Much like sports themselves, comics about sports can be pretty hit or miss for some people. But there are a number of amazing ones out there that I think just about anyone can enjoy. So here’s my list for you to check out:

Check, Please! by Ngozi Ukazu (First Second)

Check, Please! originally started as a webcomic and quickly took off in popularity. How could you not be charmed by the idea of a sweet former figure skater (with a passion for baking) joining a hockey team full of sports bros? It’s wholesome and ridiculously charming.

It was among the first of the big webcomics to land a publishing deal for the physical books and First Second has collected the series in two volumes which are both available now.

Here’s the official synopsis: “Helloooo, Internet Land. Bitty here! Y’all… I might not be ready for this. I may be a former junior figure skating champion, vlogger extraordinaire, and very talented amateur pâtissier, but being a freshman on the Samwell University hockey team is a whole new challenge. It’s nothing like co-ed club hockey back in Georgia! First of all? There’s checking. And then, there is Jack—our very attractive but moody captain.”

BUY HERE

The Avant-Guards by Carly Usdin and Noah Hayes (Boom! Studios)

When I started reading The Avant-Guards, I knew next to nothing about it. I dove in blind and wound up falling in love with it! It is a delight! Not only is the story such a fun premise, but the art is brilliant, beautiful, and innovative. And by that, I mean that there are some really incredible splash pages and double-page spreads that present the panels in such creative and unique ways. I have such a deep appreciation for fun page layouts, especially when artists are working on a big time crunch, but it elevates the art to the next level. You won’t be disappointed with The Avant-Guards, even if basketball isn’t your thing.

Here’s the official synopsis: “When Charlie transfers to the Georgia O’Keeffe College of Arts and Subtle Dramatics, she struggles to find her feet, but winds up exactly where she belongs…in the school’s (terrible) basketball team.

As a transfer student to the Georgia O’Keeffe College for Arts and Subtle Dramatics, former sports star Charlie is struggling to find her classes, her dorm, and her place amongst a student body full of artists who seem to know exactly where they’re going. When the school’s barely-a-basketball-team unexpectedly attempts to recruit her, Charlie’s adamant that she’s left that life behind…until she’s won over by the charming team captain, Liv, and the ragtag crew she’s managed to assemble. And while Charlie may have left cut-throat competition in the dust, sinking these hoops may be exactly what she needs to see the person she truly wants to be.”

BUY HERE

Cheer Up: Love and Pompoms by Crystal Frasier and Val Wise (Oni Press)

Once again, I went into this comic pretty blind and was floored by it. This story was so endearing and I loved pretty much every single character throughout. It’s such an important LGBQTIA+ comic that expertly navigates the different experiences of the characters and sheds light on what they’re going through. It puts empathy and compassion in the forefront and in addition to being a really fun story with stunning colours and art, it’s just a joy to read.

Here’s the official synopsis: “Annie is a smart, antisocial lesbian starting her senior year of high school who’s under pressure to join the cheerleader squad to make friends and round out her college applications. Her former friend BeeBee is a people-pleaser—a trans girl who must keep her parents happy with her grades and social life to keep their support of her transition. Through the rigors of squad training and amped up social pressures (not to mention micro aggressions and other queer youth problems), the two girls rekindle a friendship they thought they’d lost and discover there may be other, sweeter feelings springing up between them.”

BUY HERE

Slam by Pamela Ribon and Veronica Fish (Boom! Studios)

Roller derby is never not a good time! Plus Pamela Ribon is such a master storyteller across various mediums, her and Veronica Fish tell such a fun story here that features badass characters that you can’t help to fall in love with.

Here’s the official synopsis: “From the first day of Fresh Meat Orientation for the Eastside Roller Girls, Jennifer and Maisie knew they’d be fast friends. But when they’re drafted to different teams, the pull of competition — and their increasingly messy personal lives — threaten to drive them apart. In roller derby you take your hits, get back up, and learn how to be a better jammer, a better blocker, a better lover, and a better friend. Derby can heal your heart…but it might break a bone or two in the process.”

BUY HERE

Fantasy Sports by Sam Bosma (Nobrow Press)

Okay, this might be a bit of a cheat in that it’s not grounded in our world or really has our rules when it comes to sports. But I’ll pitch this to you how it was pitched to me: Lord of the Rings x Steven Universe. It’s included in this list because each volume does have a very real sport (from our world) featured in it. But it’s part of a fantasy adventure where the treasure-hunting main characters must defeat The Boss of the tomb they find in order to get the treasure. Except, it’s not combat that they have to defeat him at, it’s basketball!

Every volume has a different sport that they have to play as the adventures continue and in addition to just being beautiful to look it, it’s a ton of fun.

Here’s the official synopsis: “In Sam Bosma’s debut graphic novel, a young explorer and his musclebound friend go treasure hunting in a mummy’s tomb—but if they want to get rich, they’re going to have to best the mummy in a game of hoops! Can they trust their bandaged adversary to play by the rules? Or will they be stuck in the tomb . . . forever?”

BUY HERE

What are some of your favourite comics featuring sports? Let me know in the comments or reach out and say hello over on socials!

It’s nearly the end of summer but it’s okay! There’s still time for summer camp or to at least read some graphic novels about it. Here’s a selection of middle-grade reads that feature those summer camp vibes:

Be Prepared by Vera Brosgol (First Second)

Fitting in can be hard no matter where you are, especially when you’re sent off to a niche summer camp filled with complete strangers! Vera Brosgol expertly navigates the dread and anxiety that comes with experiencing summer camp for the first time in this very relatable story in a semi-autobiographical tale based on author Vera Brosgol’s own childhood.

“All Vera wants to do is fit in—but that’s not easy for a Russian girl in the suburbs. Her friends live in fancy houses and their parents can afford to send them to the best summer camps. Vera’s single mother can’t afford that sort of luxury, but there’s one summer camp in her price range—Russian summer camp.

Vera is sure she’s found the one place she can fit in, but camp is far from what she imagined. And nothing could prepare her for all the “cool girl” drama, endless Russian history lessons, and outhouses straight out of nightmares!”

BUY HERE

Long Distance by Whitney Gardner (Simon Kids)

I loved the heck out of Fake Blood so it’s no surprise that its spiritual sequel is also a dang delight. This story does such a fab job of putting us in a hesitant kids’ shoes as they explore not just a new city for the first time but a new experience in going to summer camp. Of course, there’s a fun, quirky twist here to the camp that makes Vega very justified in her hesitancy…but it’s not the far out spin that makes it special so much as the journey that we go on with Vega.

“Vega’s summer vacation is not going well. When her parents decide it’s time to pack up and leave her hometown of Portland, Oregon, behind for boring Seattle, Washington, Vega is more than upset–she’s downright miserable. Forced to leave her one and only best friend, Halley, behind, Vega is convinced she’ll never make another friend again.

To help her settle into her new life in Seattle, her parents send Vega off to summer camp to make new friends. Except Vega is determined to get her old life back. But when her cellphone unexpectedly calls it quits and things at camp start getting stranger and stranger, Vega has no choice but to team up with her bunkmates to figure out what’s going on!”

BUY HERE

Camp by Kayla Miller (Clarion/Etch)

Learning to share, especially when it comes to your friends, can be such a big thing to tackle at a young age. It’s easy to feel alone and isolated when you’re dropped into a new setting and presented with all kinds of options for people to hang out with. But meeting new people, embracing a chance to expand your friend circle, and experiencing new things is good for us! Olive has to navigate these things and overcome her own feelings in this wonderful and relatable story.

“Olive is sure she’ll have the best time at summer camp with her friend Willow – but while Olive makes quick friends with the other campers, Willow struggles to form connections and latches on to the only person she knows – Olive. It’s s’more than Olive can handle! The stress of being Willow’s living security blanket begins to wear on Olive and before long…the girls aren’t just fighting, they may not even be friends by the time camp is over. Will the two be able to patch things up before the final lights out?”

BUY HERE

Lumberjanes by Noelle Stevenson, Shannon Watters, Grace Ellis, and Brooke Allen (Boom! Studios)

This book has been an instant classic from the moment it hit store shelves and for good reason. Lumberjanes is the inclusive, fun, hilarious, and heartfelt story that so many of us had been craving! It’s an absolute joy to read time and time again, and the adventures that this crew have are impossible to not love.

“Five best friends spending the summer at Lumberjane scout camp…defeating yetis, three-eyed wolves, and giant falcons…what’s not to love?!

Friendship to the max! Jo, April, Mal, Molly and Ripley are five best pals determined to have an awesome summer together…and they’re not gonna let any insane quest or an array of supernatural critters get in their way!”

BUY HERE

Secrets of Camp Whatever by Chris Grine (Oni Press)

“Eleven year-old Willow doesn’t want to go to her dad’s weird old summer camp any more than she wants her family to move to the weird old town where that camp is located. But her family–and fate itself–seem to have plans of their own. Soon Willow finds herself neck-deep in a confounding mystery involving stolen snacks, suspected vampires, and missing campers, all shrouded in the sinister fog that hides a generation of secrets at Camp … Whatever it’s called.”

BUY HERE

What are your favourite comics and graphic novels about summer camp? Share your suggestions and recommendations in the comments!