The best types of comic book series are a creative canvas for imaginative and innovative storytelling; traditionally, they feature elements of fantasy, horror, and superheroes. However, when science fiction elements are expertly woven into comic book narratives, the results can be truly captivating. From futuristic, bleeding-edge technologies to intergalactic adventures, comic book series blended with science and fiction can be enthralling to read.
Comics like Iron Man, X-Men, Green Lantern, Superman, and many more often contain science fiction elements. However, most casual and even long-term readers only notice the superheroics.
Let’s explore nine comic book series that transport readers beyond the ordinary by blending science and fiction in mind-blowing ways.
1. Black Science (2013)
This is a comic book series to gift to people who claim to hate multiverse tropes. Black Science is a creator-owned science comic book series by writer Rick Remender and Italian artist Matteo Scalera.
It’s about Grant McKay, an ex-member of the Anarchist Order of Scientists, who invents the groundbreaking “Pillar.” It’s a device that strands McKay and his group in ever more dangerous and inescapable alternate realities. It blends deep personal drama, tragedy, and chaotic science fiction, making it a gripping exploration of human existence.
McKay is no hero. He uses the Pillar to plunder the resources of alternate realities in the name of advancing science. McKay endangers his family, loses his life purpose, and strands himself far from his own reality for the sake of scientific conviction. He only realizes his folly when it is far too late.
Black Science Compendium is a 1,104-page paperback that collects all 43 issues of the series. Buy it now at Amazon for $40.
2. X-Men – House of X and Powers of X (2019)
Writer Jonathan Hickman reinvented the X-Men mythos with the two-part miniseries House of X and Powers of X. Hickman infused the comic book series with deeply experimental science fiction themes like bio-technological tree doorways that could transport mutants long distances, the rise of future post-humans and sentient AI as threats to mutants, and much more.
The X-Men made an island nation out of a sentient island. They also found a way to resurrect themselves using mutant powers and technologies. The concepts in this series were mindblowing, innovative, and perhaps the best era ever of X-Men.
House Of X/Powers Of X is a 448-page paperback that collects all 12 issues of the double event. Buy it now for $22 at Amazon.
3. Superman: Lost (2023)
After Superman leaves Lois Lane to help the Justice League, she is startled awake hours later to find Superman standing in the room and catatonically, staring into nothingness. Superman fell into a black hole and has been lost in space for 20 years yet returned home hours after he left Lois.
He had to hold his breath for years at a time in space, hitch a ride with space whale aliens, and even spend years in an alien world. Because he is lost in deep space, far from yellow suns, Superman must wear a special white suit that conserves his strength. This comic book series features a heroic Superman drenched in fantastical science fiction ideas and concepts.
Superman: Lost is a 248-page paperback that collects all 10 issues of the mini-series. Buy it now at Amazon for $16.
4. Iron Man: Extremis (2005)
This six-issue comic book series radically shifted the status quo for the Tony Stark character. Instead of focusing on his past as a Playboy arms dealer, this series focused on Stark as a forward-thinking futurist. Tony Stark incrementally becomes more technologically post-human than human after this series.
After a terrorist group obtains a nanotech serum called Extremis to recreate the Captain America super soldier serum, Stark is injured battling them. Stark takes the Extremis serum, which turns him into a post-human merged with his hi-tech armor.
Stark’s armor is now nano-sized, hidden in his bone marrow, and can be mentally controlled. This story inspired 2013’s Iron Man 3.
Iron Man: Extremis is a 160-page paperback that collects all six issues of the event. Get it now for $14 at Amazon.
5. Saga (2012)
Writer Brian K. Vaughan and artist Fiona Staples masterfully craft and mix epic space operatics, science fiction, and family drama in the comic Saga. The story revolves around Marko, Alana, and their daughter Hazel, a mixed family of different alien races caught in the crossfire of a ruthless intergalactic war.
Saga seamlessly blends heart-wrenching drama and tragedy, thrilling science fiction action, and otherworldly wonders. It’s a comic book series for sci-fi enthusiasts who crave both excitement and emotional depth in their stories.
Saga Compendium One is a 1,328-page paperback that collects the first 54 issues of the fan-favorite series. Buy it now at Amazon for $33.
6. The Green Lantern (2019)
Hal Jordan, the iconic Green Lantern, takes center stage in this 24-issue comic book series written by Grant Morrison and with art by Liam Sharp. The series dives headfirst into superheroic drama, cosmic threats, alternate dimensions, and mind-bending science fiction concepts.
The Green Lantern Corps, an intergalactic police force, deals with a mysteriously vanished Earth, a potential traitor in their midst, and other plot points. The title refers to the central power battery that powers all Green Lantern rings, not one character.
The Green Lantern Vol. 1: Intergalactic Lawman is a 176-page paperback that collects the first six issues of the series. Buy it for $11 on Amazon now.
7. East Of West (2013)
Jonathan Hickman created a genre-blending comic book series masterpiece in East of West. It is a science fiction western set in a dystopian future America of 2064. The roaming Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are Old West-type characters who have to save the United States and the world from itself.
The intricate plot, morally complex characters, and stunning visuals make this a standout read for those seeking a fresh take on the “end of days” trope.
East of West: The End Times Compendium is a 1,320-page paperback that collects all 45 issues of the series. Get it now at Amazon for $36.
8. Annihilation (2006)
This Marvel Comics science fiction and space opera event is the one that first assembled the characters who would go on to appear in 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy. Marvel’s Annihilation event, orchestrated by writers like Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, thrusts readers into cosmic chaos.
The Annihilation Wave—an unstoppable celestial-wide armada force—threatens the universe. Heroes like Nova, Drax, Star-Lord, Gamora, and more unite to defend existence itself. This pivotal comic book series epitomized science fiction drama within Marvel Comics for years and inspired the cinematic space saga in the MCU.
Annihilation Omnibus is a 880-page hardcover that collects every issue and tie-in comic of the event. Buy it now for $125 at Amazon. It may seem pricey, but physical copies of this comic are rare.
9. Ghost in the Shell (1989)
This late-1980s Japanese manga, written and drawn by Masamune Shirow, was way ahead of its time as a cyberpunk science fiction story. It predicted the modern ethical issues of humans blindly trusting technology and losing touch with their own humanity when digitally drowned in data.
The story is about a cyber-police force hunting a cyber-terrorist hacking humans with cybernetic brains and puppetting them to commit crimes. This manga inspired the beloved 1995 anime film, subsequent anime series, and the 2017 live-action film starring Scarlett Johansson.
The Ghost in the Shell: Fully Compiled is a 832-page collection of the entire 1989 manga series. Get it now for $45 at Amazon.
Some of the Best Comic Book Series Blend Science and Fiction
Science and technology are always evolving in the real world, which also inspires writers to evolve and expand fiction tropes in their stories.
Step out of your comfort zone and check out comic book series that incorporate science fiction elements. They can be challenging for some readers, but can often become a thrilling and worthwhile reading experience in the end.
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