5 Comics You Should Never Let Your Kids Read

Everyone knows that kids love comics, but not all comics love kids.

The comic book industry has produced its fair share of gory, grisly, and/or risque works and there’s plenty of comics out there that parents wouldn’t be happy to find in the hands of their children.

But some comic books stand out from the rest for how the push the limits of good taste and leave the realm of the “child-friendly” well behind them.

Here, ComicBook.com will list five comic books that parents should absolutely never hand to their children. Whether for violence, nudity, or other themes, don’t touch these comic books kids.

5. The Walking Dead

Considering the popularity of the AMC television series, it can be difficult to keep children total free from exposure to The Walking Dead.

That said, no matter how much the kids beg, you should probably not give them a copy of Robert Kirkman’s breakout Image Comics series.

The Walking Dead does not shy away from the strongest language and scenes of absolutely terrifying and gory zombie violence. People get bitten, they lose limbs and the become the very thing that killed them.

Really, the very concept is terrifying enough. Does your kid need to see a shambling horde of decomposing corpses coming towards them? Probably not.

4. Vampirella

There are plenty of teenage boys who have felt ways about things thanks to picking up a copy of a Vampirella comic, but it’s a fine line between teenage curiosity and simply inappropriate.

Vampirella has received an updated modern costume recently that is a bit more modest, but her classic costume doesn’t leave very much to the imagination.

On top of that, Vampirella is, of course, a vampire, which means there’s plenty of blood and gore to go with the risque.

3. Anything by Alan Moore

Alan Moore is widely regarded as one of the greatest comic book writers of all time, but practically everything he has ever written contains something you don’t want your children to see.

Sexual assault is a major plot point in several of Moore’s comics, including Watchmen and League of Extraordinary Gentleman.

Arguably Moore’s most controversial comic is Lost Girls. The erotic fantasy graphic novel chronicles the sexual explorations of the young protagonists of several beloved children’s stories, including Alice from Alice in Wonderland, Wendy from Peter Pan, and Dorothy from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

2. Zenescope’s fairy tales

In a way, the comics published by Zenescope Entertainment are a combination of the most potentially offensive traits of both Moore’s Lost Girls and Vampirella.

Like Lost Girls, Zenescope takes characters from children’s stories and puts them in situations they were not created for. Like Vampirella, the comics also make sure the character’s wardrobe is pretty light on coverage.

Grimm’s Fairy Tales and Cinderella go action hero in pinup model outfits. Definitely not for the innocent.

1. Crossed

Are the walkers in The Walking Dead not vile enough for you? What if, in addition to biting their victims, they also raped, maimed, and cannibalized them entirely? Oh, and also, they were intelligent enough to use tools and make plans. and work as a group?

That’s the basic idea behind Crossed, and it is a comic book that is hard not to look away from even for adults. This is not a comic book that should come anywhere even close to children, and you may want to think about averting your eyes as well.