Women have written six of the New York Times’ top 10 graphic novels this week

Updated on December 10, 2021

Making the rounds on Twitter today was this news: six of the top 10 graphic novels currently on the New York Times’ bestsellers’ list are written by women. The list (for the week of April 26) is as follows:

1. Drama by Raina Telgemeier
2. Smile by Raina Telgemeier
3. Sisters by Raina Telgemeier
4. Ms. Marvel, vol. 2, by G. Willow Wilson
5. March: Book One, by John Lewis
6. March: Book Two, by John Lewis
7. Lumberjanes, vol. 1, by Noelle Stevenson, Grace Ellis, and Brooke Allen
8. El Deafo, by Cece Bell
9. The Walking Dead Compendium, vol. 1, by Robert Kirkman and others
10. The Walking Dead Compendium, vol. 2, by Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard

The four books by men are the two “March” books by Congressman John Lewis, and the two “Walking Dead” books.

Another interesting observation is that only one of the above books focuses on a superhero, “Ms. Marvel.” If wondering, “El Deafo” is a children’s book about a young girl who adjusts to hearing loss, and dealing with a bulky hearing aid.

It’s all pretty reflective of the increasing diversity in prominent comics genres (beyond just the “Big Two” superheroes) and in who comics are produced by/aimed at/feature as main characters. All of which is a good thing, of course, unless you’re certain online Neanderthal trolls stuck in the past.