My Time Machine takes off when Carol Lay’s silver-haired protagonist (who happens to resemble the author) embarks on a foolhardy odyssey that transports her from the politically addled and environmentally anxious America of 2020 to a bleak and distant future. My Time Machine is serious and funny, a sly cautionary political satire, and a rollicking time travel story full of puzzling paradoxes, edge-of-your-seat suspense, breezy badinage, and a deeply felt wonder at the universe.
I think every science fiction fan loves time travel stories. There’s something so enticing about being able to travel backward to change the world or forward to get a glimpse of the unknowable that captures the imagination. And how better to enjoy these stories than with time travel comics?
Time travel stories come in many flavors, and these nine comics truly reflect the diversity of time travel storytelling. There are reality-defining tales from the big superhero publishers. There are stories that use time travel to highlight social justice issues. And there’s a story here that’s just trippy and psychedelic. And manga and Minecraft and…well, you get the idea. Whatever your preferred flavor of time travel story, there’s a comic here for you.
I could have filled this entire list many times over just with superhero stories, but I’ve limited it to two big ones. Some of these are pretty famous, while others are flying well below the radar. What’s constant in this list is great storytelling paired with beautiful artwork: the twin must-haves for any comic that lands on my shelf. So prime your flux capacitor, grab The Doctor by the hand, and jump into these nine twisting time travel comics.
Displacement by Kiku Hughes
Kiku is a teen like most others who’s on vacation with her family when she’s suddenly ripped backward in time to the 1940s, a time when Japanese Americans were imprisoned during World War II. In fact, she finds herself in the very camp where her grandmother was forcibly relocated. This beautiful and heartbreaking story follows in the footsteps of so many great social justice time travel stories.
Flashpoint by Geoff Johns and Andy Kubert
This is the story that completely redefined the DC Universe for a while and even inspired the recent The Flash movie. Barry Allen wakes up one day in a world where he is no longer The Flash. In fact, everything he knows is different, and only he is aware. Something is amiss, and one of his greatest foes is behind the time snafu. There’s a reason Barry remembers, and he’s the key to unraveling it all.
A Girl Called Echo by Katherena Vermette
Here’s another brilliant book that follows in the footsteps of Octavia Butler’s Kindred. In the first volume of this series, a teenage Métis girl is suddenly yanked out of her history class and back to a bison hunt on the Saskatchewan prairie. Back and forth she goes over the following weeks, personally learning more about her ancestry and her place in the world.
Life is Strange by Emma Vieceli
These comics tie into the video game and tell the story of teens with mysterious powers and very wobbly time. The comics continue the story from the game as Max and Chloe try to live their lives, but twisting timelines and strange powers keep getting in the way. Sometimes, time travel itself is the true villain.
Orange by Ichigo Takano
This manga is a time travel comic that’s both cozy and begs you to keep turning the page. As Naho is beginning 11th grade, she receives a letter. It’s from herself, 10 years in the future. She thinks it’s just a prank until, one by one, the predictions in the letter come true. That letter tells her to watch over Kakeru, a new transfer student that only she can save from a terrible fate.
Paper Girls by Brian K. Vaughan, Cliff Chiang
At this point, is there anything that Brian K. Vaughan cannot write brilliantly? He can certainly pen a great time travel comic. In this, a quartet of 12-year-old girls who deliver papers are suddenly caught in an invasion from the future. There’s a war between time-traveling factions, and only these four paper girls can save our world.
Patience by Daniel Clowes
I did mention that one of these stories was psychedelic, right? I mean, that’s pretty much everything that Clowes does. Patience is a trippy, time travel love story that can barely be described but must be read. If you’re new to Clowes, buckle up, you’re about to find your new obsession.
Time Traveler Tales by Dave Scheidt, Kelly Matthews, Nichole Matthews
Why yes, this IS based on a story that came out of Minecraft. Why do you ask? This story is for all ages and stars Oliver, a kid who’s anything but normal. He has a power that’s also a problem: he keeps jumping through time. While those create some improbable adventures, there’s also a mysterious stranger chasing him, one who wants Oliver’s powers for themselves.
X-Men: Days of Future Past by Chris Claremont and John Byrne
Lastly, we have one more superhero story, and it’s one of the most famous time travel comics. This little two-issue arc from the midst of Claremont and Byrne’s legendary run on X-Men took readers to the dystopian future of 2013 (I know, right?). Sentinel dominate the barren landscape, mutants are hunted, and Wolverine and Shadowcat stand seemingly alone against the onslaught.
If you could time travel, would it be backward or forward? Any major events you would change? If you need more time travel inspiration, check out these time travel novels or these science fiction time travel tales.