The Best Comics and Graphic Novels About Friendship
Warm, funny, and moving stories about found family, for every age.
By Web Admin
Some of the most enduring comics are not about superpowers or epic wars — they are about people figuring out how to be there for each other. Friendship is the medium’s quiet superpower: a good graphic novel can capture the awkward, loyal, complicated shape of a real relationship better than almost any other format. This guide gathers the best comics about friendship, from all-ages classics to grown-up stories about found family.
We have organized these by reader age so you can find the right fit, whether you are shopping for a nervous new kid at school or an adult who wants a story about the friends who got them through. Prices are approximate US new-copy figures, and most are library staples. If you want the widest pool, our best all-ages comics guide is the companion list.
Why friendship stories work so well in comics
Comics show body language, glances, and silences that prose has to spell out. A single panel of two friends sitting quietly can say more than a page of dialogue. That makes the medium perfect for the small, true moments friendship is built from — which is why so many of the best-selling graphic novels of the last decade are, at heart, friendship stories. For younger readers especially, our best graphic novels for teens guide overlaps heavily with this one.
Best for younger kids
Gentle, funny, and reassuring — great first graphic novels about making and keeping friends.
- Bone (1991–2004) — Jeff Smith’s all-ages fantasy epic follows three cousins whose loyalty carries them through danger and comedy alike. Genuinely great for every age. ~US$40 complete.
- Hilo (2015–) — Judd Winick’s hugely popular series about a boy, a robot from another world, and the friends who help him. Funny and warm. Vol. 1 ~US$14.
- The Cardboard Kingdom (2018) — Chad Sell and collaborators tell interlocking summer stories about neighborhood kids and imagination. A celebration of being yourself with friends. ~US$13.
Best for middle-grade readers
The graphic-memoir boom produced a whole shelf of honest, relatable friendship stories.
- Smile, Drama & Guts (2010–2019) — Raina Telgemeier’s autobiographical trio captures the real ups and downs of middle-school friendship better than almost anyone. ~US$13 each.
- Real Friends (2017) — Shannon Hale and LeUyen Pham’s honest memoir about a shifting friend group and finding your people. Content note: gently depicts bullying and anxiety. ~US$13.
- Roller Girl (2015) — Victoria Jamieson’s story of a girl discovering roller derby while her best friendship changes. A Newbery Honor book. ~US$13.
- Snapdragon (2020) — Kat Leyh’s warm tale of an unlikely friendship between a kid and the town “witch.” Inclusive and heartfelt. ~US$13. More like it in our best all-ages comics guide.
Best for teens
Friendship gets more complicated as you grow up, and these lean into that honestly.
- Lumberjanes (2014–2020) — a summer-camp adventure series bursting with friendship, monsters, and inclusivity. Complete and hugely beloved. Vol. 1 ~US$15.
- Giant Days (2015–2019) — John Allison’s whip-smart comedy about three very different university flatmates. One of the best friendship comics for older teens and adults. Vol. 1 ~US$10.
- Pumpkinheads (2019) — Rainbow Rowell and Faith Erin Hicks craft a single-night friendship story at a pumpkin patch. Sweet and complete. ~US$18.
Best for adults
Grown-up stories about the friends who become family. Content warnings noted where relevant.
- Paper Girls (2015–2019) — Brian K. Vaughan and Cliff Chiang follow four newspaper girls swept into a time war; the friendship is the heart of the sci-fi. Complete. Vol. 1 ~US$10.
- Scott Pilgrim (2004–2010) — Bryan Lee O’Malley’s series is as much about a friend group in their twenties as it is about romance and video-game fights. Complete in six volumes. Content note: some violence and adult themes. ~US$12 each.
- Blankets (2003) — Craig Thompson’s memoir threads friendship through first love and family. ~US$25.
- The Adventure Zone (2018–) — the McElroy family adapts their beloved actual-play podcast into raucous, warm-hearted graphic novels where the friendship between the players and their characters is the whole engine. Vol. 1 ~US$20.
These grown-up picks all stand alone, and each one puts the friendship — not the plot machinery — at the center. That is what makes them re-readable long after you know how they end.
Manga about friendship
Japanese comics do the slow-burn friendship arc as well as anyone. A Silent Voice by Yoshitoki Oima is a moving story of guilt, redemption, and an unlikely bond, with content warnings for bullying and self-harm. March Comes in Like a Lion by Chica Umino builds one of the warmest found-family arcs in manga around a lonely young shogi player. Yotsuba&! by Kiyohiko Azuma, meanwhile, is a gentle, all-ages comedy about a curious little girl and her neighborhood, and the friendships that grow across it — one of the purest feel-good reads in the medium. All three pair well with our best slice-of-life manga guide, and newcomers should start with our best manga for beginners list.
Picks at a glance
| Book | Age range | Format | Content note | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bone | All ages | Fantasy epic | Mild peril | Everyone |
| Smile | Middle-grade | Memoir | Gentle | School friendships |
| Giant Days | Teen/adult | Comedy | Mild adult themes | University years |
| Paper Girls | Teen/adult | Sci-fi | Some violence | Sci-fi fans |
| A Silent Voice | Teen/adult | Manga | Bullying, self-harm | Emotional reads |
Great picks for a book club
Pros
- Friendship stories spark easy, personal discussion
- Many are quick reads that a group can finish in a week
- They span ages, so mixed groups find common ground
Cons
- The heavier titles need content warnings before you assign them
- All-ages books may feel slight to some adult readers
- Ongoing series can leave a club wanting the next volume
If your group meets regularly, our best comics for book clubs guide has more discussion-friendly picks and tips for running a comics club.
AmazonCheck price on AmazonWhere to go next
If these hit the spot, keep going. Our best all-ages comics and best graphic novels for teens guides expand the shelf for younger readers, while best slice-of-life manga covers the gentle Japanese equivalent.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best comic about friendship for a child?
Bone works for almost any age, and Hilo is a perfect fit for younger kids. For a school-age reader navigating real friend drama, Raina Telgemeier’s Smile and Real Friends are gentle and relatable.
Are there good friendship comics for adults?
Yes. Giant Days nails the university-era friend group, Paper Girls wraps a great friendship in sci-fi, and Blankets explores it through memoir. All read cold with no prior knowledge.
Which of these should I avoid giving to a young kid?
The teen and adult titles — Scott Pilgrim, A Silent Voice, and Blankets — contain violence, self-harm, or mature themes. Stick to Bone, Hilo, and the middle-grade memoirs for younger readers.
Do any of these work for a comics book club?
Many do. A Silent Voice, Paper Girls, and Telgemeier’s memoirs all spark good discussion. Our best comics for book clubs guide has a fuller list with discussion angles.
