Best True Crime Comic Books (2026): 5 Picks Compared

True crime meets the graphic page, and the best true crime comic books tell real cases in illustrated panels. We compared five listings by true crime fit, pages, format and value, using only what each listing publishes.

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The picks

#	Product	Shelf Score	Buy
1	My Friend Dahmer	9.8/10	Buy
2	MrBallen Graphic Stories	9.8/10	Buy
3	When the Night Comes Falling	9.7/10	Buy
4	Killjoys: California	9.7/10	Buy
5	BLOODY ALPHABET Coloring Book	9.6/10	Buy

1

My Friend Dahmer

Derf Backderf·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 graphic novel memoir about the author's high school friend Dahmer.

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Pros

• 224 pages, graphic novel
• Alex Award winner
• Film adaptation

Cons

• Serial killer subject
• 224 pages is long
• 2012 publication

2

MrBallen Graphic Stories

MrBallen·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 graphic novel of nine strange true stories, by MrBallen.

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Pros

• 208 pages, 9 stories
• Strange true stories
• True events

Cons

• Paranormal, not just crime
• 208 pages
• 2024, newest

3

When the Night Comes Falling

Howard Blum·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 true crime investigation of the Idaho student murders, 2025.

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Pros

• 256 pages, 2025
• Definitive investigation
• Pulitzer-nominated author

Cons

• Not a comic book
• Idaho murders subject
• 256 pages

4

Killjoys: California

Gerard Way·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 Gerard Way graphic novel, Killjoys volume, 160 pages.

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Pros

• 160 pages
• Gerard Way
• Hardcover, sketchbook

Cons

• Fiction, not true crime
• 160 pages
• 2014 publication

5

BLOODY ALPHABET Coloring Book

Brian Berry·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 serial killers coloring book with 23 illustrated killers.

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Pros

• 52 pages
• 23 killers
• Single-sided pages

Cons

• Coloring book, not comic
• Serial killer subject
• 52 pages only

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More picks to compare

• True Crime Case Histories 4-6358 pages, 36 stories, 2021.Check on Amazon
• True Crime Books Collection437 pages, 60 stories, 2025.Check on Amazon
• Murder Book Graphic Memoir336 pages, 2021, graphic memoir.Check on Amazon
• Book of Mysteries Unexplained640 pages, 2022, 230 stories.Check on Amazon
• Torso by Bendis288 pages, 2022, Eisner winner.Check on Amazon

Compare the picks

Specifications are manufacturer rated as listed, collected 17 October 2026.

How we scored them

The Shelf Score weighs true crime fit, build, value, safety and warranty. Safety counts only where the listing states a reading age. No listing here states a reading age. Mature themes appear plainly in one con per book. 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.

Before you buy the best true crime comic books

Format

Formats here are graphic novels, a coloring book and an investigation; three are graphic novels. For more options, see our history biography books.

Pages

Pages here run 52 to 256.

Case

Cases here range from serial killers to the Idaho murders.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which book is a graphic memoir?

The My Friend Dahmer.

Which book is newest?

The When the Night Comes Falling, 2025.

Which book is a coloring book?

The BLOODY ALPHABET.

Still deciding? Our top pickMy Friend Dahmer

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Related lists

See every history biography book list and all nonfiction book lists.

More lists: true crime for beginners, graphic novels for adults and serial killer books.