Best Drawn & Quarterly Comic & Graphic Novels of 2025

Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands by Katie Beaton is a literary graphic novel that tells the untold story of Canada's oil sands, where trauma is an everyday occurrence yet is never discussed. Beaton's natural cartooning prowess is on full display as she draws colossal machinery and mammoth vehicles set against a sublime Albertan backdrop of wildlife, northern lights, and boreal forest. The stories in this illustrated memoir are gritty and harrowing, but there's humor here, too, as well as compassion and tenderness. Overall, this book is a complex and unforgettable read that offers a monumental synthesis of history, politics, and personal experience.

Syllabus: Notes from an Accidental Professor by Lynda Barry is a unique and innovative book that presents the author's lesson plans and writing exercises from her popular writing workshop for non-writers. The book focuses on the relationship between the hand, the brain, and spontaneous images, both written and visual, to open pathways to creativity. The author's signature style, with collaged texts, ballpoint-pen doodles, and watercolor washes, adorns the yellow lined pages, offering advice on finding a creative voice and using memories to inspire the writing process. This literary graphic novel from Drawn and Quarterly is an excellent resource for aspiring young authors and anyone looking to unlock their creativity.

What It Is by Lynda Barry is a beautiful and insightful literary graphic novel that explores the connection between words and images. The book is a full-color collage of photographs, watercolors, ink drawings, and text, making each page a feast for the eyes. Barry challenges readers with philosophical questions and encourages them to explore their own creativity through writing. The autobiographical glimpses of Barry's journey from childhood to adulthood allow readers to believe in the possibility of becoming an artist and writer themselves. This stunning book will appeal to anyone with a wish to write or remember, and it is a must-read for those interested in delving into their creativity through words and art.

"Blankets" is a poignant graphic memoir that tells the story of a young man's coming of age against the backdrop of a Midwest winter. Craig Thompson's beautiful illustrations draw together a portrait of small-town life, fundamentalist Christianity, and a confusing adolescence. The book follows Craig and Raina's love story, as they reveal their struggles with faith and their dreams of escape. But as their personal demons resurface, their relationship falls apart. This groundbreaking graphic novel portrays adolescent yearning, first love, faith in crisis, and moving beyond all of that. Overall, "Blankets" is a beautifully crafted love story that will resonate with readers.

The first volume of Drawn & Quarterly's publishing plan to reprint the entire strip of Tove Jansson's Moomin is an enchanting comic strip that will introduce adult readers to the wonderful world of Moomin. The comic strip first appeared in the London Evening News in 1954 and was syndicated in newspapers around the world with millions of readers in forty countries. The Moomins are a tight-knit family-hippo-shaped creatures with easygoing and adventurous outlooks. Jansson's art is pared down and precise, yet able to compose beautiful portraits of ambling creatures in fields of flowers or on rock-strewn beaches that recall Jansson's Nordic roots. The comic strip reached out to adults with its gentle and droll sense of humor. Whimsical but with biting undertones, Jansson's observations of everyday life easily caught the attention of an international audience and still resonate today. Overall, Moomin: The Complete Tove Jansson Comic Strip - Book One is a must-read for comic strip lovers and fans of the Moomin series.

The Mushroom Fan Club by Elise Gravel is a whimsical and informative book about mushroom hunting that combines exploring nature with anthropomorphizing everything. The book introduces children to various species of mushrooms, from the fun-to-stomp puffballs to the stinkhorn mushroom. Gravel's illustrations are colorful and engaging, making the book a delightful read for children. The Mushroom Fan Club is a great way to inspire kids to look more closely at the world around them and to seek out all of life's little treasures, stinky or not!

The book "Making Comics" by Lynda Barry is a creative and unconventional approach to teaching students how to draw and write stories. With a focus on doodling and hands-on exercises, Barry encourages readers to tap into their creativity and understand the importance of processing the world around us through images. The book is a follow-up to her bestselling "Syllabus" and includes a new hand-drawn curriculum. Overall, "Making Comics" is an excellent resource for those interested in literary graphic novels and looking to improve their drawing and storytelling skills.

The Moomins and the Great Flood is the first adventure of the beloved Moomin characters. The story follows Moominmamma and Moomintroll as they search for missing Moominpappa, crossing a dark forest and a huge flood. Written during the Winter War, Tove Jansson used the natural catastrophe to provide a backdrop for the Moomins' journey. With beautiful black and white artwork and curious prose, readers will root for the Moomins as they face obstacles and search for a place to call home. This children's book is a unique and heartwarming tale about courage, kindness, and the power of family.

Revenge of the Librarians by Tom Gauld is a witty and trenchant collection of literary cartoons that takes jabs at the pretentious procrastinating novelist, the commercial mercenary of the dispassionate editor, and the willful obscurantism of the vainglorious poet. Gauld's drawings are perfectly composed and punctuated with his signature brand of humor, hitting high and low. This book will be a hit with anyone who has a deep love of the written word. Gauld finds a rich vein of comedy related to the written word, making this book a true treat for readers.

Moomin Deluxe: Volume One is a slipcased hardcover collection of the complete Tove Jansson-penned Moomin comic strip, which debuted in the London Evening News more than sixty years ago. Drawn & Quarterly has released this book to celebrate the centenary of Tove Jansson's birth. The book features all of her most popular storylines and original pencil sketches, and an essay about Tove's work on the Moomin strip. This book is a must-read for anyone who wants to explore Tove Jansson's legacy and delve into the whimsical tales of Moominvalley, which resonate with both children and adults.