Random Comic Book Series That Were Definitely Not Made For Kids (17 items)

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  (#1) Ironwood

  Ironwood is a mystical forest between the realms of goblins and men (and other unknown quantities). Just so you know exactly what kind of comic you're in for, in one book the protagonist gets intimate with a centaur, who eventually gets intimate with a demon.
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  (#2) Bomb Queen

  New Port City falls under the rule of the villainous Bomb Queen after she devastates all her rivals - and her clothes. She dominates the news, the government, and any man she pleases.

  She has a cute cat for a sidekick, but by no means is this title meant for kids, unless you think the young ones would benefit from a dose of innuendo and charred neck stumps.
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  (#3) Black Kiss

  • Howard Chaykin

  As a mainstream artist, Howard Chaykin liked to push the envelope. When he struck out on his own, the result, Black Kiss, actually had to be distributed in a sealed bag so that no one could browse the content without paying full price.

  Anyone who did pay found a noir piece full of many of the fringe elements of society. 
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  (#4) The Invisibles

  • Grant Morrison

  Grant Morrison claims that much of the plot of The Invisibles was told to him by aliens when they got him from Katmandu. It's good to know that aliens like tantric interactions, cursing, and racy magic as much as Earthlings do.

  When the series faced cancellation, Morrison tried to organize an event in which the energy from the simultaneous self-pleasure of all his readers would save the series. It must have worked, as he was able to complete the three-volume opus.
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  (#5) Omaha the Cat Dancer

  Omaha the Cat Dancer is an explicit comic set in a world of anthropomorphic characters. It's also a gripping soap opera. The titular (pun intended) character is a bipedal feline dancer whose entrancing sensuality makes her a lightning rod for controversy. 

  There are highly detailed acts and people in the buff in every issue to the point that expository dialogue is sometimes wedged in to keep the story moving. Don't buy this for your kids unless you're okay with them finding out what it looks like when two animals do the deed. 
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  (#6) Invincible

  Invincible is a superhero adventure by Robert Kirkman, who also writes The Walking Dead. Since it's in color, the graphic stuff is that much more vibrant. The story centers on a race of alien supermen called from planet Viltrum. However, unlike DC's friendly Kryptonians, Viltrumites have no problem harming humans with their bare hands. 

  There's a smidgen of intimacy, but mostly gore by the gallons, so make sure not to confuse Invincible with the usual fare. 
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  (#7) The Rock C*cks

  Not to go all hipster on you, but one of the best comics that isn’t for kids is a webcomic called The Rock C*cks, and it follows a pair of touring rock 'n' rollers while they try to make a buck in this wild world. Also, they get down to their birthday suits on the regular.

  The adventure is up on the official site, and a Patreon campaign is running to raise funds. With a husband (writer Brad Brown) and wife (artist Leslie Brown) team in full ownership of the book, it’s got an indie heart, authentic scenes, and (probably) a few autobiographical notes about artistic relationships. It will be interesting to see if something so risque (yet rockin') can survive on crowdfunding.
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  (#8) The Boys

  • Garth Ennis, Darick Robertson

  In The Boys, the world's top superteam, the Seven, present a polished public image and save the day (when they feel like it). Behind closed doors, however, they're struggling with substances and committing a myriad of various offenses. When the protagonist, Wee Hughie, joins the secret hero-hunting club called The Boys, he learns that the superpowers and revealing costumes are just the tip of the iceberg.

  Private parts aren't shown, but substance use, gore, and plenty of skin (of superheroic proportions) pepper every issue.
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  (#9) Sin City

  • Frank Miller

  The first yarn in Frank Miller's black and white series follows behemoth Marv on his quest to avenge a beloved woman named Goldie. She was slain by Kevin, a mute cannibal choir boy with "the voice of an angel" - except that he's mute. Kevin also keeps a wolf and a dungeon decorated with jarring decor. 

  In exacting his revenge, Marv obsessively watches his favorite dancer, takes out a preacher, and much, much more. That's just the first Sin City yarn, and they don't get any nicer.
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  (#10) Preacher

  • Garth Ennis, Steve Dillon

  In addition to levels of intercourse, aggression, and profanity on par with the other raunchy titles on this list, this one comes with a whole heap of blasphemy. Preacher centers on a supernaturally-empowered and cynically-disillusioned preacher's quest to track down God and give Him a stern lecture.
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  (#11) From Hell

  • Alan Moore, Eddie Campbell

  From Hell is Alan Moore's exploration of Jack the Ripper, and as such, it is full of drawings of back-alley Victorian interactions and nauseating underworld scenes.

  If you don't want your kids to know of the seedy underbelly of Victorian England, avoid this volume and be glad it doesn't come in Smell-O-Vision.
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  (#12) Lost Girls

  Legendary Alan Moore enlisted his future wife, Melinda Gibbe, to provide the art for this series. The volume stars public domain characters from early 20th century novels. Dorothy Gale (from the Oz novels), Wendy Darling (from Peter Pan), and Alice (of Wonderland fame) meet up at a posh European hotel to swap naughty stories. Moore re-imagines their famous literary adventures as explicit odysseys.

  Don't be fooled into thinking that the references to classic children's books make Lost Girls okay for your kids to read unless you're at peace with them seeing Dorothy and the Tin Man as they've never seen them.
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  (#13) The Filth

  It's right there in the title. The protagonist of Grant Morrison's The Filth starts out as someone who can't stop watching other people get it on. Luckily, he learns that his personality is a disguise he didn't even know he was wearing. He becomes an awesome secret agent, but then has to face off against a strange villain. 

  This is an interesting one for sure, but definitely not safe for little ones. 
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  (#14) Celluloid

  Dave McKean is best known for his association with Neil Gaiman's eminently classy Sandman graphic novels, but in 2011, he decided to create a really risque yet classy and thoughtful graphic novel. Celluloid is a textless story in which the characters step through a piece of film into a fantasy "safe zone" and then… get to it.

  Each chapter covers one kind of intimate act and is approached with a different style. As always, McKean's art adventurously mixes media, which can leave the reader wondering just how the images were composed. 
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  (#15) Métal Hurlant

  It's more of an anthology than a comic series, yet Heavy Metal's contribution to the pantheon of adult content cannot go unrecognized. Though it also includes prose stories, interviews, and pinup art, the American adaptation of France's Metal Hurlant was best known for its science fiction and fantasy comics.

  From the hyperviolence of RanXerox to the unrepentant sensuality of Milo Manera, every page of Heavy Metal was (and is) full of things for parents to find objectionable.
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  (#16) Marshal Law

  • Kevin O'Neill

  There's no way you're buying Marshal Law for your kids. The hero's "costume" is a modified racy playsuit with a zippered face mask decorated by an upside-down cross. He also wears chaps and a winged hat in the style of the WWII German soldiers, has "Fear and Loathing" emblazoned on his chest plate, and generally just seems too weird.

  The villain of the first arc is a garbage bag-wearing lunatic fond of harming women in some of the worst ways imaginable. 
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  (#17) The Walking Dead

  • Robert Kirkman

  Every issue features shambling zombies and various scenes of zombie-human interactions. The outcomes are never good, no matter which side prevails simply because of the graphic nature of the content. 

  There are numerous not-kid-friendly aspects of this comic. 

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