Aliens! Space Ships! Light Sabers! Oh, My!

All-Ages Science Fiction Comics

By Rebecca Buchanan
August 1, 2006

When I was a little girl, I wanted to be an astronaut — well, and Princess of Ireland, but an astronaut, too. I wanted be on that first mission to Mars that would begin full-fledged exploration and colonization of the rest of the solar system.

As I grew, that desire to explore space developed into a love of science fiction ... preferably science fiction with cool female role models. I loved the original Star Wars trilogy, and managed to track down a few comics. I thought the original Star Trek series was fine (if a bit dated), but only really came to appreciate that mythology with the later tv series (especially DS9) and the books. I loved the Star Trek books; I still have a few favorites, such as Uhura's Song and Spock's World and The Romulan Way, which are hiding in a box somewhere. And, of course, I read gazillions of non-Star Trek and non-Star Wars science fiction books, most of which have since gone off to libraries and relatives.

Only now — long out of childhood — have I discovered science fiction comics aimed at all-ages readers. There are a few; not many, but a few. For instance, Emily and the Intergalactic Lemonade Stand (Amaze Ink) by Ian and Tyson Smith, which has robots and a cute alien, as well as that lemonade stand; the three Flight (Image/Ballantine) anthologies, which contain stories that cover the spectrum from fantasy to sci fi to oddly surreal; Galaxion (Helikon) by Tara Tallan, about the crew of an experimental craft, lost in the depths of space; the four volumes of Neotopia (Antarctic) by Rod Espinosa, which is a post-apocalyptic, utopian series; Kazu Kibuishi's Daisy Kutter (Viper) set in a wild wild west with robots and big guns; Decoy (Penny-Farthing) from Courtney Huddleston features an adorable shape-shifting alien stranded on Earth; Scott Christian Sava's Ed's Terrestrials (Blue Dream/Alias) which finds a trio of aliens on the run from the law; and kinda Zed (Gagne International) which might be a little too dark for very young fans, but features some gorgeous artwork.

But these aren't enough. I'm sure that I'm missing a few series, but, even so, there should be more. Science fiction comics can be more than just entertainment — yes, entertainment is important; I mean, if it's not interesting, who's going to read it? But really really good sci fi comics (like the ones listed above), can do so much more ... like introduce younger readers to physics, geology, the Laws of Thermodynamics, and entomology and astronomy. And ichthyology. And herpetology. And anthropology. And every other -ology.

Here's an idea: a comic about a young boy exploring our solar system. Stick him on a ship with his astronaut parents and send them through the solar system to collect scientific data. Skip across the surface of the moon! Make red sand angels on the surface of Mars. Study the Big Red Spot of Jupiter and be amazed at how tiny the sun looks from the vantage of Pluto.

Or, what about a comic about the colonization of Mars? Center the story around a young girl who doesn't want to leave all her friends on Earth, but who soon comes to appreciate the wonders (and dangers) of the Red Planet.

Or, instead of outer space, what about inner space? A scientific expedition to the depths of the ocean, starring a crew of young aquanauts. Giant squid! Strange life-forms that live in absolute darkness! Dolphins!

Here's another idea: an all-ages Star Wars series. Sure, the animated-style Clone Wars cartoon and comics are basically all-ages. But what about ... say ... a young Han Solo series? Lots of action and adventure, bad guys galore, oodles of aliens; loads of fun!

Or, what about a Doctor Who series? Have any of the Doctor's companions been kids? If not, what about a (noncanon) comic centered around the Doctor's kid sidekick? Imagine how much fun s/he would have exploring the TARDIS! And what an opportunity to expose young readers to science, history, mythology, and on and on.

There are some great sci fi comics out there for kids of all ages. They have a lot to teach about the universe and what it means to be human (biologically, mentally, emotionally). But science fiction is a genre of endless opportunities. I look forward to what the future has to offer.