While all three came from different backgrounds and had varying levels of research experience, they had one thing in common: they crossed paths with anthropologist Louis Leakey. With the blessing of a respected name in the scientific community, each of these women was given funding and the resources they needed to study primates in the wild. Their research also frequently benefited Leakey, allowing him to extrapolate conclusions about humans past and present. While Leakey had eccentric (and possibly a little sexist) ideas about what made a good researcher, his belief in these three women's ability to do the work needed to learn more about our closet living primate relatives cultivated 3 of the most outstanding animal researchers of the 20th century.

Animal lovers of all ages will love this story of how three people made their dreams amongst the animals come true.

mild sexism and allusion to infidelity.

Tayla Cardillo

In this collection, Shelby Criswell tells the stories of queer historical figures who have provided them comfort and perspective. While some readers will recognize names like Magnus Hirschfeld and Pauli Murray, the collection also includes non-Western figures and folks who barely exist in the historical record. As a result, Queer as All Get Out is a fascinating introduction to queer figures from outside the Western dominant cultures and usual names.

Readers looking for some inspirational queer figures will want to pick this up.

Discussion of queerphobia, transphobia, and violence

Megan Rupe

If you are familiar with Dungeons and Dragons and wonder how one of the most popular role-playing games in the world got started, look no further. Rise of the Dungeon Master takes you from Gary Gygax's humble beginnings in Lake Geneva, WI, playing chess and war games, through Gygax passing the torch to the next generation of tabletop gamers.

Tabletop gamers who want to understand the origins of their favorite pastime.

Tayla Cardillo

What is faith without action? German priest and theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a horrified witness to the rise of Adolf Hitler and the Nazis. Conflicted over using violence to resist Nazism, Bonhoeffer initially ran a secret church and then joined a conspiracy to assassinate Hitler.

While a knowledgeable reader will know that the conspiracy did not succeed, Hendrix tells a compelling story of a man who lived true to his deep religious convictions and tried to make a difference. The Faithful Spy is perfect for readers interested in resistance stories; it will particularly interest readers who are interested in how faith and religion play a role.

While the book does discuss violence, death, and imprisonment, the illustrations tend to be symbolic, and no violence or gore is explicitly shown.

Megan Rupe

A thorough accounting of the life of Baron Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben, who is best known for being the first Inspector General in the American military and slightly less well-known for being a force behind the American Revolution in many ways, and definitely least famous for being a man who was attracted to other men. The graphic novel also does not flinch away from the realities of life in the 1700s for all people. The bright blue and red color palette keeps the story vibrant and highlights scenes of high emotion and action well.

This comic is worth picking up to learn about less-talked-about aspects of the American Revolution and queer history in both the US and Europe, for readers interested in either topic. It is engaging enough to keep readers who are less interested in American history reading. It offers a hopeful look at the progress of queer rights that can be great for teen readers wanting some perspective.

Depictions of slavery, partial nudity, some physical violence

Shannan Prukop