What are some comics that are good for younger readers?

Barbaragthomas

My son is turning 9 this week, and I was hoping to get him some comics. I know a little about comics, but I don't really read ones that I think would be good for him. I want to know of comics which aren't designed for young children, but still aren't inappropriate for kids his age. He's at the age where he thinks he's a big kid, so I want this gift to reflect that. Any ideas?

Ger_Hankey

A lot of the mainstream comics such as Spiderman, Superman etc. would probably be good for that. The writing in them is mature enough that its not "kiddie", and yet it would'nt stray into territory thats too inappropriate for him. I have a son around the same age who is a big comics fan too, so I know what you are talking about. He doesn't want to read the stuff you find in supermarkets based of TV shows (which seem to be aimed at around 5-6 year olds), and its going to be a few years before I let him near my copy of Watchmen.

22 years, maybe.

ztoical

The DFC was a weekly comic featuring original work by some very talented creators that was aimed at just that age group - it sadly finished last year but the publisher David Flicking has just annouced they are going to do collected books of most of the comics. I think they start publishing them in March and they are up on pre-order on amazon but will on sale in local book shops as well.

I would also req looking into some of the Shōnen manga out there. Shōnen manga are comics from japan aimed at boys [Shōnen manga means 'boys comics' while shojo is girls comics] From a parents point of view I think your getting more value for money with the manga titles then american titles esp if your not a comic fan yourself. The continuity of some of the american titles can be hard to follow if your not into them and there are some titles that aren't suitable for kids but feature the same characters as more kid friendly titles and to the untrained eye it can be hard to spot the difference - it's also harder to find a decent range of those comics outside of comic shops while nearly every bookstore is carrying manga titles. Series like Naruto are very popular with young boys [my friends 9 year old is obessed] buy my personnal fav is One Piece - it's about pirates [who doesn't love pirates] the art is full of energy, the characters are really fun, it's a good read for the age group and it's up volume 25 or something now so if he likes it there's plenty to read and if he doesn't you try something else.

Saruwatari

Seconding Ztoical's suggestion of One Piece. Its a perfect balance of lighthearted humour and pirate battles, with fantastic and wacky art to boot. It also avoids some of the monotonous and just plain unbearable drama of the other popular Shonen titles such as Bleach and Naruto.
You should be able to find it in Forbidden Planet, Sub-City and a few other stores in Dublin.

Fysh

Some good stuff so far, a few more to consider would be:

• Tintin (do I really need to explain this one?)
• Dragon ball (another great all ages manga but ignore it when it turns into dragon ball z, it all gets a bit silly then)
• The Mouse Guard series
• The marvel adventures range - intended as all ages and with less continuity guff to get in the way, plus the reprints are digest sized
• The flight anthology series (particularly the flight explorer volume that I think was aimed at a younger audience)

I'll try and come up with some more later, but in the meantime let us know how you get on, it's always good to get feedback about this sort of thing.

Also don't forget to check your local library as a lot of them are getting better at stocking comics and graphic novels for all age groups.

Lame Lantern

Could also be worth looking at the Ultimate Marvel line (Ultimate Spider-Man and Ultimate Avengers are currently ongoing). They're geared toward a more teenage audience and come without the density of the massive primary Marvel continuity (set as they are in an alternative canon with characters updated for a modern, younger readership).

Fysh

Lame Lantern wrote: »

Could also be worth looking at the Ultimate Marvel line (Ultimate Spider-Man and Ultimate Avengers are currently ongoing). They're geared toward a more teenage audience and come without the density of the massive primary Marvel continuity (set as they are in an alternative canon with characters updated for a modern, younger readership).

The Ultimate line would be worth a look, but I suspect they might be a bit beyond a 9-year-old - take Ultimate Tony Stark's drinking/womanising thing.

Of the bunch, I'd guess that Ultimate Spider-Man would be the best start - you can get pretty much the entire run in softcover collections, for example. (Though in saying that there've been, what, 130-odd issues at this point? It's getting to the point of having exactly the kind of continuity excess that it was intended to get away from).

niall mc cann

I'd recomend All-Star Superman for that. It's funny, touching, melancholy but great, great fun and totally suitable for a 9 year old.

I've read it to my 3 year old neice and she loved it, but it is a bit beyond her. Quality tells, though. You can't beat All-Star Supes.

Also in that vein I'd recomend Alan Moore's Tom Strong. Great stuff.

ApathyMonger

Bone is pretty great, and for all ages.

Ridley

Bit late for the thread but whatever.

• Dragon ball (another great all ages manga but ignore it when it turns into dragon ball z, it all gets a bit silly then)

No, it doesn't. I'd argue the all ages aswell. Personally, I'd be fine with anyone reading it but there are those that would take exception to little things like (kid) Goku's genitalia, Bulma flashing Roshi, Roshi, General Blue etc. that don't see them as little even within context.

I'd add Asterix and Star Wars/Clone Wars/Indiana Jones Adventures to the child friendly list.

Fysh

Ridley wrote: »

No, it doesn't. I'd argue the all ages aswell. Personally, I'd be fine with anyone reading it but there are those that would take exception to little things like (kid) Goku's genitalia, Bulma flashing Roshi, Roshi, General Blue etc. that don't see them as little even within context.

Meh, anyone flipping out about things like kid Goku being unabashed about being naked is: a) missing the point about the gags, and b) fairly repressed. The only gags that involve any kind of sexual interpretation of any sort are the ones involving Master Roshi getting flashed, and even then they aren't gratuitously presented (at least, not from what I've seen).

Yes, there are people who might decide that such material is inappropriate for kids. But in those cases the problem is with the people, not the material.

(As for the getting silly, perhaps we have different mileage - I'm still in the early 10s of the manga, but I recall the anime getting a bit ridiculous once you had Trunks coming back from the future, the fusion thing, the super saiyan levels and all the rest of it....)

Ridley

Fysh wrote:

Yes, there are people who might decide that such material is inappropriate for kids. But in those cases the problem is with the people, not the material.

Oh I agree, but what Japan can get away with is different to the US, who are the ones rating, translating and censoring it.

But there are those in between who may not see it being fun for all the family.

Robert Curley

Boom studios do some good kids comics like the The Muppet Show, Mickey Mouse and Toy Story. The chap who draws The Muppet Show Roger Langride also did a lovely self published comic called Fred The Clown.

seanybiker

Used to love tintin when I was about that age.

Fysh

Robert Curley wrote: »

Roger Langride also did a lovely self published comic called Fred The Clown.

Fred The Clown is absolutely brilliant! Langridge was also involved in a great little one-shot called Return of the Fin Fang Four earlier this year, which was fantastic.