Introduction

Kids can leap into an adventure from this list of comics created by the No Flying, No Tights Features Team! From travels through space and time to fantastical journeys to a swashbuckling chase, there is something for everyone.

Cleopatra in Space

Mike Maihack

In this action-packed science fiction adventure, teenaged Cleopatra--future ruler of Egypt--finds a tablet and gets transported to a world where she discovers she’s the chosen one to save the universe.

Appeals to

Readers who like witty protagonists, cute kitties, and science fiction action!

Main Character Identities:

  • Race and/or Nationality: 6517
Recommended by

Megan Rupe

Compass South

Hope Larson

Rebecca Mock

Cleopatra and her twin brother Alex have been struggling since their father disappeared, going so far as to fall in with a local thief gang. When Cleo and Alex decide to skip town, they get separated and their furious gang leader teams up with a group of pirates who want the watch and knife the twins have always had. What follows is a chase full of swashbuckling, sailing, and new friendships!

Appeals to

Fans of stories about pirates like Treasure Island or Pirates of the Caribbean

Content Notes

A brief death scene and some violence

Creator Identities:

  • Sexuality: 7031
Recommended by

Megan Rupe

Cucumber Quest

Gigi D.G.

Cucumber is all set to set off to magic school when his dad sends a letter asking him to save the kingdoms from the evil queen Cordelia. Unfortunately, Cucumber isn't interested in being a hero: he wants to be a magician. Thankfully his sister Almond, who is in training to become a knight, sneaks off to join him. Together, they're working to stop Cordelia when not dealing with bizarre villains and situations of miscommunication.

Appeals to

Perfect for fans of comedic adventure series like Catstronauts, Cardboard Kingdom, or Adventure Time.

Recommended by

Shannan Prukop

Dungeon Critters

Natalie Ross

A dog, a cat, a frog who is also a prince, and a beefy snake man go on a D&D-esque dungeon crawl that like any good adventure leads to side-quests and hijinks, like sneaking into a fancy party, fighting a giant turtle on a river boat, and being honored guests at a royal event.

Appeals to

Young fantasy TTRGP players will fall in love with this story that has all the elements of a great D&D campaign. Fans of Amulet and the Hilda series will also love this title filled with magic, adventure, and friendship.

Creator Identities:

  • Sexuality: 7031

Main Character Identities:

  • Sexuality: 5363, 5366
  • Gender Identity: 6038
Recommended by

Tayla Cardillo

Hereville

Barry Deutsch

Mirka is a smart, impulsive girl who wants to slay dragons rather than knit and do her other chores. All she needs is a sword, and a witch's favor gives her the opportunity to get one. Getting a sword, however, is just the beginning of Mirka's adventures!

Appeals to

Fans of smart, snarky protagonists

Main Character Identities:

  • Religion: Jewish
Recommended by

Megan Rupe

Hilda and the Troll

Luke Pearson

There are many things Hilda is great at; one of them is not sitting quietly at home. So on one of her many adventures in the wilds around her home, Hilda encounters a troll during the day, while it's still stone. Naturally she decides it's the perfect chance to sketch one, only to fall asleep and wake up in the middle of a snowstorm. Follow Hilda as she gets to know a wooden man, avoids getting stepped on by a lost giant, and of course, makes it back home to her mum.

Appeals to

Fans of The Owl House and other series featuring a fearless adventurer discovering the wonders of the world around her.

Recommended by

Shannan Prukop

Lightfall

Tim Probert

Bea loves working in her grandfather’s potions shop in the woods. When her frequently forgetful grandfather vanishes, Bea is determined to find him and joins forces with Cal, a Galdurian on a quest to also find his family. Get ready for a fantasy adventure full of humor and heart!

Appeals to

Fans of richly portrayed fantasy stories such as Amulet and 5 Worlds

Recommended by

Megan Rupe

No One Returns from the Enchanted Forest

Robin Robinson

Bix is constantly worrying over her younger sister Pella; their parents are gone, and their underground goblin community is experiencing numerous challenges thanks to the earthquakes and other disasters that plague their island. When the latest earthquake disrupts their annual festival, Pella heads into the enchanted forest to give the legendary Earth Queen a piece of her mind. Bix follows Pella into the dangerous forest to rescue her but soon finds her quest becoming bigger than she could have imagined.

Appeals to

Fans of fantasy quests; Lovers of the adventure and quest for justice aspects of 5 Worlds and Avatar the Last Airbender

Recommended by

Megan Rupe

Pashmina

Nidhi Chanani

Priyanka has never been to India, and she’s never met her dad. Yet her mother refuses to discuss her life before she arrived in the United States. When Priyanka puts on a pashmina she found in an old suitcase, she sees a beautiful vision of India. More determined than ever, Priyanka journeys to India to get the answers she has so desperately wanted.

Appeals to

Readers who like a bit of fantasy in their realistic fiction; readers who like stories featuring well-written female protagonists

Content Notes

Brief discussion of unwanted male attention, exploitation, and poverty but nothing is graphic

Creator Identities:

  • Race and/or Nationality: 6832

Main Character Identities:

  • Race and/or Nationality: 6004
Recommended by

Megan Rupe

Red Panda and Moon Bear

Jarod Roselló

Cardillo

Siblings Red Panda and Moon Bear, equipped with their super-powered sweatshirts and their wits fight evil, solve mysteries, and protect their neighborhood. Their crime fighting adventures include adopting two stray dogs (who may not actually be dogs), finding a building that mysteriously disappeared from their block, and helping a ghost trapped in their local library.

Appeals to

Readers who are look for a superhero story that doesn't take itself too seriously. A great title to put in the hands of readers while they wait for the next Dog Man book to come out.

Creator Identities:

  • Race and/or Nationality: 6765

Main Character Identities:

  • Race and/or Nationality: 5888, 5356
Recommended by

Tayla Cardillo

The Time Museum

Matthew Loux

Budding scientist Delia is a candidate for an internship at the Earth Time Museum, a museum that catalogues the Earth in the past, present, and future. However, an encounter with a renegade time traveler threatens Delia’s chances (and the Library of Alexandria)! Can Delia and her new friends still pull off a win?

Appeals to

Fans of Cleopatra in Space

Recommended by

Megan Rupe

This Was Our Pact

Ryan Andrews

Ben and his friends want to know where all the lanterns go once they are sent floating down the river during the Autumn Equinox Festival, so he and his friends decide that they are going to follow the lanterns down the river farther then they've ever gone in order to find out what happens to them. No looking back. Not long into their journey all the boys, expect outcast Nathaniel, abandon their quest for taco night and the light of home. The two remaining boys encountering interesting characters and travel to breathtaking places during their journey to find the answer to the mystery of the lanterns.

Appeals to

Fans of Studio Ghibli films or the Chronicles of Narnina will love this tale of two ordinary kids who go on a fantastical adventure.

Recommended by

Tayla Cardillo

Witch Hat Atelier

Shirahama Kamome

Though Coco is fascinated by witches and magic, she knows she'll never be one because everyone says magic is hereditary and she hasn't shown any signs of using it. After a tragic encounter with magic, Coco now finds herself apprenticed to Qifrey, joining four other young apprentices learning magic because maybe what everyone says isn't true. Now, she has a lot to learn about her new world and friends.

Appeals to

A fantastic choice for fans of epic adventure series like Amulet and adventures with characters being thrown into a world they're not used to, like The Witch Boy.

Recommended by

Shannan Prukop

  • Megan

    Features Writer

    | She/Her

    Megan earned her MLIS from Simmons College and is currently the evening librarian at Bay State College in Massachusetts. She satisfies her voracious appetite for graphic novels and manga through regular visits to her local public libraries and puts her love of graphic novels to good use by adding to Bay State’s collection whenever possible. Megan maintains a personal blog, Ferret with a Strobe Light, where she discusses awesome books she’s read lately. When not engaged in reading or library work, she likes running, drinking tea, and working on her own stories and art.

  • Shannan

    Features Writer

    Teen Services Librarian, San Antonio Public Library | She/They

    Shannan waffled between English professor and librarian as career choices for all of college; eventually librarian won. She is a Teen Services Librarian with the San Antonio Public Library. When not running TTPRG games for their teens or teaching them how to bake, she's doing what she can to promote comics to anyone who will listen. At home they're likely deep in the middle of their latest cosplay project or watching B movies with her husband, while generally pushing the cats out of the way.

  • Tayla

    Features Writer

    Branch Librarian | She/Her

    Tayla Cardillo (she/her) is the Branch Librarian of the Oaklawn branch of the Cranston Public Library in Cranston, RI. She is also a member of the ALA Graphic Novel and Comic Round Table and the chair of the Rhode Island Library Association Intellectual Freedom Committee. She completed her MLIS at the University of Rhode Island and her B.A. in English at Rhode Island College. Tayla has known that she wanted to be a librarian since she was 17 years old. When not doing library wizardry, she enjoys playing tabletop games and cosplaying.

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