Birthday message

Spent my birthday at the cinema with a friend, where we saw Thor: Love and Thunder, and then we ate at a nice restaurant, Bill's, in the lovely, quaint little semi-Victorian town of Horsham, with my family. Funny, last year's birthday I also ate at a restaurant with my family and saw a Marvel movie at the cinema with the same friend. I can't remember if it was this unbearably hot and bright, though. I had a great day, with the people who truly love and care for me.

Top 15 Favourite Female Characters of All Time (2022)

An update displaying my current favourite female fictional characters.

These are the women and girls I still love and hold in high regard, still think of often and fondly, still think of as important and relevant and fantastic, still think have aged well in 2022, and still idolise and look up to, even as a grown-arse woman.

I'll try to be as varied and diverse as I can in my preferences. There are SO MANY great and well written females out there, but I've narrowed them down to 15 for my list. You can gauge a lot about my own character based on these inclusions.

I'll also try to be as responsible, decent, tasteful and sensitive as possible in who I pick, which means considering not only the characters themselves, but their creators; so no creations from toxic people will be on the list... though if they're from a monolithic company, usually that can't be helped, unfortunately, but... shit, there are so, so, so, so many terrible people in power, wealth, privilege, and influence out there...

Er, anyway, onto my list!

In describing each fictional girl, I will include (admittedly numerous and long) quotes from previous blogposts of mine, so as not to regurgitate and repeat myself, which I really don't like doing.

Here we go!:

15. Doreen Green aka Squirrel Girl (Marvel)

'Hilarious and clever, and Squirrel Girl is a legend. Remember, she is canonically the strongest Marvel superhero ever, and among the smartest.'

'Such a fresh, fun and bouncy superheroine! She's curvy - a rarity in a comic book female character, even today - red-haired, buck-toothed, and the most optimistic person in the Marvel universe - and literally the most powerful. Squirrel Girl has beaten Thanos, Galactus, M. O. D. U. K., and Doctor Doom. She is called unbeatable for a reason. Doreen Green has the abilities of super strength, speed, agility, hearing, healing, resilience, deduction, and talking to squirrels; plus a bushy tail! Too fun and cute and self-aware to be angsting - she's got lives to save, friends to make, and nuts to eat! all the while making sure that everybody has a great time - even the villains! Cartoony, yet so charming, endearing, and infectious in her altruism and spunk, Squirrel Girl is virtually impossible not to love. Like a female Deadpool (whom she has actually beaten, more than once) for kids, she's a big, softhearted refresher in a world filled with countless dark, angsty and depressed super people, who can barely catch a break. Squirrel Girl may be a vehicle for humour - and was originally created as a one-off joke in an Iron Man comic in the nineties - but she isn't one dimensional: She is very smart, possessing a high IQ; she has a computer science PHD, and can teach college kids. And babysit - for babies and animals. She does what she does simply because she loves it. Loyal and faithful to no end, everybody will want to be friends with this friend to all living creatures (mostly squirrels); never mind that she can beat them in any fight! In any challenge! With her equally adorable squirrel sidekick and bestie Tippy-Toe on her shoulder and up a tree, nothing can stop this charming force of nature; in all her sunshine glory. Her limitless, timeless river of confidence is her bright shine; she is incapable of hate. She sings her own theme tune while beating up bad guys. Nuff said. Squirrel Girl - a highly underrated Avenger who is meta and upbeat to the nuts--max!'

'Optimistic, extremely upbeat, energetic, bright, positive attitude, confident, friendly, bouncy, very funny, fun-loving, resilient, fearless, smart, resourceful, technical, well-prepared, thinks outside the box, savvy, creative, imaginative, selfless, loves children and animals, adores everyone and everything.'

'Her unbeatable confidence and eternally sunny, upbeat outlook on life are refreshing in Marvel comics. Great at parody and meta humour, she can even beat Deadpool at his own game. Has been involved in all sorts of battles - she's been launched into space like it's no big deal. Life is an adventure; she goes with the flow with a smile. Additional points for "plus-size" body positive female representation. Her squirrel sidekick, Tippy-Toe, is her constant, faithful companion. All squirrels ally with her in whatever need, including beating bad guys. In The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl Beats Up the Marvel Universe, we see what happens when her ethics and regard for human life are absent in the form of her clone, Allene, who values her squirrel part far more than her human part. She's a soft, charming, cheerful, endearing, hilarious, colourful and infectious superheroine. Aliases: Iron Suit Squirrel Girl, and Squirrel Thor!'

14. Nico Minoru aka Sister Grimm (Marvel)

'The magic she uses with her Staff of One is as sensitive as she is as a person. Still very young, and having been through traumatic experiences and lost many of her friends in the process, things aren't easy for this witch superhero. While Nico is still learning, she is growing into her own as a hero, and as a worthy opponent in the Marvel Universe. Due to her parents and a few of her former friends turning traitor on her, naturally she has trust issues. But she wants to love and bring the people she loves back together again, and not necessarily by magical means.'

'She's a superhero, a witch, Asian, bisexual, gothic, and a female teen. She's pretty much a combination of everything that I love! I admit, however, that my knowledge of Nico may still be limited to a few comics. I haven't seen the Runaways TV series or have been made aware of any other adaptation. I don't watch a lot of television. But man is this magic girl with a myriad of elements to her cool! She can be shy, insecure, and overly sensitive, but brave and determined when she needs to be. Nico is a team leader and a deeply flawed but caring and loving individual. She would do anything to protect her friends. After so much heartbreak and betrayal in her life, she will find it difficult to trust anyone and accept anyone as her family. She can work on her own, but works best in a team - as part of a family, lost and founded, blood relations not applicable. Nico's magic is extremely powerful - drawn from her Staff of One - and she knows this, and will want to be extra careful lest she hurt anyone. She's a formidable opponent all around, never to be underestimated. Sister Grimm is a sensitive girl - very emotional but in one so young this is understandable - and has faced as much tragedy as any Marvel superhero. But clinging to who she has left, Nico and the other runaway misfits will make it. What an admirable heroine for girls to look up to. For Asian people and people of the LBGTQ community to proudly mirror themselves on in the pop culture hemisphere. A superhero and witch who's as real as can be. And she looks great! What cosplay potential!'

Plus, she's a superhero, a witch, a goth, a POC, queer, a sensitive teen, and a team leader. She is a combination of everything I love in a character!

13. Katie Mitchell (The Mitchells vs the Machines)

The newest addition. Awesome, fantastic animated family movie; awesome, fantastic, funny and creative LBGTQ, POC teen protagonist.

12. Princess Amethyst of Gemworld (DC)

'I could watch the 'Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld' cartoon shorts on YouTube all day.'

'[...] a lovable, determined and flawed young heroine, who faces so much adversity; so much debasement, slander and abuse, from a world she loves and which once loved her back. But at the end of it all, after everything that is revealed to her, after everything she has suffered through, both externally and internally, she is still respected. She is revered by the people she least expects; by the downtrodden, the ignored, the forgotten. By new friends and allies. Everyone else has abandoned her. There is a meta subtext to this development: Amethyst, who was treated badly recently by her past friends - and by DC - now has a newfound lease on life. Amy - who despite her powers and experiences, is sixteen and still a naïve kid - is given a chance to grow and progress, thanks to the new; which she will incorporate into the old, corrupt Gemworld. Established things are twisted; spun and flung upside-down. The tables have turned, and a bittersweet yet fresh, bright era awaits. As you grow up, you realise that, even in fantasy worlds, things are not as black and white - or as like a cartoon - as they appear: such is the lesson that Amy, along with the reader, learns. A teenage girl's wish-fulfilment fantasy this ain't. Welcome to real life. But there will always be friends and family that you can rely on. They will do anything for you, and be there for you. There is still hope.'

'Like every girl, and like every child, she is far better than she knows she is capable of. More powerful, with or without magic stones.'

A young, strong and adorable action fantasy heroine after my own heart!

11. Kitty Pryde aka Shadowcat (Marvel)

'Seriously, why did no one tell me before how awesome and adorable Kitty Pryde was?'

'"Alone, on Christmas Eve, Kitty Pryde underwent a rite of passage--

-- A supreme test of her abilities, her intellect, her courage, her... self.

She passed"'.

'"When you're alone, Kitty Pryde, no one can hear you scream!" But still she triumphs!'

'I've come to appreciate her enough that not only is she my favourite X-Man, but she is one of my new favourite superheroines ever. I bountifully admire her. She is an inspiration, and I wish that she had been given the love, respect, and popularity she deserves in recent comics, and in other mediums. Any 'X-Men' screen adaptations do NOT do this girl justice - that is, when they bother to include her at all. Katherine "Kitty" Pryde is not some whiny teenager and low ranking X-Man whose mutant power of phasing through solid objects is the only thing that marks her out as special. No, Kitty is brave, practical, tenacious, determined, and is a child prodigy with a genius IQ; while still believably a young teenage girl, with adorable and relatable perks. She's not repulsed by her abilities and who she is, she's excited! She is a dancer, an ice skater, and later a great martial artist - for powers alone do not make a hero, hard work does. She is Jewish and the granddaughter of a Holocaust survivor. Storm is one of her best girl-friends. Ordinary and X-traordinary (sorry not sorry) at the same time, this kitten is learning and growing all the time. Oh, and she can "air walk" - practically fly! (She has thick brown hair, like me, too!) Hard to believe that Kitty was only thirteen when she was first introduced. She started out at the beginning of 'The Dark Phoenix Saga'. Read the comics to get a sense of the real Kitty Pryde! She's a sweetheart who's not to be underestimated and messed with! I've read little of Kitty's more recent comics - there doesn't seem to be a lot about her, at least as her own independent hero, which is a shame - but from the days of the classic eighties 'The Uncanny X-Men' run - mass overuse of dialogue and thought balloons and all - Kitty Pryde was a young feminist icon that that decade sorely needed. She empowers teenage girls and does them justice; in the old comics, anyway.'

'[...] she is stronger than she thinks she is, and in time she may rise above her trauma, without letting it completely take over her life. She has friends and allies; people who care for her.'

'[...] 'she [is n]ever a typical "strong female character" who hides her emotions and true thoughts (she's very thoughtful and an open book). She's still Kitty, but undoubtedly changed by her experiences. Always does she aspire to do better, and be better.'

'In the original Uncanny X-Men comics, Kitty is a young teen X-Man - or that's how she started off as - who's got spunk, courage, tenacity, caution yet determination, a high IQ, and so much potential packed into her small, nimble body. She could grow up to be anything she wants. A Jewish dancer and a mutant with phasing abilities (and flight!), Kitty is adorable and a joy. Any tragedy and trauma she goes through, she will bravely and assuredly fight back against; for her friends' and family's sake as well as her own. She is stronger than she realises. She isn't some whiny and disposable teen who's hardly worth the trouble of being given any screen time and character development - get her right already, every adaptation ever! Kitty is one of the most relatable X-Men I've read about. She reminds me of who I would have liked to have been as a teenager. She even has thick brown hair like me! A true inspiration to young girls; she does justice to them. I've only read a few of the more recent comics featuring Kitty - where she has a pet dragon named Lockheed, somehow, because comics I guess, and she becomes a leader of the X-Men and their headmistress/professor, taking over from Professor X (told you she could be whatever she wants), and she is OTP with Peter Quill/Star-Lord (less creepy than when she was with the far older Colossus, I suppose).'

10. Lisa Simpson (The Simpsons)

'To me, Lisa Simpson is the quintessential geek girl. She is the first one I grew up watching, and her impact still holds up to this day. She has always been a geek, a feminist, a social justice warrior, and a passionate fangirl, way back before those things had names. This permanent eight-year-old has had many skills and ambitions in 'The Simpsons''s twenty-five-plus years run: A jazz musician, a vegetarian, a Buddhist, an activist, a dancer, a singer, a writer, a linguist, a TV guest, an anchor and host, a collage student, a clown, an archaeologist, an astronomer, I could go on and on. Barbie and Bobbi Morse are in awe of this genius little girl who lives in a world where intelligence is ignored and shoved aside. Lisa has also had depression, social anxiety, and anorexia. My favourite 'The Simpsons' episode of all time is 'Lisa's Substitute', where the lonely, special outcast girl is given a gift which shows her all she will ever need to know in her life: That gift is a note reminding her that, "You are Lisa Simpson". She can do anything she puts her mind to. Sure, in recent years she especially became what many of the show's detractors - reasonably thinking that it has gone on too long - call an insufferable, liberal know-it-all. True, she is a creator's pet and shows a smug superiority complex at times and isn't always likeable. But 'The Simpsons' is self-aware enough to acknowledge this and put spins on it. Lisa Simpson continues to represent that it is important, as well as cool, to be smart. In one future she's even the President of the United States. Yeah, today that holds no serious meaning and is no guarantee of qualification and expertise, but at the time of that episode's airing - seeing Lisa as the first female President - it was a big frikking deal. Now more than ever we need nerdy Lisa's words of wisdom; for her bravery in fighting for peace, justice and equality, to make the world a better place for everyone. In all her versatility and knowing right from wrong, she still loves violent cartoons, dolls, ponies, unicorns and other fantasy creatures. Lisa is a member of many fandoms, and for any girl desperate to see herself on television in a positive and complex light, it is a worthwhile miracle. I wonder if her sister Maggie will end up being even more brilliant than she is.''

'Lisa Simpson is the permanently eight-year-old, sax-playing, vegetarian, environmentalist, feminist, activist, cartoon-loving, pony-loving, elf-loving, doll-loving, bookworming, science and history-buffing, Buddhist, socialist, progressive, and liberal Teacher's Pet and future president of the United States we need at this moment. She loves her family despite not fitting in with them, and they love her back. She truly is a special girl.'

The most popular and mainstream geek girl, girl genius, and social activist of all time. She is capable of saving the world, in her own way.

9. Belle (Disney's Beauty and the Beast (1991))

'Well-read, intelligent, passionate about books, a free and independent spirit, comfortable in her own skin, speaks her mind, does not care what others think of her, clever, imaginative, selfless, humble, caring, determined, brave.'

'A fast reader and learner - a village woman with an inquisitive brain, big dreams and a big heart. [Does] Horse-riding, exploring, navigating, and singing.'

'[...] she tends to prefer books to people, and as a woman who reads she is made an outcast in her village. However, she is open about her passions to anyone who will listen, and is loving to people who are nice to her.'

'A timeless Disney Princess, and possibly the most cultured and mature. Her favourite kinds of books are fairy tales, adventure novels, sagas, Shakespeare plays, and political satires. Her sanctuaries are bookshops and libraries. Currently the only Disney Princess to have brown hair and hazel eyes. She shows that a woman doesn't need to be a fighter or "kickass" in the literal sense in order to be seen as fleshed-out or feminist. She is subtle; she fights the patriarchy by rejecting the advances of the entitled, arrogant, toxic masculinity-form of Gaston, who is beloved by her village as the ideal man. She values kindness and respect above all other attributes in people. She successfully paved the way for Disney's non-conformist heroines. She is most remembered for her brains rather than her beauty - a testament to how well-written she is, thus her legacy.'

'Animated, smart, a reader, a fantasy lover, modest, independent, and possessing the biggest heart of gold and silver, Belle is Disney's greatest creation. I know that's my opinion but I firmly believe it to be fact. It doesn't matter that she's marketed nowadays as part of a sexist matched set of Disney Princesses. As a little girl I admired and related to Belle; I worshiped her, she was my hero. I didn't care that she was just a cartoon character. I still don't care. Belle will remain a timeless wonder for generations.'

'Smart, loving, independent, modest, well-mannered but not a pushover, unflinching in her limits, beautiful on the inside as well as out, regal without being rich, and she doesn't care what people think of her. She is happy to go about living her life as she wants to, living out her own schedule, completely unapologetic in her personal preferences. And Belle has brown hair and loves reading, like me! She also doesn't need to be a "warrior" to be a strong character - she is an ordinary woman: Brave, curious and self-sacrificing are the many more ways to describe her layers of personality.'

'She is smart enough to know what is good and bad in a person, based on how they treat others. Yet she isn't consciously aware that she is fully responsible for the Beast's character development, despite all the time they end up spending together. Belle takes no credit, and does what she does because it's the right thing to do, and expects no reward. Another reason to love her.'

8. Kamala Khan aka Ms. Marvel (Marvel)

'She is everything a new generation of heroes - for a new generation of comic readers - needs to be.'

'The superpowered teenage Muslim and Pakistani-American Ms. Marvel, is one of Marvel's best superheroes fighting crime and beating sales records today. All in all, she is a normal, insecure, frustrated, confused teenage girl with relatable real world problems. Her caring and altruistic nature - influenced by Islamic teachings - is inspirational; a reminder to do the right thing by people. Even when absolutely helpless at the end of the world. She is an absolute badass who shows that young people are not useless or a cumbersome burden; she's not a credit to her millennial generation, just a wake-up call to the old generation to give the new one a chance to build a better future for humans. Kamala Khan is really funny as well. An endearing, growing, developing, awkward but competent, and hardworking superhero/fangirl with a heart of gold [...]'

'If there is any reason to believe in the power of progress, in diversity selling and going mainstream, in superhero comics containing vital messages for our current times, effortlessly mixed in with some good ole' action-packed storytelling, then the new 'Ms. Marvel' is it; a fantastic answer. Please read about this girl, no matter who you are. She is a hero in a myriad of ways, multilayered and perfectly imperfect. And heartily, tragically (In)human.'

'The first ever Muslim superhero. And she's a super relatable, Pakistani-American teenage girl, and a huge fangirl, from Marvel comics. Kamala Khan is revolutionary for a lot of reasons, and practically everybody loves her; both within the Marvel universe (she's been a part of MANY superhero teams and team ups), and in the fandom community the world over. Her inspirational character, her impact - you can't not have heard of her. Kamala is a fantastic character in her own right: Like a lot of teens she's insecure and deeply unsure of herself and of her place in the world and in her communities, and she struggles between meeting her parents' expectations and what she wants for herself. Funny, awkward but touchingly caring, she possesses a clear sense of right and wrong, and will protect and save as many people as she possibly can. It isn't naivety, it's simple: Justice is what she does. She will fight for the underprivileged, the sidelined; as she comes from such a background herself, in terms of race, gender, and religion, and she doesn't understand why so many adults struggle to do the obviously right thing sometimes. When Kamala makes mistakes, as everyone does, especially someone so young and coming into her own as she is, she will try to right them with a fierce determination. With all of her powers, as an Inhuman, deep down Kamala is a normal teenager, navigating her own feelings about a great deal of things. Most concerning her identity crises. She is the epitome of youth growth and the coming of age journey. Her potential to do good is boundless. Even when things become far too much for her to handle, eventually she will bounce back from her depression with the help of her dear, loyal civilian friends. They more than her superhero camaraderie are her anchor in her fun yet hectic superheroing existence. Although her relationship with her idol Captain Marvel is a complicated one that is thankfully being rebuilt as a positive, and she is buddies with Squirrel Girl/Doreen Green. Despite the quality of Ms. Marvel's comic run in recent years not being up to snuff compared to the massively high quality of her first several volumes, I still love Kamala/Ms. Marvel herself. She is as full of heart as ever. and her appearances in the Marvel Rising animated adaptations do her justice (I keep using that word, don't I? in a list all about superheroes). Where's her live action debut now!? I don't want to reveal much more about Kamala due to comic spoilers, but I wish to impart this feature: in one possible future, she is the President of the United States. A Pakistani-American Muslim woman as the President of the United States. Just... I want you to realise the full impact of that bold yet really simple statement. I've disclosed more revolutionary and inspiring fiction than I ever anticipated in this world of ours. Kamala Khan is a perfectly imperfect hero who is much needed for this generation and in future ones. She is desperately needed.'

'Altruistic, noble, ambitious, modest, caring, goodhearted, funny without trying, not above a silly sense of humour, brave when need be, determined to protect people - especially those close to her - and do the right thing no matter what the general and/or cultural consensus is, a relatable teenage superhero (and fangirl).'

'High school student, superhero, Avenger. Also a member of the Champions and the Secret Warriors.'

'The first Muslim superhero ever, and Marvel's first Muslim character to be the lead in her own comic book series. Was a Marvel superhero fanfiction writer before her powers are given to her one night out in town, disobeying her parents' wishes, and she becomes the superhero she's always revered. Stumbling blocks along the way ensue, internally as well as externally. Carol Danvers, the former Ms. Marvel, is her idol. She is also a huge fan of Wolverine and Spider-Man. Her superheroic journey is one of self-discovery and growing up into her own independent hero. She is not just Carol Danvers' mantle legacy. She's young, she makes mistakes, she will be harshly judged no matter how hard she tries to do right by people, she simplifies things and doesn't understand every adult issue in the world, but she will have the innocent underdog's back. She will look out for the ordinary and unprivileged people, and put their needs first, for she has been in that position herself. She has a lot of friends who will help her out in any crisis. Despite some family problems, as is normal for any Muslim and non-Muslim teenager, she loves and respects them and her religion unconditionally. Her race and religion are a fundamental part of her life and background, but they don't define her whole character. She's a much-needed, vital hero, idol and inspiration to everyone, not just Muslims living in either America or anywhere else where they are constantly under racist threat and attack, yet the victims are seen as the threat. Imperfect yet perfect for our times, that is Kamala Khan.'

'A geek in the Marvel universe who's an ascended fangirl. Teenager Kamala is an introvert who writes superhero fanfiction, does fan art, and is obsessed with the real heroes of her world, who help shape her values and her view of justice. She also respects her Muslim religion and heritage; she's still a geek girl, no matter what. She fulfils every comic book nerd's dream of meeting their favourite superheroes time and again on fun and dangerous missions. Kamala as the new Ms. Marvel, with powers granted to her mysteriously by Carol Danvers, now Captain Marvel, shows much needed common sense in the Marvel universe, and she never loses her way or her sight of justice, and what it means to help people. She knows what it means to be a hero - great power comes great responsibility and all - and thinks of others before herself, and what her actions could mean as a consequence for everyone else. Kamala can get understandably and appropriately happy or angry at her heroes, but she is also a hero, and she will do what must be done to fix things in the name of justice. Social justice. Clumsy, insecure, but brave and remaining true to what she's been taught about right and wrong - from her heroes and her religion - Kamala Khan is both a stand-in for superhero fans and a hero growing into her own identity; a geek at heart, just like early-days Peter Parker.'

7. Carol Danvers aka Captain Marvel (Marvel)

'Earth's Mightiest Hero! Whose character and comic book run has gone straight down the toilet in recent years thanks to incompetent writers at Marvel, but in a ray of hope she looks to be rising from the faeces-ridden ashes now. For rise she shall. Higher, further, faster, more. Always. Carol Danvers knows no limits. She's a superhero with decades of experience under her belt - from the fanservice-y and abysmally-treated Ms. Marvel, to a powerful space heroine thanks to the guiding pen of Kelly Sue DeConnick. Carol is brave, headstrong, confident, bright, sassy, funny, friendly, caring, and rather aggressive, impulsive, and thoughtless - preferring to punch things instead of thinking and talking things out first - but nonetheless an immovable diplomat in multiple planetary relations. Her alien Kree genes, given to her by accident when she was a young scientist (this is canon and I'm sticking to it - fuck you, The Life of Captain Marvel), are just one part of her. She is still very much human, and that is what makes her so special, so relatable, and so popular; no matter how powerful she is. Captain Marvel/Carol Danvers is awesome, and if you think that Marvel comics don't give her the care and respect she deserves, then watch her film. It's freaking great. For more on this woman who is a leader, a scientist, a pilot, a space captain, and all the things that make a hero legendary, read my past thoughts on her in the following:

'Captain Marvel, Vol. 1: Higher, Further, Faster, More'

'Captain Marvel, Vol. 1: In Pursuit of Flight'

'Captain Marvel: Earth's Mightiest Hero Vol. 1'

'Captain Marvel, Vol. 1: Rise of Alpha Flight'

'Avengers: The Enemy Within'

'Captain Marvel, Vol. 1: Re-Entry'

'Captain Marvel: Higher, Further, Faster'

Heroines of Legend: Fictional Universes - 16: Carol Danvers (Captain Marvel)'

'Brave, smart, funny, witty, high-spirited, open, fun-loving, determined, headstrong, confident, strong sense of justice, loves a challenge, continuously beats her limitations, always on the move, hero to humans and aliens.'

'Avenger, pilot, intelligence agent, scientist, astronaut, writer, ambassador, spaceship captain, Carol Corps leader (alternate universe), A-Force member (another alternate universe). Has worked for NASA, the CIA, the USA Air Force Special Operations, the Department of Defense, the Defense Intelligence Agency, and the space-faring Starjammers.'

'Also known as Ms. Marvel, Warbird, and Binary. A case of a poorly-written, poorly-treated female character being saved and uplifted to iconic status as a result of a female writer taking charge of her. This star Avenger started off in life as a NASA scientist whose genetics were altered by the Kree Psyche-Magnitron; thus becoming Ms. Marvel, a fanservice superheroine made weak, confused and ineffectual in comparison to the men around her. In the infamous Avengers #200 issue in 1980, she is carelessly written off to run away with her kidnapper/rapist/son, after the trauma of her Mystical Pregnancy via mind control-induced rape. This makes her one of the thankfully extremely rare cases of the misogynistic writing trope: "She gave birth to her rapist". This is also where she started on the path to becoming a recovering alcoholic. She was on the very morally-questionable pro-registration side during the Marvel Civil War event in 2006. Since then she has come a long way: Kelly Sue DeConnick redeemed her to new and spectacular heights as the new Captain Marvel. She's smart, she's fun, she's sassy, she's funny, she fears no obstacles except within herself - she's the next generation's Flash Gordon. A bright, shining supernova of a personality. She's a big Star Wars fan, and has a female cat (revealed to be an alien flerken cat) named Chewie. Many women and girls admire her (including Kit, the daughter of one of her lifelong friends); she has lots of female friends - superheroine, civilian, and space alien. She had wanted to prove herself capable her whole life, when her farther didn't want her to be a scientist and astronaut because she's a girl; investing in education for her brothers instead. She inspires girls both in-universe and in her readership. Sadly it seems her character has received yet another major derailment in 2016's Marvel Civil War II. She can bounce back, however, as she's done before. For she never gives up.'

6. Harleen Quinzel aka Harley Quinn (DC)

'Harley is the Clown Queen of Crime, beginning her creation as the Joker's sidekick, then his lover, then his tragic abuse victim, then a survivor who has her own wacky adventures. Harley is a perfect example of someone who is both very funny and entertaining, and horrifically tragic: Caught in a cycle of abuse at the hands of the psychopathic and narcissistic Joker, she makes bad decision after bad decision, despite being a smart woman with a psychology degree. Harley is fun to watch and read about: She's a fun clown lady, yet I also feel terribly sorry for her. She is so interesting and fascinating, it's no wonder a lot of people prefer her without being associated with her puddin'. They prefer her with her female best friend, Poison Ivy, who really is better for her. I'm happy that comic writers are getting this and are starting to seriously pair Harley and Ivy together romantically. She isn't silly or disposable at all: As her colossal fanbase proves, people care deeply about her.'

'Harley Quinn's powerhouse popularity cannot be overstated. She is simply amazing. A colourful, psychopathic, tragic, incredibly complex and complicated, and kind of sweet and friendly clown princess of anarchy, this former victim of domestic abuse will rise above everything from her past, and mark her own path; her own independence; in the bright blaze of an inferno. She's cookie cutter only in that she may look sweet, edible and easy, but she will cut you up if you mistreat her or her friends. Friends like Poison Ivy, whom she's developing a romantic and sexual relationship with after decades of "just friends".'

'Plus, can anyone name any other famous clown woman? She's a breath of fresh air (no laughing gas required!) indeed. Harley Quinn, despite what she might show on the outside, is a smart woman. Savvy and quick-thinking. However, her eccentric and overconfident streak got her tragically pulled into a cycle of abuse by the manipulative Joker. She fell madly in love with him when she was his psychiatrist at Arkham Asylum, and would do anything to make him love her just as much, even be his partner in crime. This is despite the fact that the egotistical and sociopathic Joker clearly only loves himself (heck, he shows more affection towards Batman than he does Harley), and uses his obsessive fanatic like a puppet for his schemes.'

'Harley Quinn may be in love with a psychopath, and she may believe in changing others while finding it difficult to change herself, but her cunning and spontaneity are brilliant as well as funny [...]'

'[...] one unappreciated woman's slow and steady decent into the madness she is trying to unravel and make sense of. This is her story. This is her tragedy. It is sad and scary how fragile sanity can be when living in a dark and warped society. Even the most levelheaded and educated of people can succumb to the disease of madness (or is madness a cure?!). If everyone is a little messed up in their own individual way, anyone can be drawn and seduced into a world of anarchy and toxic love, by coolly calculated mania.'

'Anyone is capable of being a killer. Harleen is given a lot of reasons to believe it. It is twisted. And intoxicating. But can there be a cure? A hope? Can anyone so far gone come back, and climb out of the abyss?'

'Harley Quinn - An ordinary and promising doctor who went in too deep, who had made assumptions, and came out the other end turned into a sadistic and violent murderer. And then she turned into an antiheroine, as is canon nowadays. Harley can be as charismatic, mad, cunning and evil as her puddin', the Joker; but unlike him, she has a hope of redemption. Because she has a clear, solid past. And goals.'

From tragic villainess and abuse victim to promising antiheroine all about girl power, Harley is an icon and star already risen to the very top.

5. Adora aka She-Ra (She-Ra: Princess of Power (and She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, too, I won't be picky))

'Why not both versions of She-Ra receive her due. The original Adora from the eighties cartoon is strong in a great many ways; she's brave, massively capable, mature, kind, caring, thoughtful, and a heroine - nay, the most powerful woman in the universe - for a reason. But if she's too perfect and Mary Sue-ish for you, then there's her reboot counterpart in She-Ra and the Princesses of Power from 2018. Adora is a flawed and uncertain teenager who tries her best and doesn't always succeed. She struggles to live up to people's expectations of her (she doesn't have a secret identity; a big improvement over the original), and her difficulty in using her healing power reflects her inner turmoil and needing to heal herself before she heals others. Her mistakes are her greatest teacher (as well as Madame Raz). Adora rightfully questions her destiny at every turn. Whichever path and discovery she encounters, she is not alone: there is her adorable Best Friends Squad with Glimmer and Bow, and her fellow Princesses of Power on Etheria. Adora/She-Ra shares in her power, and honours friendship and family above everything else. Also awesome is the queerness that leaps from the cartoon - there's colourful, bright and bold representation to rival Steven Universe. I mean, there is same-sex flirting (no one is straight, let's be real), girls are said to be dating, a couple of same-sex couples are clearly married, and there is nonbinary rep! Adora and Catra's complex relationship further exemplifies the LBGTQ dreamscape. Will it become a friends-sisters-to-enemies-to-lovers story? Or is Catra too far gone? We'll find out soon, hopefully! Well, both versions of She-Ra are high-flying magical young space women who are altruistic to the core and the heart. They could be as popular as Wonder Woman!'

'Big heart, extremely caring, selfless, honorable, friendly, helpful, courageous, determined, respectful, thoughtful, patient, cunning, witty, strategic, mature, independent but a team player always allowing needed help, experienced, a teacher, an activist, a rebel leader who never gives up on her values and beliefs.'

'Transforms into She-Ra using the Sword of Protection - She-Ra possesses incredible super strength, speed, agility, leaping, and endurance. Deflects laser blasts with her sword. Sword changes into any form she wishes for any task. Can use her tiara and bracelets in fights, similar to Wonder Woman. Faithful steed and companion is Spirit, aka Swift Wind, a talking horse who transforms into a winged unicorn. ESP. Telepathy with animals and magical healing abilities. Strong leadership (possibly left over from her days as a Horde captain, put into good use), negotiation and diplomacy skills.'

'Also known as the Most Powerful Woman in the Universe. He-Man/Prince Adam's twin sister, who was kidnapped by the Horde as a baby and raised by the ones who would become her arch enemies, mainly Hordak, the tyrannical ruler of Etheria. Started off bad, as a Force Captain, and turned good thanks to He-Man and the Sorceress; however she was not aware that the Horde is evil at first, and she was made ignorant due to being under magical spells. She is freed when she finds out her true destiny as She-Ra. From there she immediately dedicates her life to also freeing the planet Etheria from the Horde's rule, even if it takes years and her time away from her family on Eternia. She has a very kind and caring heart - an example of all that is good and righteous in a world corrupted by hate and ignorance. Due to her past she knows more about the Horde than the other rebels. Honorable and forgiving even towards her worst enemies - nobody will get hurt on her watch. She is also really, appropriately-cartoonishly strong for a female character in a children's cartoon in the eighties; she was created to appeal to a young female audience - like He-Man appealed to young boys - and she is very much a wish-fulfillment fantasy for them. She-Ra is capable to the max, sure to win every fight in every episode. She can be viewed as a woman warrior pop culture icon with a loving heart who proceeded Wonder Woman and is a precursor to Sailor Moon. Has more female friends and allies than male ones. Evidently, she is far more progressive a role model way back in the eighties in terms of strong female fighters in both cartoons and toylines, than today where companies outright refuse to appeal to a female demographic; certainly not with anything action-based. Her 2000s comic book counterpart is given the Horde name Despara, who willingly serves the evil villain. Her arc into becoming She-Ra is that of redemption, similar to Xena: Warrior Princess. A classic heroine, appealing not only to little girls, but to everyone.'

4. Diana, Princess of the Amazons and Themyscira aka Wonder Woman (DC)

'Do I need to say anything here? It's Wonder Woman! The most famous, iconic feminist character and superheroine in the world. As I've come to read more and more about her, and watch films and her 70s TV show starring Lynda Carter, I grew to love her unconditionally. Wonder Woman, aka Diana of Themyscira, is the spirit of truth, a champion of the Greek gods. She has a unique backstory as an Amazon princess born out of clay. She's been a superhero, a warrior, a goddess, an ambassador, a writer, a secret agent - she's had more jobs and identities than Barbie. Sure she's had her fair share of bad treatment by comic book writers over the decades, but what superhero hasn't? She's been subjected to all sorts of sexist stereotyping as well, but I don't like to talk about the poorer history of Wonder Woman. After seventy-five-plus years of growth and development, she's had her ups and downs, but her status as a feminist icon hasn't changed. Wondy's saved the world hundreds of times, some without having to even be a violent warrior - she will use her intelligence and determination to seek peaceful solutions towards making the patriarchal world and her homeland Themyscira places for everyone to live in fairly and happily. Overall she is a smart, caring and loving person; as strong in personality as in super strength and flight. I adore her Lynda Carter portrayal. A symbol in every sense of the world, Wonder Woman is queen - still going strong. She is worthy of admiration, inspiration, and respect.'

'I have discussed this character enough times to write a dissertation on. The world's most famous female superhero, one of DC's Holy Trinity of heroes, a feminist icon for eighty years, an original star, an Amazon warrior, a princess, a god, a truth seeker, an ambassador, a diplomat, a peacekeeper, a lover of all things worth loving, a loyal and compassionate and caring friend, most recently and more expressively a bisexual icon, and I could go on and on. Wonder Woman/Diana is many, many, many, many, womanly things. She's a phenomenon.'

'Compassionate, loving, comforting, cultured, mature, tolerant, modest, cunning, extremely courageous, helpful, loyal, keeps her word, a strategist before she is a warrior, values truth and kindness and freedom above all things, a friend to all living creatures, always puts others' lives and needs before her own, unabashedly feminist, sets out to make the world a happier and beautiful place, an inspiring hero and saviour.'

'Super strength, speed, flight, bullet-deflecting bracelets, Lasso of Truth, Invisible jet, boomerang tiara (in some incarnations), swords, shields, tridents, use of Greek gods' tools and weapons, can communicate with animals, possesses extremely high endurance levels, is a diplomat and peacemaker in need in order to stop wars.'

'Also known as Diana, princess of the Amazons and daughter of Hippolyta, queen of the Amazons. In most versions of her civilian form, she is called Diana Prince. Has had a unique origin story of being birthed from clay and blessed with her tremendous gifts by the Greek gods. Due to her upbringing, she shares many bonds with women and lauds sisterhood and other female kinship. Her main, unchanging love interest in her mythos, in man's world, is Steve Trevor, and her best friend is Etta Candy. She has been the subject of so many writers, and has had hundreds of interpretations of her in the near-eighty-years since her creation, that it is often difficult to pinpoint her exact personality, particularly in her stance as a feminist character. She is the most famous, most universally-known female superhero of all time. In her 2011 DC New 52 run, she is retconned as a daughter of Zeus, where she is also given the title of God of War. Associating her life with men is an unfortunate common denominator for her at the hands of male writers, made to cater to the insecure, emasculated male gaze. However, her overall, preferred characterization in popular culture is that of a powerful, empowering woman who inspires other women and girls, who seeks justice for everybody regardless of differences, who would talk about peace and end fighting using words rather than deadly force, who is a healer, a symbol of hope, and who would spread the message of love and tolerance everywhere she goes. Despite the various and contradictory traits of her many, many character interpretations, her iconography, her staying power, her popularity, for all these decades - which continue to this day - speaks for itself.'

'She is love, decency and hope. She is truth.'

'Wonder Woman - what a human! For a princess, goddess and icon. She is a very well-rounded, smart, compassionate, excitable, homesick but assertive hero.'

'To me she has always represented feminism in that there are no limitations placed on anyone just because of one's gender. Being a woman, being feminine, should not be considered a weakness. A woman is strength - in her own abilities and against adversity and oppression - but she can use that strength, plus her own certain privileges, to help others, to share, to spread love all around, and expose truths the patriarchy is not comfortable with. Wonder Woman embodies feminism as it is meant to be - equality for absolutely everybody, and that nothing good, healthy or productive comes out of hatred and ignorance. She is the light in a world full of and yet torn apart by its own divisiveness and diversity, caused by the cruel, the selfish, the lying, and the over-privileged. Wonder Woman may be fictional, but her staying power cannot be ignored and underestimated. People have loved her enough to want to keep seeing her again and again these 75 years. And when she is portrayed poorly, up to thousands of fans' voices will be heard. She is an inspiration. She is an icon.'

'Wonder Woman can be formidable, yet caring and reasonable; she is a negotiator first before she's a warrior. Though unafraid of knocking out those who stand in her way - nor will she back out of a challenge - she knows when the time is right to fight. She's a hero who will not give in to hatred and use violence to try to solve every problem, and that's admirable, not weak or an effeminate way of looking at the world. Wondy can navigate through any situation with a calm head on her shoulders - no matter what, she will put peace and family community first.'

'Her purpose involves love, community and protection for the vulnerable.'

Gail Simone: "When you need to stop an asteroid, you get Superman. When you need to solve a mystery, you call in Batman. But when you need to end a war, you get Wonder Woman."

3. Usagi Tsukino aka Sailor Moon (Sailor Moon)

'Millions of times I've talked about Sailor Moon already. It is my childhood - both the manga and the anime are my childhood. It is practically my life. It encompasses my identity. Just read my many, many, many manga reviews and heroine set pieces on the rest of my blog.'

'Compassionate and caring, cheerful, always there for her loved ones, a friend to all, not afraid to show her emotions or speak her mind, wears her heart on her sleeve always, determined at the best of times, serious in battle, hopeful.'

'As Sailor Moon, she uses the Silver Crystal - the most powerful force in the universe, originating from her heart - her Crescent Moon wand, Moon Rod, Moon Tiara, Ultrasonic Wave (rarely used), and the Holy Grail. Becomes Super Sailor Moon, and then Eternal Sailor Moon. Then Sailor Cosmos. Her powers relate to love, light and healing. She can occasionally fly as Eternal Sailor Moon. Hand-to-hand combat skills are also useful.'

'Queen of Crystal Tokyo, the new Silver Millennium on earth, once she turns twenty-one.'

'Also known as the Soldier of Love and Justice, the Soldier of Mystery, and the Sovereign of the Earth. Her past self is Princess Serenity of the moon, and her future self is named Neo-Queen Serenity of Crystal Tokyo. Develops into a more mature and serious-minded leader and future queen in the manga. Is the symbol of all light and hope, making her the most powerful Sailor Soldier in the universe. Her capacity for love and caring is matched by no other. She shows the strength of femininity. Her future husband is Mamoru Chiba, aka Tuxedo Mask, aka Prince Endymion, aka the future king of Crystal Tokyo by her side. Their future daughter is Chibiusa, aka Small Lady, aka Sailor Chibi Moon. Her favourite school subject is home economics. She likes comic books, video games, sweet things, and ice cream. She dislikes carrots, English, and mathematics. Is afraid of ghosts, dentists, lightning, and losing her friends and family. Her dream is to become a bride. Starts off as an underachieving, clumsy, crybaby schoolgirl, who grows into a soldier of love, a beacon of hope, never giving up in the face of absolute despair - ultimately crystallizing into the queen of the earth, and a mother; all the while remaining very much human. Truly, she is inspirational.'

'Sailor Moon - star of my gateway drug into anime and my first introduction to girl power - is who I looked up to as a child; who I related to the most, and still do. I was starstruck that a seemingly lazy, non-special and overly-sensitive schoolgirl could be a fighter, even a reluctant one; someone who saves the world time and again through love and compassion, and through all kinds of hardships, rises to become a queen. The growth of Usagi Tsukino is of a royal magnitude. She is better developed in the manga than the anime, making her more likeable and well-rounded. Plus she is the picture of femininity: Pink, skirts, jewellery, sparkles, heart! She's a princess, a friend to all, and future mother of a princess. But these things are not depicted as lesser or weak. They add to Sailor Moon's strengths as a hero, and I was partly a girly-girl myself as well. She grows stronger and more powerful through her own heart and courage rather than through any deus-ex-machina crystal. She will do anything to protect those she loves dearly, and she practically created hope itself. Go check out my 'Sailor Moon' manga reviews for a further in-depth analysis into her character. She's also on here due to nostalgic reasons, I admit - a hero of my childhood. Sailor Moon - my favourite Magical Girl - who is also the original - and my favourite anime character.'

2. Barbara Gordon aka Batgirl, and Oracle (DC)

'Barbara Gordon, aka Batgirl, aka Oracle, is amazing. She's a martial artist, a daredevil, a world expert computer genius, and is all around an incredibly brave and goodhearted individual. She's an example of how the comic book industry can treat females characters both well and appallingly. Look no further than 'The Killing Joke' (the animated adaption is even worse, and I could go on forever about how I hate that atrocity with a passion, but that's neither here nor there). Barbara has been a fridged woman, but she's bounced back many times - as Oracle, and a revived Batgirl. Because people love and respect her character that much, and recognise that she isn't significant due to her relationships with established male characters (again, glaring at you, 'The Killing Joke').'

'Babs is one of the reasons I think people with red hair are awesome. Smart, noble, loyal, and fiercely tenacious - in the comics and the various 'Batman' animated series' - Barbara Gordon overcomes and adapts to anything that comes her way. She never takes anything lying down.'

'Extremely smart and reasonable, she also has a vulnerable side which helps readers to connect with her as both a competent hero and as a human being.'

'[...] a student wanting to go into the police force and set up her own detective agency. But no one, not even her dad, will take her seriously because she's "too short" (right). She takes people underestimating her to her own advantage, and is secretly more capable of espionage and butt-kicking than most full-grown adults.'

'Babs is an assertive heroine. She never gives up her cynical-yet-hopeful outlook on life - nor her dreams - because she continuously wants to be better and to keep on achieving more. And because she simply can, and will.'

'Throughout her life, Barbara Gordon has never let her skills and determination falter and go to waste, no matter the circumstances. She is the epitome of inner strength and resolve. That, to me, is what makes her an equal to Batman; what makes her so admirable as a hero and role model for girls. This is why, currently, she is my favourite superheroine.'

'Batgirl was one of the first superheroines I ever saw on TV, and I thought, "If a girl - with no powers at all - can be as smart, brave and amazing as Batman, then any girl can."'

'High IQ, tech savvy, resourceful, quick-thinking, cunning, altruistic, persistent, excitable, ambitious, makes friends easily, best at work when solo, in a partnership, and in a team.'

'Martial arts, ballet, computer and hacking skills, eidetic memory, gadgetry, travelling, continuously exercising her mind and body.'

'Crime-fighting superhero - as Batgirl, or the worldwide superheroes' intelligence database and hacker Oracle, depending on the various DC storylines. Librarian, college student, detective, police chief, congresswoman, leader of the Birds of Prey.'

'Daughter of Gotham's police commissioner, James Gordon. Also known as the Dominoed Daredoll, and Bat-Beauty. The first Batgirl on DC's record is actually Betty Kane, Batwoman's niece, in the 1961 comic issue, "Bat-Girl!" BATMAN #139. Was created mainly as a love interest for either Batman or Robin, and in order to attract a female audience to the sixties Batman television show. Is left paralyzed via gunshot - and sexually assaulted (heavily implied) - by the Joker in the 1988 Alan Moore graphic novel The Killing Joke, to further the character arcs of Batman and Commissioner Gordon. Afterwards she is confined to a wheelchair for under twenty years during DC's run, where she assumes the role of Oracle, a genius working behind the computer screen, and giving information to any superhero who asks. In that time she was part of the very rare disability representation in comics. Is back to walking and fighting as Batgirl in DC's 2011 New 52 reboot, where she has PTSD, and where she is also given a younger brother, James Jnr. Moves to Burnside in her 2014 comics run to fight crime and complete her college thesis. Is friends with many DC characters, including her longtime partner in the Birds of Prey, Black Canary, and the other Batgirls Cassandra Cain and Stephanie Brown, who she takes under her wing as Oracle. Current civilian friends include the transgender woman Alysia Yeoh, and Frankie Charles of Burnside, a woman tech wizard of colour with muscular dystrophy.'

1. Elphaba (Wicked)

Yeah. This one hasn't changed. Elphaba - my number one.

'High intelligence, well-read, honest, philosophical, possessing great magical power and potential, compassionate, caring for animals and Animals, caring for her sister Nessarose, altruistic, a persistent activist, a considerate friend, a rebel in resistance to corrupt authority figures, always working to reach higher and higher - reaching for the sky, defying limitations (Defying Gravity).'

'Spellcasting from the Grimoire, moving objects with her willpower, flying on a broomstick, animal assistants, and singing!'

'Is a child of two worlds - Earth and Oz, adding to her power and potential as a legend. Is much better written in the musical than the book. Is a mother in the book, to Liir (but she can't remember giving birth to him, which, FYI, is an impossibility). She is a bookworm, and a rebel. She loves unconditionally, and cares for the freedom and well-being of all living creatures. She's a doer and a thinker. A tragic figure in the book, but a symbol of love, hope, learning and truth in the musical.'

'My favourite witch ever in fiction is my favourite character in fiction ever. I can't gush enough about this extraordinary female creation. So soulful and magical; a relatable and complicated beauty. A powerful triumph on all sorts of levels.'

'Yep, my hero in musicals is also my biggest hero in all fiction. Elphaba is an outcast, a witch, a bookworm, a nerd, a diplomat, a freedom fighter, a friend to everyone - or tries to be - a sexually-liberated individual, and a misunderstood and hugely complex figure: She's practically all the other women on this list and more. In personality she's everything I am and who I want to be. Who knew that such an original creation could have come from a rather one-note villain in 'The Wizard of Oz' and from such a brilliantly-conceived but poorly-executed 1995 book? Elphaba isn't deep or likable in the slightest in the original source material - she barely does anything on her own, is a constant victim, and all her actions can be summed up in one sentence: "Because the plot says so." But in the musical, boy is she improved! Elphaba is a leader and a protector, at first to her younger sister and then to her friends, then to all of Oz, who have been brainwashed by the Wizard into believing she is wicked. She isn't evil or cruel, far from it. She fights for justice, loves animals and Animals, loves her family, and doesn't allow herself to be a pawn in the Wizard's schemes. Elphaba tries not to be the bad witch almost all of Oz wants her to be. Yet as the story goes, for all her efforts she will be viewed as a villain, no matter how hard her attempts are in exposing government corruption. Elphaba is everything: Brave, maternal, caring, super smart, witty, gifted in magic and strategics, romantic, both an introvert and extrovert, hopeful, tragic, a child of two worlds, and colourful. She has green skin - honestly, who wouldn't want green skin? Elphaba - Elphie - is the quintessential feminist character. A bonafide well-rounded female. And she can sing! I love Idina Menzel, and her role as Elsa - so similar to Elphie - is also an iconic performance. Elphaba is potentially bisexual, too. What is not to love about her? She will keep on defying gravity! Testing herself and moving forward, like all powerful women, in fiction and in history, do to survive. The rest of the world simply needs to listen to them, and believe in them.'

Wow that's A LOT of old quotes I ended up using!

Female power!

Have a great day!

Graphic Novel Review - 'Wash Day Diaries' by Jamila Rowser (Writer), Robyn Smith (Artist)

The authentic Black sisterhood experience in the Bronx, told from the points of view of four ordinary, complex, beautiful and wonderful women - Kim, Tanisha "Nisha", Davene, and Cookie.

'Wash Day Diaries' is about more than Black hair and Black hairstyles, although it is important and does intrinsically weave and braid and intertwine with other aspects of the women's lives. All of their hair is absolutely beautiful and divine, in both the artwork and how each style fits each of their personalities. Such stunners can only be achieved through nearly a day's worth of hard, careful work. It is all about Black women's self-care, endurance, resilience, and their powerful, groundbreaking and revolutionary love and trust in their friendship. Their sisterhood.

Safe to say that 'Wash Day Diaries' is also very educational for white people, like myself.

It is very slice-of-life, and the lovely art depicts the women's day-to-day living in the signature and distinct colour palettes of purple (regal and reserved singer Kim's chapter), pink (spastic, nerdy and funny Nisha's chapter), blue (elegant but shy and depressed Davene's chapter), and yellow (rambunctious and optimistic Cookie's chapter). Catcalling, a toxic stalker ex, Black women being judged for their hair, how they take care of themselves internally through their haircare routines, depression, family complications and healing, dementia, juggling careers, and the ironclad friendship shared between Black women (not just in clubbing and singing - in defending against exes, and there is a sleepover in the graphic novel!) are among the painfully real themes explored in 'Wash Day Diaries', with tints and blossomings of hope, humour and joy. And all of the heart.

At least one of the women is queer and has a girlfriend, too. The dangers and tragedies of Black-owned businesses being shut down is lightly touched on but undeniably there. Racist police brutality is implied in a line of dialogue, concerning how Black people would not want to get the police involved in anything, even if it's a matter of safety, for obvious reasons.

'Wash Day Diaries' as a whole can read as being too short, abrupt, and a little underdeveloped. But it is breezy due to its limited dialogue; it can be read in less than half an hour.

Then there's that moment where one of the women is clearly suffering from depression, and her friend, one of the other woman main leads, is dismissive (at least when it comes to medication), not taking it as seriously as it should be, and she comes across as invalidating, patronising and pushy, even if she is trying to help. However I think this was done intentionally, that we are meant to see that the friend is wrong and not in fact helpful. No one is perfect, after all (not an excuse but still, life is life), and the moment is the only time we see a negative experience between these friends. Therapy and antidepressants are tried and considered, to offset the "oh you're fine you seem fine you just need to get out and hang out with your buds" mentality in half-arsedly dealing with depression.

It is a short but beautiful comic. Humorous, touching, pretty, and full of the strength of Black sisterhood. We need stories like this; this needed to exist in this day and age.

And that's that. I hope I could adequately review and give some mien of justice to 'Wash Day Diaries', and its interconnected chapters' depictions of Black women's experiences in America, as a white British woman.

Final Score: 3.5/5

Book Review - 'The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School' by Sonora Reyes

'The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School' is a unique experience for me. Sadly it's not a positive one.

There is so much to love about it, ranging from the diversity (the main developing couple is a Latinx lesbian, Yamilet, and a Chinese lesbian, Bo, and they are really cute together) (and queer siblings FTW!) to how it quite cleverly uses bait-and-switches and subverted expectations for some of its elements - which I'm sure if it had come out ten years previously, would definitely had been played straight and predictably. Some characters are cool, sweet and likeable, while others are not, but they are complex and flawed and messy. 'Lesbiana's' is important contemporary YA fiction that I'm glad I read, and I do like it...

But the more time I spend away from it once I'd finished and thought more about it, and reflected on it, as soon as the initial excitement and rush has worn off... some things about it bug me, disturb me, make me uncomfortable, and not want to revisit it.

I'll try to explain myself, starting with the little things.

Apologies for the vagueness of these reasons below; reasons for me allowing my doubts to firmly set in concerning 'Lesbiana's', but I don't wish to spoil too much, for I don't want to discourage anyone from wanting to read it, regardless.

Anyway, here goes:

For a book titled 'The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School', Catholic school itself barely factors into it as a whole, and doesn't make that much of an impact. It pretty much disappears for the majority of the second half. It just feels like a run-of-the-mill school setting for a YA book, not something so intrinsic to the story's plot and themes. Positively, in part, it exists as a convenience and to prove points regarding anti-LBGTQ+ bigotry in Catholicism, and super religious schools in general.

In fact, a few settings - and characters - don't feel that fleshed out, important or memorable to me, once I was done with the book. Side characters in particular suffer from underdevelopment. Likely a result of Yamilet's first-person perspective as a limited, ignorant and self-absorbed teenager (through no fault of her own, of course).

There are moments, plot devices, quirks and character traits, especially at the beginning, that seem significant and like they would come up again later, such as when contradictions to said moments occur. But they never do. They are never mentioned again, not in dialogue or anything. Some elements are brought up again, but others aren't. It's not a messy novel, or it doesn't feel like it, but occasionally it reads as forgetful and not well structured.

For its strong, loving LBGTQ+ representation in YA lit, 'Lesbiana's' mentions only one trans person, in one throwaway line of dialogue, and that's it, their existence is never acknowledged again. They are literally just a name put in once on a page. There's no mention of enbies, genderfluid or gender nonconforming persons existing (as far as I can tell from my research, the author, Sonora Reyes, uses they/them pronouns, so... not fully #ownvoices? Don't get me wrong, it is #ownvoices, it just... maybe could have been more?). It is an unfortunate shame to see in a critically acclaimed queer YA novel in 2022.

And now for one of the big ones; one of the big reservations I had over 'Lesbiana's' and its impact and status as a modern and important LBGTQ+ YA publication - which I mostly agree it is - but here's the spanner in the cogs: It uses the queer-character-dies-or-almost-dies-so-a-straight-character-will-stop-being-a-homophobic-piece-of-shit cliché.

I hate this. How it uses a queer person's pain and suffering - or even death - to further the development of a horrible straight person is only one of its problematic aspects and takeaways. It was in 'The Love and Lies of Rukhsana Ali', and other LBGTQ+ YA fiction. Seriously, why are we still doing this? 'Lesbiana's' is better at the cliché, in that it is clear throughout that the queer characters' feelings and struggles are prioritised over the straight characters'. However, it is very obvious that the "reformed" homophobic character in question would have remained homophobic and would have committed horrible acts no decent human being would have done if said queer tragedy hadn't taken place. Like, queer people are people and have feelings too, who'd have fucking thought?!

I'm not saying it's an unrealistic storytelling device, but it nonetheless has unfortunate implications attached to it. In-story it feels melodramatic and unnecessary, existing to have something tragic happen near the story's climax when things are getting too mundane, repetitive, maudlin, or optimistic. It leans towards a lighter-but-no-less-harmful-and-damaging version of the Bury Your Gays trope, and authors should tread it very carefully if they decide it has to be included in their story.

All this comes down to another big gripe of mine: in conclusion, I hate Yamilet's mother.

Sure, she's not as bad as certain other homophobic characters - specifically, homophobic adults - but that isn't saying much. I honestly don't care whether she is realistic or not, she shouldn't get a reward and a free pass, after everything she's said and done to her own children, just for doing the bare minimum of parenting; at the very end or any other time in the book. No one should receive lovey-fairy-daisy brownie points for decency, and not after all the horror Yami's mum inflicted on her kids, inadvertence and ignorance be damned. For example, one child is hurt and suffering, and she is devastated, but the other child is also hurt - injured, in fact - and she doesn't give a shit, and she screams and vents all her negative feelings towards her traumatised non-favourite, and this is never, ever addressed. And how about when another gay child, who isn't hers, is injured, beaten bloody (again sorry for the vagueness, but I'm stepping away from spoiler territory eggshells as best I can), and she doesn't care about that either because, to her, it makes sense since they're gay and so deserve it, and this is never once addressed either!!! (The only thing focused on is the child getting kicked out of their own home).

Yami's mum's development is rushed at the end - no "redemption arc" should be rushed - and she gets away with too much and is forgiven far too easily. Maybe I have become an unforgiving sort of person, but when some actions are brought to light and called to task, while other actions are forgotten about, it's hard for me to overlook and take seriously, no matter if someone "deserves" forgiveness.

Side note: Religion should never be used as an excuse for bigotry. Outright hateful bigotry. This fundamental fact of life is so obvious and old hat by now that its dusty cobwebs have grown dusty cobwebs, and it's incredibly sad that, in 2022, a lot of adults still don't see it, or they refuse to see it.

Trust me, no one is as heartbroken as I am that 'The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School' turned out to be a book I couldn't love once the warmth and the novelty of its diverse-though-could-have-been-better cast faded. I mean no harm or insult to people who like and love it, with my honest review, and absolutely, positively no offense is meant to the amazing and hardworking author, who put their work and story out there, through my criticism.

Maybe it's me. Maybe over the years I've become cynical and harder to please. Maybe I'm merely getting older; too old for YA. Maybe I have no right at all to criticise a book like this to begin with, as a white cishet female. I don't think I'm being oversensitive, however. I may have been burned and left jaded and blindsided by disappointment lately, but I don't regret growing more critical of the media I consume. 'Lesbiana's' is, at least, definitely the best of the middling LBGTQ+ YA books I've read this year, and the years before. I can't bring myself to overlook its flaws, however, and praise it to high heavens.

I wish Sonora Reyes and their fanbase nothing but the best, and the best for the future, and there is always room for self-improvement anywhere, and everywhere.

Disillusioned ramblings passing off as a review, signing off.

Final Score: 3/5

Scribbled thoughts at this moment in time

I have to voice my grievances somewhere:

I am never, ever going to America again. Ever. Not for a very, very long time, at the very least, and that's me being optimistic. Human rights mean absolutely nothing there. The place that seems so determined to kill every one of its people--

No. No.

Breathe. Stay calm. Don't panic.

It's too easy to be angry, aggressive, afraid and negative. And incoherent. Too easy to sink to the fascists' and right-wingers' level.

Kindness is the key. Kindness is always the key.

Empathy, understanding and love cure the world. Not violence, abuse and death.

Go outside. Look around. There is beauty in the world. There is much to love.

This world is worth saving.

Try to be calm and kind. Collected and thoughtful. We are all human and worth so much.

Remember that everyone deserves freedom. Everyone deserves choices. Everyone should feel safe and protected in their own home.

Remember that not everyone is absolutely terrible, hypocritical, vile and poisonous. Not everyone is so unbelievably warped, hateful, corrupt, crooked, irrational, unhinged, selfish and power-hungry.

Ethics and morals still exist.

As do fighting injustices and what is wrong in our systems - all for equality and free, public education and choice - every single day.

Keep truth and responsibility alive.

Keep caring.

With kindness and love, which will always exist in human "civilisations" and "societies" no matter what, there will always exist hope.

Hope for a better, peaceful world. Where everyone is given chances, and the fundamental freedom to love, be visible, be listened to, be happy, be functional, be safe, and be alive.

Someday.

The Lisa Simpson Summer of Love Makeup Palette

A spur-of-the-moment purchase of a product, simply because of its baffling existence. 

Never in a billion years would I have guessed I'd see something like this today, or any day.

An eyeshadow palette based around a cartoon eight-year-old girl?!

I mean, just look at the names they give to some of the colours!

It is actually called 'Summer of Love' at the back, too. The colours and heart designs also make it look like it could easily be a The Powerpuff Girls product. A makeup The Powerpuff Girls product.

A makeup Lisa Simpson product, WHAT!

But I had to get it, because its existence is funny to me. And because it's The Simpsons. There was also a Homer and Marge makeup set right next to it.

It's The Simpsons. What can you do, man?