TheComic Compass

Crime and mystery books for adults

57 award-winning books for adults. Detectives, noir and stories with a twist.

Early readers4–7Kids8–12Teens13+Adults18+
Fantasy and magic86Science fiction69Superheroes28Memoir and real lives139History98Funny109Manga124Horror and spooky48Crime and mystery57Adventure30Friendship and school25Family81Animals35Science and the real world130LGBTQ+ stories19

57 books

Cover of Blacksad: AmarilloWinner2023Blacksad: AmarilloJuan Díaz Canales and Juanjo Guarnido2023 Eisner Award for Best U.S. Edition of International Material winnerCover of Far SectorWinner2022Far SectorN. K. Jemisin2022 Hugo Award for Best Graphic Story or Comic winnerCover of My Favorite Thing Is MonstersWinner2018My Favorite Thing Is MonstersEmil Ferris2018 Eisner Award for Best Graphic Album: New winnerCover of DemonWinner2017DemonJason Shiga2017 Eisner Award for Best Graphic Album: Reprint winnerCover of RASLWinner2014RASLJeff Smith2014 Eisner Award for Best Graphic Album: Reprint winnerCover of Richard Stark's Parker: SlaygroundWinner2014Richard Stark's Parker: SlaygroundDarwyn Cooke2014 Eisner Award for Best Adaptation from Another Medium winnerCover of Naoki Urasawa's 20th Century BoysWinner2013Naoki Urasawa's 20th Century BoysNaoki Urasawa2013 Eisner Award for Best U.S. Edition of International Material: Asia winnerCover of Green River Killer: A True Detective StoryWinner2012Green River Killer: A True Detective StoryJeff Jensen and Jonathan Case2012 Eisner Award for Best Reality-Based Work winnerCover of Richard Stark's Parker: The HunterWinner2010Richard Stark's Parker: The HunterDarwyn Cooke2010 Eisner Award for Best Adaptation from Another Medium winnerCover of Exit WoundsWinner2008Exit WoundsRutu Modan2008 Eisner Award for Best Graphic Album: New winnerCover of I Killed Adolf HitlerWinner2008I Killed Adolf HitlerJason2008 Eisner Award for Best U.S. Edition of International Material winnerCover of Old BoyWinner2007Old BoyGaron Tsuchiya and Nobuaki Minegishi2007 Eisner Award for Best U.S. Edition of International Material: Asia winnerCover of The Left Bank GangWinner2007The Left Bank GangJason2007 Eisner Award for Best U.S. Edition of International Material winnerCover of Black HoleWinner2006Black HoleCharles Burns2006 Eisner Award for Best Graphic Album: Reprint winnerCover of From HellWinner2000From HellAlan Moore and Eddie Campbell2000 Eisner Award for Best Graphic Album: Reprint winnerCover of Sin CityWinner1998Sin CityFrank Miller1998 Eisner Award for Best Graphic Album: Reprint winnerStray Bullets: Innocence of NihilismDavid LaphamWinner1997Stray Bullets: Innocence of NihilismDavid Lapham1997 Eisner Award for Best Graphic Album: Reprint winnerCover of Locke & Key: Keyhouse CompendiumNominee2022Locke & Key: Keyhouse CompendiumJoe Hill and Gabriel Rodríguez2022 Eisner Award for Best Graphic Album: Reprint nomineeCover of Meadowlark: A Coming-of-Age Crime StoryNominee2022Meadowlark: A Coming-of-Age Crime StoryEthan Hawke and Greg Ruth2022 Eisner Award for Best Graphic Album: New nomineeCover of Criminal Deluxe EditionNominee2021Criminal Deluxe EditionEd Brubaker and Sean Phillips2021 Eisner Award for Best Graphic Album: Reprint nomineeCover of DragmanNominee2021DragmanSteven Appleby2021 Eisner Award for Best Graphic Album: New nomineeCover of BezimenaNominee2020BezimenaNina Bunjevac2020 Eisner Award for Best Graphic Album: New nomineeCover of Bad GirlsNominee2019Bad GirlsAlex de Campi and Victor Santos2019 Eisner Award for Best Graphic Album: New nomineeCover of Dark Night: A True Batman StoryNominee2017Dark Night: A True Batman StoryPaul Dini and Eduardo Risso2017 Eisner Award for Best Reality-Based Work nomineeCover of Assassination ClassroomNominee2016Assassination ClassroomYūsei Matsui2016 Eisner Award for Best U.S. Edition of International Material: Asia nomineeCover of Master KeatonNominee2016Master KeatonNaoki Urasawa, Hokusei Katsushika, and Takashi Nagasaki2016 Eisner Award for Best U.S. Edition of International Material: Asia nomineeCover of SexcastleNominee2016SexcastleKyle Starks2016 Eisner Award for Best Humor Publication nomineeCover of Kill My MotherNominee2015Kill My MotherJules Feiffer2015 Eisner Award for Best Graphic Album: New nomineeCover of The Strange Tale of Panorama IslandNominee2014The Strange Tale of Panorama IslandSuehiro Maruo2014 Eisner Award for Best Adaptation from Another Medium nomineeCover of Utsubora: The Story of a NovelistNominee2014Utsubora: The Story of a NovelistAsumiko Nakamura2014 Eisner Award for Best U.S. Edition of International Material: Asia nomineeCover of Grandville Bête NoireNominee2013Grandville Bête NoireBryan Talbot2013 Hugo Award for Best Graphic Story or Comic nomineeCover of New York Mon AmourNominee2013New York Mon AmourBenjamin Legrand, Dominique Grange, and Jacques Tardi2013 Eisner Award for Best U.S. Edition of International Material nomineeCover of Like a Sniper Lining Up His ShotNominee2012Like a Sniper Lining Up His ShotJacques Tardi and Jean-Patrick Manchette2012 Eisner Award for Best U.S. Edition of International Material nomineeCover of Grandville Mon AmourNominee2011Grandville Mon AmourBryan Talbot2011 Hugo Award for Best Graphic Story or Comic nomineeCover of The KillerNominee2011The KillerMatz and Luc Jacamon2011 Eisner Award for Best U.S. Edition of International Material nomineeCover of TumorNominee2011TumorJoshua Hale Fialkov and Noel Tuazon2011 Eisner Award for Best Graphic Album: Reprint nomineeCover of West Coast BluesNominee2010West Coast BluesJacques Tardi2010 Eisner Award for Best Adaptation from Another Medium nomineeCover of A Treasury of XXth Century Murder: The Lindbergh ChildNominee2009A Treasury of XXth Century Murder: The Lindbergh ChildRick Geary2009 Eisner Award for Best Reality-Based Work nomineeCover of FishtownNominee2009FishtownKevin Colden2009 Eisner Award for Best Reality-Based Work nomineeCover of The Dresden Files: Welcome to the JungleNominee2009The Dresden Files: Welcome to the JungleJim Butcher2009 Hugo Award for Best Graphic Story or Comic nomineeCover of BookhunterNominee2008BookhunterJason Shiga2008 Eisner Award for Best Graphic Album: New nomineeCover of MWNominee2008MWOsamu Tezuka2008 Eisner Award for Best U.S. Edition of International Material: Asia nomineeCover of Hwy 115Nominee2007Hwy 115Matthias Lehmann2007 Eisner Award for Best U.S. Edition of International Material nomineeCover of Stagger LeeNominee2007Stagger LeeDerek McCulloch and Shepherd Hendrix2007 Eisner Award for Best Reality-Based Work nomineeCover of Tokyo TribesNominee2005Tokyo TribesSanta Inoue2005 Eisner Award for Best U.S. Edition of International Material nomineeCover of Dead EndNominee2003Dead EndThomas Ott2003 Eisner Award for Best U.S. Edition of International Material nomineeCover of Stray Bullets: Other PeopleNominee2002Stray Bullets: Other PeopleDavid Lapham2002 Eisner Award for Best Graphic Album: Reprint nomineeCover of WhiteoutNominee2000WhiteoutGreg Rucka and Steve Lieber2000 Eisner Award for Best Graphic Album: Reprint nomineeCover of Booze, Broads, and BulletsNominee1999Booze, Broads, and BulletsFrank Miller1999 Eisner Award for Best Graphic Album: Reprint nomineeCover of CaricatureNominee1999CaricatureDan Clowes1999 Eisner Award for Best Graphic Album: Reprint nomineeCover of A History of ViolenceNominee1998A History of ViolenceJohn Wagner and Vince Locke1998 Eisner Award for Best Graphic Album: New nomineeCover of The Borden TragedyNominee1998The Borden TragedyRick Geary1998 Eisner Award for Best Graphic Album: New nomineeCover of The SystemNominee1998The SystemPeter Kuper1998 Eisner Award for Best Graphic Album: Reprint nomineeCome AgainNate PowellNominee2019Come AgainNate Powell2019 Eisner Award for Best Graphic Album: New nomineeSailor Twain, or The Mermaid in the HudsonMark SiegelNominee2013Sailor Twain, or The Mermaid in the HudsonMark Siegel2013 Eisner Award for Best Graphic Album: Reprint nomineeStrainBuronson and Ryoichi IkegamiNominee1999StrainBuronson and Ryoichi Ikegami1999 Eisner Award for Best U.S. Edition of International Material nomineeSandman Mystery Theatre: The TarantulaMatt Wagner and Guy DavisNominee1996Sandman Mystery Theatre: The TarantulaMatt Wagner and Guy Davis1996 Eisner Award for Best Graphic Album: Reprint nominee