I’ve been reading more graphic books lately — graphic novels, graphic short stories, graphic memoirs, graphic biographies — and I’ve found that many outlets posted “best of 2017” lists.
I went through 15 “best of 2017” lists and identified the 100 graphic books that were recommended between them. A total of 10 books were recommended at least 3 “best of” lists. I’ve read half of the top 10, and they really are excellent, but there are many gems deeper down the list. So don’t stop digging.
The top 10 are listed below. The full list of 100 recommendations is available here. The numbering is funny because I use the same number — such 2a and 2b — if books received the same number of recommendations.
1. My Favorite Thing Is Monsters, by Ferris (recommended on 11 lists)
2a. The Best We Could Do: An Illustrated Memoir, by Bui (9 lists)
2b. Boundless, by Tamaki (9 lists)
4. Everything Is Flammable, by Bell (6 lists)
5. Hostage, by Delisle (5 lists)
6a. Imagine Only Wanting This, by Radtke (4 lists)
6b. Spinning, by Walden (4 lists)
8a. The Flintstones, Volume 1, by Russell & Pugh (3 lists)
8b. Shade the Changing Girl, Volume 1, by Castellucci & Zarcone (3 lists)
8c. You & a Bike & a Road, by Davis (3 lists)
Eight of the top ten are by women, which is cool (1, 2a, 2b, 4, 6a, 6b, 8b, and 8c).
Happy reading!
David Evans' personal blog 
[…] Everything Is Flammable, by Gabrielle Bell — In this meandering graphic memoir, Bell documents her anxieties and day-to-day struggles to help her mother. A few of the panels spoke deep truth to me. This graphic memoir was recommended on at least 6 “best of” lists for 2017. […]
[…] Shade the Changing Girl (Volume 1): Earth Girl Made Easy, by Cecil Castellucci et al. — Okay, so a bird creature (Loma Shade) from another planet steals a “madness coat” from a museum and uses it to take over the body of an teenage earth girl in a coma. It turns out that the earth girl was manipulative and mean, and people on Loma’s home planet are after her — they want that coat! Occasionally confusing but gorgeous visuals and fun story, with a healthy appreciation of poetry: “There is a poem for every feeling. It’s what gets me through when fear threatens to overwhelm.” Included among the “best graphic books of 2017.” […]
[…] The Flintstones: Volume 1, by Mark Russell and Steve Pugh — Russell and Pugh use Flintstones characters and settings as backdrop for serious social satire, looking at topics from marriage equality to war to consumerism to animal rights. The main characters feel very human (and not at all prehistoric), and the backdrop is littered with artistic humor in Bedrock’s signage (“Tonight! Primitive art!”; “Hominid Resources”; “Neandertall and Big Men’s Clothing”; “Spears and Roebuck”). This was among the best graphic works of 2017. […]
[…] graphic books that most people agree are worth your time. (Over the course of this year, I read the top 10 graphic books for 2017 and enjoyed all of […]
[…] Things Is Monsters – Volume 1, by Emil Ferris. My favorite graphic novel of the year (lots of other people agree with me). Compelling, gorgeous, very dark mystery and bildungsroman set in 1960s […]