Over the past several years, women have begun making their presence more known in the comic book world. Something that is about creativity, story telling, and general fun and entertainment should not be an exclusive club, and it no longer is! I mean, there is still a ways to go, especially for women seeking jobs in the industry, but in general it's a much more welcoming place for women now. Representation is absolutely important, and seeing books with female main characters kicking butt gaining such popularity is just exciting as heck! There are so many more titles now that feature women not in a sexualized way, but as actual complex characters with their own voices. Many of them are also are being written by women! So the stories sound authentic and new, and are the much needed breath of fresh air that the industry needed. Young female characters are not as often being written by middle aged men! Hooray! This is a new era welcoming in a new audience of readers. Not only women, but new readers of all ages are discovering comic books now because of all of the exciting changes, innovative stories, diversity, and revitalization of stale characters. Chances are being taken. Change is a good thing, and that doesn't mean traditional superhero comics are no longer good. It simply means that the comic book world is slowly but surely expanding, and growing in new ways. Anyhow, let's talk about some awesome books about awesome ladies! Because that's what this post is really about!

Rat Queens is probably one of my absolute favorite books right now, and will probably stay that way! It's published by Image and currently there are two trade volumes out, which together include issues 1-10 and you can buy them at most book stores. Issue 11 just came out on August 19th, so issue 12 will be out around the same time next month and I am way stoked! First thing you're probably wondering is "so are they rats?" and the answer, my friends, is no! The Rat Queens are a group of female mercenaries that venture on missions to make money and to win back the favor of their city, Palisade. The Queens tend to party hard, get rowdy, and cause general mayhem, but they have hearts of gold. All of the Queens have had troubled backgrounds that have led them to join the group. The characters are all unique and complex in their own way, and nothing about them is stereotypical. Each of them brings different strengths and weaknesses to their group. The story also deals with themes like being shunned for your differences, as well as spiritual exploration and self discovery. It's the first comic book I've ever read that contains a transgender character, which is pretty awesome. It's also super freakin' funny and contains a whole lot of cursing, which is excellent in my opinion! The Queens feel like real, complicated people, with real relationships and emotions. They are a band of misfits, but they support the heck out of eachother. And they do it in sweet armor with giant swords and wands. What more could you ask for!?



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Remember when I mentioned that breath of fresh air that the industry needed? Well Batgirl Of Burnside is exactly that! This DC book has one trade volume on the shelves, which jumps into Batgirl's new story and gathers issues 35-40. The most current issue is 43, which came out on August 26th, but you can probably find the past couple issues at your local store as well! This book gives us a totally modern and new look at Batgirl, aka Barbara Gordon. She's a 21 year old genius with a photographic memory and badass fighting skills. Having just moved out of her old apartment and now living with her friend Frankie in Burnside, Barbara has to face a ton of new challenges in her new area. Challenges like meeting a cute and smart guy on campus, or challenges like defeating robot obsessed twins with explosives on motorcycles. Batgirl's struggles arent super different from our own, at least most of the time. She doesn't exactly have the easiest time keeping her identity secret from her friends, while simultaneously trying to finish her thesis project and also protecting Burnside from perilous evil. In this book, Barbara uses modern technology like texting, facebook, or dating apps to her advantage in an awesomely realistic way. Batgirl of Burnside has been very successful and it's because it's relatable to new audiences in a lot of ways, without compromising excellent storytelling and art. With a company that does a lot of the same thing over and over, it's nice to see them taking risks and doing something new!



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Okay, I honestly cannot properly express in words how completely head-over-heels in love I am with Kamala Khan, also known as Ms.Marvel! This is (obviously) a Marvel book and there are currently three volumes out in trade, which all together contain issues 1-15. Issue 17 just came out on August 6th, so you'll probably be able to find that and 16 in stores. Kamala's heritage and religion are the first things talked about in this book, which is important and wonderful. Her parents are from Pakistan, but are now living in New Jersey, which is where Kamala has lived her entire life. Her parents are incredibly strict and watchful, which makes her new life as a superhero all the more difficult. Kamala has always been very insecure about her differences, but her new powers quickly teach her that your differences make you stronger and you shouldn't be ashamed to be who you are. She sticks firmly to her beliefs and follows her own moral compass, despite what anyone else says; not handsome boys, other kids at school, or even supervillains. And did I mention she's a huge nerd addicted to "World of Battlecraft", has a stuffed sloth in her room, and writes Avengers Fanfic?! Yes. This book is super quirky, funny, and relatable to younger crowds, with a similar feel to Batgirl of Burnside. Except Kamala is even younger, only 16, and has never even kissed a boy or had a sip of alcohol (er, until the night she becomes a superhero, no spoilers!) so I would say this title could appeal to even younger crowds as well. It's just so refreshing seeing a woman of color as a main character with such a strong personality and bold confidence in the face of adversity. Once she starts believing in herself and thinking she can kick butt just the way she is, she kicks ALL the butts...and it's spectacular.



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Here are just a few more wonderful new and ongoing books with female writers, artists, colorists and of course, characters! Ah, what a time to be alive! Most of the books above are by Boom! studios, which employs a whole bunch of female creators and publishes a ton of amazing books. I will make full reviews about most of these books soon. This post may be focused on women in the comic book world, but remember: comics are for everyone! Discover what you love and don't let anybody make you feel like you're not allowed to enjoy it.