Carbon materials have been extensively investigated due to their diversity, favorable properties, and active applications including electroanalytical chemistry. This critical review discusses new synthetic methods, novel carbon materials, new properties and electroanalytical applications of carbon materials particularly related to the preparation as well as bioanalytical and environmental applications of highly oriented pyrolytic graphite, graphene, carbon nanotubes, various carbon films (e.g. pyrolyzed carbon films, boron-doped diamond films and diamond-like carbon films) and screen printing carbon electrodes. Future perspectives in the field have also been discussed (366 references).