Comics to Start Your Girlfriend On

My wife never liked comic books when she was a girl. She still doesn’t read them nearly as often as I do. But, the ones she likes, she really likes. For those of us who weren’t lucky enough to meet our significant others in the comic book shop, we may have to introduce them to our hobby to create the right connection. It probably won’t be a great idea to start with that issue where the zombies swarm a woman and her little girl and turn them into dinner. Here are a few titles that will bet your girl interested in what you love (and maybe keep her attention long enough for you to finish your own comics).

 

Blankets by Craig Thompson

This semi-autobiographical comic follows the love story of two teenagers who meet at Christian Camp over the summer and try to keep their love going once they return to their separate lives in Wisconsin. It deals with several existential issues like how you define yourself as an adult, when you know that you love someone, how you might outgrow your religion, and what makes a family. Your girl will like this comic for the straightforward art style and mature dialogue. She’ll appreciate you more for recommending it because it will show that you have a quiet side that allows your brain to do some of the thinking.

 

Liberty Meadows by Frank Cho

While this title isn’t exactly a comic book but a collection of comic strips, it has stylistic roots in comic book history. Liberty Meadows is actually a kind of resort for wacky and disturbed cartoon animals. Nerdy veterinarian Frank and smoking psychiatrist Brandy make for a mismatched and comical couple that shouldn’t be. It is clever and trendy with a hint of sexiness, but the real secret to the Meadows’ success is that Cho handles most of the humor and art without being heavy-handed. For those of us familiar with his work on Avengers and Jungle Girl, we know that Frank has a *ahem* distinct style to drawing the female form. Thankfully, Liberty Meadows keeps a hint of that appeal without a heavy handedness that could drive off most female readers.

 

Bone by Jeff Smith

Like Liberty Meadows, Bone combines the more adventurous aspects of comics with the cutesiness of a cartoon strip in a way that makes younger readers laugh and everyone else just feel good. The kooky Fone Bone is amorphous enough to be both adorable and relatable, while his baffling cousins Smiley and Phoney make for the comic relief that saves the title from feeling too overwhelming. Add the pseudo-romance between cartoon-like Fone and human Thorn, and you have comics gold that your girl is sure to laugh at and simply enjoy.

 

Spider-man by Marvel Comics

Let’s face it, the point of this little experiment is to get your girl to read the comics that you love. So once she’s pored through each of the previous titles, it’s time to show her the good stuff. Using Spider-man as the hook is the best idea to reel her in. Spider-man has an appeal with women that is completely incomprehensible. He’s an everyman who can be used as a model for nearly any situation we find ourselves in, but he also makes for the simpler kind of guy who doesn’t really intimidate women. Peter Parker is serious and dedicated enough to become a superhero but kindhearted enough to keep his love life at arms length so that no one ever becomes a victim because of him. That doesn’t deter him from trying to get a serious relationship, but it does make him cautious and considerate. my wife has told me that Peter Parker as Spider-man represents everything that a woman is looking for in a man. Just remind your girl after she finishes her first trade paperback that while Peter is fictional, you are very very real.

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