25 Best Graphic Novels of This Decade That You Can’t Miss Out On

A graphic novel is a book that focuses on storytelling using comic content and sequential art to engage the readers. With an inventive blend of visuals and writing, graphic novels are an intriguing way of storytelling.

We at HarperCollins periodically publish our top picks of graphic novels that will excite you and will give you a chance to add to your reading list (if you have missed any!). Below are some of the books that we have shortlisted across various interests including history, fiction, fantasy and many more.

Pashmina by Nidhi Chanani

In this heart-warming graphical novel debut, Nidhi Chanani weaves a tale about the hardship and self-discovery that is born from juggling two cultures and two worlds.

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Kari by Amruta Patil

Sensuously illustrated and livened by wry commentaries on life and love, Kari gives a new voice to graphic fiction in India.

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All Quiet in Vikaspuri by Sarnath Banerjee

Set against the fictitious yet ever-so-real Water Wars of Delhi, this is a dystopian graphic novel where neighborhoods fight brutal battles against each other and even victory must end in defeat.

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Munnu: A Boy From Kashmir by Malik Sajad

Closely based on Malik Sajad’s own childhood and experiences, this is a beautiful, evocatively drawn graphic novel that questions every aspect of the Kashmir situation – the faults and responsibilities of every side, the history of the region, the role of Britain and the West, the possibilities for the future.

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Adi Parva by Amruta Patil

Adi Parva is a graphic novel based on the Mahabharat and the oral tradition of ancient India. The book combines breath-taking art with classic storytelling to paint the picture of a tale which has inspired and guided several hundred generations of people throughout the history of India.

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Delhi Calm by Vishwajyoti Ghosh

A powerful graphic novel that re-imagines Delhi in the 1970s, one of the most seminal moments in the history of Indian democracy.

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The Harappa Files by Sarnath Banerjee

The Harappa Files contains a series of graphic commentaries that analyse the cracks in post liberalized India.

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Legends Of Halahala by Appupen

Timeless, silent tales of love, adventure and obsession Legends of Halahala is a dark, comic ride through a mythical world, and through different periods in its history. Appupen’s distinctive art and his quirky engagement with worlds real and imagined mark him out as one of the great myth-builders of our time.

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Sauptik by Amruta Patil

Sauptik: Blood and Flowers is a revisionist retelling of some of our oldest tales which have inspired and guided generations of people. The sequel to Adi Parva, this book combines breath-taking art with classic storytelling.

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Tales of Young Gandhi by Janhavi Prasada

Exquisitely illustrated, with visual content that Janhavi Prasada collected over eight years of travel to Porbandar, London and South Africa, Tales of Young Gandhi retells the story of a fascinating life and hopes to introduce a new generation of readers to the Mahatma.

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Silent was Zarathustra by Nicolas Wild

The much awaited sequel to the two successful Kabul Disco books… Inspired by the life of a real-life activist, Nicolas Wild’s account reveals more than the story of one man’s life or a court case. With characteristic humour – both unprejudiced and warm – he portrays a complex picture of a people and a culture.

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Buddha: Kapilavastu by Osamu Tezuka

Originated in the 1970s, Buddha is Osamu Tezuka’s unparalleled rendition of the life and times of Prince Siddhartha. In book one, Kapilavastu, Chapra, an ambitious slave, spurns the caste system into which he was born and tries to become a nobleman, Tatta, the wild pariah child, communes with animals, and the monk, Naradatta, strives to uncover the meaning of strange portents surrounding the Buddha’s birth.

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Get the complete series by Osamu Tezuka in a boxset here!

Buddha: The Four Encounters by Osamu Tezuka

Originated in the 1970s, Buddha is Osamu Tezuka’s unparalleled rendition of the life and times of Prince Siddhartha. In book two, The Four Encounters, Prince Siddartha – fated to become the Buddha – is confronted by the harsh penalties of social injustice within his own kingdom, fuelled by selfish warlords and villains like the depraved warrior, Bandaka.

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Get the complete series by Osamu Tezuka in a boxset here!

Buddha: Devadatta by Osamu Tezuka

In the third of the Buddha series, as Siddhartha embarks on his journey towards enlightenment, he encounters many influences; some forceful, like the monk Dhepa who believes that purity is only attained through ordeals of the flesh, and some inspirational, like the strange young acolyte, Assaji.

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Get the complete series by Osamu Tezuka in a boxset here!

Buddha: The Forest of Uruvela by Osamu Tezuka

In book four, unfulfilled by the teachings of renowned ascetics, Siddhartha agrees to follow Dhepa into the forest of trials. But the final ordeal of little Assjai proves to be his most poignant lesson.

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Get the complete series by Osamu Tezuka in a boxset here!

Buddha: Deer Park by Osamu Tezuka

In book five, rising from the shade of the Pippla tree, Buddha must spread the word of Brahma to his fellows, be they human or animal. He will confront Devadatta’s ruthless ambition, soothe Tatta’s thirst for revenge and will even reach out to the stubborn monk Dhepa. But forgiving the Kingdom of Kosala for the devastation wreaked upon his homeland could prove to be Buddha’s greatest challenge yet.

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Get the complete series by Osamu Tezuka in a boxset here!

Buddha: Ananda by Osamu Tezuka

In book six, as Kapiluvastu burns and it’s people are hunted down, an infant refugee – Ananda – is granted the gift of invincibility by Mara, an evil demon. Nurtured by the she-devil, Ananda learns to use his power to become a fearsome bandit, honing his cruelty and selfishness before he is unleashed upon the demon’s enemy: Buddha.

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Get the complete series by Osamu Tezuka in a boxset here!

Buddha: Prince Ajatasattu by Osamu Tezuka

In book seven, in the kingdom of Magadha, young Prince Ajatasattu agonizes over the prophecy that claims he will one day murder his own father. Deciding that the prediction is false, he believes that the Buddha is to blame and must pay for the rift it has caused between father and son.

Buy now!

Get the complete series by Osamu Tezuka in a boxset here!

Buddha: Jetavana by Osamu Tezuka                              

Originated in the 1970s, the ‘Buddha’ series is Osamu Tezuka’s unparalleled rendition of the life and times of Prince Siddhartha. This is the eighth book in the classic eight volume graphic novel series retelling the story of Buddha, from the godfather of the genre.

Buy now!

Get the complete series by Osamu Tezuka in a boxset here!


A Game of Thrones: Volume One (A Song of Ice and Fire) by George R.R. Martin

George R. R. Martin’s epic fantasy masterwork A Game of Thrones is brought to life in the pages of this full-colour graphic novel. This is the first volume in what is sure to be one of the most coveted collaborations of the year.

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A Game of Thrones: Graphic Novel, Volume 2 by George R.R. Martin

In the second volume of George R.R. Martin’s epic fantasy masterwork, the sweeping action moves from the icy north, to the decadent south and the capital city of King’s Landing, to the barbarian lands across the Narrow Sea.

Winter is coming . . . and with it, terrors beyond imagining.

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A Game of Thrones: Volume Three (A Song of Ice and Fire) by George R.R. Martin

George R. R. Martin’s epic fantasy masterwork A Game of Thrones is brought to life in the pages of this full-colour graphic novel. This is the third volume in the masterful series.

Buy now!

A Game of Thrones – Volume Four (A Song of Ice and Fire) by George R.R. Martin

George R. R. Martin’s epic fantasy masterwork A Game of Thrones is brought to life in the pages of this full-colour graphic novel. This is the fourth and final volume in the series.

Buy now!

A Clash of Kings: Graphic Novel, Volume One by George R.R. Martin

George R.R. Martin’s epic fantasy masterwork A Song of Ice and Fire is brought to life in the pages of this full-colour graphic novel. This is the first part of a four-volume adaptation of the second book in the series, A Clash of Kings.

Buy now!

A Clash of Kings: Graphic Novel, Volume Two by George R.R. Martin

The second part of a four-volume adaptation of the second book in the series, A Clash of Kings, George R.R. Martin’s epic fantasy masterwork A Song of Ice and Fire is brought to life in the pages of this full-colour graphic novel.

Buy now!

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