The Most Romantic Romance Comic Books Ever
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Strangers In Paradise
Strangers in Paradise is a self-published black-and-white comic book written and drawn by Terry Moore. The story focuses on a love triangle between two women and one man. The book was published via multiple publishing houses between 1993 and 2007 for a total of 107 issues.
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Alex + Ada
Alex + Ada is a comic book published by Image for a total of 15 issues. The book is the brainchild of Jonathan Luna and Sarah Vaughn, and it centers around a relationship between a lonely man and his intelligent android.
- 3
Empowered
Empowered is a manga-style English-language comic written and illustrated by Adam Warren. The book is best described as a "sexy superhero comedy." The book began in 2007 and has published 11 volumes as of mid-2020.
Known in English as "Pure-Hearted Romantica," this manga series ran for a total of 24 volumes. It was adapted into an anime series, which ran for 37 episodes. This is a highly popular manga dealing with romantic issues, and a fan-favorite of the genre.
Blankets is a teenage romance memoir set in the cold Midwestern United States. The book deals with the innocent longing of a first love, and the beautiful art design by writer/artist Craig Thompson perfectly captures the emotions to create a feeling of hope and the ache of romance.
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Saga
On first glance, Saga is a science-fiction book, but when you actually read its beautifully illustrated and colored pages, it's clear that the story is a take on the star-crossed lovers concept, but unlike Romeo & Juliet, it doesn't end with a double suicide.
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Romantic Marriage
Romantic Marriage was first published by Ziff-Davis in 1950. That series ran for 17 issues before being retitled as Cinderella Love, which was published by St. John Publications until 1953, ending the whole series of Romantic Marriage with 24 issues in total.
- 8
Harley Quinn: Valentine's Day Special
In this one-shot special, Harley Quinn scores a win when she successfully bids on Bruce Wayne at a charity date auction. Of course, Harley doesn't know Bruce is Batman, so she thinks the billionaire playboy needs a strong woman to protect him.
- 9
Patsy Walker
These days, Patsy Walker is a known superhero named Hellcat, but originally, she was the focus of an eponymous romance comic that began in 1944. Her first appearance came in Miss America Magazine #2, and after that, she had five separate series using her name, including Patsy and her Pals, Patsy and Hedy, and A Date with Patsy, to name a few.
Bryan Lee O’Malley created an amazing series when he released Scott Pilgrim. If you've only ever seen the movie, you need to get a copy of this series, as it covers more than the film, and features the iconic art that made Scott Pilgrim a household name.
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Sunstone
Sunstone is an adult webcomic that first began in November 2011 on DeviantArt. The series delves heavily into the realms of LGBTQ relationships, romantic comedy, fetish, drama, and Erotica, so it's definitely a NSFW series. The strips have been collected and published by Image Comics and Top Cow Productions.
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Girls' Romances
DC Comics published Girls' Romances between 1950 and 1971 for a total of 160 issues. A number of DC's best artists of the era worked on the book, including Gene Colan, Lee Ellas, Gil Kane, and many more.
- 13
Heart Throbs
Heart Throbs was first published by Quality Comics in 1949 before moving over to DC Comics for a total of 146 issues. The last issue was published in 1972, and many of DC's greatest talent worked on the book, including Gene Colan, John Romita, Sr., John Rosenberger, and many more.
- 14
Teen Confessions
Teen Confessions was a romance comic book series published by Charlton Comics from 1959 until 1976. Overall, there were 97 issues published before the book was taken off the shelves.
- 15
Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane
Between 1958 and 1974, DC Comics published Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane as a romance title focusing more on Lois Lane and her relationship with the Man of Steel instead of the other way around. By the time the series came to an end, there were 137 issues and two Annuals published.
- 16
Millie The Model
Millie The Model was the longest-running romance and humor title published by Marvel Comics. The book started in 1945 under Timely Comics before moving to Atlas Comics, and finally, Marvel Comics. Between 1945 and 1973, Marvel published a total of 207 issues, making it one of the longest-running romance comics ever published.
- 17
Secret Wars: Secret Love
Secret Wars: Secret Love was a one-shot that came as a part of the "Secret Wars" crossover series Marvel kicked out a few years back. The book features the romantic adventures of numerous characters from the Marvel Universe, including Squirrel Girl, Daredevil, and many more.
- 18
A Date With Judy
A Date With Judy was a long-running romance comic book based on the radio and television series of the same name. National Periodical Publications released the book between 1947 and 1960 for a total of 79 issues. The series it was based on ran on the radio between 1941 and 1950, and was incredibly popular during its run.
- 19
Girls' Love Stories
Girls' Love Stories is a romance comic series published by DC Comics in 1949. It was the first romance series published by DC, and it ran for 180 issues, ending in 1973. The stories covered topics, including marrying out of pressure, worrying about ever getting a man, and other similar issues.
- 20
Fresh Romance
Fresh Romance is the creation of Rosy Press, the only comic book publisher devoted to solely producing romance stories in comics. Fresh Romance is an anthology series, which pays attention to LGBTQ-friendly romances, and the books are digital-only. If you want to check them out, you can do so on their website RosyPress.com
- 21
100%
100% is a black-and-white comic series written and illustrated by Paul Pope. The books were published under the DC Comics imprint Vertigo. The main plot revolves around six characters in Manhattan in the year 2038, and various romantic stories are intertwined throughout. Additionally, it features numerous cyberpunk and science-fiction elements. Five issues were published between 2002 and 2003.
- 22
Secret Hearts
DC Comics published Secret Hearts between 1949 and 1971, making it one of the longest-running romance comic book series published by DC Comics. The book ran for a total of 153 issues, with the final being published on July 1st, 1971.
- 23
Young Love
Crestwood/Prize began publishing Young Love in 1949. It was eventually picked up by DC Comics, and ran from 1949 until 1977. It's one of the earliest romance books published, and it ran for a total of 199 issues through multiple volumes. It was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby with both creators working on numerous issues throughout its run.
- 24
I Love You
Charlton Comics published I Love You between 1955 and 1980. The issues were released bimonthly, and when they came to an end in 1980, there were a total of 124 issues released. Most of the books were inked by Vince Alascia, who put his pen to nearly every issue during its 25-year run.
- 25
Just Married
Just Married was a romance comic book series published by Charlton Comics, beginning in 1958. There were a total of 114 issues published between 1958 and 1976. The themes covered in the book dealt with post-nuptial life between various couples.
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Romantic Story
Romantic Story was another romance comic book series published by Charlton Comics from 1954 to 1973. By the time the book came to an end, there were a total of 130 issues published.
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Sweethearts
Sweethearts was published by Fawcett and later Charlton Comics from 1954 until 1973. It holds the distinction of being the first monthly romance comic book, and it was a considerable success. The book ran for a total of 170 issues between both publishers, and it was one of the most successful books of its genre.
- 28
Boy Loves Girl
Lev Gleason / Comic House published Boy Loves Girl from 1952 until 1956. The series ran for a total of 57 issues and covered romance topics, which were primarily shown from the male perspective.
- 29
Girl Comics
Girl Comics was published by Marvel Comics after picking it up from Atlas and Timely Comics. the first issue was published in 1949, and it continued, off and on, for 49 issues. It was published once more in 2010 with a three-issue run. Stan "The Man" Lee was the book's original editor.
- 30
Strange Confessions
Ziff-Davis published Strange Confessions in 1952. The book only ran from January to August of that year, so only four issues were produced. Unlike most books in the genre, Strange Confessions featured a photographic cover instead of an illustrated on.
