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If You Like... Comics About Sports

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I love a good sports story. The tales of the underdog rising over all opposition to beat their rivals. The stories of strangers becoming teammates and friends. The thrill of people achieving physical feats they never thought possible. So if you, like me, can't get enough of a good sports story, here are some comics you may want to try.
Strikers
By Kiel Phegley and Jacques Khouri
Minneapolis, MN: Graphic Universe, 2023. Comics. 168 pages.

This historical fiction story follows the Strikers, a youth hockey team in Flint, Michigan in the 1980s. When Evan joins the program, he's a bit skeptical about their ability to win, a fear that is reinforced when the best player on the team, who is also the son of the coach, gets injured, leaving them both coach-less and captain-less. Team members also face their own challenges off the ice, including Evan's difficult relationship with his mom's unreliable boyfriend. If your kids can't get enough hockey now that Utah has a team they can cheer for, they should give Strikers a try!

Curveball
Written by Pablo Cartaya
Illustrated by Miguel Díaz Rivas
Los Angeles: Disney-Hyperion, 2024. Comics. 188 pages.

Elena has always loved baseball, which is good because she's also the best player on her team. Unfortunately, when she hurts her knee and can't attend baseball camp during the summer, she realizes that she may need hobbies outside the sport. A summer spent LARPing with her brother may be just what she needs to refocus her attention and remember why she loved baseball in the first place. Give this to fans of baseball, Dungeons and Dragons, or grounded stories about family dynamics.

Marshmallow & Jordan
By Alina Chau
New York: First Second, 2021. Comics. 365 pages.

Indonesian Jordan Winarta lives for basketball, she's even named after basketball legend Michael Jordan. But after she was in an accident that left her paralyzed from the waist down, she's not sure what the next steps are for her in the sport since she's allowed to practice but not play in games with her teammates. One day she hears crying on the playground and finds an injured baby elephant, which she names Marshmallow. The elephant becomes a mascot for the team and also helps Jordan realize how much she loves swimming. Jordan's basketball coach eventually encourages her to join the water polo team, although not all of the members of the team are thrilled with her presence. Fans of animal stories and sports stories alike will find a lot to love in this book.

We Are Big Time
Written by Hena Khan
Illustrated by Safiya Zerrougui
New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2024. Comic. 229 pages.

In this comic, which is inspired by a true story, Pakistani and Indian American Aliya Javaid has just moved to Milwaukee for her first year of high school. She decides to join the basketball team at Peace Academy, her Islamic school, despite the fact that she has heard the team is terrible. After an initial series of losses, the team's practice finally pays off and they begin to win. Local news stations begin to take notice, not of their game but of the hijabs they wear as part of their uniforms. If you are looking for an excellent coming-of-age story about sports and faith, check this one out!

Who was the Greatest?: Muhammad Ali
Written by Gabe Soria
Illustrated by Chris Brunner
New York: Penguin Workshop, 2022. Comic. 63 pages.

If your kids are more interested in real sports stars then fictional sports stories, they may want to try this comic biography of one of the greatest boxer of all time, Muhammad Ali. Kids will learn some of the background of the history and social context of the time period Ali lived during, then get a play-by-play of his famous match against Joe Frazier. 
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