BOYFRIENDS., one of the most popular romance titles on the WEBTOON platform, is a comic about getting yourself a boyfriend . . . or multiple boyfriends! Four college students begin a polyamorous relationship and navigate the adventure that is their dating life.
In Volume 3, the boys are starting to deal with more real life things as a polycule, like planning for life after graduation and finding their first apartment. But Prep, Goth, Nerd, and Jock will still approach these challenges with plenty of humor and kindness.
The runaway success of Heartstopper on Netflix was no surprise to longtime fans of the comic. Alice Oseman’s magnum opus originally started as a webcomic, and they’ve continued publishing it there alongside the physically published volumes. Queer comics actually have a long history, going back to the Physique Pictorial illustrations and the beginning of underground comics. Writers worked around the restrictions of the Comics Code Authority as much as they could, and the comics that didn’t bear the approval seal overtook the ones that did. Alison Bechdel’s Dykes to Watch Out For started in 1983 and has had a huge impact on the world of queer comics. Webcomics have also had such an important moment in queer comics because they provided an outlet for publication when traditional comics publishers were not as interested in supporting the wide variety of queer stories that comics artists wanted to tell.
The stories of queer romance that began as webcomics are numerous, and there are still a number of great queer comics to find online. Publishing also caught up to the popularity of queer romance comics, so you can find a ton of great physical comics volumes for your collection. But learning the history of queer underground publishing, and how queer people have always managed to tell their stories is important—no matter the public allowance, queerness can’t be stamped out. These comics about queer romance—which include a mix of YA and adult titles—give an excellent repose from the world, and serve as a reminder that there are always more stories worth reading.
Queer Romance Comics
The Deep Dark by Molly Knox Ostertag
Ostertag got her start with the webcomic Strong Female Protagonist and publishes series and excellent standalone comics like The Deep Dark. This comic follows Magdalena Herrera (Mags for short) through the many trials of her young life. As usual in Ostertag’s comics, the world isn’t exactly what it seems. When Mags’ oldest friend, Nessa, comes back into her life, she’s forced to confront the past and consider a future with Nessa that she’s not sure is possible.
Northranger by Rey Terciero, illustrated by Bre Indigo
Under the endless skies of rural Texas, Cade is not expecting to find anything, much less romance. He hates the Texas ranch he’s working at for the summer and is struggling with his queerness, much more so when he falls for Henry, the son of the ranch owner. The possibly dangerous mystery of Henry’s past starts to intrigue Cade. It’s a gripping, romantic story of young love that was inspired by the plot of Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen.
i love this part by Tillie Walden
This short comic follows two girls and their small love story in the large, imposing world around them. Since they’re teenagers experiencing many of these feelings for the first time, everything hits them with an intensity that only makes sense for first love. Music is both such a personal form of connection and communal experience, so it’s the perfect way for these two girls to express how they feel about each other.
Bingo Love Vol. 1 by Tee Franklin, Jenn St. Onge, Joy San, Cardinal Rae
When Hazel and Mari met as young girls in 1963, there was an undeniable spark between them. Though they felt love for each other from a young age, they were both forced apart and had to live compulsory heterosexual lives for a time. In an unexpected twist, they meet again decades later at a bingo hall. Since the world around them has changed, they can explore their relationship out in the open.
My Brother’s Husband by Gengoroh Tagame, translated by Anne Ishii
Yaichi works from home and cares for his daughter, Kana, whom he loves dearly. His world turns upside down when a man named Mike Flanagan shows up and explains that he’s Yaichi’s deceased twin brother’s widower. Since Mike wants to know more about Ryoji’s past, Yaichi takes him in. As the two get closer, Yaichi has to reckon with societal erasure of gay men and what that means for his feelings for Mike.
Queer Romance Comics That Started as Webcomics
Check Please! by Ngozi Ukazu
Begun as a webcomic in 2013, Check, Please! follows Eric “Bitty” Bittle and his self-discovery in college. Bitty spends his free time vlogging, and at Samwell University, he’s joined the hockey team, putting his past as a figure skater to use in a different way. As he’s working through finding himself, he also falls hard for the hockey captain, Jack. It’s an adorable story of young love with tons of great characters.
Motherlover by Lindsay Ishihiro
Also serialized as an independent webcomic, Motherlover follows the connection between two busy moms, Alexis and Imogen. Alexis is a working single mom of one boy, while Imogen is a married stay-at-home mom of four boys. Though they arrived at motherhood differently, their commitment to family and finding their own purpose unites them. They begin to bond and find something more in each other.
The Less Than Epic Adventures of TJ and Amal: Omnibus by E.K. Weaver
TJ and Amal are both in the process of big changes. In a spate of self-acknowledgment, Amal called off his arranged marriage, came out to his parents, and got promptly disowned. During his post-drama bender, he finds TJ in his home. After the initial shock, the two decide to go on a cross-country road trip together. Amal has promised to see his sister, and TJ is trying to get away. Sparks fly throughout their adventure.
If you’re looking for more graphic novels and comics to add to your TBR, you can explore queer YA comics, comics by trans authors, and the roundup of 2023 queer comics.