Science fiction is a wildly popular genre. Some of the best and most enduring movies and television series fall under the sci-fi umbrella and for good reason. Sci-fi stories are those that bring strange and fascinating new worlds and realities to life, usually with elements of technology, biological manipulation, time travel, aliens, alternate realities, and so much more. They’re stories that, even with their wildly imaginative elements are rich, human tales offering both escape and deep contemplation about the human condition and experience.
Videos by ComicBook.com
But it’s not just in movies and television where sci-fi shines. Sci-fi thrives in comics as well. For decades, some of the best comics have been sci-fi comics and we aren’t talking about superhero tales. These are stories of other worlds and of ordinary people, often in extraordinary circumstances and on thrilling, unusual adventures. And, yes, sometimes there are robots. And while there are a number of really great sci-fi comics that you can think of off the top of your head (we’re looking at you, Saga) there are other equally as fantastic comics in the genre that you absolutely need to read as well. Here are five of the best.
5) Paper Girls
Created by Brian K. Vaughan and Cliff Chiang and published by Image Comics, Paper Girls follows four 12-year-old newspaper deliver girls outside of Cleveland who are delivering papers the morning after Halloween when their town, Stony Stream, is invaded by a strange and mysterious force from the future. The girls find themselves caught up in the unexpected conflict between two separate, warring factions of time travelers — which leads them to frequently and accidentally being displaced in time, both past and future.
Paper Girls is a fantastic sci-fi story that incorporates a lot of different elements of the genre. The time travel aspect plays into the age-old question of if the past can or should be changed as well as what one does when they have had the chance to see the future — including their future selves. It’s also a fantastic story about growing up and features some truly gorgeous art. It’s a brilliant read, especially for fans of Stranger Things. The comic also got its own, short-lived television adaptation which you can watch on Prime Video.
4) Lazarus
Written by Greg Rucka with art by Michael Lark, Image Comics’ Lazarus leans into the dystopian aspect of sci-fi. In Lazarus, the world as we know it has been divided into territories run by sixteen rival families with each territory run in a feudal system. The series largely follows Forever Carlyle, the military leader of the powerful Carlyle family, their “Lazarus” that is set up to defend the family’s honor no matter the cost. The problem? Forever questions her role once some important truths come to life. It’s a story of genetic modification, destiny, and goes in some unexpected (and action-packed directions).
With big questions about humanity and with political and economic themes, Lazarus might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s incredibly well-written, the art is fantastic, and the character driven story makes it hard to not get sucked in. There’s also something very plausible about the world of Lazarus that makes it an engaging (and sometimes chilling) read.
3) Bitch Planet
If you like feminist sci fi dystopia, Bitch Planet is for you. Written by Kelly Sue DeConnick with art by Valentine De Lando, Bitch Planet is set in a dystopian reality where women who are deemed non-compliant are sent to an off-planet prison. It’s a campy take on the exploitation film genre, just in comics form. The original series ran for 10 issues while a five-issue limited series, Bitch Planet: Triple Feature, followed that featured stories from a variety of writers and artists.
It’s a wildly underrated series that takes on real world systemic oppression and addresses the challenges of those who do not fit in or conform to what society deems as acceptable for women and women’s bodies. It’s violent and inventive and is a must read.
2) Descender/Ascender
Jeff Lemire and Dustin Nguyen’s Descender and Ascender are technically two series, but they work together to tell one larger story. Set in a universe where robots and technology is considered the enemy of the state, Descender follows a young android, TIM-21, who is trying to survive in this new world as one of the last robots in existence while also looking for the human family he was once a part of. Ascender picks up some time later to follow Mila, the young daughter of one of TIM-21’s owners who is navigating a world where magic has replaced technology.
The two stories weave together beautifully, bringing together elements of both sci-fi and fantasy. Both stories separately have real emotion at their core, but together they tell a larger story of family, humanity, and hope. They’re just gorgeous on every level and absolutely need to be read — preferably together.
1) Free Planet
\Free Planet may be the newest comic on this list, but it’s also one of the best sci-fi comics of this year — and potentially all time. Written by Aubrey Sitterson with art by Jed Dougherty, Free Planet tells the story of Lutheria, the first completely free planet in human history. However, now that the planet has one its total independence, a group of revolutionary heroes have to defend Lutheria from intergalactic powers and runs into the question of what total freedom actual looks like.
Free Planet is a layered comic that takes the genre staple of revolution and drops readers in not before or during, but after and explores some of the deeper questions that come with “well, now what” in the aftermath of upheaval and change. It’s also inventive in terms of how the story is presented, pushing the boundaries of storytelling on the printed page. With the series’ first arc having just concluded, now is also the best time to jump into the series that takes big swings at ideas about freedom, religion, and even economics and makes them all a wildly engaging adventure.
What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
Most Viewed
-
Image courtesy of Focus Features.
