ICv2 surveyed 15 “Best of 2015” graphic novel lists, and compiled a list of over 200 graphic novel titles to bring you the Top 15 graphic novels that appeared repeatedly on critics’ lists, in order of number of times each title appeared. 

The best graphic novels of 2015 lists were from Forbes, AV Club, Paste, NPR, Kirkus, School Library Journal, Vulture, Publisher’s Weekly, Village Voice, Comics Beat, Slate, Amazon, Hollywood Reporter, Goodreads, and The Guardian.

The title that appeared most frequently on the “best of” lists we compiled?  Nimona, by Noelle Stevenson.  Here’s the full ranking of the titles that appeared on the most 2015 “best of” graphic novel lists.

  1. Nimona, by Noelle Stevenson (Harper Teen) – 11 lists
  2. Step Aside Pops, by Kate Beaton (Drawn & Quarterly) – 10 lists
  3. Killing and Dying, by Adrian Tomine (Drawn & Quarterly) – 7 lists
  4. SuperMutant Magic Academy, by Jillian Tamaki (Drawn & Quarterly) – 7 lists
  5. March: Book Two, by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, Nate Powell (Top Shelf) – 6 lists
  6. The Arab of the Future, by Riad Sattouf, trans. from the French by Sam Taylor (Metropolitan) – 5 lists
  7. The Sandman: Overture Deluxe Edition, by Neil Gaiman, J.H. Williams III, and Dave Stewart (Vertigo/DC) – 5 lists
  8. The Story of My Tits, by Jennifer Hayden (Top Shelf) – 5 lists
  9. Drawn & Quarterly: Twenty-Five Years of Contemporary Cartooning, Comics and Graphic Novels (Drawn & Quarterly) – 4 lists
  10. The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, by Ryan North and Erica Henderson (Marvel) – 4 lists
  11. Two Brothers, by Fabio Moon and Gabriel Ba (Dark Horse) – 4 lists
  12. Black River, by Josh Simmons (Fantagraphics) – 3 lists
  13. One-Punch Man, Vol. 1 by ONE and Yusuke Murata (VIZ) – 3 lists
  14. The Multiversity, by Grant Morrison, Ivan Reis, Various (DC Comics) - 3 lists
  15. The Oven, by Sophie Goldstein (AdHouse) – 3 lists

These Children’s graphic novel titles also appeared on multiple lists:

  1. The Marvels, by Brian Selznick (Scholastic) – 3 lists
  2. Baba Yaga’s Assistant, by Marika McCoola and Emily Carroll (Candlewick) – 3 lists
  3. The Princess and the Pony by Kate Beaton (Scholastic/Levine) -3 lists
  4. Sunny Side Up by Jennifer Holm and Matthew Holm (Scholastic/Graphix) – 2 lists
  5. Space Dumplins by Craig Thompson (Scholastic/Graphix) – 2 lists
  6. Lumberjanes, Vol. 1: Beware the Kitten Holy by Grace Ellis, Noelle Stevenson, & Shannon Watters. illus. by Brooke Allen. (BOOM! Studios) -2 lists