[Top 5] Current Comics Starring Women

March is Women’s History Month and for the comic book industry that means it is Women In Comics Month. As a companion piece to my editorial Why We Need Women in Comics Month (http://majorspoilers.com/2016/03/14/editorial-need-women-comics-month/), I present you with my Top 5 Current Comics Starring Women.

These are ongoing series currently on the shelf that star female characters and have – at least – one woman working on the creative team.

5. LUMBERJANES

Created by: Noelle Stevenson, Grace Ellis, Brooke Allen
Writers: Shannon Watters, Kat Leyh
Artist: Carey Pietsch
Publisher: BOOM! Box Comics
GET IT HERE
Why to read?: Lumberjanes is a feminist representational dream. It features a group of five young girls on adventures at a Girl Guide analogue camp. Sexuality, ethnicity, family dynamics, intelligence and loyalty are big themes throughout the series, mixed deftly in with feminist names shouted out at the top of their lungs while fighting magical forest beasts! It is a fun time with a social conscience and can easily be enjoyed by readers of all ages!
Similar Series: Zodiac Starforce, Power Up!

4. THE LEGEND OF WONDER WOMAN

Wonder Woman Created By: William Moulton Marston
Writer/Artist: Renae DeLiz
Inker/Colourist: Ray Dillon
Publisher: DC Comics
GET IT HERE
Why to read?: Wonder Woman has had a bit of a bumpy ride in the New 52. Her initial series lived up to her wonderful name and the creative team that has taken over since has not come up to the same level of quality. The Legend of Wonder Woman is a DC digital-first series that updates weekly direct to Comixology and does live up to the wonderful eponymous character. This tells the story of Diana from Hippolyta’s will to have a child, through the “birth” of Wonder Woman. It distills and celebrates all of Wonder Woman’s greatest strengths and, really, deserves to be the ongoing Wonder Woman series right now. Like Lumberjanes, The Legend of Wonder Woman is good for readers across the board.
Similar Series: Adventures of Supergirl, Wonder Woman At Super Hero High

3. GOTHAM ACADEMY

Writers: Becky Cloonan, Brenden Fletcher
Artist: Karl Kerschl
Publisher: DC Comics
GET IT HERE
Why to read?: Gotham Academy is unlike anything else DC Comics is currently publishing and, for that matter, unlike any Batman-family books (the subcategory of DC it falls within). 3 of the 5 students most closely followed by the narrative are female and the two leads are young girls. Gotham Academy is Batman meets Harry Potter, as such, it deals with both the characters inner turmoil and their magical nemesis. The cast is ethnically diverse with each character offering a unique skills set to the Detective Club they found in order to solve school mysteries. In a family of books famous for their male characters, Gotham Academy stands out as singular, beautiful and chock-full of girl power! Good for readers about 10+.
Similar Series: Batgirl, Black Canary, Silk

2. MS. MARVEL

Writer: G. Willow Wilson
Artists: Adrian Alphona, Takeshi Miyazawa
Publisher: Marvel Comics
GET IT HERE
Why to read?: The latest incarnation of Ms. Marvel is a nerdy fangirl from Jersey City named Kamala Khan who is not only Inhuman, but a Muslim. How cool is that? Ms. Marvel is the story of overcoming adversity and, sure, that is handled in some of the scene that you are imagining right now, but through the metaphor of living up to the legacy that Carol Danvers has laid out before her. In so many ways Kamala’s story is your typical superhero origin/hero’s journey thingie (in many ways, it is similar to Miles Morales), paired with an understanding and respect for cultural touchstones that are not common place for your “average” North American citizen. What’s more, Kamala is the most like the reading audience of any superhero out on the shelf … and she’s pretty darn good at her job! Definitely good for readers of all ages – even when there’s kissing and stuff.
Similar Series: Spider-Gwen, Squirrel Girl, Patsy Walker A.k.A. Hellcat

1. RAT QUEENS

Writer: Kurtis J. Wiebe
Artist: Tess Fowler
Colourist: Tamra Bonvillain
Publisher: Image Comics (Shadowline)
GET IT HERE
Why to read?: Rat Queens is [almost]all ladies all the time! It is an adult view of a Dungeons & Dragons campaign without all the tropes that those familiar with the medium would expect. There is diversity of ethnicity, class and sexuality within the high fantasy realm and a spectacular visual celebration of the feminine body in all its eccentricities. Rat Queens never lets up on the plot and is always a rip-roaring good time where the female characters are both the best and the worst – often the same character at the same time. Not only is it one of the best comics presently being published, but the creative team refuses to their their feminine characters to be forced into any box that springs to mind. Unlike most of the other suggestions, Rat Queens is in no way suited for an all-ages audience and it is refreshing to have female characters doing adult things.
Similar Series: Saga, Princeless
I would love to know what other Current Comics Starring Women YOU are reading! Let me know in the comments!

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