Marvel's female characters going solo

[Crimz]

These past few years Marvel has been giving their female heroes chances at making it as solo sellers (something that should have happened ages ago), some have have more success than others.

Which ones have been successful so far and which characters do you think should be next? What have we learnt from the successes and failures of past attempts?

I hope Invisible Woman (what a shock), Spectrum and Wasp (Janet) should get a chance. Also I think Storm deserves another shot sometime.

[Charlie_1981]

I'm still waiting for an Enchantress solo book , hopefully Marvel thinks about it.

[ed2962]

I think Hawkeye is criminally over looked.

The last couple Black Widow series were really good.

Storm's solo suffered from a lack of direction,

I enjoyed KSD on Carol Marvel but since she left the title has kinda floundered.

Moon Girl and Squirrel Girl are fine for what they are, but it cracks me up how many people are threatened by them. Same for Riri Williams

I was underwhelmed by A-Force and all girl X-Men,

America is not a good comic,

Marvel missed out by not giving Jan-Wasp a title.

[Fokken]

I agree with the majority of ed2962's summation.

Hawkeye is a SENSATIONAL book. These last two issues in particular have been just, imho, the peak GEL-ing of the creative team. Just so rad.

I didn't follow any of the Widow's books so I'll take ed's word for it, regarding their quality levels.

Storm's solo DID lack direction.

KSD brought me INTO Captain Marvel, but at some point during her time exclusively in space, I lost that loving feeling.

I feel the same regarding Moon, Squirrel and Riri. Folks need to chill out.

A-Force and X-ladies didn't wow me.

America disappointed me. It has since redeemed SOME aspects, but that's a very low bar to surmount, really.

I've no strong opinions on the Wasp.

[Sutekh]

I hope Invisible Woman (what a shock), Spectrum and Wasp (Janet) should get a chance. Also I think Storm deserves another shot sometime.

Yes to all of these. Storm, IMO, could really get a chance to shine away from the X-folk (or Black Panther, for that matter).

I love Monica, but I'm not sure how well she'd work as a solo act. Her power, and her light-speed mobility, which no one else can really match, does make her ideal for traveling around the world (eight times in a single second, at her full speed!), so she's super-thematically-appropriate to be on her own (since literally nobody could keep up anyway), but she's always felt like a team character, to me. On her own, I feel like she'd risk losing her humanity entirely, but perhaps that might be a neat angle to explore.

Janet's deserved a solo title for ages. She's got so much going on (more than Hank, to be honest), it's ridiculous that she hasn't gotten a push before now.

And Sue. So criminally underestimated. She's been 'team mom' (and actual mom) for so long, that people have forgotten that she's a world class hero in her own right. It could be fun to see her training a team of other force-field characters, a highly specialized team including people like Hisako 'Armor' Ichiki, Sally 'Skids' Blevins and Cecelia 'Don't Need No Stinkin' Codename' Reyes, for instance. Or not. Like Monica, she's perfect for solo work only because nobody can go where she can go (invisibly).

Teen Jean's got a book, which, frankly, adult Jean should have gotten before she died. Rogue could probably carry a solo. Emma *certainly* could carry a solo, but I'm not sure which writer I'd trust to not bollix the job. Carol's got a book. She-Hulk has a book. Laura is the 'Wolverine' at the moment, and has her own book. Black Widow definitely can handle a spy-thriller solo.

Who's left? Misty and Colleen, for sure (not so much a solo, as a Daughters of the Dragon duo). Kate Bishop. America Chavez deserves a better book than the one she has (at least she still rocks in Ultimates). For Alpha Flight, there's Aurora and Snowbird, neither of which seem ready for the big solo push. Other Avengers include Mantis (no), Moondragon (ha! I'd love it, nobody else would...), Scarlet Witch (does she still have a solo?), etc.

Friggin' Songbird, of the Thunderbolts and USAvengers, probably would be next on my list. It's long past time for Melissa to shine.

For X-ladies, Dani Moonstar could use at least a limited solo. She's getting crap-all in the guest-star roles, and could use some development and / or housecleaning. Maybe Ilyanna, as well. In other people's books, she's the team bus and / or Limbo connection, more plot device than actual character, or even 'way to advance Colossus' character.' That's weak.

[Witchfan]

I loved Black Widow and think she should be Marvel's flagship female instead of Captain Marvel.

I loved Scarlet Witch and want her to get another solo.

Captain Marvel is failing as Marvel's lead female.

[Fokken]

Captain Marvel is failing as Marvel's lead female.

Forgive the derailing(??) but.... its just sad. And I say that with absolutely zero sarcasm and complete sincerity. I WANT her to succeed.
The elevation Carol --- NAY --- Kelly Sue managed to achieve with her at the beginning of her run was, for me, remarkable. Like Al Ewing has managed to do with so many characters throughout his respective books, she took a character that I'd previously been ambivalent about and actually never fully acknowledged as much more than a foot note in Rogue's history (myself coming from humble X-roots and all, readership speaking) and put her on equal footing with staples like Captain America. No small feat, imho.

But the magic lessened the longer she distanced herself from Earth. Finding that line of independence and exclusivity is very tricky for any solo hero, but in this instance, the enthusiasm just deflated less and less with each subsequent issue. There were (and continue to be) SO MANY absolutely SENSATIONAL factors that WORK for Carol -- her support cast (Jessica, Chewie, Monica, Helen, Kawasaki, Guardians, etc etc), her ascension to Alpha Flight/SWORD leader, etc -- but then some of the stuff just fell emotionally flat -- Carol's romance (if one can really call such off panel, occasional kiss-goodbye exchanges a romance) with James.

[ed2962]

I forgot to mention Scarlet Witch. It was an interesting experiment, but as you can imagine a few of the issues were shakey due to having a different artist each issue. Every one of the covers were awesome though.

[Captain M]

Carol needs to take a little break. Like Widow does. Captain Marvel like the 8th most succesful female led book from marvel and that's just sad. I want her to do better.

There should absolutely be a Wasp title, giving Janet a chance. In the same feel that Spider-Woman had. I doubt it would do very well but there has to be a Janet solo book. It's just a crime at this point. Evne the writer of Unstoppable Wasp is campaigning for it. Nadia didn't work. But Wasp is about to become a new name. It has to be a matter of time before a new Wasp book is out with Janet as lead.

I also feel Invisible Woman deserves a shot a solo book. It should happen. I think it would do well. Not like Thor level well but well enough.

I think Storm dserves a new solo. It's stupid that they gave Elektra a solo this soon and not Storm. I like Elektra but it was too early for her.

Other characters I can think of that makes a lot more sense to give solos to over some characters Marvel did are: Spectrum. Songbird. Enchantress. Rogue. And some others I cant think of right now.

Scarlet Witch could go for another solo next year. Hopefully with a staple artist.

edit: omg emma and magik.

[Fokken]

In a perfect world, at least EVERY Marvel Hero worth a damn would get at LEAST a 5 issue solo focus-- if for nothing else than to get PERSONAL and INSIDE the character.

You know?

I think everyone wants to get inside a character's head at some point --however briefly that may be.

[CIA]

They should give more chances to popular female members of teams that never got a solo title or miniseries and female villains/supporting cast like Black Cat. But considering the current state of Marvel they would rather create a female version of Death's Head and Gwenverine, giving them ongoings before a Invisible Woman, Songbird or a proper Wasp solo.

[Fokken]

The cynicism is a bit disheartening, I gotta say.

Marvel has made INCREDIBLE leaps and bounds in the area of representation and elevating non-white-male characters to prominence. The number of female led titles alone -- however long or briefly they've succeeded -- is pretty amazing.

Their willingness to experiment and take risks -- be it with new or lesser known characters or even new creative teams/writers -- ought to be commended. Improvement can ALWAYS be made and/or striven for -- but we ought not dismiss the progress made simply because it isn't precisely the person/team/direction we personally crave.

Progress IS Progress.

[Captain M]

The cynicism is a bit disheartening, I gotta say.

Marvel has made INCREDIBLE leaps and bounds in the area of representation and elevating non-white-male characters to prominence. The number of female led titles alone -- however long or briefly they've succeeded -- is pretty amazing.

Their willingness to experiment and take risks -- be it with new or lesser known characters or even new creative teams/writers -- ought to be commended. Improvement can ALWAYS be made and/or striven for -- but we ought not dismiss the progress made simply because it isn't precisely the person/team/direction we personally crave.

Progress IS Progress.

Yeah but it seems they forgot not everything has to be risky.

[PSJ]

I think Hawkeye is criminally over looked.

The last couple Black Widow series were really good.

Storm's solo suffered from a lack of direction,

I enjoyed KSD on Carol Marvel but since she left the title has kinda floundered.

Moon Girl and Squirrel Girl are fine for what they are, but it cracks me up how many people are threatened by them. Same for Riri Williams

I was underwhelmed by A-Force and all girl X-Men,

America is not a good comic,

Marvel missed out by not giving Jan-Wasp a title.

I think Hawkeye is criminally over looked.(i dont really care for Hawkeye male or female)
The last couple Black Widow series were really good.(You're right waid's Widow run is really criminally underrated i honesty think that was his best written book since ANAD)
America is not a good comic(They need to bring back young avengers and just put her on the team)

[CIA]

The cynicism is a bit disheartening, I gotta say.

Marvel has made INCREDIBLE leaps and bounds in the area of representation and elevating non-white-male characters to prominence. The number of female led titles alone -- however long or briefly they've succeeded -- is pretty amazing.

Their willingness to experiment and take risks -- be it with new or lesser known characters or even new creative teams/writers -- ought to be commended. Improvement can ALWAYS be made and/or striven for -- but we ought not dismiss the progress made simply because it isn't precisely the person/team/direction we personally crave.

Progress IS Progress.

Too bad most of those books are focused on quirky trash legacy characters while most of the original female characters are languishing on limbo or with minor roles in teams.