Fantasy Graphic Novels
Explore the realms of fantasy in illustrated formats with these graphic novels.
Negima! by Ken Akamatsu
Negi Springfield has just graduated from magic academy. He dreams of becoming a master wizard, but instead he’s sent to Japan to teach English ... at an all-girls high school! The students are delighted with their cute new teacher – except for Asuna, who resents Negi and vows to make his life as difficult as possible – just the thing to prepare Negi for the challenges of life as a master wizard!
Lucifer by Mike Carey
Fallen angel Lucifer Morningstar, the darkest star in the City of Angels, has become bored managing a piano bar in L.A. – he's decided he'd rather play God. From the seamy streets of Hamburg to the exotic Japanese underworld, Lucifer will face enemies with grudges as old as creation and make new allies who may be even deadlier than his foes in the ultimate quest to construct a brave new universe in his own image. This is the first in a series.
X-Men Fairy Tales by C.B. Cebulski
What if some of the unusual characters from classic folktales were really super-powerful mutants? This premise seems strange, but in X-Men Fairy Tales, classic tales are retold using characters from the X-Men, and the result is a fanciful book that will appeal to X-Men fans as well as anyone who loves folk tales.
The Dark Horse Book of Witchcraft edited by Scott Allie
This collection combines eight old and new tales from Eisner Award-winning artists Mike Mignola, Gary Gianni, Evan Dorkin, Jill Thompson and Scott Morse with an interview with Wiccan High Priestess Phyllis Curott. Discover new tales like “The Troll Witch” (featuring Hellboy) or revisit the weird sisters from Shakespeare’s Macbeth, as interpreted by ribald artist Tony Millionaire. In all, readers will be presented with varied Western views of witchcraft: noble, misogynous and everything in between.
Sandman: Preludes and Nocturnes by Neil Gaiman
A wizard attempting to capture Death to bargain for eternal life traps her younger brother Dream instead. Fearful for his safety, the wizard kept him imprisoned in a glass bottle for decades. After his escape, Dream, also known as Morpheus, goes on a quest for his lost objects of power. On the way, Morpheus encounters Lucifer and demons from hell, the Justice League and John Constantine, the Hellblazer. This book also includes the story "The Sound of Her Wings," which introduces us to the pragmatic and perky goth girl, Death. This is the first in a series.
Stardust by Neil Gaiman
In the 18th-century village of Wall dwells young Tristran Thorn, whose parentage is both human and faerie. This is the tale of Tristran's quest for a fallen star, his crossing into a world beyond the wall, and the discovery of his faerie bloodline. Created in exquisitely crafted prose and fully painted illustrations by the World Fantasy Award-winning team behind 'A Midsummer-Night's Dream,' from The Sandman Library. Also try Gaiman's Harlequin Valentine.
Guilty Pleasures by Laurell K. Hamilton
Anita Blake lives in a world where vampires, zombies and werewolves have been declared legal citizens of the United States. Check out Hamilton’s popular series, now adapted for comics.
Vogelein: Clockwork Faerie by Jane Irwin
When her guardian of 50 years dies quietly in his sleep, Vogelein, a tiny clockwork faerie, is left without someone to wind her and has less than five hours to live. Unable to reach the keyhole in her back, she continues to wind down, and when she stops, her memories of the past 300 years quickly slip away.
The Hedge Knight by George R.R. Martin
This heroic fantasy tale reinvigorates the tired category of sword and sorcery fiction by emphasizing the human angle. Though it's adapted from a story set in the magical world of Martin's popular Song of Ice and Fire novels, it contains very little sorcery, and the swords are less important than the people who wield them. Hulking young Dunk is the squire of an elderly warrior. When Dunk's master dies, he rides on to the next tournament in hopes of winning recognition for his knightly prowess. Martin demonstrates that honor is more than ceremony and that heroism comes at a price.
Mystic: Rite of Passage by Ron Marz
Ciress is a world that runs on magic, and those with the most magic run the world. Genevieve Villard was in line to become a great leader, but during her Rite of Ascension, something went horribly wrong. Her sister Giselle, a flibbertigibbet society girl, was conferred not only the power that was rightly Genevieve's but that of every other Guild Master on Ciress. Now Giselle must come to terms with being the magical protector of her entire planet, if the Guild Masters let her live that long. This is the first in a series.
Promethea by Alan Moore
Sophie Bangs was a normal college student until a simple class assignment resulted in her being transformed into Promethea, a 2,000-year-old mythical warrior woman. In this installment of the series, Sophie continues to learn more about her powers, abilities and predecessors. But with many answers still missing, Sophie must fend off an attack by a horde of demons and discover and defeat the secrets behind the sinister cult The Temple if she is ever to live up to the full potential of Promethea. This is the first in a series.
Saga of the Swamp Thing by Alan Moore
Created out of the Swamp by a freak accident, Swamp Thing is an elemental creature who uses the forces of nature and wisdom of the plant kingdom to fight the polluted world's self-destruction. Inspired by the creation of writer Len Wein and artist Berni Wrightson, Alan Moore took the Swamp Thing to new heights in the 1980s with his unique narrative approach. His provocative and groundbreaking writing, combined with masterly artwork by some of the medium's top artists, made Swamp Thing one of the great comics of the late 20th century. This is the first in a series.
Mouse Guard by David Petersen
Follow the exploits of Saxon, Kenzie and Lieam, members of the fearless Mouse Guard. The adventure begins when they are dispatched to find a missing merchant mouse. Their search through dangerous terrain for the missing mouse reveals much more than they expect, as they stumble across a traitor in the Guard's own ranks.
Books of Magic by John N. Rieber
Timothy Hunter is perhaps the greatest magician of all time, the illegitimate son of Tam Lin and Queen Titania of the Faeries. Tim lives as an ordinary boy in our world, with a sloppy but loving father, and a few rather unworldly acquaintances. His father, Tam Lin, occasionally pops up in human form, as does the Amadan, a rather repulsive little sprite who waits on Queen Titania. The Queen herself is furious because the Faerie lands are dying, for reasons that no one knows. Tim has problems of his own when he ventures into the lair of a mysterious – and sinister – creature. This will lead to the discovery of what is killing the Faerie lands and exact a terrible price in return.
Fables by Bill Willingham
Where do fairy tale princes and princesses, beasts and beauties go when happily ever after is over? New York City, of course. This first volume in the Eisner award-winning series introduces Snow White and the rest of the storybook characters that we all grew up with, living in banishment in an exclusive New York City neighborhood. They must be careful, however, that no “mundane” humans become aware of these magical folk living right next door. The animal fables, such as the three pigs and three bears, live on a farm upstate. Snow runs the show down in the city, but when her sister Rose Red disappears from her blood-soaked apartment, it’s up to Sheriff Bibgy Wolf to get to the bottom of this mystery. This is the first in a series.