Indie, Image, modern, or other. These are my personal favourite picks for comic books and graphic novels starring female protagonists, that are not made by DC or Marvel.
The best of my collection, put on a list for recommendation purposes. The more diverse, well written, well characterized, and overall more progressive, the better! The potential for great storytelling and great human representation and inclusion is limitless.
Let us see and praise this medium for what it can offer us, during any dark times. Let there be light and hope at the end of the dark tunnel. Here, on this list, there exists dreams made manifest.
One thing though: I've decided not to include any adaptations from other works. The list only includes original creations. So sorry, Speak - but you remain one of my favourites, still.
Okay, another thing: since we are celebrating diversity in comics, I should add Heartstopper as an honourable mention; for while it is my second favourite comic ever, and is absolutely phenomenal, and everyone can and should read the series, it is not included because its leads are cisgender males.
As usual, enjoy!
40. 'W.I.T.C.H.: Part I. Vol. 1 The Twelve Portals (W.I.T.C.H. Graphic Novels #1)' by Walt Disney Company, Elisabetta Gnone
A nostalgic classic. Girl power and Magical Girls for the European market, I love it still! W.I.T.C.H. is a charming and magical kids' series, which has dark moments in it as well, and it is ultimately about female friendship. I strongly recommend it for young and beginner comic book readers.
Review here.
39. 'The Infinite Loop' by Pierrick Colinet (Writer), Elsa Charretier (Illustrator)
A very weird and oftentimes confusing graphic novel. But it is worth it for the time travelling lesbian social justice warrior angle. It is extremely political and unsubtle about it, but it works. The Infinite Loop is bizarre, yet clever and entertaining. The art is cartoony, lovely and charming to boot. It's such a passionate work of art, there may not be anything else like it. Review here.
38. 'Snapdragon' by Kat Leyh
A much more recent graphic novel that is imperfect, but nonetheless important for diverse representation, especially for younger readers. Cute, charming, loud, and messy. And full of heart. A strange but lovely fantasy book. Review here.
37. 'Misfit City Vol. 1' by Kirsten Smith (Writer), Kurt Lustgarten (Writer), Naomi Franquiz (Artist)
A feminist '80s callback to The Goonies and other nostalgic flicks. It's like Stranger Things but lighter and centering only on female leads. An endearing little comic that's diverse as hell, by BOOM! Box!. Review here.
36. 'Heavy Vinyl, Vol. 1 (Hi-Fi Fight Club)' by Carly Usdin (Writer), Nina Vakueva (Illustrator)
Another fun and diverse girl gang book by BOOM! Box!. All about music, and beating the patriarchy! It's like a positive Fight Club. It's cheesy yet cool, and who doesn't love female friendships and queer relationships? Review here.
35. 'El Deafo' by Cece Bell
A cute and touching autobiographical graphic novel for younger readers. Funny, tender, sweet, and inspiring. Review here.
34. 'Lady Killer, Vol. 1' by Joëlle Jones (Writer/Artist), Jamie S. Rich (Co-Writer)
Now onto something violent and bloody! But this is surprisingly entertaining and well restrained for a comic with a serial killer and assassin premise. Good characters and story, and it is genuinely feminist - a commentary on and a satire of '50s American suburbia and housewives. A thrilling read. Review here.
33. 'Bitch Planet, Vol 1: Extraordinary Machine' by Kelly Sue DeConnick (Writer), Valentine De Landro (Artist), Robert Wilson IV (Artist), Cris Peter (Artist), Clayton Cowles (Artist)
I'd recommend any Bitch Planet title, really, but it's best to start at the very beginning. A very relevant, engaging and entertaining feminist graphic novel series. It is bold as hell, and aggressive and in-your-face about its message. As I state in my review, "It is a sci-fi-B-movie-homage satire comic meant to be taken seriously,". It is a riot - that women have been waiting for; have been fighting forever for. Let us be angry at injustices, dammit! Review here.
32. 'Stage Dreams' by Melanie Gillman
One word: Gorgeous. But it ends too soon! Queer, trans and racial diversity in the wild west for the win! It's fun as well as educational. Review here.
31. 'The Legend of Korra: Turf Wars Part One' by Michael Dante DiMartino (Writer), Irene Koh (Artist)
Other The Legend of Korra comics come recommended by me as well. But where it starts - from where the animated show ended - is where it is best, in my opinion. Queer and race rep for children, I tell you! It's Korrasami! And they kiss! These comics are a bit too short and rushed, but the charm, the spirit, the colour, the hope, is it there. Review here.
30. 'Witchy' by Ariel Slamet Ries
An underrated magical gem. So dark, mysterious, charming, melodious, and rare. The worldbuilding is rich and excellent, and so are the characters. Breathtaking. Review here.
29. 'The Prince and the Dressmaker' by Jen Wang
One of the cutest and most charming graphic novels ever. One of the cutest and most charming (and diverse and hopeful) historical fiction works ever. What's not to love about this funny, sweet, and lush romance book? It's so soft, rosy, lavish, stylish, and lighthearted. Review here.
28. 'Spell on Wheels' by Kate Leth (Writer), Megan Levens (Illustrator), Marissa Louise (Colorist), Jen Bartel (Cover Artist), Nate Piekos (Letterer)
Three modern day witches on a road trip. What fun! Review here.
27. 'Another Castle: Grimoire' by Andrew Wheeler (Writer), Paulina Ganucheau (Artist)
A marvellously fun, colourful and feminist homage to video games and '80s cartoons. Energetic, vibrant, charming, adorable, and passionate, it's a treat. Review here.
26. 'Kim Reaper Vol. 1: Grim Beginnings' by Sarah Graley
It's cute! It's darling! It's gothic! It's grisly! It's horror! It's a cartoon! It's race and queer rep that is explicit, for girls of all ages. Vibrant, hilarious, goofy, and beyond charming, I adore Kim Reaper. It is full of heart, too. Review here.
25. 'Cucumber Quest: The Doughnut Kingdom (Cucumber Quest #1)' by Gigi D.G.
Oh yes. Now THIS is a cute, charming, and side-splittingly (don't care if that's not a word) funny graphic novel series. Cucumber Quest is a spectacularly fun, colourful, cartoony, creative, imaginative, soft, cheerful, and clever fantasy quest parody. Just read it, seriously; even though the last volume is a little too dark and convoluted. It's enjoyable for all ages. Review here.
24. 'Sabrina the Teenage Witch (2019)' by Kelly Thompson (Writer), Veronica Fish (Artist), Andy Fish (Artist), Jack Morelli (Letterer)
A fresh and positive Sabrina the Teenage Witch contemporary comic reboot. Meet a proactive, smart, funny and relatable Sabrina Spellman! She is like a Magical Girl in this comic! An enjoyable, magical treat for all witch fans. Review here.
23. 'Bingo Love' by Tee Franklin (Writer), Jenn St-Onge (Artist), Joy San (Colorist), Cardinal Rae (Letterer)
POC queer grandmas. Nuff said. Review here.
22. 'Goldie Vance Vol. 1' by Hope Larson (Writer), Brittney Williams (Illustrator)
A sunny and gorgeously-drawn-and-coloured-in detective comic, starring a young POC and queer girl sleuth. It's bright, charming, and very dynamic. Goldie Vance really is an unique heroine. The comic has a nostalgic, Hanna-Barbera aesthetic going for it, as well. What a ride! Review here.
21. 'Woman World' by Aminder Dhaliwal
One of the funniest anecdotal feminist comics out there. It's freaking hilarious. Great and insightful social commentary guaranteed! Could a post-apocalyptic world with only women turn out so positive? Smashing! Review here.
20. 'Motor Crush, Vol. 1' by Brenden Fletcher (Writer), Cameron Stewart (Writer), Aditya Bidikar (Letterer), Babs Tarr (Artist)
So awesome. It is a sci-fi dystopian comic that's revved up on POC and queer rep. Colourful, energetic, fast, punk, not too dark, and with a beating heart, and complex characters. It's a thrill ride. The main character, as mentioned in my review: "is like a female Will Smith: naturally cool no matter what." Prepare for intensity and ferocity! Review here.
19. 'Heathen Volume 1' by Natasha Alterici, Rachel Deering, Rebecca Rutledge (Editor), Kristen Grace (Editor)
Norse mythology. Valkyries. Vikings. Barbarians. Lesbian main characters. Talking horses and wolves. Norse mythology. Valkyries. Vikings. Barbarians. Lesbian main characters. Talking horses and wolves. Norse mythology. Valkyries. Vikings. Barbarians. Lesbian main characters. Talking horses and wolves. NORSE MYTHOLOGY. VALKYRIES. VIKINGS. BARBARIANS. LESBIAN MAIN CHARACTERS. TALKING HORSES AND WOLVES. Also goddesses. ARE YOU READING THIS YET!? A beautiful, gritty, watercolour magnum opus. Review here.
18. 'Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Pink' by Brenden Fletcher, Kelly Thompson, Tini Howard (Writers), Daniele Di Nicuolo (Illustrator)
A nostalgic and well written trip down memory lane. I adore any Pink Power Ranger, especially Kimberly Hart. Absolute action, colour, fun, and heart. Pure nostalgic entertainment, and girl power! Review here.
17. 'Anya's Ghost' by Vera Brosgol
Wow. Where it all began. The first graphic novel I've ever read which got me to read more graphic novels. Of course it still holds a special place in my heart. A touching gem for teen readers. It's like a cool reverie for me. Review here.
16. 'My Favorite Thing Is Monsters, Vol. 1' by Emil Ferris
A wholly unique graphic novel masterpiece. A shame that its sequel STILL isn't out yet. "Part notebook, part artbook, all mystery and coming-of-age." My Favorite Thing Is Monsters is highly ambitious and passionate. A creepy, harrowing, often horrifying, and introspective read. Plus its diverse and queer, can't forget that. Review here.
15. 'Rat Queens, Vol 1: Sass & Sorcery' by Kurtis J. Wiebe (Writer), Roc Upchurch (Artist)
Golly gumdrop acid, what fun! Rat Queens has everything, it seems. Four diverse and distinguishable and individual female leads having fantasy action adventures; with swords, sorcery, demons, and lots of swearing. Mirroring the comic's lady leads, it is altogether balls-to-the-walls hilarious, violent, confident, and adult. Pretty looking, too. Review here.
14. 'Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood and The Story of a Return' by Marjane Satrapi, Anjali Singh (Translator)
No comic and graphic novel collection would be complete without Persepolis. This important autobiographical masterpiece needs no introduction. Poignant, touching, sad, harrowing, witty, educational, feminist, and vital. Review here.
13. 'Page by Paige' by Laura Lee Gulledge
A positive, sweet, touching, feel-good, life-affirming, and lovable semi-autobiographical artbook. Perfect for creative types who are feeling down in the dumps. A timeless, inspiring, coming-of-age spectacle. Review here.
12. 'Power & Magic: The Queer Witch Comics Anthology' by Joamette Gil (Editor), Various
If you get the chance to read this, or buy it, by any legal means, do. It is worth every penny. A queen of witchy and diverse - race, queer, religion, disability, you name it - graphic novels. Abundant in original, powerful, rich, sweet, dark, weird, and absolutely versatile fairy tales of any culture. Magical, fantastical, and gorgeous are these stories. What hope this anthology represents for the future of comics! Review here.
11. 'The Okay Witch' by Emma Steinkellner
A perfect children's comic. A diverse witch comic for all ages. The Okay Witch is among the best of modern witch comics. It is colourful, adorable, charming, lovable, funny, intelligent, and gorgeous. You could say it's bewitching. Beat the patriarchy! Review here.
10. 'Princeless Book 1: Save Yourself' by Jeremy Whitley (Writer), M. Goodwin (Illustrator)
An awesome action and adventure children's comic, and a fairy tale princess parody. This needs to be adapted into an animated film. It's a subversion and deconstruction dream come true. A cartoony, smart, funny, charming, and cute feminist fairy tale romp. Brilliant. Review here.
9. 'Mooncakes' by Suzanne Walker (Writer), Wendy Xu (Artist)
As colourful, precious and charming as The Prince and the Dressmaker? As magical and creative as Witchy, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, The Okay Witch, and Princeless? It's queer as hell AND it features a nonbinary lead? Where have you been all my life, Mooncakes? One of the queer and POC leads is also hard of hearing. The rep is fantastic. The graphic novel is a spellbinding treat, and it's so damn cute! A sweet, soft, lovable, and comfortable Sapphic fantasy standalone. Review here.
8. 'On A Sunbeam' by Tillie Walden
I've talked about this feminist sci-fi and woke masterpiece a lot already, and I have no new words. There are no words in which to truly describe it and do it justice, period. It is seriously out of this world, and deserves all the respect in the universe. Beautiful. Revolutionary. Just...read my review here.
7. 'Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me' by Mariko Tamaki (Writer), Rosemary Valero-O'Connell (Artist)
"A raw, refreshing, heartbreaking, sweet, touching, and beautiful story about teenage relationships, and it is queer AF. Seriously, it is one of the best LBGTQ graphic novels ever made in how effortlessly it normalizes queer people and relationships, as it is normal. It is life. Nearly everyone is queer here." Thus begins my review here. A practically perfect, contemporary, coming-of-age masterpiece. Mariko Tamaki should be proud of the work she does for the comics industry.
6. 'Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened' by Allie Brosh
Who said that humour is dead? This is the funniest shit ever, and I mean it. You will laugh and cry at this...novel concept, this autobiography. Hilarious, outlandish, and true. "A deeply personal passion project. Allie Brosh is a treasure of a normal human being, whom rather effed-up things often happen to." Review here.
5. The Graphic Novels of Kay O'Neill
All of them: Princess Princess Ever After, The Tea Dragon Society, The Tea Dragon Festival, Aquicorn Cove. Each and every one of them is brilliant. Effortless diversity for all ages. And SO creative, lush, egalitarian, and charming that it almost hurts. I'm jealous of these books. To all the people of the world; to every living creature of every species that exist in the universe - read these books. Hope, happiness and comfort - that is Kay O'Neill, creating masterpiece after masterpiece. My review of Princess Princess Ever After is here. My review of The Tea Dragon Society is here. My review of The Tea Dragon Festival is here. And my review of Aquicorn Cove is here. I can't wait for The Tea Dragon Tapestry, which is coming out this year! Beautiful, meditative, peaceful, and magical works of art. The world would be a much better place with more stories like them.
4. 'Zodiac Starforce: By the Power of Astra' by Kevin Panetta (Writer), Paulina Ganucheau (Illustrator)
Ahhh, Magical Girls, my favourite thing! And modern Magical Girls at that! This series is a love letter to fans of Sailor Moon and other girl power action mediums. Heartfelt and also tragic, containing strong POC and queer rep, and female friendships at the heart of everything. Zodiac Starforce is a shooting star, all right - so full of life and spirit. And love. It is a charming, heavenly, astronomical gift. My review of Volume 1 is here (really, everything you need to know about this series and why I love the Magical Girl genre is there), and my review of Volume 2 is here. Will it continue? I hope so!
3. 'Nimona' by Noelle Stevenson
Noelle Stevenson's passion project and masterpiece. There is nothing else like Nimona. Nothing. It has everything, and I fucking love it. Noelle Stevenson is my hero. Review here (where I go into much longer and more detailed analyses of Nimona, I assure you).
2. 'Rapunzel's Revenge' by Shannon Hale, Dean Hale, Nathan Hale (Illustrator)
Everything is also in this graphic novel - including fairy tales, and the wild west! One of the first graphic novels I've read - this sweet, touching, action-packed, and badass heroine story - for all ages - will remain a favourite, always. It also features one of my favourite heroines of all time. "action, adventure, drama, comedy, romance, a strong female lead, magic, animals, a diverse cast of characters (including strong little people), a mother-and-daughter/son theme, redemption, slavery, starvation, kidnapping storylines, prison breakout storylines, and of course, a revenge plot. Tell me if I'm missing something, because it could be that this comic book has a little something for everyone. Even though it looks to be a Western with a fairy tale twist, it could easily earn a place in any number of genres." Review here.
1. 'The One Hundred Nights of Hero' by Isabel Greenberg
A pure, perfect mistresspiece. If Batgirl, Vol. 1: The Darkest Reflection is my favourite superheroine comic, then The One Hundred Nights of Hero is my favourite graphic novel, above all others, period. To think that if it hadn't been for my library having a copy, I might never have known of its existence! How unthinkable. How blind and ignorant I was. Everything you need to know about this celebration of women, LBGTQ women, sisterhood, the moon, and storytelling, is in my review here. A queer and Sapphic sapphire, it is beauty and heart personified. As I declare at the end of my goddess-loving-and-finding review, "A lovely, silk-weaving victory. A hard-boiled, celestial storytelling mistresspiece."
PHEW! I need a rest after all that. More favourites lists might be coming soon. Wait and see, my friends who are loved...
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