10 Must-Read Graphic Novels That Are Worth Reading in 2026: Part 1

Looking to unwind in the summer air without doom scrolling until your brain melts out of your face? Trying to absorb fine storytelling (along with some vitamin D from that raging ball of fire in the sky) with the world’s best artists painting action-packed frames the whole way? Then, this list of the ten most entertaining graphic novels worth reading in 2026 might grab and surf you right on through.

10. “Predator versus Wolverine”

Starting at number 10 shouldn’t mean a thing, other than that this graphic novel is slightly lacking in depth of narration, art style and whatever else the haters feel like ganging up on. “Predator versus Wolverine“ is way more fun than a million other titles out there. The trade paperback is full of action, massive time jumps back to feudal Japan that showcase Logan’s formal martial arts training and a long-lost love interest, as well as some backstory and plenty of brawls and dismemberment that is par for the course for both legendary franchise giants.

It more than sufficiently fills the quality story-element gauges for both characters. It’s a snappy read that flies by: entertaining Wolverine insight, additional cinematic action artistry make up a healthy portion of the story panels, and it’s all kinds of great. The artists and writers didn’t waste anyone’s time with cheesy Hallmark card-style stanzas of nonsense or character assassination material for either one of these heavy hitters, who are known for their darker story elements.

Logan narrates the story, taking the reader from a scrap back in the Alaskan Territory in 1900 to the final battle with one of the Yautja. It all wraps up nice and neat, complete with a surprise twist. The feel and the pace of unwinding events stay true to every Wolverine storyline out there.

The graphic novel collects Predator vs Wolverine 1-4 and does have the old ‘fun-police’ Parental Advisory rating. Anyone who is a fan of either one of these characters will enjoy the heck out of this 20th Century Fox and Marvel Comics collab.

9. “Rogues”

Number 9 is a DC Comics Black Label graphic novel titled “ROGUES.” This one caught me by surprise, like a lot of their Black Label collection books. This is a villain-heavy team, similar to Suicide Squad, and that antagonistic style becomes the protagonist’s storytelling. Rogues will get you rooting for these detoxed underdogs via a bit of introspective empathy, maybe, I don’t know what you beautiful people are up to, and I’m not here to judge.

It’s a story that’s as relevant to today’s world and cultures as any of the more well-known classic heroic characters that always fall on the squeaky-clean, Boy Scout side of the metaphorical fence. Spider-Man and Superman tales can be entertaining in their own way, but they are unrelatable to most of us when it comes to their personal troubles.

It’s likely there’s a healthy portion of us who have found ourselves backed into an increasing number of corners due to our current life struggles stemming from personal tragedies. The best mode of action is to keep grinding forward, using whatever the universe has thrown your way as fuel instead of the alternative.

That’s when this cast of struggling misfits went their separate ways ten years ago, and at this point, they’re fed up with the never-ending cycle of bills, hanging on by a thread via rehabs and prison, failed relationships, and jobs that just plain suck.

Captain Cold seems to have a way out in the form of a risky plan that will lead them all to a life of inconceivable wealth and everything else worth living for that they’ve been missing. They have to set aside their personal demons and work together to achieve an extraordinary, lucrative result that none of them could pull off on their own.

A pile of untraceable and undocumented gold that lies somewhere deep in the jungle of Gorilla City. It’s essentially a jungle Vegas that crime magnate Gorilla Grodd rules over like Al Capone. If you can get past the talking gangster gorillas wearing fedoras, it’s a fun one with moments of strong character development and insight. The hardcover collects the 3-issue ‘off-beat’ collection, a fresh outlook on your life situation, and a bonus art gallery.

8. “Batman: Damned”

“Batman: Damned” is one of the strongest DC Comics Black Label graphic novels on the shelf. Joker is dead, and all fingers point to Batman. It’s written by Brian Azzarello and paired with raw, battle-fatigued art cells that complement the feel and pace of Azzarello’s typical R-rated subject matter (100 Bullets, Joker).

The artist, Lee Bermejo, cranked it out of the park just like the last time this creative team took us on a dark trip through Gotham City in 2008’s Joker graphic novel. These gentlemen are a storytelling dream team, like a Tim Burton and Johnny Depp film; they’re likely to serve us up another masterpiece.

Every single page looks and reads like a great piece of ultraviolent cinema, think along the lines of the foreign film Oldboy, or Quentin Tarantino’s films. Batman is all kinds of banged up throughout the story, trying to make sense of the Joker’s death. It begins with EMTs trying to bring him back to consciousness in an ambulance after The Dark Knight has taken an absolute thrashing, it’s the gushing stab wound to his abdomen, and plummeting to what should have been his death off a bridge and into the Gotham River that has the ambulance crew in a frenzy.

They attempt to unmask him at one point, and from this point on, the pace, the life-saving tweaks Alfred has made to the suit, the MMA techniques, grabs, strikes, and reversals from a lifetime of training and dedication to Bruce’s mission are all front and center.

The world-famous occult antihero John Constantine is there to drink heavily, chain-smoke, and carry the plotline for us alongside a fatally wounded Bruce. These pages read like straight nightmare material, and it’s Constantine and a couple of surprise companions who make cameos and carry this supernatural side of the storyline in hopes of figuring out who really killed the Joker.

Zatanna, Swamp Thing, and John Constantine help direct their Justice League Dark buddy through action-heavy pages and guide his fractured consciousness on a turbulent ride through the metaphysical realm. Amnesic pieces of Batman’s slowly returning memory snap the audience back and forth through events that wouldn’t look out of place in a Rob Zombie feature. The glossy pages drip with non-stop action, plotline twists, and gritty scrap realism.

7. “DCeased” (All five books)

“DCeased,” there are 5 of these friggin things! So, there’s no way I give a $h^* by number three… Normally, with these kinds of stories that run into multiple books like this, there’s a point where the reader feels like the writers, artists and the company as a whole are trying to milk what initially was a strong plotline with rich detail and character development to make as many financial gains as possible.

As I stood in the bookstore checking out the initial entry into the series of graphic novels, I gave “DCeased” a chance and cautiously put my cynicism on the shelf. It’s fantastic, all the way through! As soon as I finished one of them, I genuinely wanted to go online and order the next.

The Anti-life equation is the end of all free-thinking societies, individuals, heroes, and villains throughout all realities. Darkseid and his leading mad scientist have found a vessel in Justice League member Cyborg to stitch the code into, and as soon as he’s sent back to Earth, the apocalyptic virus spreads like wildfire, merging with all of our data banks, cell towers, and everything else running on the internet that has a screen. All someone has to do is pick up their phone or look at an infected screen, and they are zombified, tearing through everything in society that has a pulse.

Without spoiling anything by naming who, when, and where, there is a small band of heroes and villains that find a way to hold out and work as a team that would never otherwise exist to carry the reader through an entertaining and brilliantly illustrated journey. It starts with a bang and keeps the craziness, brutal battles that end in the deaths of big-name favorites on both sides of the DC Universe fence.

6. “The Riddler: Year One”

If you enjoyed 2022’s “The Batman,” directed by Matt Reeves, and you want more backstory on Paul Dano’s bang-up job portraying the warped genius of Edward Nygma, bam. You have to get your hands on a copy of this ‘divebar,’ hole-in-the-wall, largely unknown yet massively impressive Black Label graphic novel. It begins with an introduction from Paul Dano explaining his creative process when building a character in his mind, who he’s going to be playing in a film.

Again, there are elements of this story that delve into the underbelly of human society, where the weak and alone get trampled, or worse. An orphanage is an unforgiving and brutal beginning for any child as they attempt to make sense of their situation, who is really on their side, and who is going to bring more discomfort. You don’t spend much time there, but as you watch him grow and merge with others, it’s enough to show you what started his psyche’s split, and why it ended up leaning towards diabolical depravity the way it did.

His inherent brilliance and above-average ability to read and write code are showcased, along with his unhealthy admiration for Batman. The whole book is a backhand slap to mediocre storytelling, incredible on every level and moves along at a clip that is as well-paced as the film.

Why These Graphic Novels Stuck Out

Comic books and graphic novels are one of those lifelong passions. You grow with the stories and characters; you love how graphic novels look, smell and feel. They can also be deeply insightful. I’m a forever-injured U.S. Navy veteran.

During the first year or so rehabbing myself out of the wheelchair/walker combo, working out in my parents’ garage, and running around their yard with a backpack full of bricks and firewood on each shoulder, these puppies were a godsend during my downtime. They’re more than a good time to collect and escape into. For me, they have been one of many life rafts.

The “Walking Dead” compendiums, massive graphic novels, didn’t make it on here (along with a bunch of other favorites), but they were clutch during my darkest moments of recovery. There were multiple moments when Michonne said something super insightful and deeply motivating to a recovering Rick or Carl that, at the time, grabbed me and felt like some level of personal, hand-delivered, surreal magic. The Walking Dead is a brilliant, freaking comic book and even more, it’s an original story. I feel guilty leaving it out, but that should make up for it.

Happy reading.