Flyleaf's Graphic Novels & Manga Picks for Adults 2023
A Guest in the House is my favorite graphic novel of 2023! Emily Carroll's illustrative style lends itself perfectly to the story of Abby, a housewife trying to feel a connection to her new role as a wife and step-mother. Abby's life takes a turn when she is haunted by her husband's past. Carroll uses color as a way to blur the line between Abby's fantasies and her reality. Take a minute to flip through this book, because words aren't enough to describe just how visually exciting this book is. --Kat
Attention: all people who went on a transformative high school field trip to New York City! (Or anybody looking for some late 00's nostalgia.) Jillian and Mariko Tamaki have perfectly captured how it feels to be a young adult traveling with friends for the first time. Roaming is tender and awkward, and in the words of the authors, "the events of this story are both too real and entirely fictional." --Kat
If you are looking for a book that is going to stay with you long after you finish it, you need to pick up Daniel Clowes' Monica. Clowes masterfully interweaves multiple narratives together and utilizes the medium of visual storytelling perfectly. --Kat
"The New York Times-bestselling author of The Only Good Indians and My Heart Is a Chainsaw makes his comics debut with this time-hopping horror thriller about far-future Indigenous outcasts on a mission to kill Christopher Columbus."
An eerie and dark graphic novel from Bill Watterson of Calvin and Hobbes and John Kascht. A perfect, thought-provoking read for your next dark and stormy night. --Kat
To everybody who has ever asked, 'would you still love me if I turned into a worm?' Noemi Vola has you covered. The first half of The Unfortunate Life of Worms adjusts you to the wide world of worms, but in the second half it turns into a heart worming - oops I mean heart WARMING - story of perseverance and love. This makes for a great gift for your other half! --Kat
"A provocative graphic biography of 18th-century military strategist Baron von Steuben with poignant calls to embrace hidden queer history." --Publishers Weekly
Tatsuki Fujimoto has once again pushed the boundaries of storytelling with Goodbye, Eri. The story is told through the lens - pun intended - of a young filmmaker's phone camera as he documents his life in the wake of his mother's death. Each panel feels like a film still, and the story plays out cinematically. Don't miss out on this unique one-off! --Kat
Okinawa is an absolute triumph of nonfiction. It is a recount of the history of the Okinawa Prefecture before, during, and after the Pacific War and the American military occupation of Japan. This meticulously illustrated manga is a portrait of perseverance of culture in the face of senseless wars. --Kat
For anyone who likes superhero comics but wishes they were lighthearted or goofy like I do - e.g. The LEGO Batman Movie or Teen Titans Go! - it's time for you to read this manga! Superman is addicted to Japanese cuisine and takes every chance he gets to fly from Metropolis to Japan. There are no evil villains here; the only thing Superman is fighting is his insatiable super-appetite! (Did I mention this is hilarious?) --Kat