8 Doorstopper Comics and Graphic Novels to Immerse Yourself In

You can now enjoy the classic tale of Meg, Charles Wallace, and Calvin in illustrated format. When Meg and Charles Wallace’s scientist father goes missing, the children receive assistance from three magical guides — Mrs. Who, Mrs. Which, and Mrs. Whatsit — before embarking on a dangerous quest to bring him home.

With supernatural troublemakers overrunning the Earth, heroes of legend call upon ordinary, 20th century young people to help them fight back! This classic changed the face of the Philippine comics industry, as I’ve discussed before. It was originally published in the late ’90s, so not all of the jokes have aged gracefully. But if you enjoy sprawling fantasy adventures, you won’t find many better than this one. Be sure to check out the sequel, The Children of Bathala, out March 21.

When combined, Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood and Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return runs to over 300 pages. This classic memoir shows what it was like for young Marjane growing up in Iran after the Islamic Revolution in the late 1970s severely curtailed women’s rights. As a teen, she attended school in Europe before returning to Iran — only to realize that she could no longer make a home for herself in the only nation she has ever truly called home.

Relive DC’s Silver Age with fresh eyes in this pulse-pounding, heartbreaking epic. Set in the 1950s, with the Korean War freshly over and the Vietnam War looming on the horizon, our heroes must grapple not only with the harsh realities of Cold War America — racism, distrust, an unwillingness to hear unpleasant truths — but with a legendary monster that threatens the entire planet. It’s one of the most exciting and emotional superhero sagas you’ll ever read.

Speaking of classic superheroes, many people consider Watchmen to be the best of the best. This dark mystery tale follows antihero Rorschach as he looks into the murder of the Comedian, a vigilante who worked for the government. His investigations uncover a conspiracy against all costumed crime-fighters. But are he and his fellow vigilantes already too late to stop a horrifying plot from unfolding?

Like Persepolis, this was originally published in two parts but can now be bought in one volume. It follows the budding friendship between Sakura, a popular high school student, and the reserved classmate who accidentally discovers her darkest secret: she is dying of a pancreatic disease. From there, the duo’s friendship blossoms, but there is only one way their story can end.

When you’re rewriting the entire DC universe, you need a hefty page count. In this seminal series, heroes from multiple universes must band together to defeat a villain bent on destroying all of their worlds. Not every hero will survive the carnage that follows, but by working together, they might be able to ensure a future for at least one universe.

Tokiko had always lived in the city, but after her parents separate, she is forced to move with her father to a small town by the ocean. She expected to confront certain challenges, like making new friends, but one thing she didn’t expect? Merfolk. Though others claim they don’t exist, Tokiko’s resurfaced memories say otherwise, and now it’s up to her to find out the truth.