How to Cite Comics in APA

• Tomas Elliott (Ph.D.)
• Published on 03/23/2025

Comics are an important medium that combines visual storytelling with written narratives. Whether they appear in serialized comic books, graphic novels, or web-based formats, citing them correctly is essential for academic integrity and clarity. APA style provides a structured method for citing comics, ensuring that all contributors writers, artists, and publishers are properly credited. 

This guide outlines how to format citations for single issues, graphic novels, digital comics, and in-text citations, providing examples for reference.

BASIC FORMAT FOR CITING COMICS

Citing comics in APA format requires a structured approach to ensure clarity and consistency. The general format includes the series or graphic novel title, issue number (if applicable), year, and month or season (if identified). 

Citation	The Amazing Spider-Man #252 (1984, May). “Homecoming!” Script: R. Stern, & T. DeFalco. Art: R. Frenz, & B. Patterson. Marvel Comics.
Structure	Series or graphic novel title issue number (year, month/season). “Story title if any.” Script: Writer(s). Art: Penciller(s), inker(s). Publisher.

CITING A GRAPHIC NOVEL

Graphic novels are cited similarly to books. If the novel is a collected edition rather than a single issue, the citation should follow the book citation format while still recognizing the creative contributors. Including an illustrator is important when they are distinct from the writer, ensuring proper credit.

Citation	Spiegelman, A. (1991). Maus: A survivor’s tale. Pantheon Books.
Structure	Author(s). (Year). Title of graphic novel. Illustrator(s) if different from the author. Publisher.

When citing a multi-volume graphic novel, the volume number should be included to distinguish between different parts of the series.

Citation	Kibuishi, K. (2013). Amulet: The cloud searchers (Vol. 3). Graphix.
Structure	Author(s). (Year). Title of graphic novel (Vol. X). Publisher.

CITING WEB BASED OR DIGITAL COMICS

For digital or web-based comics, the format remains similar, but a retrieval link should be included if the comic is available online. If a specific publication date is available, it should be included to help locate the exact version cited.

Citation	Batman #50 (2018, July 4). “The Wedding.” Script: T. King. Art: M. Janin. DC Comics. https://www.dccomics.com/
Structure	Series or graphic novel title issue number (Year, Month Day). “Story title if any.” Script: Writer(s). Art: Penciller(s), inker(s). Publisher. URL

If the comic is updated continuously or does not have a specific date, use “n.d.” for “no date” and indicate when it was retrieved.

Citation	Gurihiru. (n.d.). The unstoppable wasp. Marvel Comics. Retrieved March 15, 2025, from https://www.marvel.com/
Structure	Author(s). (n.d.). Title of comic. Publisher. Retrieved Month Day, Year, from URL

IN-TEXT CITATIONS FOR COMICS

In-text citations for comics should follow the author-date format. The citation should reference the writer’s last name and the year of publication.

Example	(Spiegelman, 1991)
Structure	(Author, Year)

For direct quotes or specific page references, include the page number:

Example	(Spiegelman, 1991, p. 45)
Structure	(Author, Year, p. X)

If citing a single issue of a comic series, the in-text citation should reflect the scriptwriter’s name and year:

Example	(Straczynski, 2007)
Structure	(Author, Year)

If a comic has multiple contributors, such as a writer and an artist, their names can be included using an ampersand:

Example	(Straczynski & Coipel, 2007)
Structure	(Author 1 & Author 2, Year)

SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR CITING COMICS

CITING TRANSLATED COMICS

If citing a translated comic, include the translator’s name after the title and indicate the original publication date.

Citation	Taniguchi, J. (2007). The walking man (A. Dutkiewicz, Trans.). Ponent Mon. (Original work published 1990)
Structure	Author(s). (Year). Title of comic (Translator, Trans.). Publisher. (Original work published Year)

CITING MANGA (JAPANESE COMICS)

Manga follows the same structure as graphic novels but often includes volume numbers due to their serialized nature.

Citation	Oda, E. (2003). One piece (Vol. 21). Viz Media.
Structure	Author(s). (Year). Title of manga (Vol. X). Publisher.

CITING ANTHOLOGIES AND COLLECTED EDITIONS

If a comic is part of an anthology or a collected edition, it should be cited similarly to a book chapter, with details about the original work included.

Citation	Moore, A. (1987). “The killing joke.” In D. Levitz (Ed.), Batman: The killing joke (pp. 1-64). DC Comics.
Structure	Author(s). (Year). “Story title.” In Editor(s) (Ed.), Title of anthology (pp. X-Y). Publisher.

CITING OMNIBUS OR DELUXE EDITIONS

For omnibus editions containing multiple volumes, the volume range should be specified.

Citation	Claremont, C. (2014). X-Men: The dark phoenix saga omnibus (Vols. 1-2). Marvel Comics.
Structure	Author(s). (Year). Title of omnibus (Vols. X-Y). Publisher.

Include All Key Contributors: Always list the scriptwriter and artist(s) separately, ensuring that both receive proper credit for their roles in the comic’s creation. Use Proper Capitalization: In APA style, only the first word of the title and subtitle, along with proper nouns, should be capitalized. Provide Specific Issue Details: When citing a single issue, include the issue number and publication date for accuracy and ease of reference. Verify Online Sources: For digital comics, ensure the retrieval URL is from an official or reputable source to maintain citation reliability.