Comics To Read When You're Sick
Feeling under the weather? Read these comics!
Hello friends!
Halloween has sadly passed us by but do you want to know what’s really scary? Being sick! I have been suffering from an annoying head cold the past two weeks now and last week my voice was gone completely which was very frustrating but hey, I got through it and I’m slowly starting to come out of this sickness thankfully.
Today I wanted to talk about comics that are great to read when you’re not feeling well and all you want to do is relax.
Before we get into it, be sure to subscribe to Redhead Pinup Reader if you haven’t already, give this blog post a like, and let me know what comic books, novels, video games, etc. you like to consume when you’re feeling sick.
So this blog post is going to be broken down into categories instead of me discussing specific comic books like I normally do. I think it might be more helpful that way because you can easily find a category you enjoy and pick a comic book within it.
Romance
The first category is romance. A romance comic book is great to read when you’re sick because most romance comics and romance novels don’t involve any complicated high-stake explosive plots and are usually character-focused and relationship-focused. I think they’re really good to read when you’re sick because you’re in bed and you can’t do much and you feel horrible, and romance comics can be really relaxing to read at times.
And there’s so many romance comics out there and if you’re not in the mood for contemporary slice of life romance, you can always read a fantasy romance comic or a sci-fi romance comic instead. There’s so many to choose from. If you’re looking for fantasy romance with a sprinkle of Greek mythology, you can try Lore Olympus by Rachel Smythe or if you’re looking for a cute young adult high school romance with LGBTQ+ representation, you can try Heartstopper by Alice Oseman.
If you’re really sick, reading a lighthearted romance comic book might be a fun idea or maybe you’re not a big romance reader and you’ve always been on the fence about reading romance comics, maybe this is a great time to give the genre a go.
New Yet Nostalgic
When you’re sick, you want to be comforted and you want to feel good. That’s why people like to eat soup or they like to grab a blanket and cuddle up on the couch. But in comic book form, what is that? Well for me that it is something that is new and modern but also possesses that nostalgic feel to it at the same time.
Something that is new but gives off those nostalgic 1980s/1990s vibes.
Why not read something like Paper Girls by Brian K. Vaughan (the co-creator and writer of Saga)? If you love anything that is set in the 1980s and gives off Stranger Things vibes, you might enjoy Paper Girls quite a lot. It’s a series that was published not too long ago but is set in the past so it feels very nostalgic when you read it because of the time period it’s set in.
Read The Wicked And The Divine series by Kieron Gillen if you’re looking for something that’s a little more on the dark fantasy side or perhaps give his Phonogram series a go. These comics are relatively new and were published only a few years ago and yet they feel very nostalgic when you read them because they give off those classic 1980s Britpop vibes which is so nice to read.
The great thing about reading comics like these is because they’re supposed to be give off those same feelings you got when you were a kid growing up in the 1980s and 1990s but is actually a fairly new and recent release.
Retro
Of course you can always just straight up read something retro. Read a comic book that was actually published back in the 1980s and 1990s or go back further than that and read some golden age/silver age comic books. Maybe go back and read one of those vintage DC or Marvel comic books you’ve always wanted to read like Stan Lee and Steve Ditko’s original 1960s Amazing Spider-Man run or Chris Claremont and John Byrne’s Dark Phoenix saga (one of my personal favourite X-Men stories by the way!)
You can always go back and reread a vintage comic book that you have read before for a nice nostalgic trip down memory lane. I reread some of the silver age Fantastic Four comics this year for example. Rereading an older comic book can be so much fun. If you love Superman, why not read John Byrne’s 1986 Superman: The Man Of Steel run? Read Brian Michael Bendis’ Ultimate Spider-Man series or Frank Miller’s Daredevil comics such as The Man Without Fear and Born Again! (These two are my absolute favourites!)
I find retro comics (especially ones that were published back in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s) so relaxing and peaceful to read. Sometimes it can be really nice to go back in time and read something from the golden era of comic books.
Cosy Comics
Of course there is also the cliché answer of reading something cosy! I’m not a big cosy reader. I don’t read that many cosy comic books or novels but I have read some here and there.
The Tea Dragon Society by Kay O’Donnell is super adorable and the illustration style is amazing. It is honestly one of the most chill graphic novels you can read. Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker is another lighthearted cosy fantasy graphic novel series and is centered around witches and books and baking so if you’re looking for a cute cosy series to jump into while you’re sick, you can’t go wrong with Mooncakes.
Dungeons & Dragons: Dungeon Club by Molly Knox Ostertag and Xanthe Bouma is also a fun cosy fantasy graphic novel series to read. If you’re looking for a story that is very low-stakes and down-to-earth, I do think this series is for you (especially when you’re stuck in bed blowing your nose!)
Thank you all so much for reading and I’ll see you soon!
Love,
Laura-Louise xoxo
Want To Support This Newsletter?
Be sure to leave a like, a comment, and share your thoughts
Share this blog post with people you love (tag me if you do!)
Become a paid subscriber (where you’ll receive full access to exclusive bonus content I only send to paid subscribers)
If you've not read it I'd recommend Phonogram. It's by the same creative team as Wicked + Divine, but was written first. It's also about Britpop and the magic of music. Really cool series.
I have put the cosy reads onto my Xmas list! I already have the dnd one, but in French. It was my attempt to learn a language this year. Sadly I did not get that far, but I can attest that the art is lovely!