Recommended New and Upcoming Graphic Novels for every life stage

It is tempting to begin this roundup with the timeworn lede, “Comics! They’re not just for kids any more!” I’ve been rolling my eyes at that one for decades at this point, as mainstream reviewers seemingly “discover” that sophisticated graphic novels exist, over and over again.

In fact, the graphic novel is a form that can reach readers in many, many eras of their lives, and I want to highlight here some of the excellent ones to keep on your radar this Fall and beyond: For the youth, Max, A Little Axolotl is coming out next week on September 2 for the early readers in your life and Trung Le Nguyen’s next YA graphic novel, Angelica and the Bear Prince is coming out October 7. For new adults, The Corus Wave is coming out later that month on October 21, and grown ups can also look forward to reading Martyr Loser King by multitalented musicians Saul Williams and Morgan Sorne, coming out next Spring on April 28.

Axolotls seems to be having a cultural moment the same way llamas were a few years ago. I’m into it, as axolotls are inherently adorable, and appreciating them implies supporting sustainability measures that will protect their habitat. In Max, A Little Axolotl, Max is rescued from his habitat being destroyed and introduced into a school of diverse sea creatures. He’s shy and feels like an outlier because he’s the only axolotl, and doesn’t know much about his own species. It takes making friends to help him adjust. Published by Scholastic, Max, A Little Axolotl has a straightforward story with cute illustrations that will appeal widely to early readers.

I love The Magic Fish, so I have been eagerly awaiting Trung Le Nguyen’s next graphic novel, which will come out from Random House Graphic on October 7. Like The Magic Fish, Angelica and the Bear Prince is a sweet, queer YA story with beautiful swirling art, important and loving family dynamics, and a strong fairy tale thread. In Angelica and the Bear Prince, Angelica is an overachieving high schooler suffering from some burnout. She gets an internship at the local theater prepping for their annual children’s performance, and begins a mysterious romance. The focus on friendships and community involvement enhance the cozy vibes in the small town setting. This will be a lovely one for teens to curl up with on a chilly day, with a mug of something warming.

The genre designation “New Adult” often implies a book will have characters in their twenties, either figuring out their new professional lives or romantic relationships. The Corus Wave by Karenza Sparks has grad students (presumably in their twenties) discovering a secret of the universe. Even though this isn’t typical realistic fiction, it addresses many of the issues new adults face, including roommate relationships, being encouraged in shady ways by some older adults and dismissed by others, and figuring out a new path when the project you’ve been working on doesn’t speak to you any longer. The Corus Wave will be coming out October 21 from Avery Hill via a successful Kickstarter and will make some lovely back to school reading for the questioning grad student in your life.

Now, it’s still August of 2025. Normally, I wouldn’t be pitching a book coming out in April of 2026 yet. However, Martyr Loser King, created and written by Saul Williams and with art by Morgan Sorne, is a book densely packed with cultural references, and it’s easy to get excited about it now. First of all, the book is based on Saul Williams own 2016 album MartyrLoserKing, and he collaborated with fellow multitalented performer and creator Morgan Sorne for the illustrations. In the graphic novel, people with a supernatural connection to each other and their land converge on an electronics graveyard in Burundi and work together to tell the world about the conditions of coltan mining that affect their communities. The writing and art are both rhythmic and poetic. This one is for grown ups who are interested in how music, technology and activism can be represented in the comics form.