Fantasy has been thrilling audiences for as long as humans have been telling stories. In the pages of a prose novel or the pixels of a video game, fantasy stories can offer a much-needed escape from the real world. By the same token, this genre can also act as an allegory for life's struggles and mysteries.

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While fantasy is more prominent in other media, comics are a great art form for these kinds of tales - offering definitive imagery whereas prose obviously doesn't. For readers willing to explore, comic books can offer fantasy stories on par with some of the greatest in the genre.

10 Sojourn Is Rooted In Traditional Fantasy Trappings

Sojourn

In the latter half of 2001, with Peter Jackson's Fellowship of the Ring heading to cinemas, CrossGen comics released their own Tolkien-inspired series. Written by Ron Marz with gorgeous art by Greg Land, Sojourn chronicles the adventures of Arwyn as she seeks to take down the evil dark lord Mordath and his host of trolls.

In contrast to Tolkien and a multitude of fantasy settings he influenced, Sojourn's world, Quin, was not only inspired by Medieval Europe but also incorporated elements of Middle-Eastern and African cultures. Sadly, the series does not have a proper ending as a consequence of CrossGen's bankruptcy.

9 Conan Is Classic Sword-And-Sorcery Adventure

Based on the works of Robert E. Howard, Conan the Barbarian has almost become more associated with comic books than his original pulp tales. With a sword and horned helmet (and not much else), Conan faces the monstrosities of the Hyborian Age with violence and cunning.

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Unlike other long-running fantasy series, Conan comics are easy to pick up as there is usually not much connective tissue between them. Since the famous run by Roy Thomas and Barry Windsor-Smith, Conan comics have moved from Marvel to Dark Horse and back to Marvel. Recently, he has even made appearances in the Marvel Universe alongside characters like Wolverine and Moon Knight.

8 Fables Brought Storybook Characters To The Modern Era

Fables

Nearly a decade before ABC's Once Upon a Time linked the lives of classic fairytale characters, creator Bill Willingham arguably did it better at Vertigo Comics. Fables weaves a tale featuring characters like Snow White and Little Boy Blue as they survive in the mundane world for centuries. The often grim - or "Grimm" if you will - subject matter of this story is beautifully counter-balanced by the storybook art by series regulars Mark Buckingham and Steve Leialoha.

Most recently, DC Black Label released a crossover with the DCU: Batman vs Bigy! A Wolf in Gotham. In mid-2022, Black Label will be continuing the original series with Fables #151.

7 Dark Souls Comics Are A Great Extension Of The Game's Lore

Dark Souls Comic

While video game film adaptations don't have the greatest track record, comic books have been a better home for several titles. Dark Souls is widely known for its combat but also its fascinating, often hidden lore.

The comics offer a much more direct narrative than the games. One series, Age of Fire, even serves as a prequel to the events of the first game. The Dark Souls comics can also offer an entry point into the world for players put off by the difficulty of the games.

6 Thor Is Marvel's Essential Fantasy Title

Thor-3

In a world with Spider-Man and Iron Man, it can be easy to forget that the Marvel Universe is also ripe with fantasy potential. With the influence of Norse myth, Thor is filled with all manner of fantasy creatures, such as dark elves and trolls. Even the inclusion of aliens like Gorr the God Butcher and the Stone Men from Saturn are still more sci-fantasy than hard science fiction.

Many of Thor's smaller, less cosmic-focused stories feature him in his youth. In Thor: Son of Asgard, a young Odinson embarks on a traditional fantasy quest to forge a magical blade.

5 Carnival Row Comics Can Help Hold Over Fans Of The Show

Carnival Row is a streaming series from Amazon starring Orlando Bloom and Cara Delevingne. The show features fae people such as fairies and centaurs living amongst the more numerous humans in a Victorian-inspired setting. While a second season is reportedly in the works, the series hasn't returned since its 2019 release.

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So far, there have only been two Carnival Row one-shots: Sparrowhawk and From the Dark. Each does a good job of adding just a little more history for the characters. With no confirmed release date for Season 2, these sixty pages might be all fans get for a while.

4 Birthright Is A Mature Take On Children's Fantasy Tropes

Mikey travels to Terrenos in Birthright.

From Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia to Carrol's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, a common fantasy device is the magical portal. The character - often a child - enters the portal to a fantastic realm where they go on adventures and perhaps even live out a full life before returning to the real world.

In issue #1, Birthright explores what happens to the parents of that child. From the harmful effects of his sudden disappearance to his upending return as a grown adult, Birthright proves a magic portal might not be fun for the people at home. That's also not including the brutality he faces himself.

3 Seven To Eternity Mixes In A Western Style

Comic cover for Seven to Eternity.

With long-distance adventures and bonds formed by disparate peoples, Fantasy and Western stories have influenced one another in a cyclical pattern. Rick Remender and Jerome Opena explored this with their genre mashup tale, Seven to Eternity.

With a traditional dark lord and even a diseased bore in the vein of Princess Mononoke, Seven to Eternity is firmly a fantasy tale. However, there's also plenty of gunslinger influence as some characters wield weapons akin to that of the 19th Century. The creators even went a step further by styling their covers after Western film posters.

2 Unwritten Is An Exploration Of Storytelling

Unwritten

Unwritten follows Tom Taylor (no relation to the comic writer), the real-world inspiration for a Harry Potter-like character Tommy Taylor written by his father. This makes Tom something of a small-time celebrity, making money off panel appearances at conventions. Being a Vertigo book, the line between reality and fiction quickly begins to get muddy.

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This series might be fun for novel readers as it includes quite a bit of prose in its Tommy Taylor sections. The series also explores literature throughout history and weaves them into its own tale.

1 Amulet Is Peak All-Ages Storytelling

Amulet

Written and drawn by Kazu Kimbuishi, Amulet is a beloved series published under Scholastic's Graphix imprint. Similar to Birthright, Amulet plays with the "magical portal" trope. Rather than entering by curiosity, the children protagonists of this tale must enter the portal in pursuit of their abducted mother.

Kimbuishi's cartoony art style is very child-friendly but can still be appreciated by fantasy lovers of any age. Sometimes that style even makes the sad moments in the story all the more poignant. In addition to fantasy, there's also a decent helping of science fiction elements that fit in seamlessly.