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Quick answer: If you loved The Watchmen, read Art Spiegelman's Maus, then Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis, then Alison Bechdel's Fun Home, and Daniel Clowes's Ghost World and John Galsworthy's The Forsyte Saga. All are dark, ambitious graphic novels.
Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons's Watchmen is a graphic novel about retired superheroes. These picks share its depth.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maus | Art Spiegelman | Ages 13+ | graphic memoir |
| Persepolis | Marjane Satrapi | Adult | graphic memoir fans |
| Fun Home | Alison Bechdel | Adult | graphic memoir fans |
| Ghost World | Daniel Clowes | Adult | indie classic |
| The Forsyte Saga | John Galsworthy | Adult | family chronicle |
| The Best We Could Do | Thi Bui | Adult | graphic memoirs |
| Pashmina | Nidhi Chanani | 10-14 | cultural identity |
| Nimona | ND Stevenson | Teen | shape-shifting sidekick |
| Lumberjanes | Noelle Stevenson and Grace Ellis | Teen | summer camp adventure |
| A Scanner Darkly | Philip K. Dick | Adult | readers who like sci-fi with edge |
| Fahrenheit 451 | Ray Bradbury | Adult | readers who like the classic warning |
| 1984 | George Orwell | Adult | dystopian classics |
| Brave New World | Aldous Huxley | Adult | readers who like ideas |
| Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? | Philip K. Dick | Adult | readers who like ideas |
| The Sellout | Paul Beatty | Adult | readers who want satire |
1. Maus by Art Spiegelman
Spiegelman tells his father's survival story with animals as characters. A landmark of comics.
Best for: graphic memoir.
2. Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
A graphic memoir of growing up in Iran during the revolution. Funny and sad.
Best for: graphic memoir fans.
3. Fun Home by Alison Bechdel
A graphic memoir of Bechdel's childhood and her father. Witty, sad and brilliant.
Best for: graphic memoir fans.
4. Ghost World by Daniel Clowes
Two friends drift apart after high school. Dry, sad and sharp.
Best for: indie classic.
5. The Forsyte Saga by John Galsworthy
A wealthy English family over generations. A classic of the saga form.
Best for: family chronicle.
6. The Best We Could Do by Thi Bui
A graphic memoir about the author's family fleeing Vietnam. Beautiful artwork and honest storytelling.
Best for: graphic memoirs.
7. Pashmina by Nidhi Chanani
A teenager discovers a magical shawl that shows her India. A story about identity and family.
Best for: cultural identity.
8. Nimona by ND Stevenson
A shape-shifter becomes a villain's sidekick. Funny, sharp and surprisingly moving.
Best for: shape-shifting sidekick.
9. Lumberjanes by Noelle Stevenson and Grace Ellis
Girls at a summer camp face supernatural mysteries. Funny and joyful.
Best for: summer camp adventure.
10. A Scanner Darkly by Philip K. Dick
An undercover narcotics agent becomes addicted to the drug he is investigating. Sad, funny and paranoid.
Best for: readers who like sci-fi with edge.
11. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Guy Montag burns books for a living until he begins to question his world of screens and shallow noise. Short and sharp.
Best for: readers who like the classic warning.
12. 1984 by George Orwell
Orwell's 1949 classic of surveillance, propaganda and control, following Winston Smith in a totalitarian state. Bleak and unforgettable.
Best for: dystopian classics.
13. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
A society engineered for comfort hides its costs. Cool, clever and chilling.
Best for: readers who like ideas.
14. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick
Rick Deckard hunts androids in a ruined future. Short, strange and thoughtful.
Best for: readers who like ideas.
15. The Sellout by Paul Beatty
A man in Los Angeles puts up a segregated school in his neighborhood in this satire of race in America. Wildly funny and bitter.
Best for: readers who want satire.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with The Watchmen: its tone, its themes, its pace or the kind of characters it puts at the center. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious titles, and we noted who each book suits best so you can match it to the reader. Where a book belongs to a series, we list the first volume so you can start at the beginning.
If you are not sure where to begin, start with the first three picks in the table: they are the closest match to The Watchmen. The rest of the list moves further out, so it works well once you know which part of the original you liked most.
How to Choose
For graphic novels, read Maus or Persepolis. For dark heroes, try V for Vendetta. For adult comics, pick The Sandman.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who wrote Watchmen?
Alan Moore, drawn by Dave Gibbons.
Is there a film?
Yes, a 2009 film and a 2019 HBO series.
Is it for kids?
No, it is for adults.
Which book here is best for readers who want satire?
Try The Sellout by Paul Beatty, which suits readers looking for readers who want satire.
Which book here is best for readers who like ideas?
Try Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick, which suits readers looking for readers who like ideas.
Which book here is best for readers who like ideas?
Try Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, which suits readers looking for readers who like ideas.
Which book here is best for dystopian classics?
Try 1984 by George Orwell, which suits readers looking for dystopian classics.
Which book here is best for readers who like the classic warning?
Try Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, which suits readers looking for readers who like the classic warning.
Which book here is best for readers who like sci-fi with edge?
Try A Scanner Darkly by Philip K. Dick, which suits readers looking for readers who like sci-fi with edge.