"2021 was another big year for original graphic novels and trade collections of serialized comics, which recently surpassed periodicals as the dominant format in the American comics market. In fact, there is so much material published that making these kinds of annual best-of lists eventually comes down to the best work that any particular reviewer has seen over the course of the year, as it's physically impossible to read everything.
This year, I'm restricting selections to books aimed at adults, or at least, work not aimed specifically at kids and tweens, since that market is a whole thing with a different audience, different creative objectives and a different aesthetic. I'm also excluding manga for similar reasons. You can find great lists featuring that work and those creators elsewhere.
Even within these narrow parameters of literary, non-fiction and genre work, there's still way too much to choose from. Here is some of the best I saw this year, listed alphabetically by title."
