| Fiction | Mystery | Mass Market | SF/ Fantasy/ Horror | Comics | Nonfiction |
| Illustrated Books | Lifestyle | Poetry | Religion | Children's Religion | Best Children's Books 2002 |
This year trade paper and hardcover comics--graphic novels--made huge strides toward becoming a legitimate category in general trade book publishing. The demand became apparent at BEA (and continued at ALA meetings) as librarians and distributors began clamoring for graphic novels. Sales growth has been explosive, led by manga titles and their popularity among teenagers. But the amount, quality and diversity in titles and their appeal to a wide audience is clear and growing. Even the bankruptcy of the LPC Group, which had specialized in getting graphic novels into the book trade, only served to show how desirable and salable graphic novels have become. The LPC bankruptcy sparked a free-for-all over its orphaned clients, leading to the rise of CDS in its place and the founding of a new division by Diamond--leading distributor to the comics specialty market--focused on graphic novel distribution to the book trade.
 King Volume 2 Ho Che Anderson (Fantagraphics) Epileptic: Book I David B. (Fantagraphics) One Hundred Demons | Cages Dave McKean (NBM) Finder: Talisman Supreme: The Story of the Year Miss: Better Living Through Crime Narcissa |
