1. My Boyfriend Is a Bear by Pamela Ribon and Cat Farris
This lighthearted, brightly colored story details the relationship between twenty-something Angeleno slacker Nora and her partner, a 500-pound American black bear who rocks an Arcade Fire shirt. A standard long-distance relationship is nothing compared to waiting for your boyfriend to finish hibernating each year…
2. Ethel & Ernest by Raymond Briggs
This is a quietly touching tribute to Briggs’s parents. It traces their long marriage alongside eventful times in British history.
3. Scott Pilgrim by Bryan Lee O’Malley
She’s a mysterious girl addicted to hair dye, he’s a goofily endearing boy in a band. Yes, she’s too cool for him, but you still root for him to vanquish her evil exes. Psst, get the color version. It’s eye-popping and delightful.
4. Alex + Ada by Jonathan Luna and Sarah Vaughn
If you wished Ex Machina had had a different ending, of the boy-gets-robot type, this book may be for you.
5. Habibi by Craig Thompson
This is a sweeping romance with the feel of a mythological epic, which crosses all sorts of barriers. It’s also stunning to look at, from the delicate calligraphy to the intricate inking.
6. With Great Abandon by EH Macmillan (webcomic at Tapas)
Russell is a shy comics artist. Harry is a careless-in-love chef. Russell is several feet taller than Harry; Harry needs to give himself testosterone injections every week. Will these lanky Londoners make it work?
7. Ares & Aphrodite: Love Wars by Jamie S. Rich and Megan Levens
Ares & Aphrodite has an aggressively romcom-y premise. Ares (Will) is a divorce lawyer representing Hollywood’s powerful, who somehow still has an eye out for love. Aphrodite (Gigi) is a cynical wedding planner, convinced that there’s no such thing as love. They take a bet on whether their messily entangled clients will actually get hitched. If you’ve ever watched a Kate Hudson movie, I think you’ll know how this one turns out.
8. Marvel Weddings by Stan Lee and Jim Shooter
Sometimes superheroes need to take a break from saving cities and expressing angst to just celebrate their love. I’m sure we can all relate.
9. Blood Song by Eric Drooker
This book features a challenging relationship, between a pregnant refugee and an unfairly prisoned musician. It’s also a wordless comic, so you can bask in the lush art while railing at the cruelty of the forces keeping these two apart.
10. Love Deficiency by Japee Lee (webcomic at Tapas)
If you were intrigued by the premise of the movie The Lobster, where people’s futures are imperiled if they stay single, you may like Love Deficiency. It’s a gently dramatic set of romantic entanglements, in a world where people slowly turn invisible if they don’t have enough love in their lives. Talk about stakes. For more comics about love, try:
/like-romance-read-these-comics/ /wedding-gifts-for-comic-lovers/ /graphic-memoirs-about-relationships/
What are your favorite comics about love?
