Five Comics To Fill The Stranger Things Shaped Hole In Your Heart
by Tony Thornley
On Wednesday night the first four episodes of Stranger Things season 5 debuted. If you’re like us, then you’ve already watched them all and can’t wait until Christmas Eve. Well, to fill that void until the debut of volume 2, we have five comics to fill that whale in your heart- for the next month at least.
Stranger Things (Dark Horse Comics)
If you didn’t know that Dark Horse Comics has been publishing Stranger Things comics more or less since the debut season, then… well, you’re not reading the site. Regardless, the comics have been running as a series of miniseries for the past decade, telling stories about characters we love, or filling in important plot holes for minor characters or key beats. The series have been written by comics stars like Jody Houser, Greg Pak and Michael Moreci as well, so you know they’re going to be good.
Dungeons & Dragons Saturday Morning Adventures (IDW Publishing)
The 80’s Dungeons & Dragons cartoon was the introduction to the franchise to many millennials. In fact, in the timeline of Stranger Things, the cartoon debuted about 6 weeks before Will Byers’ disappearance, and could have been the boys’ introduction to the popular board game. Regardless, IDW’s Saturday Morning Adventures series tells further tales of Noble ranger Hank, intrepid acrobat Diana, quiet thief Sheila, impulsive barbarian Bobby, fearful and cavalier Eric, and uncertain magician Presto from creators David Booher, Sam Maggs, and George Kambadais to tell a lost tale of series. It’s a little bit harder to find now that IDW no longer holds the license, but you can still score a copy on Amazon or your local comic store or bookstore.
Paper Girls (Image Comics)
When Paper Girls debuted in 2015, the Stranger Things parallels were immediately brought up. After all, Brian K Vaughn and Cliff Chiang’s sci-fi adventure series was set in the 1980s in the American suburban midwest (Ohio instead of Indiana), and was filled with nostalgia. Its cast was also a bunch of foul-mouthed teens. But the series is harder edged, has very different themes, and is a comic-y story. Regardless, this 30-issue epic is a fantastic companion story, especially for someone looking for the vibes while diving into something new.
Gotham Academy (DC Comics)
If you want a dose of Batman in your coming-of-age adventure, there’s little better than Gotham Academy, the most enduring concept of DC Comics’ short-lived DCYou initiative. By placing a weird prep school deep inside Gotham City, creators Becky Cloonan, Brendan Fletcher , and Karl Kerschel (with a great array of artists) took the coming of age and prep school tropes and did some incredibly fun stories, all firmly centered in Batman’s Gotham, but largely without the Dark Knight and his family. Lesser writers would have made Damian Wayne a cast member, but Olive Silverlock, Maps Mizoguchi and gang all stand on their own, enhanced but not hamstrung by the setting.
Something Is Killing The Children (Tiny Onion Studios/BOOM! Studios)
While the other entries on this list are more sci-fi and fantasy, you need to have some horror to fill the Stranger Things shaped hole in your heart, and there isn’t one better than James Tynion IV and Werther Dell’Edera’s Something Is Killing The Children. From the shadowy monsters, to the secret societies, to the heroic young woman at the center of it all, you can see the parallels, but SIKTC is a hit for its unique world and characters, and the stunning art that brings it to life. And with the upcoming adaptations that were just announced, it’s a great time to pick up the horror hit so you can say you liked it before it was cool.
