Six Year Old Comic Fare

[Funt Solo]

My daughter is six and we quite enjoy comics.  I was wondering if anyone has some age-appropriate comic recommendations?

So far, we've been enjoying Lumberjanes, Ms Marvel and the Oz graphic novels. 

Whilst those can have scary-ish monsters and cartoon violence, we are avoiding gore and existential threats.  Example: her gran was reading her the Harry Potter books and the Dementors were just a bit too spooky!

[Colin YNWA]

Bone. The answer to this question is always Bone... unless its Asterix... or The Phoenix, my kids love our subscription to the Phoenix...

so the answer is always Bone... unless Asterix, or The Phoenix... or DC Superhero Girls... damnit...

... She also like the Otto Stump story when I read her that...

[TordelBack]

My daughter (8) is still a big Lumberjanes fan (who isn't?), and she recently enjoyed the Andy & Lucy Neanderthal books, from the super-productive Jeffrey Brown (as did I).  She also got a kick out of Moonstruck, from Lumberjane's Grace Ellis but it's pitched slightly older than its predecessor, and your kid's interest in lesbian werewolves and barista centaurs may vary.

[Funt Solo]

Bone. The answer to this question is always Bone...

Just wanted to say thank you.  We got hold of Bone and have been enjoying it immensely.

[sheridan]

I wasn't much older than six when I started reading 2000AD (eight, around progs 308 - 350)...

[Funt Solo]

I wasn't much older than six when I started reading 2000AD (eight, around progs 308 - 350)...

Yeah: I think some of the earlier stuff could fly, but as 2000AD has aged, it has become a lot more graphic.

For example, I don't think this is really appropriate fare for a six year old:

[Professor Bear]

Yotsuba is always recommended to new readers, but be warned it's manga and risks turning your child into a weeb.  Younger relatives who enjoyed that also thoroughly enjoyed Stargazing Dog, which is about homeless man and a sick puppy living in a car in a field and increasingly seems like a parable for our times.
Marvel's Adventures line from the early part of the millennium is also a good source of harmless fun, particularly the Spider-Man and Guruhiru-drawn Power Pack series.  You used to be able to get them in little digest collections of 4-issue arcs, though I don't know if that's still the case.  If you can get the original Power Pack origin collection, the colouring dates it but it's still a solid child-friendly read even after 34 years.

[Colin YNWA]

Bone. The answer to this question is always Bone...

Just wanted to say thank you.  We got hold of Bone and have been enjoying it immensely.

Oh that's cool glad your both enjoying... mind with the genius that is Jeff Smith its not much of a gamble!

[Funt Solo]

Yotsuba is always recommended to new readers, but be warned it's manga and risks turning your child into a weeb.

Thanks for this tip: Yotsuba proved an immediate hit and the first book got quickly devoured. Understanding the right-to-left reading took approximately no time at all, which sort of surprised me.

[Gary James]

If yoou are still looking for comics...

The Carl Barks duck strips - though I wouldn't really give a six year old one of the hardback collections as those are rather pricey. Some of the thick 90s (Goldstone?) reprints in comic format would probably keep her happy. They really are remarkably well written for something that was aimed at children, and you'll find as much to enjoy as she will.

Batman Adventures (the spin-off from the 90s animated series) is great reading, even for adults, and if she likes the character it would be better for her than most of what is appearing from DC and Marvel at the moment. As an aside, what the hell has happened to plotting, character, and art in the last twenty-odd years? Sheesh.

I'm sorta in love with Doraemon, which is likely too cute for children, but damn, that is one funny little dude. Iznogoud is another character that will divide opinion, but it is often better than Asterix. Likewise Marsupilami, but good quality collections are thin on the ground - most of mine are falling apart rather depressingly.

If you can get your hands on either the Ewoks or Droids strips - based around the cartoons - those are massive fun, and you'll get her reading Star Wars, so... Win. (My niece is ambivalent about SW, but my nephew likes the explosions and shooting in the films - big surprise there)

[pauljholden]

Can I recommend my Son's comics? They're slightly goofy, he's 11 but fun you can download them here: www.pauljholden.com/comics/th-comics

[IndigoPrime]

We have a resident 5.5yo (f). Beano goes down very well. Phoenix sort of does – she’s not too fussed about the action strips, but likes the humour ones (especially anything by Jamie Smart, and Squid Bits). Joe Todd Stanton’s graphic novels are favourites – Marcy and the Riddle of the Sphinx is lovely. (My one regret on that impulse purchase: we didn’t get a HC.) Also, we’ve never had a Hilda GN here, but the adaptation of the Netflix series went down really well as a bedtime story.

[Funt Solo]

Can I recommend my Son's comics? They're slightly goofy, he's 11 but fun you can download them here: www.pauljholden.com/comics/th-comics

Oh - thanks! She was perusing it over breakfast this morning. She's got a real love for comics and it's great to show her that they can be made at any age and stage.

---

Update since I first posted this. She's now 7 and has devoured Bone several times. We have a sub to the Phoenix, which has proved a big hit. I've lost track of all the other stuff she reads - Dogman is one. Oh, and El Deafo by CeCe Bell is a long-time favorite.

[Colin YNWA]

Its so cool that more and more folks seem to be getting turned onto the Phoenix. Its such a good comic.

[radiator]

Maybe suitable for when she's a little older than 6, but Calvin & Hobbes is a winner for most ages. I'm sure the wordier, more cerebral ones will fly over her head, but the individual strips are so short that it's pretty easy to just jump to the next one. As far as I remember it's fairly light on topical 80s/90s references, which gives it a somewhat timeless quality.