9 Comic Book Series That Brilliantly Blend Science and Fiction
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The best types of comic book series beloved by fans are a canvas for imaginative and innovative storytelling featuring elements of fantasy, horror, and superheroes. However, when science fiction elements are experly woven into comic book narratives the results can be truly captivating.
From futuristic technology to intergalactic adventures, comic book series blended with science and fiction can be enthralling to read. Do you like the idea of an adventuring scientist who loses himself and his family in a never-ending “eververse?” Or a tale about a black-hole displaced Superman trillions of light years from home and holding his breath in deep space for years while trying to get back?
Let’s explore nine comic book series that transport readers beyond the ordinary by blending science and fiction.
Black Science (2013)
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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.
X-Men – House of X and Powers of X (2019)
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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 innovative science fiction ideas introduced in these series are still being used in the comics today.
Superman: Lost (2023)
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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. This comic book series features a heroic Superman story drenched in fantastical science fiction ideas.
Iron Man: Extremis (2005)
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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. 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.
Saga (2012)
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Writer Brian K. Vaughan and artist Fiona Staples masterfully craft the epic space opera, science fiction, and family drama known as 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.
The Green Lantern (2019)
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Hal Jordan, the iconic Green Lantern, takes center stage in this 24-issue comic book series written by Grant Morrison and illustrated by Liam Sharp. The series dives headfirst into superheroic drama, exploring 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.
East Of West (2013)
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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.
Annihilation (2006)
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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 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 space saga in the MCU.
Ghost in the Shell (1989)
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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.
Some of the Best Comic Book Series Blend Science and Fiction
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Science and technology are always evolving in the real world, which also helps 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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Allen Francis is a full-time writer, prolific comic book investor and author of The Casual’s Guide: Why You Should Get Into Comic Book Investing. Allen holds a BA degree from Marymount Manhattan College. Before becoming a writer Allen was an academic advisor, librarian, and college adjunct for many years. Allen is an advocate of best personal financial practices including saving and investing in your own small business.
