The Graphic Novel To Read For Your Zodiac Sign

I won't argue that Astrology is a real science, but I will argue that graphic novels are real literature. Despite all the moms and teachers who want you to think otherwise, comic books and graphic novels can be just as beautiful, funny, terrifying, and inspiring as books without pictures.

Plus, there are simply so many graphic novels to choose from. For the hotheaded Aries, there are smartly-written superhero comics filled with capes and punching. For the emotional Cancer, there are poignant memoirs filled with feelings and hugs. For the secretive Scorpio, there are gorgeously illustrated stories so strange and distressing that you'll probably never sleep again. No matter which stars command your fate, you're sure to find at least one graphic novel that speaks to you.

Of course, every Zodiac Sign should feel free to read whichever graphic novel they like. But if you're looking for a good book to start with, why not ask the cosmos for a solid recommendation? Even if you're already well-versed in comics and graphic memoirs, why not let the Zodiac pick out your next read? Whether you think that Astrology is spot on or total pseudoscience, you can never have enough book recommendations. And you can certainly never read enough graphic novels.

1. Aries: Runaways by Brian K. Vaughan, art by Adrian Alphona and Takeshi Miyazawa

Any true Aries considered running away at least once as a kid. So any grown up Aries will identify with the Runaways: six kids who discover that their parents are super-villains and set out to defeat them. Its got kids with powers and plenty of classic superhero fighting, but it's also full of subversion of superhero tropes, witty dialogue, and wonderfully real teen characters. The perfect book for a courageous, confident Aries.

2. Taurus: Supermutant Magic Academy by Jillian Tamaki

Taurus is the reliable, patient member of the Zodiac, but that doesn't mean that Taurus is boring. As a Taurus, you're both stubborn and creative, and you would totally understand the angst of the witches, mutants, and paranormal teens at the Supermutant Magic Academy. It's a book full of humor and ennui. This slice-of-life-meets-magical-teens story will appeal to your practical side, as well as your love for creative ideas.

3. Gemini: Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh

You've got an off-the-wall sense of humor, Gemini. You need a graphic novel that can match your level of hilarious energy (preferably a graphic novel with many drawings of confused dogs). But you're full of duality, too, Gemini, and that's why Hyperbole and a Half is perfect for you. Allie Brosh is irreverently hysterical at one moment, and the next moment, she's dealing with the all-to-real facts of depression. It's a book with many sides for a sign that contains multitudes.

4. Cancer: Blankets by Craig Thompson

Some people call you moody, Cancer, but really you just feel more than any other sign. And that's not a bad thing—it means that you get more out of books like Blankets. It's a coming-of-age story, a love story, and a beautifully drawn ode to winter. Blankets manages to avoid being sappy, while still making you relive the head-rush and heartbreak of first love. It's a funny, gorgeous, moody novel for the most sensitive sign in the Zodiac.

5. Leo: Saga by Brian K. Vaughn, art by Fiona Staples

You're a natural leader, Leo, and you need a story that's as big as your personality. Saga has been described as Star Wars meets Romeo and Juliet: it has forbidden love, space adventure, bounty hunters, aliens of every descriptions, magic, and jokes galore. One family searches for safety while the rest of the war-torn galaxy tries to hunt them down. It's the funniest, most exciting space comic out there today. And it's just fun and passionate enough for you, Leo. If you're looking for a grand adventure, Saga has you covered.

6. Virgo: Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

If you haven't read Persepolis yet, Virgo, then what are you waiting for? As a Virgo, you're not just a neat freak or a worrier. You're also a humanitarian with a deep interest in life's details. Persepolis is the candid memoir of Marjane Satrapi, and her coming-of-age during the Islamic Revolution. She writes with wry humor and emotion about the process of leaving her homeland and returning back again, in a book full of detail and humanity.

7. Libra: Boxers & Saints by Gene Luen Yang

As a Libra, you're all about balance. That's why you're well suited to Boxers and Saints, a two volume graphic novel series that tells the story of the Chinese Boxer Rebellion from the perspectives of the rebels as well as the Christians they were rebelling against. The two parallel stories lay out both sides of the conflict, and all the myth and history that inspired each side. The writing is smart and insightful, and perfect for an intellectually balanced Libra.

8. Scorpio: Through the Woods by Emily Carroll

You're an interesting sign, Scorpio. You're passionate and loyal, but you can also seem mysterious and secretive to those who don't know you well. That's why you need to read Through the Woods, perhaps the most mysterious and secretive (and thoroughly creepy) graphic novel out there. Emily Carroll takes fairy tale tropes and twists them into some of the most inventive horror stories you'll ever read, with breathtaking art to match.

9. Sagittarius: Hark! A Vagrant by Kate Beaton

You're the fun guy of the Zodiac, Sagittarius. But you're also a curious, philosophically-minded individual, and you love to learn. That's why you must immediately drop everything and read Kate Beaton's Hark! A Vagrant. It's the smart, hysterical collection of comics on history and literature that you never knew you needed. Beaton can turn anything from Napoleon to Nancy Drew into a complete laugh riot (and you just might learn something, too).

10. Capricorn: Fun Home by Alison Bechdel

Capricorn is the professional, responsible member of the Zodiac. It's not that you don't like fun, Capricorn—you just know how to stay focused. Fun Home is a graphic memoir, yes, but it's a highly intellectual take on the genre. It's about Alison Bechdel's relationship with her father, and it's about Alison accepting her sexuality. But it's also about growing up to be a self-reliant individual. It's a droll, complex, ingenious book for a hard-thinking sign.

11. Aquarius: The Sandman by Neil Gaiman

Aquarius is an original sign. Aquarians are known to be forward thinking, inventive people who march to the beat of their own drum. So Aquarius might be interested in meeting The Sandman, Neil Gaiman's dark and endlessly inventive fantasy series. Sandman ranges from horror stories to myth to history, always finding a new way to subvert and re-invent storytelling. Plus, it's full of wacky, angsty characters (like Death, Cain and Able, and a nightmare man with mouths for eyes).

12. Pisces: The Essential Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson

Calvin and Hobbes should be required reading for every literate person worldwide. But for Pisces, it's especially perfect: Pisces is an artistic, friendly sign, with a great deal of wisdom and compassion. Calvin and Hobbes is a brilliant newspaper comic strip, full of hilarity, sharp intellect, and all the joy of childhood. The serious moments will resonate with wise, gentle Pisces, and the funny stuff will give Pisces a much needed dose of happiness.

Images: Caroline Wurtzel/Bustle