101 Outstanding Graphic Novels

by Stephen Weiner, Daniel J. Fingeroth (Editor), Ellen Forney (Introduction)

Overview

The popular primer on the best graphic novels, initially called The 101 Best Graphic Novels, is back in its third updated edition. Expert librarian Stephen Weiner—with the crowdsourcing help of professionals in the field, from artists to critics to leading comic store owners—has sifted through the bewildering thousands of graphic novels now available to come up with an outstanding, not-to-be-missed 101. With an all-encompassing variety of genres, including both fiction and nonfiction, this serves as a great introduction to this increasingly influential world of pop culture and entertainment while also serving as a reference list for fans on what they may have possibly overlooked.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781561639441
Publisher:	N B M Publishing Company
Publication date:	04/01/2015
Edition description:	None
Pages:	80
Product dimensions:	6.20(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Stephen Weiner is the director of the Maynard Public Library in Maynard, Massachusetts, and a comics historian and critic who has been a pioneering advocate for graphic novels in public libraries and education and has published numerous articles and reviews about comic art. He is the author of 100 Graphic Novels for Public Libraries, The 101 Best Graphic Novels, and Faster than a Speeding Bullet: The Rise of the Graphic Novel. He is coauthor of Hellboy: The Companion, Using Graphic Novels with Children and Teens: A Guide for Teachers and Librarians, and The Will Eisner Companion. He is a recipient of the Comic Creator’s Guild Award. He lives in Maynard, Massachusetts. Daniel J. Fingeroth is a former writer and editor at Marvel Comics and has written stories for comics anthologies including Studs Terkel’s Working. He is the author of Disguised as Clark Kent: Jews, Comics, and the Creation of the Superhero; and Superman on the Couch: What Superheroes Really Tell Us About Ourselves and Our Society; The Rough Guide to Graphic Novels. He is a creative consultant to Will Eisner Studios and Wizard World Comics Conventions.

Editorial Reviews

While comics (books and strips) have been around for more than a century, graphic novels have only appeared in serious numbers in the last two decades. Since then, with publication of titles like Art Spiegelman’s Maus and Chris Ware’s Jimmy Corrigan, graphic novels have gained a growing regard as a literary medium. But for noncomics readers, navigating the field can be a challenge. Weiner, a librarian, former teacher and longtime comics reader, provides just the kind of information needed.”  —Publishers Weekly


“The strengths of Weiner’s book lie in the scanned black-and-white reproductions of most of the book covers, which give users firsthand experience of the rich diversity of illustrative styles, and a balance of fiction, in several of its genres, with nonfiction.”  —School Library Journal


"Librarians who want to build a core graphic novel collection and who don't have the time or the budget to look through 1,000 or more books in a list will find this book much more manageable." —Voya

From the Publisher

07/01/2015
Despite the enormous growth of the genre, Weiner's fourth edition of his popular guide to graphic novels continues to hold the line at 101 titles. The author defines a graphic novel as any book in cartoon format that is bound between two covers and sold as a trade title. His selections include literary fiction as well as genre pieces, nonfiction, anthologies, and several comic collections. He begins with an effective short history of comics and follows with his list of selected works in alphabetical order by author. Each entry includes the cover art, a plot description of a few lines, price, and publisher/ISBN information. Unlike in earlier editions, age categories are not included. Genre giants such as Alison Bechdel, Will Eisner, Neil Gaiman, Alan Moore, Art Spiegelman, as well as many others not as well known are all here. The book additionally includes suggestions for further reading, out-of-print titles well worth trying to find, and a list of movies about the illustrated format. The index is very helpful. As with all works of this type, many will argue about what should or should not have been included. That's part of the fun! However, as in earlier editions, the book serves as a subjective but entertaining introduction to this increasingly influential medium and will remain an effective starting reference for the general reader. VERDICT Librarians serving graphic novels fans will find this short guide to be a useful readers' advisory tool.—Rob Tench, Old Dominion Univ. Lib., Norfolk, VA

Library Journal