Lloyd and The Bear is a perfect all ages comic book

I gave our 4 YO son an ‘all ages’ comic the other day.  While the characters were appropriate for any age, they used phrases like “shut up”, “stupid” or “idiot”.  Kudos to my wife for catching that.  What a relief Llyod and The Bear is, it truly is an all ages comic book that is funny, sharply drawn and creative- everything you’re looking for in a comic book that is OK for young children.

Lloyd and The Bear is the story of a very young boy named Lloyd and his teddy bear, called Bear.  In Lloyd’s world Bear can talk, walk and is his best friend.  One day Lloyd and Bear are bored in the front yard and get teleported to a space ship.

It turns out the Bear’s real name is Bernard and is from the planet Bur.  Bur was a peaceful planet with lush grass and tall tree, perfect for napping until the Shoal attack their planet.  Bernard escaped in a ship and crash landed on Earth, waking up safe in Lloyd’s bed.

Now the Shoal want revenge on any citizens of Bur that may have escaped.

This is a great comic book for all ages because it respects younger readers while still being interesting for older ones.   It would’ve been easy for Bear to go just at little too far in language or actions, a la, Ted or some internet creations.  Thankfully, Gibson Grey keeps it all aimed squarely at the kids.

The story also does a great job at mixing in the action while explaining the story of how Lloyd and Bear met.  It references how Bear helped Lloyd work through his parent’s separation and how their friendship has grown over time.

Think Calvin and Hobbes, mixed with a bit of Toy Story and some ninja space rangers for good measure.  Now make it all appropriate for children, but interesting enough for adults and keep the art work large, colorful, happy and meaningful.    Geek parents can embrace Lloyd and The Bear with open arms, be secure that it’s 100% OK for the kids and totally enjoyable for them too.