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Cosmoknights #1
Cosmoknights, Vol. 1
For this ragtag band of space gays, liberation means beating the patriarchy at its own game.
Pan's life used to be very small. Work in her dad's body shop, sneak out with her friend Tara to go dancing, and watch the skies for freighter ships. It didn't even matter that Tara was a princess... until one day it very much did matter, and Pan had to say goodbye forever. Years later, when a charismatic pair of off-world gladiators show up on her doorstep, she finds that life may not be as small as she thought. On the run and off the galactic grid, Pan discovers the astonishing secrets of her neo-medieval world... and the intoxicating possibility of burning it all down.
Pan's life used to be very small. Work in her dad's body shop, sneak out with her friend Tara to go dancing, and watch the skies for freighter ships. It didn't even matter that Tara was a princess... until one day it very much did matter, and Pan had to say goodbye forever. Years later, when a charismatic pair of off-world gladiators show up on her doorstep, she finds that life may not be as small as she thought. On the run and off the galactic grid, Pan discovers the astonishing secrets of her neo-medieval world... and the intoxicating possibility of burning it all down.
216 pages, Paperback
First published September 24, 2019
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9534 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,171 reviews
July 13, 2022
Cosmoknights was absolutely DIVINE. I cannot stress enough how glorious this was. Cosmoknights has everything you could possibly want in a graphic novel. Gorgeously drawn and coloured art, breath taking imagery, intricate world-building, complex and engaging characters, and beautiful representation. We do not get enough good butch representation, and Bull was superb. The dynamic between Bull and Pan, the former acting as a mentor, someone who embodied a lot of what Pan identified with, was incredibly endearing. The element of sapphic found family was wonderful. I must admit, even in her brief appearance, Kate was my favourite character. She was sort of like a crazy aunt, and I cannot wait to see the chaos she causes in volume 2.
One of my favourite elements of Cosmoknights was the battle royale competition that drives the plot. I loved the backstory behind the competition and the idea of gladiator type competitors fighting on behalf of a rich patron to win the hand of a princess. A very patriarchal, unfair system for deciding the future of young royals. The fact that a butch lesbian had infiltrated the competition to liberate the princesses from their fate was a joy to read. So often we see men liberating the women in stories. Bull wasn’t a saviour character, there was a real drive and selflessness behind her desire to help the princesses. I loved that she did all this with the help of her wife, and the normalisation of their relationship. It is so important to see visibly queer characters. Bull presenting butch in a tangible, physical way, I’m sure, will be so affirming for many lesbian readers. That is one of the most powerful, delightful abilities of a graphic novel.
I am extremely excited to see how this story develops. Pan and Tara – I am rooting for you. I’m so curious. What happened to Tara? I’m sure you will be too when you take my advice and read this fantastic graphic novel!
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One of my favourite elements of Cosmoknights was the battle royale competition that drives the plot. I loved the backstory behind the competition and the idea of gladiator type competitors fighting on behalf of a rich patron to win the hand of a princess. A very patriarchal, unfair system for deciding the future of young royals. The fact that a butch lesbian had infiltrated the competition to liberate the princesses from their fate was a joy to read. So often we see men liberating the women in stories. Bull wasn’t a saviour character, there was a real drive and selflessness behind her desire to help the princesses. I loved that she did all this with the help of her wife, and the normalisation of their relationship. It is so important to see visibly queer characters. Bull presenting butch in a tangible, physical way, I’m sure, will be so affirming for many lesbian readers. That is one of the most powerful, delightful abilities of a graphic novel.
I am extremely excited to see how this story develops. Pan and Tara – I am rooting for you. I’m so curious. What happened to Tara? I’m sure you will be too when you take my advice and read this fantastic graphic novel!
You can follow me on: Instagram Twitter TikTok
June 6, 2020
I saw space gays and didn’t need to know anything else to start reading it immediately
January 21, 2024
rep: sapphic mc, side wlw interracial relationship, side trans character
i have never felt more gay & more in the mood to smash the patriarchy and eat the rich
i have never felt more gay & more in the mood to smash the patriarchy and eat the rich
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April 24, 2023
Oh this was a high energy delight of queer excellence and quite literally battling against the wealthy to disrupt their misogynist economy. Cosmoknights is a fun sci-fi story surrounding “jousting” tournaments that take place around the galaxy where the winner gets to marry a princess as their reward for victory. Except the rich and royals no longer want to do battle and sponsor athletes to fight in their stead. Enter Bee and Cass, an adorable lesbian couple who fight to win so they can liberate the princesses. With astonishing artwork that brings the futuristic world to life in bright, bold colors, an intriguing sports scenario, charming characters and plenty of action, Cosmoknights is a blast.
If you recall the barrage of memes about space being gay a few years back, you’ll be thrilled to see this graphic novel take up the helm as the perfect narrative expression of those memes. Everything about this is just awesome and it is such a visual thrillride. Having just been completely wowed by Hannah Templer’s artwork in Flung Out of Space, a graphic novel about Patricia Highsmith, I had to check out her work on this series where she writes as well as illustrates. Her world building is a real treat, with a galaxy where these jousting tournaments (which are pretty much just gladiators in badass giant mech suits beating each other up) are a spectacle to the rich in a galaxy of extreme economic inequality and ensures the money all remains cycling between the upper classes and some vague princess economy. The artwork really pops and brings to life amazing visuals in this future that is like a brightly colored noir with sci-fi monarchy imagery with their knight defenders. The colors are incredible and I love all the space shots, especially in contrast from the mundane worlds of the working classes. Templer’s pacing is on point and the action scenes are really effectively depicted and easy to follow, which is often difficult to balance. I was very impressed.
The story follows Pan, a working class girl whos illicit friendship with a princess made her a public enemy after she helped the princess escape off-world to avoid being a prize in these gladiator games. Her family fled the planet and the economy collapsed without the royals to uphold it. After helping Bee and Cass, she follows along and gets caught up in the dangers of their life: smashing the patriarchy with mechsuits in the arena. But are they doing enough? An offer from a trans anarchist to really disrupt the royals might become their new, more dangerous future.
This was such a lovely book with lots of excellent representation on race, body type and sexuality and such wonderful artwork. Cosmoknights is such a promising start to the series and I can’t wait to read more.
4.5/5
If you recall the barrage of memes about space being gay a few years back, you’ll be thrilled to see this graphic novel take up the helm as the perfect narrative expression of those memes. Everything about this is just awesome and it is such a visual thrillride. Having just been completely wowed by Hannah Templer’s artwork in Flung Out of Space, a graphic novel about Patricia Highsmith, I had to check out her work on this series where she writes as well as illustrates. Her world building is a real treat, with a galaxy where these jousting tournaments (which are pretty much just gladiators in badass giant mech suits beating each other up) are a spectacle to the rich in a galaxy of extreme economic inequality and ensures the money all remains cycling between the upper classes and some vague princess economy. The artwork really pops and brings to life amazing visuals in this future that is like a brightly colored noir with sci-fi monarchy imagery with their knight defenders. The colors are incredible and I love all the space shots, especially in contrast from the mundane worlds of the working classes. Templer’s pacing is on point and the action scenes are really effectively depicted and easy to follow, which is often difficult to balance. I was very impressed.
The story follows Pan, a working class girl whos illicit friendship with a princess made her a public enemy after she helped the princess escape off-world to avoid being a prize in these gladiator games. Her family fled the planet and the economy collapsed without the royals to uphold it. After helping Bee and Cass, she follows along and gets caught up in the dangers of their life: smashing the patriarchy with mechsuits in the arena. But are they doing enough? An offer from a trans anarchist to really disrupt the royals might become their new, more dangerous future.
This was such a lovely book with lots of excellent representation on race, body type and sexuality and such wonderful artwork. Cosmoknights is such a promising start to the series and I can’t wait to read more.
4.5/5
June 29, 2022
SAPPHICS IN SPACE! GORGEOUS BUTCH REP! TELEVISED TOURNAMENTS! PRINCESSES! THIS IS BEAUTIFUL!
July 25, 2020
space gays, you say?
October 26, 2019
This book is the epitome of the memes "Be Gay, Do Crimes" and "Space is Gay."
It's great fun, the art is so beautiful it makes me stare in awe, and as a Lesbian TM I can't tell you how affirming and wonderful it is to see a cast made up pretty much entirely of sapphic ladies.
I can't wait for Volume 2!
It's great fun, the art is so beautiful it makes me stare in awe, and as a Lesbian TM I can't tell you how affirming and wonderful it is to see a cast made up pretty much entirely of sapphic ladies.
I can't wait for Volume 2!
April 23, 2020
Being overly literal-minded, I was quite distracted by trying to understand how the princess/sports economy worked. And also, why even? But other than that this was good, like the art and MC Pan, plan to read the next one. Looking forward to finding out what happened to Tara!
November 7, 2019
i'm gay and i hate the patriarchy
February 9, 2020
I'm a simple woman. I see gays fighting the patriarchy in space, I give five stars.
February 6, 2020
I knew almost nothing about this book before cracking the cover, and I was pleasantly surprised by how engaging it is.
In 2169, a ragtag group of LGBTQ+ individuals comes together to fight a medieval-style patriarchy that has knights in high-tech battlesuits fight it out in battle royale jousts for possession of princesses. This volume offers a satisfying hunk of story while leaving me wanting more, much more.
My tags:
In 2169, a ragtag group of LGBTQ+ individuals comes together to fight a medieval-style patriarchy that has knights in high-tech battlesuits fight it out in battle royale jousts for possession of princesses. This volume offers a satisfying hunk of story while leaving me wanting more, much more.
My tags:
February 14, 2023
First off, this art is beautiful. Second, Kate is amazing and I love her. Third...this just felt like a prologue. I flew through it, but I felt underwhelmed. The space and the gays were both there, but I found Pan to be a very bland protagonist (I'd have much rather followed Kate or Cass) and I feel like this should've been longer.
Reread: yeah, my thoughts are pretty much the same. Kate, ily.
Reread: yeah, my thoughts are pretty much the same. Kate, ily.
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June 1, 2023
I'm in loveeeeeeeee.
Mechas. Sci-Fi. Princesses who need saving. Princesses who save themselves. Fuck the monarchy attitudes. And hot. Hot. HOT queer ladies.
I cannot WAIT for volume 2!
Mechas. Sci-Fi. Princesses who need saving. Princesses who save themselves. Fuck the monarchy attitudes. And hot. Hot. HOT queer ladies.
I cannot WAIT for volume 2!
January 18, 2025
4.5★
lesbian cyberpunk knights in space!
this is such a fun concept, a sort of scifi-cyberpunk sapphic knight's tale. it moved pretty quickly for me and the art is gorgeous, it gives it a bit of a colorful, ethereal quality.
it left me on a lurch and i'm running to start book two!
lesbian cyberpunk knights in space!
this is such a fun concept, a sort of scifi-cyberpunk sapphic knight's tale. it moved pretty quickly for me and the art is gorgeous, it gives it a bit of a colorful, ethereal quality.
it left me on a lurch and i'm running to start book two!
March 4, 2024
Perfect for fans of On a Sunbeam and Tillie Walden in general.
June 12, 2023
Space gays and found family in space, with a side of overthrowing the patriarchy?
September 12, 2022
butch space gladiators fighting the patriarchy i'm in love
January 18, 2022
7 out of 10
This book is about a girl named Pan. Pan works in her Dad's space shop. One day, these two gladiators come into their family home and one of them has a chest injury. Pan's family helps them the best they can. Pan is very interested in these gladiators and decides to follow them to another planet. She then gets involved in the gladiator's drama.
This book was really good! It was a very action-packed experience. I liked learning about this complex space world, and I liked the artwork. It was weird seeing some of the customs that these space people had, but it was very entertaining. The characters have really well-written dialogue as well.
I do think some of the world-building could've been explained a little better. I was majorly confused at first by this world since I was shoved right in, but I ended up understanding it after a while. The sport that is presented in this book, (with the giant robots) is really intense and makes for a lot of tension in the story. It took me a while to understand the objective of the sport, but I eventually got it, although I think it could be explained more thoroughly.
Really fun and entertaining book. It ends on a cliff-hanger which is a little annoying, but that makes me want to pick up book two when it comes out. I loved the characters and the world-building as well. This book was massively enjoyable.
This book is about a girl named Pan. Pan works in her Dad's space shop. One day, these two gladiators come into their family home and one of them has a chest injury. Pan's family helps them the best they can. Pan is very interested in these gladiators and decides to follow them to another planet. She then gets involved in the gladiator's drama.
This book was really good! It was a very action-packed experience. I liked learning about this complex space world, and I liked the artwork. It was weird seeing some of the customs that these space people had, but it was very entertaining. The characters have really well-written dialogue as well.
I do think some of the world-building could've been explained a little better. I was majorly confused at first by this world since I was shoved right in, but I ended up understanding it after a while. The sport that is presented in this book, (with the giant robots) is really intense and makes for a lot of tension in the story. It took me a while to understand the objective of the sport, but I eventually got it, although I think it could be explained more thoroughly.
Really fun and entertaining book. It ends on a cliff-hanger which is a little annoying, but that makes me want to pick up book two when it comes out. I loved the characters and the world-building as well. This book was massively enjoyable.
October 26, 2019
A ragtag group of gays in space fighting the patriarchy.
The art and colors are absolutely stunning. The characters are all interesting and well-rounded and the plot is super compelling.
Definitely read this comic, either in book form or as a free webcomic here
🌈✨🏳️🌈👩❤️👩🚀⭐️
The art and colors are absolutely stunning. The characters are all interesting and well-rounded and the plot is super compelling.
Definitely read this comic, either in book form or as a free webcomic here
🌈✨🏳️🌈👩❤️👩🚀⭐️
June 18, 2025
found family gets me everytime
Read
February 10, 2023«Cosmoknights» es una alucinante aventura galáctica en la que un grupo de mujeres da un paso adelante para tratar de desmontar el patriarcado espacial que trata de cortarles las alas.
Una chica que huye de su planeta, una princesa perdida por los mundos, una misteriosa espía, una adorable pareja de guerreras que participan con nobles fines en todas las justas neomedievales que se organizan… Todas ellas (todas queer, todas gloriosas) forman una pequeña constelación de estrellas que hará vibrar a cualquier persona que disfrute de las aventuras, el amor y la rebeldía.
El dibujo es alucinante, el worldbuilding es originalísimo, los personajes son la mar de icónicos… y este cómic es, de verdad, un disfrute.
Una chica que huye de su planeta, una princesa perdida por los mundos, una misteriosa espía, una adorable pareja de guerreras que participan con nobles fines en todas las justas neomedievales que se organizan… Todas ellas (todas queer, todas gloriosas) forman una pequeña constelación de estrellas que hará vibrar a cualquier persona que disfrute de las aventuras, el amor y la rebeldía.
El dibujo es alucinante, el worldbuilding es originalísimo, los personajes son la mar de icónicos… y este cómic es, de verdad, un disfrute.
January 20, 2020
Quick, fun and beautifully drawn. Pan is the daughter of a mechanic on one small world among many bustling spaceports. Her best friend, Tara, is a Princess- which doesn't matter until the day comes that her hand in marriage is going to be given away to the winner of a tournament. Pan helps Tara escape in a cargo ship and never sees her again. Five years later a pair of injured tournament fighters end up on her doorstep- two women who fight to free Princesses. Pan sees a chance to get off world and fight for freedom with them, but nothing is ever so simple. A message from her past and an untrustworthy ally confuse her future.
October 24, 2019
THIS WAS SO GOOD! The art style is FANTASTIC and the premise of princesses fighting in suits to earn their own hand in marriage 😍 AMAZING! The world had me super intrigued and I need to know more about the political scheming its so fun. Also having a scifi with only women as main characters was just very nice (Also I read this online which is very nice to have a free version, but I really want to buy a physical copy because the art style is super inspiring!)
May 17, 2025
Cosmoknights isn’t usually the genre of story I’d read, but I was utterly enthralled by the tale of these space lesbians! I don’t know why I don’t read more sci-fi when my favourite TV shows are Doctor Who and The X-Files lol
I found myself really caring for all the main characters, especially Cass, a former princess who ran away a decade earlier and is now a butch, tank, of a knight/warrior who can take on even the toughest of opponents.
The art style used is really fun here, even if in the fight scenes especially, it feels a little simplistic.
”For this ragtag band of space gays, liberation means beating the patriarchy at its own game”
In Cosmoknights, there are these intergalactic “jousting” tournaments that take place, and the winner gets to take a princess’s hand in marriage. A young girl, Pan, helped a princess called Tara escape onto a spaceship away from her fate of marrying a knight. It’s quite obvious that her and Pan were in love, and I hope they are both reunited in the next volume, I was hoping for this throughout. 🥺
Pan meets a strong lesbian couple called Cass and Bee, who fight against the male knights to liberate the princesses when they inevitably win. Will Pan be able to join these two and find her way back to Tara?
4.6 Stars
I found myself really caring for all the main characters, especially Cass, a former princess who ran away a decade earlier and is now a butch, tank, of a knight/warrior who can take on even the toughest of opponents.
The art style used is really fun here, even if in the fight scenes especially, it feels a little simplistic.
”For this ragtag band of space gays, liberation means beating the patriarchy at its own game”
In Cosmoknights, there are these intergalactic “jousting” tournaments that take place, and the winner gets to take a princess’s hand in marriage. A young girl, Pan, helped a princess called Tara escape onto a spaceship away from her fate of marrying a knight. It’s quite obvious that her and Pan were in love, and I hope they are both reunited in the next volume, I was hoping for this throughout. 🥺
Pan meets a strong lesbian couple called Cass and Bee, who fight against the male knights to liberate the princesses when they inevitably win. Will Pan be able to join these two and find her way back to Tara?
4.6 Stars
December 22, 2021
This was super fun and the art was excellent. Can't wait to see what happens next!
Love sapphic books, too? Let's be friends! Booktok | Bookstagram | Twitter
Love sapphic books, too? Let's be friends! Booktok | Bookstagram | Twitter
October 17, 2019
I fucking love this comic. It’s giving the gays everything they want, the art is gorgeous, and the story so far is really compelling. Also important : CASS IS SO HOT AND SO!!! BUTCH!!! THANK YOU FOR THE FOOD HANNAH
August 11, 2022
• re-read: august 11, 2022 •
needed a lil sapphic space gay romp to lift my spirits.
• jan 26, 2020•
i bought this solely because it advertised space gays and i was not disappointed.
needed a lil sapphic space gay romp to lift my spirits.
• jan 26, 2020•
i bought this solely because it advertised space gays and i was not disappointed.
July 2, 2023
GAYS IN SPACE
June 20, 2023
Beautiful colour scheme and an uplifting story.
March 6, 2022
A "ragtag band of space gays" is enough to draw you in, but this graphic novel felt like a tease. It introduces Dangling Plot Thread #1, and DPT #2, and even DPT #3, and then we are abandoned in space. The whole thing, all 210 pages, felt like an introduction to the themes and the characters.
There are long fight scenes (jousting between Knights, so they can win a Princess to sell) which are confusing. I kept waiting for the story to advance, but this volume is all set-up. There’s too much going on, and none of it goes anywhere.
Why do I do this to myself? Blame it on the space gays!
Production values are high, full colour, and sharply delineated characters, so there's that. But the story was high concept—so high it was impossible to grasp.
"Beating the patriarchy" is the stated goal of this ragtag band, but we never get that far into the story. I wonder if the second volume has anything more to say about that lofty goal.
Rounded down to 2 stars because this is not a stand-alone, but only the start, and not does say that on the cover.
There are long fight scenes (jousting between Knights, so they can win a Princess to sell) which are confusing. I kept waiting for the story to advance, but this volume is all set-up. There’s too much going on, and none of it goes anywhere.
Why do I do this to myself? Blame it on the space gays!
Production values are high, full colour, and sharply delineated characters, so there's that. But the story was high concept—so high it was impossible to grasp.
"Beating the patriarchy" is the stated goal of this ragtag band, but we never get that far into the story. I wonder if the second volume has anything more to say about that lofty goal.
Rounded down to 2 stars because this is not a stand-alone, but only the start, and not does say that on the cover.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,171 reviews