Cozy and Comforting Queer Graphic Novels

This one is for all the Jane Austen lovers out there. I Shall Never Fall in Love is a queer adaptation of Austen’s Emma, and is about three friends coming of age in a society with rigid expectations about who they’ll be and what they’ll do with their lives. Eleanor, George, and Charlotte have been friends since they were very small, and have spent the better part of their lives in the same little village. But nothing can stay the same forever, and as the three approach adulthood, expectations and responsibilities begin to intrude on the friendship that held them together for so long.

George’s father’s passing has left them in charge of their family’s impoverished estate. Though their talent for innovative farming may be the estate’s saving grace, George is also struggling with the desire to be themselves, hemmed in on all sides by the rules of behavior imposed on a young woman, which George is decidedly not. Eleanor has wealth, freedom, and a devoted father, but the ghost of her deceased mother’s expectations that her daughter will grow up to be a perfect lady weighs heavily on spirited Eleanor. And Charlotte, Eleanor’s cousin, finds herself torn between the life her cousin wants for her and the life Charlotte wants for herself. Particularly when Eleanor’s vision for Charlotte’s future would help lift her parents out of poverty. I know that all sounds a bit heavy, but trust me that this charming, funny, heartfelt graphic novel evokes all the coziness of sitting down with a cup of tea and your favorite period drama, and I just adored it.

This sweet, lovely, funny graphic novel, set in the fantasy kingdom of Fromage (yes, cheese references do abound in this one), is so cute I could cry. It’s absolutely charming and will make you really, really hungry for a grilled cheese sandwich, fair warning. Secondary caveat: Muniz’s fantasy world is delightfully anachronistic, belonging to no one timeline, with historical fashions mingled with random modern artifacts that often pop up for the sake of humor, and while that may not appeal to readers who prefer their fantasy to be more traditional, I really enjoyed it!

Lady Camembert — Cam — has no desire to marry any man, determined that she will decide for herself what her life will be. But women cannot inherit in Fromage, so farewell Lady Camembert, hello Count Camembert! Unfortunately for Cam’s plans to live quietly under the radar in Fromage’s capital, however, she quickly catches the eye of the beautiful, fashionable Princess Brie and finds herself having to weigh her desire to know the princess better against the threat their friendship poses to Cam’s secret. Though any plot with a secret at its center ensures that that secret must come to light sooner or later, Muniz navigates the reveal of Cam’s secret and her romance with the princess in a way that keeps the stakes from feeling so high that the story loses its cozy humorous vibes, and the story has a lot more heart than you might expect from a story where everyone is named after cheese. Honestly, a 10/10 fantasy romantic comedy best consumed over a crusty, buttery grilled cheese sandwich and a bowl of your favorite soup.

Chances are, you’ve seen Mooncakes on at least one book list you’ve read before today. It has received a lot of love since its publication in 2019, and all of it well deserved. This charming, autumnal graphic novel about family, friendship, and love is the epitome of cozy. Especially for those of us who prefer our coziness to be fall-flavored. Full of magic and a few things that go bump in the night, this is without a doubt one of my favorite graphic novels.

Mooncakes follows the reunion of two childhood friends-turned-crushes, Nova Huang and Tam Lang, as they find themselves working together to battle the strange supernatural forces assailing their small hometown. Nova is a young witch-in-training who has been living with her grandmothers at their bookshop since her parents died. Traditionally, witches leave home to begin their apprenticeships, but Nova is reluctant to be separated from what’s left of her family. Tam, on the other hand, is a werewolf who has become estranged from their family and is on the run from an evil magic cult that wants to use Tam’s body as a vessel for a demon. But they won’t succeed if Tam can harness their werewolf magic and destroy the demon first.

Together Tam, Nova, and more than a few friends and family must work together to save Tam and defeat the evil trying to gain a foothold in their town. But as dire as that sounds, Mooncakes is so full of friendship, family, and love that readers can be in little doubt that Tam and Nova will succeed and find the happy ending they deserve. I’d rate this one a full five adorable black cats sleeping on book stacks, and definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a cozy, witchy read to remind you that fall is only a few short months away.

How do I even begin to explain how sweet, warm, and comforting this graphic novel is? It was definitely a case of love at first read, and if you haven’t had the opportunity to read The Prince and the Dressmaker yet, I highly recommend adding it to your reading list. Sebastian is a prince, with all the expectations and responsibilities that entails. But, in secret, Sebastian longs for a different life, one where he can truly be himself and dress the way he pleases. Frances is a talented young seamstress who catches Sebastian’s attention when she designs a fantastical but somewhat scandalous gown for a young noblewoman. The two strike up a bargain: Frances will design beautiful, elaborate gowns that will let Sebastian take Paris by storm as the mysterious Lady Crystallia, and Frances will get all the credit, propelling her towards the future of her dreams as a famous designer.

But, as I mentioned earlier, all secrets must eventually come to light sooner or later. Will Sebastian and Frances’ friendship, and their budding romance, survive the public finding out that the shy, quiet Prince of Belgonia and the fabulous Lady Crystallia are one and the same? I won’t lie, parts of this graphic novel can feel more than a bit fraught, and I definitely cried the first time I read it, but — as with all the best, coziest of stories — friendship, love, and the bonds of family (biological and found) win the day. At its heart, The Prince and the Dressmaker is a story about having the courage to be yourself, and realizing that the people who truly love you will still be there, loving you just the same. Gorgeously illustrated, full of humor and joy — 10/10, and the ultimate comfort read.

I just read Lunar Boy for the first time while working on this list, and it is my absolute pleasure to include it here. Fair warning, this one will absolutely make you cry. Buckets, if you’re me. Of all the novels on this list, this one is probably the most emotionally wrenching at times, as we watch Indu struggle to find his place amidst a sea of change and uncertainty. Change, as Lunar Boy teaches us, can bring many beautiful things into our lives, so we shouldn’t be scared of it, but we can also acknowledge the simple fact that change can also be scary and hard, and it can hurt. On the cozy to comforting scale, Lunar Boy definitely falls into the “somethings are hard and you feel alone, but things will be okay” category on the comforting side of the scale. That being said, there are parts of this graphic novel, as well as its overall art style, color palette, and vibe, that keep things feeling cozy and warm, even when things are at their most upsetting for Indu. So don’t discount this one from your cozy graphic novel reads just yet.

Lunar Boy is about Indu, a trans boy from a little planetary moon, who grew up living in a community spaceship with his adopted mother. But when his mother moves them to the New Earth colony to be with his new stepfather and step-siblings, Indu finds himself alone, unable to speak the language and feeling like an outsider that no one wants. Indu begs the moon to take him back, and the moon agrees, but he must wait until the New Year. However, while he’s waiting, Indu starts to realize that maybe he belongs on New Earth more than he realized, and maybe friends and family were right there waiting for him to open himself up to friendship and love. Maybe he really did belong. I can’t stress enough how much I love this queer, heartwarming story about love and belonging, and I highly recommend adding it to your list.

Of all the graphic novels on this list, Les Normaux is probably the most traditionally slice-of-life style story in that the stakes are low and any conflict is largely interpersonal. Les Normaux is the story of Sébastien, a demisexual boy determined to leave behind the troubles in his past and find a quiet life in supernatural Paris where he can learn magic in peace. Sébastien’s parents are non-magical, and they want him to suppress his magical gifts so that he can just be normal and blend in with the rest of the world. Things only get worse with his parents when Sébastien realizes that he’s not only magical, he’s gay. Thankfully, his aunt is able to get him into a magical university, which is how he ends up in supernatural Paris and finds himself kissing a perfect stranger to celebrate the start of his new life — and help him forget his old one. Turns out that the supernatural side of Paris is a small one, however, because it turns out that the gorgeous guy Sébastien was kissing is also his new neighbor, a vampire supermodel named Elia. What follows is an absolutely charming romance set against a gorgeous Parisian backdrop, featuring an unforgettable secondary cast of characters — another traditional feature of the cozy story that I am personally very fond of. Les Normaux is also the only book on this list that isn’t a standalone! So if you finish volume one and find that you haven’t had enough of supernatural Paris or Sébastien and Elia’s romance, never fear! There are more volumes to come.