The New York Public Library chooses the best new comics of 2026

We spend a lot of time reminding people of the importance of bringing new readers into libraries, especially those in their younger years. Through them, we get a sense of what moves a community, what interests them or worries them or even makes them dream. It’s simple, libraries inform and reveal the cultural waylines of a people. The more readers we get, the more we know about what’s occupying our minds.

One group of readers that doesn’t always get the same level of attention but is just as crucial to the readership conversation are librarians, the people who curate and purchase the books we can check out at our local book temples. Their ability to engage with the wide range of genres, formats, and styles largely dictates what’s available on shelves. They are among some of the most voracious readers in existence.

The New York Public Library has put together a list of the best new comics of 2026 based on librarian input and feedback. It’s a special list as it offers a glimpse into the reading habits, intellectual leanings, and potential fandoms shared among NYC’s book ambassadors. As such, it is an infectious selection of comics.

Manga and Young Adult comics have always had a strong presence in NYPL’s best new comics lists, especially in recent years. This year, the selection is more varied, running the gamut of genres.

Horror books like Tate Brombal and Jacob Phillips’ Everything Dead and Dying are shoulder to shoulder with non-fiction powerhouses such as Derf Backderf’s The Dissidents, which looks at the role cartoonists and journalists played during the First World War and President Woodrow Wilson’s attempts to curtail freedom of expression at the time, and Frederick Noland’s Major Taylor: The World’s Fastest Man (about the trailblazing black cyclist Marshall Walter Taylor).

The list is heavy on cartoonists and creators who both wrote and illustrated their books. On Their Frontlines: The Lives of Japanese War Brides, Vol. 1 by Marina Lisa Komiya and Soviet Land by Pierre-Henry Gomont stand out as single writer/illustrator comics that were also favorites among industry figures, signaling a strong sense of correspondence between the library and the comics world. Tillie Walden’s Charity and Sylvia is also there and it’s a must-read that brings an important part of Queer history to sequential art.

Superheroes and more mainstream titles aren’t usually the norm in these types of lists, and you won’t find much of them here. This is perhaps due to the fact the enjoy more favorable exposure on pop culture and other entertainment sites. Rather, the books here venture further into the medium, settling on stories that dare readers to step out of their comfort zones for some truly unique experiences.

Consequently, these books also suggest an interest in appealing to adult audiences as well as younger ones. It’s not unfair to say that in the last five to ten years the focus has skewed towards YA as a way to bring the library to a larger audience. A noble strategy, but it did lose sight of the need to also get new adult readers into the stacks. The NYPL list goes a long way in correcting this. It’s one of the most inclusive of its kind and one that fans from all corners should keep close.

The official list follows below. It is ordered alphabetically by title. Each selection is special in its own way and they demand attention. They have the capacity to turn casual readers into lifelong ones.

Happy reading.

For more info on the books, head over to the NYPL site and maybe put a few on hold.