The best historical comics — inspired by real events — are, at the top,Maus by Art Spiegelman, Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi, March by John Lewis and From Hell by Alan Moore. This tier list classifies stories anchored in History according to their quality and rigor. Facts (authors, subjects) verified, no invented ratings; each entry refers to a record when it exists.
Comics are a wonderful tool for telling History: the Shoah, segregation, wars. This tier list classifies historical comics according to their narrative quality and their documentary requirements. Many have become references, including school ones.
Editorial Ranks, Facts verified. Each entry refers to a site file when it exists.
Tier S: monuments
Mausrecounts the Holocaust experienced by the author's father — the only Pulitzer-winning graphic novel.Persepolis traces the childhood of Marjane Satrapi in revolutionary Iran.March is the story of civil rights activist John Lewis, and From Hell dives into Jack the Ripper's London with crazy documentary rigor.
Tier A: the large frescoes
Berlin by Jason Lutes depicts the Weimar Republic,Louis Riel Canadian history, and Palestine as They Called Us Enemy(Japanese-American internment camps) bear witness to major conflicts and injustices.
Tier B: the drawn report
Two Brothers , Age of Bronze (the Trojan War), The Photographer (Afghanistan) and Safe Area Goražde by Joe Sacco (the Bosnian War) illustrate the documentary power of the medium.
Tier C: testimonials
Alan's War , Gen of Hiroshima , Vietnamerica and Spring in Chernobyl forcefully combine history and personal narrative.
Tier D: war stories
The 'Nam , Charley's War and Nat Turner close this tier list: striking historical stories, straddling war comics.
To remember
- Maus proved that comics could deal with the most serious subjects.
- The historical comic is often awarded and used in schools.
- The drawn report(Joe Sacco) is a genre in its own right.
- Each entry refers to a site file when it exists.
Frequently asked questions
Maus by Art Spiegelman is unanimous: the only Pulitzer-winning graphic novel, it tells the story of the Shoah with unequaled force. Persepolis and March follow closely.
The best are based on rigorous documentary work (From Hell, Joe Sacco). Many are also recommended in educational settings for their accuracy.
By Maus or Persepolis, two accessible and moving stories, available in bound collections.
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