Graphic novels & comics we loved in 2019
Our staff share some of their favourite graphic novels and comics from the past year.
“The first book my kid has read with complete enthusiasm – at the dinner table, in the car – was Raina Telgemeier’s Sisters, an excellent tale of siblings and family life. She immediately wanted its freshly released sequel, Guts – about anxiety, and the first book in the series, Smile, about braces and earthquakes and much more. Commanding that level of blissful adoration is hard – and hugely appreciated.”
– Fiona Hardy
“Eloise Grills is a comic creator whose work I’m always interested in and I adored Sexy Female Murderesses. This is a very fun and inventive exploration of (what did you expect?) sexy female murderesses! Another Australian comic artist whose work I admire is Chris Gooch. A collection of short comics, Deep Breaths is a great way to acquaint yourself with his surreal and distinctive storytelling style. I also loved Lucy Knisley’s honest and moving graphic memoir of pregnancy, Kid Gloves, and The Cursed Hermit (the second Hobtown Mystery Story) is another brilliant Twin Peaks flavoured adventure story.
This year was also massive for children’s graphic novels. Jen Wang’s tenderly wrought story of friendship, Stargazing, was a favourite and I was very impressed by offerings from two Australian writers: Sherlock Bones and the Natural History Mystery by Renée Treml, and Pie in the Sky by Remi Lai.”
– Bronte Coates
“My favourite graphic novel this year was Eleanor Davis’ The Hard Tomorrow. This near-future story asks whether it’s ethical to have children in the face of impending environmental and political disaster. But don’t let this put you off – like all of Davis’ work the book is warmly written and acknowledges despair while refusing to give in to it. Davis’ black and white ink-work is sensual and beautiful, her empathetic characters composed of appealing, flowing shapes. The book is made more potent by the knowledge that the author created this story while carrying her first child to term.
I also recently finished Drawing Power, an anthology of short, personal comics on the topic of sexual violence. It’s a diverse and very powerful collection – more than 50 women from around the world have contributed their art and stories. The book forms a compelling and upsetting catalogue of the many forms abuse takes, and the multitude of ways in which survivors struggle with the aftermath. The sheer emotional weight of these stories will leave you gasping for breath, but many contributors offer hope as well, and the book stands as a testament to the resilience of survivors.
On a much lighter note I also caught up with one of last year’s releases, Woman World by Aminder Dhaliwal. This is an irreverent collection of comic strips in which men have gone extinct, and women… well, women are mostly just getting on with life – forming communes, falling in love, trying to understand the many puzzling remnants their ancestors left behind, like "shopping malls”. It’s delightfully silly, with many suddenly poignant moments. Give it to any woman in your life who needs a laugh!”
– Ele Jenkins
“ Guts by Raina Telgemeier. I always make sure I have a special order for any new books from this graphic novelist. Sure, they are mainly to be found in the children’ section of a bookshop, but I know plenty of adults who like them as well, for their relatability and humour.”
– Amanda Rayner
