Research Guides: Graphic Novels & Comics: Home

Why do comic books and graphic novels matter in academia?

Comic books (and by association, graphic novels - longer works using the comic book format or several issues of a comic in a collected format) are often overlooked in academia. Many times, they are associated with children and get placed in the 'hi-lo' category (high interest, low reading level).

These materials provide many benefits in the college environment. For students who are learning a language, the images provide context for what is being read. Many ESL/ELL students find these items more engaging and less intimidating than some of the resources that are marketed specifically for their use. Themes presented in comic books and graphic novels provide cultural insights, teach morals, help in developing emotional skills, and present creative approaches to world issues. They are vocabulary builders and improve reading comprehension, which are important with growing concerns that more and more college students find difficulty with reading assignments.

Comic books are also fun, which leads to more motivation to read them not only for the above benefits, but for entertainment as well. In a world where everything moves so fast, it might be hard to find time to finish an entire book, but there's often time to squeeze in a comic book or two. Check out the resources below to see what we offer in print and online.

Books about Graphic Novels and Comic Books

Critical Survey of Graphic Novels: History, Theme, and Technique by Bart H. Beaty (Editor)
Call Number: 741.59 C934h 2019

ISBN: 9781682179116

Publication Date: 2019-04-30

The Second Edition of Critical Survey of Graphic Novels: History, Theme & Technique contains over 80 essays covering themes and concepts of graphic novels. It includes genres, time periods, foreign language traditions, social relevance, and craftsmanship such as penciling and inking.

Critical Survey of Graphic Novels: History, Theme, & Technique (Digital Copy)

Manga by Salem Press; Stephen Weiner; Bart Beaty
Call Number: 741.59 C934m 2018

ISBN: 9781682179123

Publication Date: 2018-11-30

Critical Survey of Graphic Novels: Manga, Second Edition, provides in-depth insight for over 70 of the most popular manga graphic novels, ranging from metaseries to stand-alone books. A recent influx of translated Japanese manga into the American market has sparked a greater interest in foreign-language traditions and longform comics storytelling. this set focuses on translated works that have been particularly influential in the development of the manga tradition.

Manga (Digital Copy)

Heroes and Superheroes by Bart Beaty; Stephen Weiner; Salem Press Editors
Call Number: 741.5 C934 (2 volumes)

ISBN: 1587658658

Publication Date: 2012-04-01

The first title in this series, Critical Survey of Graphic Novels: Heroes and Superheroes, provides in-depth insight into over 130 of the most popular and studied graphic novels. Researchers will be familiar with the characters and stories included in this collection, but will gain a deeper new understanding, as the literary nature of the stories is presented in critical format by leading writers in the field of study.

Comics Plus

MATC Libraries provide digital access to Comics Plus to students and employees. Click the image above or going to guides.matc.edu/cp for more information.

Pride Picks on Comics Plus

Basil and Oregano
Mix two parts The Great British Bake Off with one-part magical boarding school plus a generous dash of romance and you’ve got Basil and Oregano. Porta Bella Magiculinary Academy is the finest school for the art of cooking with magic, and Basil Eyres is determined to be the top student. On the first day of her senior year, Arabella Oregano, the daughter of a renowned chef, joins the academy for her senior year as well. The two are instantly smitten with each other, but Basil senses there’s something Arabella is hiding from her.
Becoming Who We Are: Real Stories About Growing Up Trans
In a collection of stories from across the spectrum of real-life experience, nine members of the trans community share their inspirational childhood stories. These are tales of questioning, affirming, transitioning, and growing up; courageous, gripping accounts from musicians, actors, teachers, scientists, forest rangers, and activists of how they overcame their unique challenges to become who they truly are.
Four-Color Heroes
Four-Color Heroes follows two boys from wildly different worlds who find love and self-discovery through the pages of a comic book. The coming-of-age romance is set in a New Zealand high school prior to the passing of the Civil Union Act 2004 (which allowed same-sex couples to enter into a civil union). As tensions rose nationwide over the basic equal rights of same-sex couples, two boys were fighting a battle on a smaller scale, against enemies from within and without. The graphic novel also features an essay by clinical psychologist Dr. Drea Letamendi on protecting the mental health of LGBTQ+ youth.
Gender Studies: The Confessions of an Accidental Outlaw
When you’re the only Black kid in the honors program or (any program) at your mostly white high school, or one of a handful of Black graduate students in your PhD program, or one of two African American women on the faculty at your Pac-10 employer, it’s not your gender non-conformity that sets you apart from your peers. In those environments, your Blackness is the first thing people notice about you. Still, there are other ways of being different--and feeling different--that can’t be attributed to race, especially if you’re one of the people whose awareness of the unwritten rules of what it means to be a boy or a girl (or a man or a woman) is tempered by the fact that most of those rules don’t feel quite right.
At 30, I Realized I Had No Gender: Life Lessons From a 50-Year-Old After Two Decades of Self-Discovery
At age 30, Shou Arai came to a realization; they had no gender. Now they were faced with a question they'd never really considered: how to age in a society where everything is so strongly segregated between two genders? This autobiographical manga explores Japanese culture surrounding gender, transgender issues, and the day to day obstacles faced by gender minorities and members of the LGBTQIA+ community with a lighthearted, comedic attitude.

Spotlight: Social Issues

Victory. Stand! by Tommie Smith; Derrick Barnes
Call Number: 741.5 S662v 2022

ISBN: 9781324003908

Publication Date: 2022-09-27

On October 16, 1968, during the medal ceremony at the Mexico City Olympics, Tommie Smith, the gold medal winner in the 200-meter sprint, and John Carlos, the bronze medal winner, stood on the podium in black socks and raised their black-gloved fists to protest racial injustice inflicted upon African Americans. Both men were forced to leave the Olympics, received death threats, and faced ostracism and continuing economic hardships.
The Talk by Darrin Bell
Call Number: 741.5 B4334t 2023

ISBN: 9781250805140

Publication Date: 2023-06-06

Darrin Bell was six years old when his mother told him he couldn't have a realistic water gun. She said she feared for his safety, that police tend to think of little Black boys as older and less innocent than they really are. Through evocative illustrations and sharp humor, Bell examines how The Talk shaped intimate and public moments from childhood to adulthood. And now Bell must decide whether he and his own six-year-old son are ready to have The Talk.
Seek You by Kristen Radtke
Call Number: 155.92 R131 2021

ISBN: 9781524748067

Publication Date: 2021-07-13

There is a silent epidemic in America: loneliness. Shameful to talk about and often misunderstood, loneliness is everywhere, from the most major of metropolises to the smallest of towns. Through the lenses of gender and violence, technology and art, Radtke ushers us through a history of loneliness and longing, and shares what feels impossible to share.
Displacement by Kiku Hughes
Call Number: 741.5 H893d 2020

ISBN: 9781250193537

Publication Date: 2020-08-18

A teenager is pulled back in time to witness her grandmother's experiences in World War II-era Japanese internment camps in Displacement, a historical graphic novel from Kiku Hughes. Kiku is on vacation in San Francisco when suddenly she finds herself displaced to the 1940s Japanese-American internment camp that her late grandmother, Ernestina, was forcibly relocated to during World War II. These displacements keep occurring until Kiku finds herself "stuck" back in time.