Second Course: 5 More Must-Read Graphic Novels About Food

We’ve previously covered 5 food-themed comics that’ll satisfy your cravings for everything from crime and horror to sci-fi and fantasy. But if you’re still hungry for more, ready a plate for a freshly prepared second course of even more modern must-reads.

Comics primarily engage our sense of sight through sumptuous visuals and entertaining dialogue, prepared by talented creators taking on the roles of writer, artist, colorer, and letterer (and let’s not forget our fabulous editors!). Like varied ingredients in a dish, each element of the comic page comes together to introduce readers to a satisfying story that is a feast for the eyes and nourishes the soul. There is something for everyone’s tastes at the table in the vast world of comics and graphic novels.

What’s more, occasionally comics blend our understanding of food culture to evoke tastes and smells as core parts of the narrative. Some even go so far as to include recipes in the text! So, this holiday season when you’re on the couch in a partial food coma, treat yourself to these five delectable reads while you’re waiting for dessert.

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Rare Flavours (Boom! Studios)

Writer: Ram V, Artist: Filipe Andrade, Letterer: AndWorld Design

The award-winning team of Ram V and Filipe Andrade reunite after their jaw-droppingly gorgeous The Many Deaths of Laila Starr to return to the vibrant, sizzling setting of India for a magical and mythological journey through food, the people who make it, and even the people who become it…

Rare Flavours follows Rubin Baksh, a man-eating, shapeshifting Rakshasa demon with dreams of becoming the next Anthony Bourdain. In the midst of this, he enlists struggling filmmaker Mo to catalogue their travels and the lush, storied food scene of the South Asian region. Meanwhile, monster hunters are on the search for the demon, who cannot seem to hide his nature. The book integrates traditional recipes into its narrative with such tender care and veneration for the rich history of India’s cuisine. Paired with Andrade’s blistering, colorful artwork, Rare Flavours brings the heart (and the heat!) to suit the most adventurous reader’s tastes.

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Family Style: Memories of an American from Vietnam (First Second)

Writer/Artist: Thien Pham

Winning the 2024 Eisner for Best Graphic Memoir, Family Style author Thien Pham launched a personal campaign to eat a bowl of noodles for almost 100 consecutive days before the book released in stores. Not only a delicious activity, this embodied just a small fraction of the significance of food in this story of his Vietnamese family fleeing to America.

Pham recounts his experience coming to America and struggling to fit in, using vivid descriptions of food to mark the different struggles and successes of his family — from the sweet watermelon and salty fish he ate adrift at sea to the luxury of potato chips that brought him joy and comfort. Family Style is an earnest and enlightening personal story told through meals and snacks, inviting readers to the table to examine the role food plays in connecting us to others, our culture, and ourselves as we nourish our bodies and minds.

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Hot Dog Taste Test (Drawn & Quarterly)

Writer/Artist: Lisa Hanawalt

If you don’t immediately recognize the name Lisa Hanawalt, perhaps some of her industry accolades will jog your memory: She served as production designer/producer for Bojack Horseman and created and executive produced Tuca & Bertie. Her work in animation is well known for being devastatingly funny with a distinctive art style, and her graphic novel Hot Dog Taste Test is no different.

Skewering the self-aggrandizing nature of foodie subculture, these comics combine irreverent humor with vibrant watercolors and Hanawalt’s recognizable cartooning for maximum impact. There’s surreal images, apologies for the creator’s personal taste in eggs, and many narrative wanderings. It’s the least traditional “graphic novel” on the list, presenting a collection of short comics and humor strips as opposed to one overarching narrative, but that means readers can enjoy it in bite-sized portions and come back when they’re hungry for more.

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Cooking with Monsters: The Beginner’s Guide to Culinary Combat (IDW)

Writer: Jordan Alsaqa, Artist: Vivian Truong

Perfect for readers of all ages, IDW’s Cooking with Monsters series is the start of a fun new universe for fans wherein young students are gathered at a quirky specialty school to train in their strange and unique abilities — but there’s no wizardry or demigod-liness here. Instead, at the Gourmand Academy of Culinary Combat, our heroes are taught to battle monsters and turn them into delicious meals.

Fans of Pokémon will love the creatures and their food-friendly designs, while fans of shonen anime like Naruto will love the high-flying action and energetic, multicultural cast of characters. With LGBTQ+ representation, warrior chefs, and puns always on the menu, Cooking with Monsters is your new favorite comic series waiting to be discovered. (Plus, the newly released sequel is subtitled “Harm-To-Table,” which is genuinely one of the funniest food-combat puns I’ve EVER heard.)

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Chef’s Kiss (Oni Press)

Writer: Jarrett Melendez, Artist: Danica Brine, Colorist: Hank Jones, Letterer: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou

Some say that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. So it’s no surprise that the sparks fly both in and outside the kitchen in Chef’s Kiss, a romantic culinary comic with a mountain of accolades and awards to its name. When the aptly named Ben Cook realizes his dreams of a writing career might be easier said than done, he gets an entry-level position at a restaurant to pass the time. But when he finds himself crushing on one of the other chefs, his career plans come into question.

Kitchens are generally known for their tense atmospheres, but Chef’s Kiss takes the culinary field and cooks up a cute romance that’s anything but empty calories. Also, keep an eye out for the adorable Watson, the Taste-Testing Pig! Now, a heated kitchen is not without its drama, but don’t go in expecting a total Kitchen Nightmare scenario. With a detailed art style and a new adult feel to the narrative, Chef’s Kiss is an unexpectedly delightful meld of genre flavors that you’re sure to love.

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We hope that you treat yourself to one of these many delightful, delicious graphic novels during the holiday season! When it comes to comics, there’s certainly always something to be grateful for.

Have you read any of the books on this list? Are there any others you’d like us to feature next year? Share your thoughts with other comics fans over at Sideshow Social Network or in side.show/geekgroup, and don’t forget to Let Your Geek Sideshow!