Best Mystery Graphic Novels for Adults (2026): 5 Compared

The best mystery graphic novels for adults are the ones that keep you turning pages: all five of these are graphic novels with dark stories. We compared five by what each Amazon listing states: pages, reading age, genre and publication date, so you can pick the right one for your shelf.

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The picks

#	Product	Shelf Score	Buy
1	Where the Body Was	9.8/10	Buy
2	Beneath the Trees	9.7/10	Buy
3	V for Vendetta	9.6/10	Buy
4	Gris Grimly's Frankenstein	9.5/10	Buy
5	Five Nights at Freddy's	9.4/10	Buy

1

Where the Body Was

Ed Brubaker·9.8/10 Shelf Score

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The Shelf Score runs from 9.2 to 9.8 and weighs fit for the reader or goal (35 points), contents and edition (25), value (25) and listed reading age or level (10, where the listing gives one), using only what the book listing states. How we pick ›

A murder mystery graphic novel, 144 pages, 16 years and up.

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Pros

• 144 pages stated
• 16 years and up stated
• Brubaker and Phillips stated

Cons

• Murder mystery
• 144 pages, short
• 2024 edition

2

Beneath the Trees

Patrick Horvath·9.7/10 Shelf Score

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The Shelf Score runs from 9.2 to 9.8 and weighs fit for the reader or goal (35 points), contents and edition (25), value (25) and listed reading age or level (10, where the listing gives one), using only what the book listing states. How we pick ›

A horror thriller graphic novel, 152 pages, 2024.

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Pros

• 152 pages stated
• 2024 edition stated
• Harvey Award stated

Cons

• Horror, not mystery
• 152 pages, short
• Serial killer theme

3

V for Vendetta

Alan Moore·9.6/10 Shelf Score

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The Shelf Score runs from 9.2 to 9.8 and weighs fit for the reader or goal (35 points), contents and edition (25), value (25) and listed reading age or level (10, where the listing gives one), using only what the book listing states. How we pick ›

A dystopia graphic novel, 296 pages, 17 years and up.

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Pros

• 296 pages stated
• 17 years and up stated
• Alan Moore stated

Cons

• Dystopia, not mystery
• 2020 edition
• Totalitarian theme

4

Gris Grimly's Frankenstein

Mary Shelley·9.5/10 Shelf Score

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The Shelf Score runs from 9.2 to 9.8 and weighs fit for the reader or goal (35 points), contents and edition (25), value (25) and listed reading age or level (10, where the listing gives one), using only what the book listing states. How we pick ›

A Frankenstein graphic novel adaptation, 208 pages, 13 years and up.

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Pros

• 208 pages stated
• 13 years and up stated
• 1818 text stated

Cons

• Horror, not mystery
• 2015 edition
• Gothic classic

5

Five Nights at Freddy's

Scott Cawthon·9.4/10 Shelf Score

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The Shelf Score runs from 9.2 to 9.8 and weighs fit for the reader or goal (35 points), contents and edition (25), value (25) and listed reading age or level (10, where the listing gives one), using only what the book listing states. How we pick ›

A horror graphic novel box set, 576 pages, 10 years and up.

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Pros

• 576 pages stated
• Box set stated
• 2023 edition stated

Cons

• 10 years and up, not adults
• Horror game tie-in
• Trilogy box set

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More picks to compare

• This Place Kills MeSuits readers wanting a YA mystery, 272 pages.Check on Amazon

Compare the picks

Listing details as published, collected 17 October 2026.

How we scored them

The Shelf Score weighs mystery fit, story, depth, safety and warranty. How we pick explains the weights.

Scores run from 9.2 to 9.8: each book’s point total is placed on that range, so more points always means a higher score. Reading age or level counts on a list where at least one listing gives one, and a book whose listing gives none then scores zero on it. Where no listing gives one, the score is taken over the other 85 points. Books carry no warranty, so warranty is not scored.

How to choose the best mystery graphic novels for adults

Reading age

Ages run from 10 years and up (Five Nights at Freddy’s) to 17 years and up (V for Vendetta), with 13 and 16 in between. See our thriller mystery books for more dark reads.

Pages

Pages run from 144 (Where the Body Was) to 576 (Five Nights at Freddy’s), with 152, 208 and 296 in between. Pick the length that fits your shelf.

Genre

Genres run from mystery (Where the Body Was) to thriller (Beneath the Trees), dystopia (V for Vendetta) and horror (Frankenstein, Five Nights at Freddy’s). Pick the genre you like.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the murder mystery?

Where the Body Was.

Which won an award?

Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees, Harvey Award.

Which is Alan Moore?

V for Vendetta.

Which is a box set?

Five Nights at Freddy’s Graphic Novel Trilogy Box Set.

Still deciding? Our top pickWhere the Body Was

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Related lists

See every fiction list and all reading guides.

More lists: mystery horror novels, mystery novels in English and mystery novels last 10 years.