Best Marvel Comics With A Female Lead

[Mister Mets]

The discussions on whether Marvel should do a film with a female lead got me thinking about the source material. I started wondering what the best Marvel comics with a female lead have been.

And I'm interested in your views on this. What are the best Marvel stories with a female lead?

For this discussion, I prefer stories to runs, as it gives a sense of what to sample. Mini-series, one-shots and stories in anthologies are fine, although I don't think solo stories in team books should count.

While the MCU got me thinking about this, X-Men and Spider-Man related projects are perfectly valid.

[Kuwagaton]

Uncanny, from #201 to Fall of the Mutants, was a giant and awesome story with Storm at the center and great roles for Rogue, Psylocke, and Dazzler. The Outback continued for much longer, of course.

Elektra: Assassin is a classic and Immonen's Journey Into Mystery is a recent and under-appreciated gem. Soule has been doing a great job on small stories that connect to something larger in She-Hulk.

[Thinker4730]

Spider-Girl (Mayday Parker) comes to mind for me. Even though she doesn't currently have a book of her own out now she did have a good run when she did have one.

[brettc1]

Fearless Defenders, hands down.

Naturally they cancelled it.

[Captain Wessex]

the current X-Men series
Fearless Defenders
the current She-Hulk series
the current Black Widow series
the current Ms Marvel series
the current Captain Marvel series

[brettc1]

The previous Ms Marvel series was doing well until Civil War came along and ruined it.

[Kieran_Frost]

Mostly X-verse, since it is the best place for strong females in leadership roles. So X-men, X-men: Legacy, Morrison's New X-men, Generation X, Kyle&Yost New X-men, Remender's Uncanny X-force... a long list.

[Silvermoth]

For me right now it's a battle between she hulk and storm. I just love both characters so much, I couldn't possibly choose a favourite

[Kuwagaton]

I don't think solo stories in team books should count.

I don't think Marvel's female characters can afford this distinction. The X-women, Monica Rambeau, and Sue Richards are their most recognizable and loved female characters, and their stories have reached more people in more adaptations and other forms of media than many of the others.

[Mister Mets]

Thanks for the recommendations. I'd also add Bendis/ Gaydos'a Alias (especially the final "Purple" storyline), Bendis/ Maleev's Spiderwoman, Slott's She-Hulk (The Trial of She-Hulk is probably my favorite story from the run) and that Spider-Girl issue where she fought her father possessed by the Venom symboote.

I don't think Marvel's female characters can afford this distinction. The X-women, Monica Rambeau, and Sue Richards are their most recognizable and loved female characters, and their stories have reached more people in more adaptations and other forms of media than many of the others.

I can appreciate that. But I'm interested in the source material producers have if they decide to make a film based on a Marvel comic with a female lead so that excludes books that don't have female lead where women are written well from the conversation.

[JackDaw]

Alias.

One of few mainstream comic series with a beginning, middle, and end..though Jessica did, of course, go on to do other things.

Strong contender for best Marvel series in last 10 years, never mind best with a female lead.

[lilyinblue]

I have been absolutely in love with DeConnick's Captain Marvel... particularly the first arc of the first volume. However, my bias is very, very strong.

On a less blatantly-biased note... Marjorie Liu's 'Name of the Rose' (Black Widow) has always been a real standout story arc in my mind. One of my all time favorites.

[RLAAMJR.]

For me right now it's a battle between she hulk and storm. I just love both characters so much, I couldn't possibly choose a favourite

I am saying it's a good idea because we did have Hulk vs Wolverine. So why don't we have Storm vs She-Hulk but I would want them to work together at the middle of the story until the end.

[dragonmp93]

Well, given that nowdays im just actually reading like 3 book, my perception is kind-of limited, but i would say that the current ms. marvel.

[Kuwagaton]

Marjorie Liu's 'Name of the Rose' (Black Widow) has always been a real standout story arc in my mind. One of my all time favorites.

Agreed. I think that story, the Morgan stuff, and Deadly Origin are all good and recent arcs that could transition pretty easily into other media.