Outline by Michèle Fischels, Oni Press, $ 29.99, 208 pages
There’s something particularly relatable about Outline, especially if you remember that strange stretch of life when graduation is approaching and everyone suddenly expects you to know what comes next. Michèle Fischels captures that uncertainty through Ben, Clara, and Andreas, three friends whose relationships begin changing as adulthood gets closer. Rather than forcing everything into neat answers, Outline allows its characters to sit with confusion, anxiety, and the possibility that growing up sometimes means growing apart. Fischels’s expressive artwork adds to the introspective mood, creating a quiet but emotionally resonant coming-of-age story. Outline is a thoughtful graphic novel about friendship, change, and finding your way forward.
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In Waves by Aj Dungo, Flying Eye Books, $ 21.99, 348 pages
Beautiful, heartbreaking, and deeply personal, In Waves by AJ Dungo is a graphic memoir that stays with you. Dungo combines the story of his relationship with his late partner, Kristen, and her battle with cancer with a fascinating history of surfing, creating two narratives that gradually become inseparable. The ocean provides the perfect visual language for a story about love and loss, and Dungo’s sweeping artwork gives the book an almost dreamlike quality. This new edition, released September 1, also comes with renewed attention thanks to the announced animated film adaptation. For readers looking for a graphic novel with genuine emotional depth, In Waves is unforgettable.
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Salvage by Renée Nault, Ten Speed Graphic, $ 19.99, 256 pages
Imagine a world where entire cities have disappeared beneath the ocean and young people from two dramatically different communities fall in love. That’s the striking premise behind Salvage, Renée Nault’s original graphic novel. Paolo lives in the impoverished Flats, diving through submerged skyscrapers for anything worth salvaging, while Jules belongs to the privileged Uplands. Their relationship forces both characters to confront the enormous divide between their worlds, but Nault never loses sight of the tenderness at the heart of their story. The watercolor artwork is gorgeous, giving the flooded world an almost dreamlike beauty. Salvage is a thoughtful, romantic coming-of-age story with plenty beneath its beautiful surface.
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Crownsville by Rodney Barnes & Elia Bonetti, Oni Press $ 24.99, 160 pages
For readers who like their graphic novels on the darker side, Crownsville is an excellent addition to the September TBR. Rodney Barnes and artist Elia Bonetti transform the history of Maryland’s Crownsville Hospital into a disturbing supernatural mystery in which an unexplained death leads Detective Mike Simms and journalist Paul Blair into the institution’s horrifying past. The story’s real-world foundation makes its supernatural elements especially unsettling, while Bonetti’s detailed, shadowy artwork amplifies the sense of dread. The book has already earned major recognition, including the 2026 Dwayne McDuffie Award for Diversity in Comics and an Eisner Award nomination. Crownsville is chilling, socially conscious, and difficult to shake.
Kingdom Unraveled by Mariana DiMercurio, Andrews McMeel Publishing, $ 14.99, 224 pages
Forget the usual chosen-one fantasy hero. In Kingdom Unraveled, Mariana DiMercurio hands the knitting needles, magical axe, and fate of an entire kingdom to Jo, a 70-year-old village woman who would much rather enjoy her quiet life than battle dark forces. That premise is as charming as it sounds, and Jo’s age makes her an especially refreshing fantasy protagonist. Her quest with the snarky Roy combines adventure, humor, and plenty of heart, while the full-color artwork brings the whimsical world to life. Based on DiMercurio’s Closely Knit webcomic, this delightful graphic novel celebrates courage, kindness, friendship, and unexpected heroes.
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