r/comicbooks • u/vegabundo7 • 15h ago
Suggestions Suggestions for wholesome super hero comics?
I'm looking for comic recommendations that are more lighthearted, wholesome, and low-stakes. Something that focuses on character relationships, friendship, family, and everyday moments rather than dark storylines.
Recently, I really enjoyed Batman and Robin: Year One, especially the dad/son relationship between Bruce and Dick. I also really enjoyed Batgirls, the art is amazing and I loved the friendship between Steph and Cass.
Basically, I'm looking for more wholesome comics, with kind hearted characters, friendships and family dynamics. Stories that don't take themselves too seriously all the time.
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u/SeraphOfFire 15h ago
Kamala Khan is a pretty wholesome character. Also the original 90s New Warriors (prior to the reality TV star era) might be what you're looking for too
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u/vegabundo7 15h ago
Yeah I've already read a lot of ms. marvel (before she became a mutant) and I enjoyed a lot. Never heard about the 90s New Warriors, going to take a look. Ty for the recommendations!
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u/Feeling-Cranberry781 Mr. Fantastic 14h ago
New Warriors is very good but it puts its young, idealistic characters into really tough situations and may not be what the OP is looking for.
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u/SphereMode420 Grant Morrison 15h ago
A lot of comics written by Mark Waid are fairly light hearted, to varying degrees of success. I would recommend his Shazam run. It's very short but it might scratch that exact itch.
Mark Millar is a huge edgelord who wrote some of the least wholesome comics of all time, but he also wrote Huck: a beautiful and uplifting story about a slightly more grounded superhero. Its sequel gets a bit violent and dark, but ultimately it's a very positive and uplifting series.
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u/abusedporpoise 15h ago
Basically anything by Ryan North. His squirrel girl is wonderful, his current flash is great, and I haven't read it myself but fantastic four should also fit, at least his pre one world under doom era, not sure about after. Another thing I haven't read but should be up your alley form what I've heard is Tom Taylor Nightwing
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u/DrBoots 15h ago
The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl is really good for this. Pretty lighthearted and fun, focuses a lot on her relationships with her friends.
Her weirdly wholesome relationship with Kraven the Hunter is a personal favorite high point of that series.
The 2015 - 2017 Patsy Walker AKA Hellcat series was really fun for this kind of dynamic too.
Focused mostly on Patsy trying to run a Job placement program for reformed super criminals. I think the most high stakes arc revolved around trying to stop a gang of mean girl petty thieves who had fashioned themselves after Black Cat.
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u/Dull_Awareness_3676 14h ago
Power Pack, but especially the Gurihiru run (the original series did feature some stories that, while great, aren't really 'low stakes'). Roger Landridge's and Chris Samnee's "Thor, the Mighty Avenger" is a gem.
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u/Queenofbees2 14h ago
Nightwing by Taylor and Redondo. A series full of gorgeous art and lots of uplifting, wholesome moments.
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u/Woods-of-Mal Rocket Raccoon 10h ago
Imagine that we're sitting at a table together and I'm wordlessly sliding a copy of Unbelievable Gwenpool Vol. 1 in your direction.
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u/ditkirbo 11h ago
Kirby's Fantastic Four, it the family superhero comic. Nothing touches it, changed comics forever.
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u/CoolTieGuy 15h ago
The 60's Legion of Super-Heroes (Adventure Comics run) was very bright and optimistic (wholesome; sometimes higher stakes, though)
- Most other 60's Superman family titles work for this, since Mort Weisinger was the editor.
Collected editions for 60's Flash and Aquaman are pretty good for low stakes. Early Green Arrow and early Martian Manhuter are good.
The 70's Captain Marvel/Shazam is pretty much as wholesome as comics can get. My late wife wanted that to be the introduction we gave our kids to comics.
The collected edition Batman in the Fifties is fun.
Tin-Tin comics are very wholesome, but aren't superhero. I'm not sure if that's a deal-breaker.
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u/GoldenRush47 Superman 15h ago
I'd throw in Conner/Palmiotti's Harley Quinn. If you like that version of the character, it's really fun for a while. Jump off as soon as you get tired of the humour though. I took a break about halfway and had a great time all the way through
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u/jchidleyhill 15h ago
Scott McCloud's Zot! starts off as a superhero comic and slowly becomes a very wholesome teen drama
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u/Trike117 8h ago
Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man by Tom Taylor is about as wholesome as it gets. Spidey’s team-up with “Spider-Bite” is basically Norman Rockwell + Mister Rogers baking you an apple pie.
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u/FacehuggerFanatic 5h ago
Ryan north squirrel girl
Patsy walker, hellcat
Rainbow rowell she-hulk
Wayne family adventures before the joker crap
Wilsons Ms marvel
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u/PerceptionWorried284 15h ago
Ryan North’s Unbeatable Squirrel Girl. His Fantastic Four run is also great.