Hey now, it’s spring! That means things are hatching. Chicks, rabbits, tulips, etc. And babies! Babies are born all year round (and so are comics published), but lets celebrate the sweet fresh shoots of character while cherries begin to blossom and the air begins to warm. It’s BABIES! The cutest in comics.
What age is a baby? For the purposes of this list, a baby’s a baby til it’s about six. Maybe eight. A small bairn~
Daigoro
Title/creator: Lone Wolf & Cub
Kojima Goseki (A) & Koike Kazuo (W)
Why it so cute a-bubuuu: Daigoro travels with his father, a wandering killer for hire (with principles! And a heart), after his mother was murdered and a framing made their home a hostile place. Daddy’s a stoic, stoic man—like I said, Itto kills people and considers his life pretty honourable. Daigoro is being raised in his father’s image; his father trains him sternly and expects absolute self-control from his toddler, but he… Itto’s parenting is often clearly painful, but it’s well-meaning and a result of the same self-control and deeply held values he hopes his son to learn. Daigoro probably needed rescuing, but this is the life he’s been given. And he’s a very good boy. His big baby cheeks and adorable wee feet make sure that his preternatural calm doesn’t get too freaky.
— Claire Napier
Baby Animal
Title/creator: Muppet Babies
Stan Kay (W), Marie Severin (A)
Why it so cute a-bubuuu: Animal is the happiest baby in existence. Look at this comic book cover: everyone else is tense and apprehensive, but Animal is hanging out the side window of the rocket having a blast. The best part of Animal is that he is basically the same as when he’s a grown-up, except with a bonnet. He goes on to become the happiest adult in the world; he is a giant, overgrown baby with a drumset.
— Romona Williams
Hazel
Title/creator: Saga
Brian K. Vaughan (W), Fiona Staples (A)
Why it so cute a-bubuuu: Like pregnancies, babies are a cautious topic for me in stories because too often, they are just an (in)convenient plot device that then disappears when no one needs them around anymore. Not so with Hazel, who narrates the story of her parents’ struggle in Saga. The narration obviously comes from a child grown, telling the tale in a long flashback, but the child and how her existence affects both her parents and the greater galaxy around her, is central to the story. Little Hazel doesn’t understand all that. She just wants to dance and cuddle or play with her pets, which makes the narration and events around her so much more bittersweet. We know from her narration that she survives, but we know too as the story unfolds, that it is at great cost. A baby this cute is clearly worth it. Skish.
— Wendy Browne
Damian Wayne
Title/creator: Batman & Robin
Peter J Tomasi, Patrick Gleason, Mick Gray, John Kalisz, and Carlos M. Mangual
Why it so cute a-bubuuu: Um…how is this not a cutie? Okay, he’s not baby in the strict sense of the word where he’s a tiny thing you rock in your arms etc but how is this NOT cute? Damian Wayne grows up to the ripe old age of 10 where he’s the violent Robin to Bruce Wayne’s Batman. He’s got sass, and thinks he’s better than everyone; but years before all of that, he was a sweet babe who just wanted to know who his papa was. And little did he know that he was literally playing him in this adorbs panel. It makes me drop to my knees and weep at how precious he is. I’d adopt him, and train him in the arts of binge watching.
— Ardo Omer
Jenny Quantum
Title/creator: The Authority
Mark Millar, Grant Morrison, & Frank Quitely
Why is it so cute: Because her powers are sourced in quantum physics and the development of our scientific knowledge and she can rip you apart atom-by-atom, that’s fucking why.
— Ray Sonne
Lian Harper
Title/creator: New Teen Titans
Marv Wolfman, Eduardo Barreto
Why it so cute a-bubuuu: JUST LOOK AT HER. She’s the daughter of badass assassin Cheshire and Roy Harper so being cute is in her DNA. Also when asked if she wanted a dollhouse, she requested it be a batcave. When asked “who’s leading the JLA these days?” she responds “Owacle.” She had the whole lineup of the New Teen Titans as her babysisters/found family. Aqualad taught her how to swim. She calls Dick “Uncle Nightwing”. Come on you guys.
— Meg Downey
Opacho
Title/creator: Shaman King
Hiroyuki Takei
Why it so cute a-bubuuu: Opacho is such a good girl that Hao, the untrusting, hate-filled, ultimate villain of Shaman King keeps her close, in his confidence, and gives her the tasks he really needs done. Hao, who wants to literally kill everybody, reassures Opacho that she is the cutest of them all—and for once, he’s not wrong. Her big egg eyes and wee stumpy toddler body give her the adorable power of three gudetamas, which, I think you’ll agree, means HELLA CUTENESS.
— Claire Napier
Dani Cage
Title/creator: New Avengers
Brian Michael Bendis, Michael Gaydos. Art below Art from “Misty and Danny Forever” in Secret Wars, Secret Love by Jeremy Whitley & Gurihiru.
Why it so cute a-bubuuu: Look at this preciousness with her tiny Power Man plushie!!! It seems as though Dani’s superpower for the time being is being the baby that never grows up—and I’m kind of okay with that. For real though—nothing makes me happier than superfamilies, especially when those superfamilies are found families. That Luke and Jessica can find happiness with each other and create a safe, stable environment for Dani is nothing short of amazing. I would buy an ongoing that was solely focused on Luke, Jessica, Dani, Danny, Misty and Lucy—and I’m super pleased that we get scenes with her in the newest Power Man ongoing with Iron Fist. Cutest superfamilies ever.
— Kate Tanski
