Reading List for ENGL 493: Graphic Novels (Fall 2009)

Here is the reading list for my Fall 2009 course on graphic novels. There are so many compelling graphic novels worthy of inclusion that I had to make some tough choices: Neil Gaiman didn’t make it on, nor did Kyle Baker, Jessica Abel, Charles Burns, Rutu Modan, and a host of other possibilities. But what I’ve got is some great stuff, spanning genres, styles, and mood.

• Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art by Scott McCloud
• Batman: The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller
• Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons
• Maus : A Survivor’s Tale : My Father Bleeds History/Here My Troubles Began by Art Spiegelman
• Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Kid on Earth by Chris Ware
• American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang
• The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
• Uzumaki, Volume 1 by Junji Ito
• In My Darkest Hour by Wilfred Santiago
• Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel

And here’s a more appropriately visual presentation of the same required texts, complete with pricing information.