Looking for fresh reads? Here are some of the latest graphic novels and manga perfect for teens. Explore vivid worlds and unforgettable characters in these must-read titles that blend stunning artwork with compelling narratives. Curated by Willie Nettles.
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Cursed Princess Club by LambCat
Just because you’re cursed doesn’t mean you’re not special.
Gwendolyn, the youngest of the King’s three daughters, is living proof that princesses don’t always have it all. She isn’t like a typical fairy-tale princess, or other princesses in the Pastel Kingdom. Gwendolyn, with her big heart and love of baking, isn’t particularly attractive. Unlike her sisters who have woodland creatures do their hair and makeup, or have flowers blossom wherever they sleep, Gwendolyn is a bit…different. So, when her father proposes marriage for her and her sisters to make an alliance with the Plaid Kingdom, it breaks Gwendolyn’s heart to hear that Prince Fredrick thinks she’s “really ugly.” Overwhelmed and ashamed, she runs away into the forest and encounters the twisted world of the Cursed Princess Club, where her life will never be the same.
The Cursed Princess Club are a ragtag band of outcasts, misfits and cursed princesses who have created an incredible friendship circle. It is among these friends where Gwendolyn learns to embrace her uniqueness and find her people.
Ringo Award Nomination for Best Humor Webcomic
2024 Texas Maverick Graphic Novel Reading List selection, STARRED title
Delicious In Dungeon by Kui Ryoko
When young adventurer Laios and his company are attacked and soundly thrashed by a dragon deep in a dungeon, the party loses all its money and provisions…and a member! They’re eager to go back and save her, but there is just one problem: If they set out with no food or coin to speak of, they’re sure to starve on the way! But Laios comes up with a brilliant idea: “Let’s eat the monsters!” Slimes, basilisks, and even dragons…none are safe from the appetites of these dungeon-crawling gourmands!
Deadpool. Samurai by Sanshiro Kasama
Everyone’s favorite Merc with a Mouth has finally come to manga! As soon as Deadpool moves to Tokyo, he runs afoul of some familiar faces. Before he knows it, he’s teaming up with new heroes, battling gods, attending concerts, and being repeatedly dismembered. That’s good, right?
Anyway, Deadpool lands in Tokyo with a bang! What could possibly go wrong when Iron Man invites Deadpool to join the Avengers’ new Samurai Squad? After all, Deadpool is just in it for the money…and the trip to Japan. This is fine, right?
The Elusive Samurai by Yūsei Matsui
In war-torn medieval Japan, a young samurai lord struggles to retake his throne, but not by fighting. Hojo Tokiyuki will reclaim his birthright by running away!
In medieval Japan, eight-year-old Hojo Tokiyuki is the heir to the Kamakura shogunate. But the Hojo clan is in decline, and Tokiyuki’s peaceful days of playing hide-and-seek with his teachers come to an abrupt end when his clan is betrayed from within. The lone survivor of his family, Tokiyuki is the rightful heir to the throne, but to take it back, he’ll have to do what he does best–run away!
After the massacre of his family by the traitor Ashikaga Takauji, Tokiyuki flees with the help of a handful of loyal retainers who have also survived the purge. One of them is Suwa Yorishige, an ally of the Hojo clan and lord of Suwa province. The slightly odd Yorishige also claims to be clairvoyant and foretells that Tokiyuki will one day become the ruler of Japan. But for the moment, escaping from enemy territory is the priority!
Go! Go! Loser Ranger by Negi Haruba
When the Monster Army invaded Earth thirteen years ago, the Divine Dragon Rangers rose up to stop them! With the war raging on, these great heroes are mankind’s last hope!
…or are they?
In truth, the invaders were subjugated within a year, forced to continue to crank out a monster a week for the Rangers to crush in front of their adoring fans! But one monster has had enough. Something has to change! He’ll rebel against the might of the Dragon Rangers and destroy them all…from the inside!
Junji Ito’s Cat Diary : Yon & Mu by Junji Itō
Is there anything spookier than a silent feline, eyes glinting, stalking you in the night…IN YOUR OWN HOME?? Master of horror Junji Ito turns his twisted eye on his own life in this comedic graphic memoir about becoming a cat owner, now reissued in a deluxe hardcover featuring an exclusive interview with Ito and a NEW cover illustration by the author that GLOWS IN THE DARK! The perfect gift for the slightly twisted cat lover in your life.
Reigning king of horror manga Junji Ito presents a series of hissterical tales chronicling his real-life trials and tribulations of becoming a cat owner. Junji Ito, as J-kun, has recently built a new house and has invited his finance, A-ko, to live with him. Little did he know…his blushing bride-to-be has some unexpected company in tow–Yon, a ghastly-looking family cat, and Mu, an adorable Norwegian forest cat. Despite being a dog person, J-kun finds himself persuaded by their odd cuteness and thus begins his comedic struggle to gain the affection of his new feline friends.
Prez : Setting a Dangerous President by Mark Russell
It’s 2046 and America has just elected its first teenage president! Previously selected as one of YALSA’s Top Ten Graphic Novels for Teens, DC’s critically acclaimed political satire Prez is in a new format and more relevant than ever.
Oregon teen Beth Ross has just been elected President of the United States of America. Age restrictions were abolished when corporations gained the right to run for office. Elections are now held on social media, and after a corndog accident makes Beth Ross go viral, a nation is shocked to wake up and find that “Corndog Girl” has just become their new president.
The eyes of the world are on Beth. But in a nation so used to misrule that the poor are willing to do anything on TV for a chance at a better life, will a fresh start be enough to undo the damage caused by Boss Smiley and his corporate shadow government?
Eisner-winning writer Mark Russell (Superman- Space Age, The Flintstones) teams with artist Ben Caldwell (Justice League Beyond) and others to revive and reinvent a classic! Collects PREZ #1-6, a short from CATWOMAN ELECTION NIGHT #1, and a brand-new short story
Vixen : NYC by Jasmine Walls
Navigating your first year of college is hard-just imagine having to navigate newfound superpowers at the same time!
Mari’s first year of college is full of exciting new things-she’s just reconnected with her extended family, moved to New York City, and is ready to step into her power. And with the ancestral totem her family passed down, her “power” is about to mean a whole lot more!
Turns out this family heirloom also can give you the powers of the animal kingdom?! Now it’s up to Mari to learn how to use her powers and protect the world around her!
X-Men: Grand Design by Ed Piskor
Ed Piskor’s critically acclaimed re-imagining of the saga of the X-Men, collected in its entirety! Over six tumultuous decades, the X-Men have carved a singular place in comic book lore and popular culture. Now, New York Times best-selling author Ed Piskor (Hip-Hop Family Tree, Wizzywig) takes you on a pulse-pounding tour of X-Men history unlike anything you’ve ever experienced before – an intricate labor of love that stitches together hundreds of classic and obscure stories into one seamless X-Men masterpiece! Piskor’s GRAND DESIGN takes you from Professor X’s formation of the original team, through the Second Genesis of the All-New, All-Different X-Men and the devastating Dark Phoenix Saga, to 1980s epics, such as Inferno, that pushed mutant kind to the brink of X-tinction!
Shelf Analysis 