Helen McCarthy is the former editor of Anime UK and Manga Mania magazines, and the author of The Anime Movie Guide and Hayao Miyazaki: Master of Japanese Animation. She has been awarded the Japan Festival Award for outstanding contributions to the understanding of Japanese culture.

"500 Essential Graphic Novels" is an all-in-one guide to this exciting form of visual literature. Including more than 350 authors and 400 artists, this lush volume contains an essential mix of some of the finest visually-stunning stories of our time. From politically-charged non-fiction sagas to imaginative fantasy tales, this ultimate guide has something to satisfy everyone's taste. The first of its kind, this book focuses on each graphic novel separately, honing in on art technique, style and prose, plus an age rating system so parents will know what is suitable for their children. Chapters are divided by genre, complete with individual plot synopses and star-scaled reviews for each book, providing the reader with a concise and balanced understanding of today's best graphic novels.