One of the biggest difficulties about becoming a fan of comics is a big question that hits readers of all ages, and that’s “where do I start?” There’s a cornucopia of options for readers both young and old, but from them, what’s good, what’s appropriate and what can you read now without needing prior knowledge? It’s a hard question to answer, as so much is dependent on the person, but there are always good places to start, and it’s no different with all-ages comics.
And given that we’re advocating comics as something befitting younger readers, it only makes sense that we’d help out by providing a reading list for comics and graphic novels aimed at readers of all ages. So take a look below as Multiversity’s staff shares its picks and suggestions, and please, share your own favorites in the comments and why they speak to you.
The Adventures of Tintin by Hergé
Why It’s a Must Read (Mark Tweedale): This is the series that introduced me to comics. It appealed at once to my sense of adventure as the young reporter Tintin and his fox terrier Snowy became embroiled in a story of opium smugglers, gun runners, an ancient Egyptian curse, a secret cult, and of course, Rajaijah Juice, “the poison of madness.” It was “Cigars of the Pharaoh,” originally published in 1934, and full of that classic adventure of the era. And while there is certainly plenty of childish fun and slapstick humour, it never feels like it’s holding back in the way that children’s adventure stories sometimes can. It appeals to the same part of me that loves Indiana Jones and Agatha Christie’s books. So here’s a few of my personal recommendations:
“The Seven Crystal Balls” and “Prisoners of the Sun.” This two parter pits Tintin and Captain Haddock against an Inca curse as they search for their lost friend, Professor Calculus. “The Seven Crystal Balls” is full of mystery, as the seven explorers from the Sanders-Hardiman are one by one found in a coma with crystal fragments found beside them. “Prisoners of the Sun” has less of the mystery component and much more exotic adventure, and it’s probably the most Indiana Jones-like of all the books.
“Destination Moon” and “Explorers on the Moon” has Tintin and company going to the moon in a story that is quite literally out of this world. It’s fascinating science fiction, but what’s really surprising is how incredibly closely it resembles science reality. Hergé tried to incorporate so much real science about the moon and space travel as it was understood in 1954, striving for authenticity. Tintin doesn’t find fanciful aliens on the moon, he finds rocks and ice. It’s a story that pits the characters against their environment, facing problems with gravity, getting lost on the moon, and running out of oxygen. But their biggest dangers are on Moon Rocket itself with espionage, betrayal, and sacrifice. Despite all this seriousness, this pair of books are among the funniest of the series. Professor Cuthbert Calculus “acting the goat” is one of the series’ most iconic moments.
And finally, there’s the book I consider to be Hergé’s masterpiece, “Tintin in Tibet,” which has the usually logical Tintin throwing out logic and going in search of his friend in the Himalayas after he was lost in a plane crash reported to have no survivors. This is a story about friendship against adversity, not just in Tintin’s devotion to finding Chang, but in the way Captain Haddock sticks by Tintin even though he believes what he’s doing is utter madness, knowing that when Tintin accepts the truth, he’ll need a friend by his side. The lengths to which Haddock will go for his friend in pain are among my favourite moments, with some very nearly costing him his life… The bonds of friendship and loyalty make this album something special, and show Tintin at his most vulnerable and his most human.
I think what appealed to me most about Tintin while I was growing up is that it never felt like it was holding back. The villains felt like real threats, the kind to shoot Tintin on sight if they had no use for him alive (as demonstrated on many occasions). And Tintin isn’t a superman. He’s a boy reporter in over his head with the determination, brains, and luck to somehow make it through against all odds.
Continued belowRather curiously, another appealing element of Tintin is how much of a blank he is. It seems an odd sort of thing to say, I know, but he’s kind of like an avatar the reader can step into and experience adventures through. This is why if someone ever decides to do a gender flipped adaptation of Tintin, I’d have no qualms whatsoever. Gender simply isn’t a part of his identity. Tintin would still be the same character as a girl. He has certain core values, but aside from that, Tintin becomes whatever the reader brings to him. His adventures are the reader’s adventures.
Adventure Time by Ryan Q. North, Shelli Paroline and Braden Lamb
Why It’s a Must Read (Matt Garcia): It’s rare for a comic from a currently ongoing preexisting property to be anything more than a casual romp in a familiar world, but with “Adventure Time,” Ryan North, Shelli Paroline, and Braden Lamb managed to hit something special. They maintained the manic tone of the show, kept consistent with the characters’ voices and behaviors, but also managed to take the book to places the show wouldn’t be able to. Chalk it up to clever page designs or events — the Choose-Your-Own-Adventure-Time issue, the zine — or that the book was allowed to keep a story going for several issues rather than just 11 minutes, but this was a book that worked and earned its own place on comic stands. Much like the show itself, there’s a balance between these deep rooted philosophical ideals and fart jokes. The character designs seem simple, but there’s this whole elaborate and difficult to properly imitate world expanding beyond the pages. We get to see more adventures of our favorite characters, and North is definitely not stingy with throwing them on the page, and some crazy visuals that wouldn’t always make sense within the show. It’s goofy, warm-hearted, mind-bending, and hysterical, fueled by friendship and love.
Amulet by Kazu Kibuishi
Why It’s a Must Read (David Harper): This sprawling fantasy story is, in my opinion, the greatest all-ages comic made since Jeff Smith’s “Bone”. A perfect example as to why that is that when I was prepping for this article I picked up my first volume of the series to flip through to remind myself about all of its great features, I couldn’t help but sit down and read it. And then I read the second. And then I read the third. And the four. And the fifth. And the sixth.
The story of Alledia and, more specifically, the Hayes family as they deal with questions of fate, power and more is so good that to pick it up is to get sucked back into its world. I’ve long been a fan of Kazu Kibuishi from his work on the Flight anthologies and Copper and Daisy Kutter, but Amulet is his magnum opus. It’s a sprawling tale, yet one that never loses touch of the characters that make the world special. It deals with important themes, but never in a way that makes readers of any age feel like they’re being talked down to, and its story is exciting, amusing and gives younger readers great like-aged characters to root for and to learn from. Navin Hayes, the lead character’s brother, is one of the best all-ages characters around, as he is a confident young boy who may not know everything, but he’s constantly curious and willing to learn, giving younger readers an incredible role model to read.
And perhaps most importantly, the art is absolutely stunning. Kibuishi’s character work is fantastic, showing off exceptional character acting and very expressive interactions, but where he really stands out is the world building of Alledia. In some ways, it’s not unlike our world, but there is such a sense of wonder to it. Whether its houses that turn into walking robots or anthropomorphic people or wondrous cities carved into the sky, Kibuishi captures readers’ hearts through his immense imagination. Amulet isn’t a book that is just meant to be read. It’s meant to be experienced, and that goes for people of literally all ages.
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Atomic Robo by Brian Clevinger and Scott Wegener
Why It’s a Must Read (David Harper): “Atomic Robo” is an absurd book, but in the best way. It’s pure fun, like a Hellboy adventure story told mostly for laughs and for readers of all-ages, delivering bombastic stories while maintaining a real innocence to it. For your kids, its a story about a robot doing adventurous things and intermittently fighting giant ants, dinosaurs and things of that sort. For you, it’s a blast of a read that turns a lot of familiar ideas on their heads featuring cameos by surprising figures like Stephen Hawking, Carl Sagan and Nikola Tesla. While I wouldn’t recommend it for younger readers, both you and your kids ten and up will love this book, and it might excite the budding scientist in them.
Battling Boy by Paul Pope
Why It’s a Must Read (Matt Garcia): Balancing myths, monsters, fairy tales, manga, and Jack Kirby, “Battling Boy” is about a nameless godling sent to help this monster-infested world on the eve of his thirteenth birthday, armed with a suitcase full of magical T-shirts. He also meets Aurora West, daughter of fallen science hero, Haggard West, who has her own vendetta against the monster menace. Long gestating, Paul Pope threw every iota of energy and talent he had into this book: it’s crazy, bright, vivid, action packed, clever, and honest. He incorporates elements of Moebius and Miyazaki, but it’s pure Pope. And it’s his masterpiece. As older comic fans marvel over his linework and staging and general storytelling ability, younger readers get a pure adventure out of this, one that matches their own energy and imaginations, and also teaches them that it’s okay to ask for help and that the scary things in this world are never as scary as they seem. The only problem is there’s an indeterminate wait before the next volume; luckily, the also strong “Rise of Aurora West” series exists to help expand the universe and some of its core characters.
Bone by Jeff Smith
Why It’s a Must Read (David Harper): This isn’t just my favorite all-ages comic ever, it’s on my short list of all-time favorite comics. My brother and I, when we were young kids in the early 90’s, came across this comic on the stands at our local comic book shop in Anchorage, Alaska, and we had never seen anything like it. It was so fun and so unique, and its characters were so original! In the early years of mega crossovers at Marvel and DC and on the precipice of Image, Bone stood out in how wondrously simple yet challenging it was for young readers. It didn’t try to be anything for anyone, it just was.
We kept reading it, and lines like “stupid, stupid Rat Creatures!” became catchphrases in our household, and we started thinking of cows as things meant for racing. The comic started being published in “Disney Adventures” magazine, and then we had people to talk to about it, and over the years, more and more people grew to appreciate it as much as we did. It’s easy to see why, as the book ages with its readership, starting as an imaginative farce and evolving into a complex yet inviting fantasy story for readers of all-ages. If Jeff Smith never published another comic in his life, “Bone” would have eternally made him one of my favorite creators. It’s such an incredible read, and it doesn’t matter if you’re 8, 18 or 80. You’ll find things to love, and that’s one of the reasons I find it to be such a magical comic.
Calvin & Hobbes by Bill Watterson
Why It’s a Must Read (David Harper): While not a comic book comic, Bill Watterson’s classic comic strip lives on as one of the most important comics from my personal history of the medium. His creations – a young boy and his “stuffed” tiger – quite literally helped me learn how to read, as I would read the collections of them and the newspaper strips to the point where they would tear and fray not from a lack of care, but due to overuse. I learned a lot from them, from the aforementioned assistance in learning to read to the love of reading and the comic book medium, to oddly important life lessons from a small mischievous child and his tiger best friend. It even ended up providing my senior quote in high school, a line that at the time seemed an odd fit but progressively has appeared to be a mantra for myself as I’ve grown older.
Continued belowIf I could give any young reader a comic that shows off the magic of comics, I’d give them Jeff Smith’s Bone. But if I could give any young reader a book that would teach them to love reading, it’d probably be Calvin & Hobbes, and I hope it’s something parents today have continued to share with their kids.
Cow Boy by Nate Cosby and Chris Eliopoulos
Why It’s a Must Read (David Harper): While ostensibly a classic Spaghetti Western plot of revenge, telling it from the perspective of Boyd Linney – a small child looking to make his family atone for his mistreatment in the old West – turns the classic plot into something that’s wildly enjoyable for all kinds of readers. A big part of what makes it easy to appreciate is Eliopoulos’s inviting, Watterson-esque art, as he helps soften the blow of some of the more adult moments without speaking down to anyone. He imbues the book with a tremendous amount of charm, and Cosby’s script crackles with grin inducing lines and situations throughout. It’s a wonderful book, and one that features maybe my single favorite all-ages comic leads in Boyd. Cosby and Eliopoulos turn him into a wildly effective tool of retribution, but still build unreal amounts of heart into the young protagonist. It’s impossible not to feel for his tale, especially in the last section of the first volume.
This book is a must read for all ages, and maybe more than anything else on the list, it deserves more attention than it earned upon its release.
Friends with Boys by Faith Erin Hicks
Why It’s a Must Read (Mark Tweedale): Whenever Faith Erin Hicks draws a comic, I’ll be reading it. I love her stuff. She’s a great artist. She’s also a great writer, and when she draws and writes a project it takes it to another level for me. The first book I ever read of hers was “Friends with Boys,” and it’s still my favourite to this day. It’s about a girl called Maggie as her life undergoes some big changes. All her life Maggie has been home-schooled by her mother along with her three brothers. When she starts going to a public school, she sees her brothers differently, sides of them she’s never seen before, and she’s seeing changes in her father too as he adapts to life without Maggie’s mother, who recently left her family.
That’s another big theme, seeing things differently, and it’s a theme that really suits its format. So many moments in the story are about observation, watching the way people look at each other, how they look at Maggie, how people behave differently when observed by certain people… It’s the kind of comic that teaches comic literacy, I think. You have to feel the heartbeat of the story in those moments, and with Faith Erin Hicks at the helm, it’s really effortless.
But for me the heart and soul of the book is Maggie’s friendship with Lucy, a girl who is proud of being different and wears her heart on her sleeve. It’s the kind of friendship Maggie’s never had before, and with all the many changes in the story, this is the one change that’s really a welcome one, and it helps Maggie weather the others.
Oh, and there’s a ghost in it.
Lumberjanes by Noelle Stevenson, Grace Ellis and Brooke Allen
Why It’s a Must Read (Jess Camacho): “Lumberjanes” is for my money, the very best all ages comic running now. What started off as a mini series has not only become a full ongoing, but has created an enthusiastic fanbase that covers all ages and genders. “Lumberjanes” tells the story of five girls – April, Jo, Mal, Ripley and Molly – who attend a summer camp deep in the woods. Their camp counselor Jen, eventually becomes the honorary sixth member of this group but the focus is primarily on these five girls. Each one of them represents a different kind of girl. You have a “tomboy” a “girly girl” and everything in between. Think “Rat Queens” for kids.
Continued belowThis series does the basic things that all ages comics should do. It’s funny, teaches the kids a lesson and generally features a story that is wrapped up in one issue. However, “Lumberjanes” goes a lot deeper than that. Comics for a very long time featured problematic female characters and even in all ages comics, the lead characters tend to be male. Young girls for a long time didn’t have a comic series to call their own. “Lumberjanes” not only has an all female cast but they behave like real people all while being tossed into kid friendly scenarios. On top of this, the problems are always solved at the end of each issue by the power of sisterly friendship and the intellectual power of the girls. They all have some kind of talent and it’s those talents, with some quick thinking, that help them save the day. You don’t see this often and even without capes, they can be superheroes to kids of a certain age.
“Lumberjanes” also never talks down to the reader. The humor is easily understandable to anyone of any age while staying “hip”. If there’s ever going to be an official ambassador for all ages comics it should be the team of Noelle Stevenson, Grace Ellis and Brooke Allen. There’s no other current ongoing that can touch the all ages greatness of “Lumberjanes”.
Mouse Guard by David Petersen
Why It’s a Must Read (David Harper): When someone brings up Mouse Guard, almost invariable comparisons are made to Brian Jacques’ Redwall. But besides the fact that they both feature heroic mice who exist in fantasy elements, the comparison ends up being unfair for both Jacques’ work and Petersen’s. Petersen’s world really, truly is his own, and through characters like Kenzie, Lieam and Saxon, he builds a world you cannot help but love to visit. It’s a fascinating, engaging read, but the biggest reason to tackle these books is Petersen’s art. The guy simply is one of the best artists in comics, and if you could rate specific skill sets across the art game, Petersen would come out tops in the game in terms of drawing animals. This world feels all the more tangible and engrossing because of how he brings animals to life, and it’s spellbinding to look through the books and see what he does.
Mouse Guard is a great book series, and something that really can be appreciated by readers of all ages.
Odd Duck by Cecil Castellucci and Sara Varon
Why It’s a Must Read (David Harper): This book from First Second is aimed mostly at younger readers – grades two through four, in particular – but Castellucci and Varon created a impactful story about friendship and individuality that contains a great message for readers of all ages. It’s a charming, fun read with lovely art from Varon that makes it all the more inviting, with a warm color palette that befits the tale. If you’re a parent with a younger child, this is something good to read with them, and you might just find yourself reading it even when they’re not around.
Reed Gunther by Chris and Shane Houghton
Why It’s a Must Read (David Harper): While it’s no longer published, this Image Comics title was one of the most unique and entertaining comics of the past few years in my book. Telling the story of a lovable cowboy and his trusty steed (who is actually a bear, because comics are awesome), this comic finds the Brothers Houghton delivering an incredibly fun adventure that features bizarre and amusing villains, varied and inviting settings, and a co-lead in Starla who is a proper role model who throws the Bechdel Test in the trash and says she doesn’t need anyone but herself and maybe a few good friends. An underrated gem that is good for all-ages, particularly kids 8 and older.
Shazam!: The Monster Society of Evil by Jeff Smith
Why It’s a Must Read (David Harper): Second Jeff Smith book alert! Smith’s such a wonderful cartoonist he is the only creator who appears twice on this list, but it’s with good reason. There are sadly not that many DC and Marvel books on this list that feature prominent superheroes, but Smiths’ work with Captain Marvel and the Marvel Family was an incredibly fun throwback to yesteryear when superheroes weren’t grim and gritty, but effervescent looks into magical and sometimes dangerous worlds. His art is a perfect fit for the preposterously muscular lead and the other elements of the world (especially Tawky Tawny, Billy Batson’s right hand tiger), and it helps elevate the enjoyability of the book as a whole. If your child is dying to find some excellent real superheroics to read, there are few books that deliver that better than this one.
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Smile by Raina Telgemeier
Why It’s a Must Read (David Harper): I actually hadn’t read this book until the summer of 2014, so I was late to this party, but if you look at this comic and see something that you shouldn’t be able to be invested in because a) it’s about someone young or b) it’s about a girl, then you’re dead wrong. The reason why this book has become such a sensation and one that earned such immense accolades (including an Eisner Award) is because it shows off the power of storytelling so very well. As a 30-year-old man from Anchorage, Alaska, I found Telgemeier’s autobiographical story to be an easy one to connect to. There are universal emotional truths in this book, from trying to find yourself and how you fit in this world, to the awkwardness of growing up, to more specific things like feeling shame in how you look. Telgemeier’s gift as a cartoonist lies in the fact that she can take a story specifically about herself and make it easy to appreciate universally.
I’d go as far to say that this isn’t just a great book for kids (and older readers), but an important one, as it has life lessons in it that I wish I had known or at least taken more seriously in my days as an awkward pre-teen/teenager. It’s a great, great book, and from what I understand, its…sister book “Sisters” is as well.
Thor: The Mighty Avenger by Roger Langridge and Chris Samnee
Why It’s a Must Read (David Harper): In recent years, very few comic cancellations have drawn more sadness and ire out of comic fans like “Thor: The Mighty Avenger.” There’s a very good reason why, as it’s an unbelievably fun comic, featuring brilliant, expressive art by Samnee that is perfectly highlighted by Matt Wilson’s colors, amusing and easy to appreciate plots by Langridge with charming dialogue, and one attribute that is stunningly rare in comics: a story about a primary Marvel character that is easy to jump into and is for readers of all ages. That makes its quick cancellation perhaps sadder than all, but it lives on in a one volume edition that’s a must read for readers of all ages, particularly kids that are 9 and over.
