I started reading comics in high school and from the start I always sought out comics which centered themselves around strong female characters. With the success of female-centered superhero movies like Wonder Woman and Captain Marvel, there is an increased focus on strong female characters in comics. Many of these characters are featured on their own or in team comic books so I thought I would share some of my favourites.
- Marvel’s Runaways
Though Runaways is not an exclusively female team, the comics feature an array of strong women. The comics follows a group of teenagers who, like the title suggests, run away from their home after discovering their parents are supervillains. They then decide to use their skills and powers to try and stop their parents. There are two runs of this series; the first one written by Brian K. Vaughn which is the one I have read and highly recommend, the second is a newer series written by Rainbow Rowell which I have not read much of.
2. Ms. Marvel
Ms. Marvel was the first comic book I had ever read and is what got me hooked on superhero comics. Ms. Marvel follows Kamala Khan, Marvel’s first Muslim Pakistani character to have their own solo series, who when surrounded by a mysterious mist gains superhuman powers. The comics are filled with diverse characters as well as interesting and fun storylines.
3. Wonder Woman
Probably the most well-known superheroine of them all. Wonder Woman is a fairly obvious choice when looking for female based comic books to read. Due to the popularity of the character and the fact that the character was created in the 1940s there are many different comic series following her character. Her books are weaved with Greek mythology, for instance in her backstory, and are also filled with a lot of action. I have read a bunch of different Wonder Woman comics, one of my favourite series so far has been the Rebirth Series which I would recommend to anyone interested in reading a Wonder Woman Comic.
4. Bird of Prey
The Birds of Prey comic series follows the superheroine team composed of Batgirl, Huntress and Black Canary. There is a lot of action in these comics and are a good read for those who are fans of the three characters. There are also cameos made by other notable superheroines and villains including Catwoman and Poison Ivy.
5. Bat Girl
Batgirl, specifically Barbara Gordon as Batgirl, is one of my favourite superheroines of all time. A tech genius as well as a strong crime fighter Batgirl follows Barbara as she navigates Gotham City. There are three main solo comic book series which follow Barbara Gordon as Batgirl: The New 52 run which is the darkest version of the character, Batgirl of Burnside the most lighthearted of the three (it also has amazing artwork) and Batgirl Rebirth which while it is not as dark as the New 52 has more action than Batgirl of Burnside. There are other characters who have also taken on the Batgirl mantle like Cassandra Cain and Stephanie Brown who both have their own solo comic series as Batgirl as well.
6. Hawkeye: Kate Bishop
Kate Bishop is one of my favourite Marvel superheroines. After starting out with the Young Avengers as well as working alongside Clint Barton’s Hawkeye, Kate takes on the mantle herself in her own solo comic series. Her comics follow her after she moves to LA and starts working as a private investigator. Kate is a great character whose backstory includes having a villain as her father. The comics have a lot of humor and are a really fun read.
Image Sources:
https://www.inverse.com/article/27626-runaways-marvel-how-to-start-reading
https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Kamala_Khan_(Earth-616)
https://www.comixology.com/Wonder-Woman-2011-2016-Vol-8-A-Twist-of-Fate/digital-comic/371724
https://bamsmackpow.com/2018/04/21/dceu-women-movie-batgirl-harley-quinn/
https://www.inverse.com/article/21534-batgirl-7-preview-new-artist-batman-penguin-son-uh-oh