Did you know that beyond our industrial world, there exists a graphic universe so enchanting it will make you want to linger there forever? Look no further, dear readers — opt for the steampunk comic! A wealth of tales full of mechanical adventures awaits you in this carefully curated selection. Here is our Top 20 of the Best Steampunk Comics — a true machine of literary discoveries.
What Is a Steampunk Comic?
A steampunk comic is that remarkable synthesis between sequential art and retrofuturist aesthetics. These graphic works explore alternative universes where the Industrial Revolution took a different course, populated by sophisticated steam engines, complex gears, and sublimated Victorian technologies. Each page functions like a precise narrative mechanism, blending visual elegance with storytelling richness.
This selection, the fruit of years of careful observation of our graphic heritage, reveals the complexity and diversity of this artistic universe. From sophisticated humour to the most poignant dramas, from Victorian London to the most exotic lands, each work is an essential gear in the great machinery of the steampunk imagination.
Les Cités Obscures (Casterman)
Across the 12 albums in this visionary series, Benoît Peeters transports us into the adventure of Franz, a liaison agent sent from the city of Xhystos to Samaris. Here is a mysterious city where no trace of children remains, and where every building sinks into the void as you advance through the passageways — like a malfunctioning urban mechanism. Our brave adventurer ultimately discovers that such mysteries are rooted in centuries of history, like the hidden gears of an ancestral clock.
La Nef des fous (Delcourt)
We are transported to the year 627, at the 77th Brumore, where the commanders of the ministerial authorities of the city of Eauxfolles, having been informed of the existence of dangerous creatures in the sewers, implore the King to restore order as quickly as possible. This era sees the discovery of a trade in giant coloquinte gourds come to light — like a clandestine commercial mechanism. Blending humorous and fantastical styles, this work by Turf functions like a laughter machine accessible to audiences of all ages.
M.O.R.I.A.R.T.Y (Delcourt)
In 1899, in Victorian London, an opium den becomes the scene of a shootout between the police and dangerous criminals. Hyde does not survive after being hit by seven bullets, while Dr. Jekyll, his accomplice, escapes death like a clockwork mechanism avoiding malfunction. Simultaneously, detective Sherlock Holmes faces the scheming plots of a manipulator at the Diogenes Club. A new case awaits our sharp-eyed detective in this perfectly oiled police machine.
Le Diurne (Glénat-12 bis)
This steampunk comic by Éric Corbeyran tells the poignant story of Wölfel von Ulf the Diurne, a hybrid vampire raised in secret by a mayor of Loukiana. Wölfel adapts remarkably to the human world, functioning like a complex mechanism of social integration. His father entrusts him and his half-brother Clowdig with command of the nocturnal anti-vampire brigade. Sensing a mortal danger looming over humankind, Le Diurne devotes his nights to defending them against attacks from a pure vampire race. However, humans unjustly accuse him of murders, placing him between the hammer and anvil of this merciless social machine.
Les Arcanes du Midi-Minuit (Soleil)
As a member of the royal intelligence secret service corps, Jim McKalan benefits from the support of his cousin Jenna on all his investigative missions — like a mechanism of family collaboration. Jenna runs a famous watchmaking shop called the Midi-Minuit, but their collaborative meetings remain secret. The time has come for the two partners to take on a complex murder case in the Brooksyork district. The investigation reveals the involvement of Fernand Loyde, who discovers their secret. In a steam-fantasy style, Jean-Charles Gaudin delivers a story of relentless suspense — a true narrative machine of constant tension.
Le Régulateur (Delcourt)
A professional killer employed by an armed revolutionary regulatory body, Aristide Thanatos will stop at nothing to complete his mission: eliminating his targets. His secret? A failing heart that will eventually cost him his life — like a vital mechanism at the end of its run. Making the most of what time remains, this passionate criminal pursues his bloody adventure until the moment his leader assigns him a special mission: to eliminate a female assassin. To his surprise, he discovers that his target is a childhood friend — triggering a malfunction in his emotional machine. Written by Éric Corbeyran, this 6-volume series invites you into a steampunk universe of striking mechanical violence.
Louis la Lune (Albin Michel)
In search of his illustrious ancestor Jules Verne, Louis Verne — known as Louis la Lune — together with his friend Zoé, discovers an ingenious method to reach the Moon and make contact with its inhabitants. These two young Parisian school students, gifted with a curious spirit that functions like a discovery machine, set out to conquer a mysterious world with a stunning steampunk style. This lunar odyssey transforms the Vernian legacy into a genuine contemporary adventure mechanism.
Les Fantômes de Neptune (Delcourt)
The 19th century marks the era of the Industrial Revolution and remarkable scientific progress across Europe. Archaeology takes on a prominent role following the discovery of an effigy belonging to a legendary extraterrestrial colonising people, apparently originating from the solar system. Wishing to claim this artefact, the Kaiser employs every means to retrieve it, but Meena, a bold young woman, attempts to foil him within this complex political machine. This story by Valp is divided into 3 volumes: "Kheropis," "Collapsus," and "Rorqual."
Les contes mécaniques (Paquet)
Loïc Malnati, author, illustrator, and scriptwriter, delivers two mechanical tales in a single album — a true poetic machine devoid of violence that highlights the emotional dimension. Titled "Silence," the first tale recalls the Nice attack, illustrating the feelings of a melancholy child who lost loved ones through desaturated images of marionettes with expressive faces. "Eternal Flower" tells the story of an elderly solitary couple where the husband, grieving the loss of his wife, cultivates an abstract flower in her memory — like a sublimated mechanism of mourning.
Hauteville House (Delcourt)
In 1864, at Hauteville House, Victor Hugo hires men-at-arms for a special mission in Mexico: to thwart a scientific project under the authority of Napoleon III. But the Emperor, a master strategist, is more suspicious than Victor Hugo could have imagined. Napoleon calls upon Gabriel Valentin-la-Rochelle — also known as Gavroche — an agent of the republican secret service, to fight Hugo and extend his power as far as the Americas. This saga by Fred Duval, available in 17 volumes, invites us into a Second Empire where steampunk influence permeates every political gear.
Grandville
At the dawn of the 19th century, the Kingdom of England capitulates before the powerful Napoleonic army, triumphant in its European conquest. A dark era for the British Empire, during which the entire royal family was beheaded! Driven by frustration, the English population, thirsting for independence, begins to rise up against this oppressive machine. A wave of attacks emerges. Inspector LeBrock of Scotland Yard must investigate a murder in this complex political context. Bryan Talbot delivers a remarkable steampunk comic in 5 volumes: "Inspector LeBrock of Scotland Yard," "Grandville Mon Amour," "Bête Noire," "Grandville Noël," and "Grandville Force Majeure."
Le Voyage Extraordinaire
In 1927, as World War One drags on like a relentless destructive mechanism, two children — Noémie and Émilien — decide to leave their British boarding school. They join forces to find Émilien's father, a scientist who mysteriously disappeared while perfecting a robot prototype. This disappearance coincides with the emergence of a median force called the "3rd Axis," backed by robots. Three of the professor's colleagues — Amélia, Térence, and Winfrey — come to the children's aid. Denis-Pierre Filippi and Silvio Camboni divide this saga into two cycles: "The Jules Verne Trophy" and "The Mysterious Islands."
Clockwerx
In 1897, the Industrial Revolution is driving European economic growth when a series of mysterious deadly events attracts the attention of a former Scotland Yard detective. His investigation uncovers illegal workers on a construction site who are the primary targets of the murders. He gradually discovers a conflict between the Golden Shell, a powerful organisation, and a group of mercenaries led by Molly Vane. The latter possesses secret weapons: enormous war robots known as Clockwerx. The discovery of Lucifernium — a mineral used to build dangerous machines — is the geopolitical stake that could upset the world balance.
Le Méridien des Brumes
If you enjoy steampunk manga, "Le Méridien des Brumes" will win you over! In London, the end of the Belle Époque marks a dreadful period in which a ferocious killer is decimating the population, even defying law enforcement. In Africa, John Coleridge, a British hunter established there for twenty years, distinguishes himself by saving a wildlife photographer. The English authorities call him back to track down the killer nicknamed "the Slaughterer." The Jules Verne-esque futuristic components of this saga by Erik Juszezak perfectly characterise our mechanical aesthetic. This two-volume work — "Purple Dawns" and "Saba" — functions like a precise narrative machine.
L'Homme Truqué
Inspired by Maurice Renard's novel, this work by Gess and Serge Lehman transports us into the heart of World War One. A secret organisation is finalising a revolutionary system that enhances human visual acuity through electrical intervention — and they need a human test subject. They take advantage of the Battle of the Chemin des Dames on 27 May 1918: Lieutenant Jean Lebris, seriously injured in the face, becomes their test subject. Six months later, Lebris emerges with a transformed face, spreading terror through the Grand Palais district. Marie Curie and Léo Saint-Clair the Nyctalope join forces to stop him, only to discover that he may be their only hope against a threat hanging over the city. This complex epic functions like a narrative machine of remarkable precision.
Azimut
Here is the tragic story of Professor Quentin, a scientist seeking a cure for old age and death, who embarks on a perilous adventure in which his crew succumbs to horrific sea creatures. Only Eugène, the sole painter on board, survives — traumatised. After 567 days at sea, their experimental ship returns to Ponduche, but the professor discovers the impossible: orientation has become impossible and the North Pole seems to have vanished! This saga in 4 volumes — "The Adventurers of Lost Time," "Let the Beauty Die," "The Anthropotames of the Nihil," and "Dark Clouds, White Sail" — functions like a machine of geographical mysteries.
Le Réseau Bombyce
At the turn of the 20th century, Mouche the gnome and Eustache the colossus form a team of clever burglars known as the "Bombyce Network" — a well-oiled criminal mechanism. Eustache, an orphan turned burglar, teams up with Mouche, an acrobat gifted with incomparable agility. Their discovery of a compromising Snuff Movie video transforms their petty crime into blackmail against a Parisian notable. This criminal machine operates in a Belle Époque Paris where social gears dangerously intertwine.
Le Château des étoiles 1869: la Conquête de l'espace
Claire Dulac, an adventure enthusiast, decides in 1868 to investigate the existence of the aether — a challenge driven by the ultimate thirst for discovery. Alas, her journey ends tragically: the adventurer perishes mysteriously aboard her airship. One year later, after receiving an anonymous letter revealing the discovery of her logbook, Archibald her husband and Séraphin their son attempt to locate her. Despite an attempted kidnapping, father and son evade the obstacles to reach the Bavarian castle where the real adventure begins — like a perfectly wound clockwork mechanism.
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
A major work by Alan Moore, ranked among the finest fantasy comics, published in six volumes. The story unfolds in London between the twilight of Queen Victoria's reign and the dawn of the 20th century. After enduring the threat of a deadly danger, the English capital finds hope through the heroic plan of six courageous characters: Hawley Griffin, Edward Hyde, Dr. Henry Jekyll, Captain Nemo, Mina Murray, and Allan Quatermain — forming The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Miss Wilhelmina Murray leads the team under the authority of "M," the group's mysterious founder. Their mission: to devise a strategy against the Martian incursion — a true interplanetary war machine.
Lady Mechanika (Glénat)
Joe Benitez delivers the fascinating story of a woman who suffered complete memory loss following a tragic experiment conducted by a psychopathic researcher. The sole survivor, she had her arms and legs amputated and replaced with remarkably sophisticated mechanical prosthetics. Now working as a private detective under the name Lady Mechanika, she investigates her murky past while solving various cases that law enforcement cannot crack. She embodies the celebrated heroine of an alternative Victorian England where superstition and science clash — a perfect mechanism balancing tradition and technological innovation.
Dear steamers, this selection remains suggestive, and no ranking can ever be perfect — every steampunk comic has its own narrative gears and unique charm! These twenty works nonetheless offer a representative panorama of the richness of our graphic heritage, from the lightest humour to the most poignant dramas.
To extend this exploration of our artistic universe, do not hesitate to consult our analysis on Steampunk Art and discover our collections of steampunk accessories to complete your mechanical library. For remember, in the world of steampunk comics, we do not simply read stories — we explore dream machines that transcend time!
See you soon for a new chronicle in the enchanting steampunk universe, where the gears of the imagination never stop turning!
Sources and References
- Catalogues of major French-language comic publishers
- Archives of steampunk and retrofuturist sequential art
- Critical analyses of alternative Victorian graphic works
- Documentation on the evolution of steampunk in the ninth art
- Comparative studies of historical science fiction graphic universes
Eugénie Vaporette
Curator and consultant in steampunk aesthetics
Specialist in retrofuturist graphic arts