The 25 Best Comic and Graphic Novel Fairytale Retellings

A 1920s noir adaptation of Snow White wherein our young protagonist has been cast out by her stepmother and finds help from a group of street urchins after her father, the King of Wall Street, dies unexpectedly. A mysterious stock market ticker has her stepmother in its thrall, spitting out a terrifying command to kill the one more beautiful than her.

An altogether different take on the Snow White story. A not-so-evil Queen is terrified of her monstrous stepdaughter in this chilling retelling. When the child everyone loves is actually a bloodthirsty fiend, where do you turn? That’s the premise of this creepy Gaiman reimagining of the story you know.

What’s one surefire way to make the story of Snow White even better? How about steam-powered juggernauts and a war-thirsty queen? Snow White begs her stepmother to stop pushing the wartime expenses off on the peasants, but to no avail, and their only hope is a lone vigilante who has just been ambushed. Rod Espinosa really has a way with twisting fairytales into a richly imagined steampunk setting.

A gay retelling of Beauty and the Beast set in India. When an old man disturbs the forest, his son goes to repay the debt of an angry man in his stead. By tending his garden to flourishing, the debt is paid. But does he even want to leave anymore? A short, sweet, and beautifully illustrated tale.

Based on a Slavic retelling of Beauty and the Beast. A noble in hiding becomes obsessed with killing the beast in the forest. But a faerie lord and the highest branches of royalty keep getting in her way. This webcomic is free to read on tapas!

Retelling: Black Bull of Norroway

In this reimagining of a Scottish fairytale, a young girl longing for adventure learns that she is destined to become the betrothed of the Black Bull of Norroway. Who knew prophecies could be so literal? At least she is able to find plenty of adventure along the way.

Retelling: The Boy Who Cried Wolf

This Boy Who Cried Wolf reimagining from the author of Witchy is a gorgeously illustrated example of just how inventive fairytale retellings can be. Cry Wolf Girl completely reimagines the story of The Boy Who Cried Wolf through the lens of grief and trauma. The comic is available from Short Box, a small independent publisher putting out quarterly comic boxes for sale, with some leftover copies available in their shop.

Retelling: The Pied Piper

A group of alien invaders named for the tale of The Pied Piper, since they swooped down and eat up all the technology they see, have decimated Earth. The groups of people left either survive as luddites, eschewing all tech, or in mechanical caravans that can be moved away from the Hot Zones where the creatures are most active. But when a girl finds an incredible mechanical pony, they face the Pipers head on for the first time, leading them farther than anyone else — human or robot — has ever gone and survived to tell: space.

Retelling: various

A collection of African fairytales and fables retold in black and white comics. Some particular standouts: The Disobedient Daughter Who Married a Skull, Frog and Snake Never Play Together, and The Stranger. Whether you’re familiar with these tales or not, you’re sure to be entertained as you read about gods, monsters, humans, and animals learning life lessons in amusing and sometimes horrifying ways.

Retelling: The Snow Queen

If Frozen was full of steampunk mechanical elements and scheming religious leaders, you’d have Steampunk Snow Queen. Two sisters, one with a dangerous gift for creating snow, are left to rule the kingdom after their parents deaths. But when the people turn on them, it’s up to the younger sister to set out across the snow and bring back the queen before scheming factions succeed in stealing the throne.

Retelling: various

The characters you know and love from fairytales and legend have been forced into exile. Now, they live disguised as normal humans in New York in a secret society they call Fabletown! And when Snow White’s party girl sister Rose-Red is murdered, it’s up to the Big Bad Sheriff to get to the bottom of what happened.

Retelling: various

Some of the best names in digital comics come together to create an anthology of reimagined fairytales, all celebrating the strength and ingenuity of female heroines. With both original tales and retellings, this collection is sure to delight.

Retelling: various

Another great edition of the Cautionary Fables and Fairytales series, this time featuring some truly excellent stories from China, Japan, Tibet, India, Indonesia, and all over the Asian continent. #EndoftheWorld, The Demon with the Matted Hair, Frog Skin, Ghost Pepper, and Urashima Tarō were particular standouts.

Retelling: The Hero Twins

A modern interpretation of the Hero Twins tale by Navajo author and illustrator, Dale Deforest. The story of the Hero Twins has played an important role to the Navajo people for millennia, now retold to delight and inspire new audiences.

Retelling: various

An anthology featuring some of your favorite fairytales like “Puss in Boots” and “Goldilocks” as well as stories you’ve probably never heard of before. Seventeen cartoonists give their spin on seventeen fairytales, reimagined like never before.

Retelling: Baba Yaga

Illustrated by horror comic icon Emily Carroll, this comic is about for the infamous Baba Yaga’s search for an assistant. Most children wouldn’t dream of apply. But Masha is no ordinary child. She’ll have to pass a series of grueling tasks to become the Yaga’s assistant — but Masha is sure she has what it takes, even if it means cooking dinner with children on the menu.

Retelling: various

Myths, legends, and fairytales from Oceania. The fourth edition of the Cautionary Fables and Fairy Tales anthology brings together stories from Hawai’i, the Philippines, and Fiji. Some of the retellings in this collection you should particularly check out: Pele and Poliahu: A Tale of Fire and Ice, Thousand Eyes, The Tyrant Has Horns, and The Alan and the Hunters.

Retelling: Ys

An Atlantis-like city from Celtic/Breton folklore, surrounded by the sea, is shaped by the lives and choices of its two princesses. The city is full of wealth and dark secrets. And when the queen who raised great walls with her magic to protect the city from the tumultuous seas dies under mysterious circumstances, its fate rests in the hands of her two daughters, who couldn’t be more different.

Retelling: various Russian folktales

Fresh takes on classic Slavic folklore. Meet water spirits and talking animals while getting a gorgeous and vibrantly illustrated introduction to the world of Russian mythology and folklore.