Valentine’s Day is only two weeks away, which means it’s the best time of year to enjoy comics dealing with love and relationships. Whether you are looking for a unique Valentine’s Day gift for your significant other, or just want a story that focuses more on the romantic side of life, these four series provide their own unique spin on the idea.

Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane

For fans of teen dramas and Spider-Man alike, Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane is easy to recommend for the unique angle it provides. The story is set during Peter Parker’s high school years, and the main character is his one-day lady love Mary Jane Watson.

While following Mary Jane’s high school adventures may not immediately sound exciting, the characters and overall narrative remains interesting thanks to the strong writing of Sean McKeever. Mary Jane and her friends are never in a state of peace, with relationships and feelings changing all the time. Harry Osborn, Flash Thompson, and Peter Parker all seek Mary Jane’s affection, but she never quite makes up her mind between the guys she knows and the mysterious new hero in New York, Spider-Man.

The story is almost always light in tone, and this is helped tremendously by the art. During the series’ run, two artists, Takeshi Miyazawa and David Hahn, covered art duties, and both brought a light-hearted air to fit the writing.

The series is also quite accessible, as it takes place outside of regular Marvel continuity. Instead, it focuses on telling a compelling teenage romance story starring the Marvel universe’s most famous redhead.

Strangers in Paradise

Terry Moore’s self-published series Strangers in Paradise ran throughout most of the 1990s and 2000s, and it has been considered one of the greatest relationship books ever made for the majority of that time. Centered around the friendship of Francine and Katchoo, the comic was frequently praised for the portrayal of people facing the tragedies of life in a realistic way.

The story also frequently tore the characters apart just as soon as they were back together. Still, though the tone almost always feels pessimistic, it is never so much that reading the story is a depressing endeavor. The connection readers establish with Francine, Katchoo and the supporting characters drives a desire to see what happens next, even if it isn’t always clear there will be a happy ending.

Also, the inclusion of a corporate espionage storyline allows for several exciting action moments and lends a large mystery component to the series. Moore’s ability to blend the romance and action comes across as effortless, and makes the tale accessible to many different types of readers.

Scott Pilgrim

Considering the current hype behind this series (the six volumes were the top-selling non-premiere graphic novels of 2010, according to distributor Diamond), it may seem redundant to mention Bryan Lee O’Malley’s Scott Pilgrim, but the truth remains that it is one of the best relationship books published in recent years. It also has a large audience of fans who don’t consider themselves comic readers, so it may be a perfect introduction to the medium for a significant other.

The series follows slacker Scott Pilgrim as he meets and falls for the mysterious Ramona Flowers. If he wants to keep dating her, though, he has to fight her seven evil ex-boyfriends. In doing so, he also begins to grow up and take charge of his life, both romantically and otherwise.

What makes the series work is that it takes place firmly in a fantastic world, allowing for over-the-top fight scenes and exaggerated plot points. In this way, the book marries the ridiculous with real world drama, and the conflicts that come up in Scott’s personal life are mirrored in his physical confrontations. The mix of humor, action and romance provides a balanced mix deserving of the praise and hype.

Girls with Slingshots

The only web comic on this list, Girls with Slingshots provides a different take on relationships than the other books on this list, and one that may be more palatable for newer readers. Created by Danielle Corsetto and first launched in 2004, GWS is the ongoing story of Hazel Tellington and her group of strange friends.

Following in the style of a lot of web comics, GWS is updated in strip form five days a week. Each strip is humorous, while also building on an overall narrative. Past storyline topics have ranged from realistic, including unemployment and love triangles, to the surreal, such as the story of a runaway mustache.

More than anything, though, the daily nature of the strip allows for a more decompressed story that has continued to expand over the past six years and more than a thousand daily strips. The chance to see characters grow and change over such an extended amount of time is one of the more unique aspects of web comics, and Corsetto uses that to give relationships an appropriate amount of time to develop.

The series can be read online at girlswithslingshots.com, or in the five collected editions so far released.