Christian Superhero Comics for Kids
What if your ordinary life was just the beginning of a supernatural war for the fate of humanity?
What if the devil lived among us in human form—and your mission was to find him before it’s too late?
What if saving the world meant risking your soul—and everything you thought you knew about good and evil?
Welcome to The Sword and Story Podcast—where we help Christian families find exciting, faith-filled books for their boys.
Our mission is to raise strong, courageous warriors for the Kingdom of God. Join us on a quest to discover stories that inspire our boys to grow into godly young men.
I’m your host, Laurie Christine. I’m an author, bible teacher, wife, and mom to four wild, wonderful, boys. I’m the author of the Dragon Slayer Bible Series, adventure-packed biblical fiction and devotions for middle-grade boys.
Our guest author today is James Nguyen.
James Nguyen is the Creator of Alpha Red, a Christian Superhero comic.
Alpha Red Comics
Christian Superhero Comics for Kids
This superhero’s journey follows ordinary contractor Calvin ‘Wes’ Wesley as he finds himself called into the eternal battle between good and evil, becoming Alpha Red! Forty years ago, Satan was betrayed by his right-hand demon and cast into the body of a human, then cursed with immortality. The Devil has been walking the earth for four decades plotting his revenge, but no one knows who he is or what he looks like. Our hero gets a chip implanted in his brain that makes him super-strong, super-fast, and super-smart. Wes must find the Enemy and stop him from taking over the world.
More Christian Superhero Comics for Kids
by James Nguyen
TRANSCRIPT OF INTERVIEW
Alpha Red Comics by James Nguyen
Laurie Christine
Our guest author today is James Nguyen. James is the creator of Alpha Red, a Christian superhero comic. James Nguyen, welcome to the Sword and Story Podcast.
James Nguyen (Alpha Red)
Thank you for having me, Laurie.
Laurie Christine
Well, I first met James at a homeschool convention, I believe in Ohio. Then I saw him again in Pennsylvania, and I was like, “Okay, I’ve met him twice in person now. I definitely need to have him on the show.”
I was immediately drawn to his booth. He was the only person selling comic books at the convention, and having four boys, being a mom of four boys, I had to go check it out and see what this was all about.
So we’re excited to hear about your Christian comic books, which I feel like is a unique thing. Before we dive into your series, the Alpha Red comics, James, can you tell us: How is a comic book different from a graphic novel? Graphic novels are really popular with kids these days—especially boys—so how does that differ?
James Nguyen (Alpha Red)
There’s not much difference. I know some people even use the words interchangeably. Comic books usually refer to a smaller page count. Graphic novels are typically a longer story.
So whenever I collected the first five issues of Alpha Red, I call that a graphic novel.
But I think the main difference—at least as I’m looking into how comic books were first introduced, and why some people might have changed the wording to “graphic novel”—is the post office. The post office has a different way of shipping comic books than they do graphic novels.
Comic books typically have advertisements in them. If it’s a periodical with advertisements in it, then it can’t be media mail. But if it’s a graphic novel, it’s considered a novel with pictures in it.
So you can get away with calling it a graphic novel as long as you don’t have advertisements for something else in there. You can advertise your own comic, but I learned that lesson the hard way. I was trying to argue with the supervisor at my post office, and she was trying to tell me that my graphic novel was a comic book.
So I did some digging and figured out the difference between a comic book in the post office’s eyes and a graphic novel. Now I call everything a graphic novel because I only advertise my comic in the book.
Most comics—when people talk about comic books—they’re really thinking about the 20-page, 22-page, 24-page single issue. And when they talk about a graphic novel, it’s what we used to call trade paperbacks, where it collects a storyline and you have a whole story arc in one place.
Laurie Christine
That is so interesting. I never would have guessed that was the distinction or the reason those different labels were used.
Yeah, and comic books tend to be more like a magazine often, and a little bit more episodic than a full, complete storyline.
So what would you say to parents who might feel like comic books or graphic novels aren’t really reading? Do you have any thoughts on that?
James Nguyen (Alpha Red)
Yeah, definitely episodic. That’s a great way to describe it.
Comic books are as vast as any other media. To pigeonhole comics into one thing that always does this or always does that is unfair.
There are comics that have a lot more words than other comics. I tend to gravitate toward ones with less words and more action. That’s how I grew up consuming comic books.
But there are ones that make an impact. If you’re a comic book nerd, like The Dark Knight Returns—anything by Frank Miller—he did Batman, he did Daredevil, he did a lot of notable things. He kind of changed the industry from a more campy media to a more serious media.
It’s because he added a lot of poetic language. He delved into more mature concepts, for good or for bad. He impacted the comic book industry in a monetarily positive way because it exploded when he arrived. People started copying his style and maturing the characters—making them more real-world.
People found these characters when they were young, then grew up and wanted more mature themes. They stuck with it. The industry realized that these kids who were buying comics for 75 cents, 85 cents—now they had jobs, and they could afford two, three, four dollar comics. Now comics—this week I bought a comic for seven dollars.
So people my age who have a little bit of money and still like comics—we like our comics with a certain amount of story. You can’t tell those stories without lots of words.
So it’s all over the map. It is reading.
And my favorite story is my son, who has grown up with my comics. He confessed that he used to never read them, but now he does read them, and he really likes my comic after he learned how to read.
It’s an entry point to reading for a lot of kids.
I believe I was dyslexic growing up. I can’t prove it—I was never diagnosed—but I did not like words. I still don’t like lots of words together in one place, so they have to be broken up with images. But that’s an entry for kids to read. That’s how I see it.
Laurie Christine
Yeah, I agree. I think graphic novels are great, and I feel like it uses another part of your brain.
I actually struggle reading graphic novels and comics because I’m such a word person as an author. I want it spelled out for me. But when I have to look at the pictures, I’m like, “Now I’ve got to figure out what’s going on. What is happening in this picture?” And it’s so fun.
I read aloud a lot to my kids, but graphic novels are really difficult to read out loud unless the kid’s sitting right next to you looking at the picture. A lot of times my kids will be playing or doing Legos while I’m reading to them.
Then I’m trying to say, “Okay, now in this picture, he’s doing this. And then I think he’s doing this.” It really challenges different parts of your brain to invent the story. You actually have to tell the story on your own. You’re not just being given the story—you’re looking at the pictures and determining, “Okay, this is what’s happening. These are the important parts.”
So I think it can definitely be a good thing for kids to do.
James Nguyen (Alpha Red)
I agree.
I still buy comic books. I didn’t for a while. Now, comics have kind of fallen off the cliff as far as content—the immorality, and the things they allow as acceptable.
Laurie Christine
I’m glad you mentioned that, because I did want to ask: A lot of times people think “comic books,” and you walk into a comic book store and look at the shelves and it’s like, “Well, maybe I shouldn’t even be in here. Is this appropriate?”
So what makes your books— and we’ll talk specifically about the storyline—what are some of the things that make your comic books different than the typical secular book you would find on a comic store shelf?
James Nguyen (Alpha Red)
I intentionally make it family-friendly. So there’s no sexual immorality that’s glorified—or even hinted at. It’s just family-friendly. It’s fun. It’s action.
There’s no gore. There’s a little bit of blood when they’re punching each other—like a little blood out of the corner of the mouth or whatever—but nothing like what I’m seeing nowadays where eyeballs are popping out. And these are mainstream comics. This is Batman.
I’m thinking of the latest issue of Absolute Batman where an eyeball pops out, and it’s just very gory. It’s panel after panel, page after page, for three or four pages.
I think a young mind would be traumatized by all these visuals. But it sells, so they continue to do it. They continue to escalate the maturity of what they put in these comics.
It becomes more accepted as you get more desensitized by all the gory violence.
So with Alpha Red, I intentionally keep it family-friendly: no cussing, no sexual immorality—just lots of action, lots of fun. That’s intentional.
Laurie Christine
We appreciate that for sure, and I know our listeners—that’s the kind of books they’re looking for.
So let’s dive in and talk about the Alpha Red series. I know you have at least five or six different books—seven books in the series.
Tell us the story of Alpha Red. Who is Alpha Red?
James Nguyen (Alpha Red)
Yeah. So I go to these conventions—like where you saw me at a homeschool convention—but I also go to secular comic book conventions. I’ve tried to market it, and I’ve been listening to some marketing things, so I’ll give you the pitch I give most people when they come up and they’re not familiar with Alpha Red.
I tell them it’s Peter Parker as Captain America on a James Bond adventure. That kind of hooks them.
Then I tell them Wes is your friendly neighborhood handyman who gets chosen for an experiment where they put a chip in his brain that gives him super strength, super speed, and makes him super smart.
He has to stop Omega Black from taking over the world. Omega Black is a transforming robot tank piloted by Satan.
Usually that gets them close enough that I can hand them issue number one. They start flipping through it so they can check out the art.
He goes from a nobody handyman to someone who has to be strong enough, courageous enough, to save the world from Satan.
So it’s a hero’s journey, but it’s also a faith journey. He doesn’t start off as a believer. He’s not an anti-Christian person—he’s just a nice guy who doesn’t really believe the Bible.
He gets called into an organization called the Kingdom, and I don’t want to spoil it all, but they’re Christian. They don’t necessarily think he’s the right fit for them either.
But by the end of the first five issues, he becomes the hero we need him to be and saves us.
Issue number six and seven are a continuation of his adventures as he learns how to be a superhero. He has super strength now, and in issue six he struggles a little bit with pride.
He’s kind of boastful. He thinks he’s the man now. He calls himself the champion because they started calling him the champion. Then he gets his comeuppance—he gets taken down a notch.
He understands his pride is in his superpowers and he needs to trust in God more. So he gives back the thing that gives him the extra power boost.
That’s how I think about it through the stories: him growing as his character grows with every issue, along with making it a fun story.
The general goal is for him to discover more of himself as he learns what God has called him to do, and why God has given him the powers and opportunities that he has.
Laurie Christine
I love how he grows throughout each issue. You see his character arc. You see him developing as a character and in his faith. I love that we get to see his transformation—him coming to Christ and coming to believe in what you call the Kingdom.
So in your story—obviously it’s a fictional universe. He’s got superpowers. There’s superpowers, there’s fiction.
But there are some elements of spiritual warfare because you talked about how Omega Black, the villain, is controlled by Satan. And as I was flipping through, there were a lot of demons—those are the bad guys.
So how do some of those themes of spiritual warfare play out in your book? How would you say they compare to… Is it completely a fictional world, or are there themes that parallel what the Bible would say about spiritual warfare?
James Nguyen (Alpha Red)
This is also a journey for me as well.
I started Alpha Red back in 2012. The first one was published in 2013. It was kind of a hobby, and it wasn’t supposed to be spiritual at all.
Then my friend from Bible study challenged me. He said, “You’re spending a lot of time creating this comic. Does it glorify God?”
And I was like, “No, it doesn’t.”
It takes about 12 hours per page—that’s what I average everything out to. If you’re spending 12 hours per page and it’s a 24-page comic… do the math. I’m not great at math. It’s a lot of time. It’s a lot of time away from my wife, away from my kids, away from my responsibilities as a husband and a father—and the guy, the handyman.
So it really challenged me to point it back to my faith.
The spirituality is definitely Christian. I try to do the best I can with my understanding of it, with the hope that people would give me some grace—parts of it being I don’t know enough, and parts of it being, “Hey, this makes for a better story if these spirits acted this way,” or “possession happens this way.”
Bad is always going to be bad. If you’re trying to kill innocent people, if you’re trying to corrupt people, that’s bad. You’re on the opposite side of Alpha Red.
Alpha Red is always on the good side. He might struggle with it or struggle to understand it, but I want that part to be black and white. The good and the bad are black and white, and the rest of it is my closest estimation as to what happens or how things happen.
Laurie Christine
That’s great—going off what we know from the Bible, but also you’re an author. It’s fiction. It’s a fictional world.
I think it’s important to keep that in mind as we read things with parallels of spiritual warfare happening, but it’s not going to be exactly what we see in the real world because we don’t know the extent of what is happening in the spiritual realm.
We have glimpses from what the Bible tells us and teaches us, but I think it’s perfectly fine for authors to imagine what else is happening and how that’s all working.
And I love that your goal is to honor Christ. I know you said that on your website.
What a challenge from your friend—“How are you honoring God through this series?” What a great challenge, and I love that you incorporated that into your stories.
One of the things I always ask my guests on the show is: How will your book help boys to be strong, courageous warriors for the kingdom of God? How will they be challenged in that way as they’re reading your book and your series?
James Nguyen (Alpha Red)
My hope is that they would be as inspired as I was when I found comics.
Boys are more visual. We like storytelling. We like stories and we like adventure.
It makes the characters grow, and that’s what I want to put into Alpha Red—that he has his stumbling blocks.
Hopefully I can connect that with young men and call them up to be better than what we would naturally be.
We look around in our culture and see young men who have no purpose. Those are the people they point to and say, “Those are toxic males.” Of course they’re toxic. You told them they have no purpose and to just do whatever you want.
What we want is very selfish. If we are strong and tall and all the things God made us to be, and we have no purpose to do it for Him or do it for others, we’re just going to be toxic. We’re going to be dangerous. We’re going to be people that don’t help society but harm society.
So if you can inspire young men and point them to purpose, then hopefully with Alpha Red—those creative guys who like comics, who like fantasy stuff, superheroes—they have some inspiration to maybe chase after doing their own comic book.
We need more good comic books in our space. There are a lot of Christians out there doing comic books, and they’re not all great. It’s just like Christian movies and a lot of things—it’s kind of mid.
But I’m hoping that as I do things with excellence, I can inspire more people to do it with excellence.
Laurie Christine
Yeah, and some of those themes you talked about—giving boys purpose, such a clear theme of good versus evil in your books, fighting against the dark and fighting against evil, being on the offensive to eliminate the evil and darkness from the world— it seems like that is Alpha Red’s mission.
And I think that’s inspiring to our boys as well—to give them a sense that they can have that purpose too, to fight back against evil.
It might not look like a demon-controlled mech robot, but it will look different in their own lives. Having that challenge and that motivation is really good.
James Nguyen (Alpha Red)
Robot tank? Yeah.
Laurie Christine
Well, I’m going to go ahead and read the blurb about the book. This is what you would find on the listing. We’ll let you know where you can buy the books in just a minute, but here’s the description:
This superhero’s journey follows ordinary contractor Calvin West Wesley as he finds himself called into the eternal battle between good and evil, becoming Alpha Red.
Forty years ago, Satan was betrayed by his right-hand demon and cast into the body of a human, then cursed with immortality. The devil has been walking the earth for four decades plotting his revenge, but no one knows who he is or what he looks like.
Our hero gets a chip implanted in his brain that makes him super strong, super fast, and super smart. Wes must find the enemy and stop him from taking over the world.
Be sure to check out Alpha Red.
So where can we find Alpha Red comics?
James Nguyen (Alpha Red)
If you go to alpharedcomic.com, there are links that will take you to the two or three places on the internet where you can find it.
You can find it on starcrosscomics.com—that’s where it’s being published. It’s really just a group of Christians who make comics. They’re not all family-friendly, but they’re all made by Christians with varying degrees of maturity and graphic violence.
There’s no nudity, there’s no swearing, but not all are family-friendly, I would say.
Then there’s shopalphared.com—that’ll take you to another place you can buy it.
And then my other Etsy store—you can go to jamesq.net. It’ll take you to my Etsy store. You can get signed copies of Alpha Red 1 through 7, along with sketches and all kinds of things that I do.
Laurie Christine
All right, we will have links to those websites in the show notes.
And I believe you have something special—our listeners can get a free digital copy of the first issue if they want to check it out before they purchase, and see if this is something their kids would enjoy.
Where can they get that free digital copy of the first issue of Alpha Red?
James Nguyen (Alpha Red)
If you go and follow me on Substack—I have a Substack at AlphaRedComic on Substack—and if you follow me, I send you a free digital copy of Alpha Red number one.
Laurie Christine
All right, very cool. I will have a link to that in the show notes for the episode as well, so they can go get their own copy, check it out, and see if this is something they would like to pursue and buy more of your books.
James Nguyen, thank you for joining me on the Sword and Story podcast.
James Nguyen (Alpha Red)
Thank you for having me, Laurie.
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