TOP TEN WOMEN OF DC COMICS
All right, everyone! In celebration of Wonder Woman's big screen film debut we're doing a top ten devoted solely to the women of DC Comics! Good, bad, and the ladies in between! This is a list of my top ten favorite female characters from the DC Universe!
Now, as some of you may know, I tend to lean more towards Marvel when it comes to my comic books but there have been a few DC titles that have stuck with me over the years. The constant universal reboots like NEW 52 and REBIRTH have been both discouraging and encouraging for me over the years. Encouraging when New 52 started and I went hogwild adding a dozen or more titles to my pull list. Discouraging in that all the comics I had bought and read prior no longer counted in the New 52 continuity. And then they did it again with REBIRTH, now all those New 52 books that I bought don't count either... ARG!! (head scratching)
Sorry, I digress... but that's a reason why I have such a hard time really attaching to DC lately. My list of frustrations for Marvel however are even longer, haha! I should just give up new comics altogether. We'll table that conversation for another time.
Anyway, through the years and the reboots I have come to like and even love many of DC's characters. Then there have been DC's amazing television shows that have further endeared characters to me. The animated shows like BATMAN THE ANIMATED SERIES and BATMAN BEYOND are absolute favorites along with YOUNG JUSTICE. I really do love Young Justice. And then there's the original TEEN TITANS cartoon that I love too and really got me started liking those characters.
So, without further pontification, here's my list
As always there's a bonus or two!
#12
BOMBSHELL
Amy Allen underwent similar experiments as Captain Atom which gifted her with vast Quantum powers. She was used as a weapon by her creators. Then an encounter with the Teen Titans freed her from her creators' control. She joined the Titans and became one of their strongest members. She has a hardcore military attitude and, as the name implies, she has an explosive personality. Bombshell was one of my favorite characters to have graced the Teen Titans' roster.
She hasn't been in much but what she has been in left a memorable impression, at least with me. Bombshell is one of the holdovers from writer Geoff Johns' run on Teen Titans, perhaps my absolute favorite book in the DC continuum (I'm talking not just Johns' stuff but from issue #1 through the end with issue #100). As far as I can tell, Bombshell didn't survive the NEW 52 transition. A shame really but maybe I'm the only one that misses her.
#11
HUNTRESS
I was first introduced to Huntress in perhaps my favorite Batman story of all time: BATMAN ~ HUSH. She's a member of the Batman crime fighting family like Batgirl, Batwoman, Nightwing, and the rest. If there's a corner of DC's universe I find myself most easily drawn to it's the Batman corner. There are so many wonderful and badass characters in that corner and Huntress is one of them.
I don't have much more to say about her save that she's incredibly cool and seems to possess a little more intensity than the average vigilante crime fighter. I could talk on and on about how great the Bat Family is with characters like Huntress. And I do continue on, just keep reading!
Now, as some of you may know, I tend to lean more towards Marvel when it comes to my comic books but there have been a few DC titles that have stuck with me over the years. The constant universal reboots like NEW 52 and REBIRTH have been both discouraging and encouraging for me over the years. Encouraging when New 52 started and I went hogwild adding a dozen or more titles to my pull list. Discouraging in that all the comics I had bought and read prior no longer counted in the New 52 continuity. And then they did it again with REBIRTH, now all those New 52 books that I bought don't count either... ARG!! (head scratching)
Sorry, I digress... but that's a reason why I have such a hard time really attaching to DC lately. My list of frustrations for Marvel however are even longer, haha! I should just give up new comics altogether. We'll table that conversation for another time.
Anyway, through the years and the reboots I have come to like and even love many of DC's characters. Then there have been DC's amazing television shows that have further endeared characters to me. The animated shows like BATMAN THE ANIMATED SERIES and BATMAN BEYOND are absolute favorites along with YOUNG JUSTICE. I really do love Young Justice. And then there's the original TEEN TITANS cartoon that I love too and really got me started liking those characters.
So, without further pontification, here's my list
As always there's a bonus or two!
#12
BOMBSHELL
Amy Allen underwent similar experiments as Captain Atom which gifted her with vast Quantum powers. She was used as a weapon by her creators. Then an encounter with the Teen Titans freed her from her creators' control. She joined the Titans and became one of their strongest members. She has a hardcore military attitude and, as the name implies, she has an explosive personality. Bombshell was one of my favorite characters to have graced the Teen Titans' roster.
She hasn't been in much but what she has been in left a memorable impression, at least with me. Bombshell is one of the holdovers from writer Geoff Johns' run on Teen Titans, perhaps my absolute favorite book in the DC continuum (I'm talking not just Johns' stuff but from issue #1 through the end with issue #100). As far as I can tell, Bombshell didn't survive the NEW 52 transition. A shame really but maybe I'm the only one that misses her.
#11
HUNTRESS
I was first introduced to Huntress in perhaps my favorite Batman story of all time: BATMAN ~ HUSH. She's a member of the Batman crime fighting family like Batgirl, Batwoman, Nightwing, and the rest. If there's a corner of DC's universe I find myself most easily drawn to it's the Batman corner. There are so many wonderful and badass characters in that corner and Huntress is one of them.
I don't have much more to say about her save that she's incredibly cool and seems to possess a little more intensity than the average vigilante crime fighter. I could talk on and on about how great the Bat Family is with characters like Huntress. And I do continue on, just keep reading!
#10
BATGIRL
We're talking Barbara Gordon here. There are many Batgirls in the DC continuum, many of them great characters in their own rights. Even Huntress kinda falls into the Batgirl derivation. But none are as iconic as Barbara Gordon. A part of that notoriety is from a tragedy that befell her in the classic story THE KILLING JOKE.
Wheelchair bound for a time, Barbara became the ORACLE. As Oracle she was the eyes, ears, and coordinator of the Bat Family heroes from behind a computer screen. Even in a wheelchair Barbara was still kicking ass and taking names. How many characters, male or female, can you say that about? Plus there's the complication of being Batgirl and having her father, Commissioner Gordon, trying to apprehend her.
#9
MERA
Queen of Atlantis, Mera is Aquaman's better half. She has the powers of Aquaman and none of the drawbacks of his reputation 😅 I'm kidding of course, but seriously. Mera is 100% badass. Mera's design is simple but compelling and timeless. If she had been the lead character instead of Aquaman I wonder if the character would be as successful or more so even?
Anyway, she's got the red hair and the fiery attitude that goes along with it. She's someone you don't want to mess with. One of my favorite moments with her was during Blackest Night when she became a Red Lantern (essentially a blood spewing rage monster!). Mera is so cool and I am definitely looking forward to seeing Mera on screen in Justice League and the Aquaman movie.
#8
STAR SAPPHIRE
I met Star Sapphire in Geoff Johns major run on Green Lantern that built up to the massive event BLACKEST NIGHT. All the different colored Lanterns came together in one massive story and Star Sapphire played a major role in it. It was there that I realized Star Sapphire was one of the coolest characters in all DC.
Carol Ferris is a cool yet complicated character. As a Star Sapphire she has basically similar powers to Green Lantern. She's one of DC's most powerful female characters and one of the most well developed cosmic female characters in all comics. Under the influence of the Star Sapphire, Carol has sometimes been a villain of Green Lantern's. After Blackest Night she became one of Green Lantern's greatest allies.
#7
WONDER WOMAN 
Now, I haven't read as much Wonder Woman stories as I'd like. She's always a welcome addition whenever she guest stars in one of the comics I read. Again, she has a ton of power, so much so that it can be difficult to find a compelling story to tell. For me personally she's not the most interesting character of the bunch but she is certainly a "wonderful" character.
#6
RAVAGER
Ravager, Rose Wilson, is the daughter of Slade Wilson a.k.a. Deathstroke the Terminator. She possesses many of the same skills and abilities as her father, a highly trained assassin proficient in hand to hand combat, firearms, and stealth. Her father is a brutal villain/anti-hero and longtime enemy of the Teen Titans. Rose joined the Teen Titans and struggled with taking up her father's legacy or forging a destiny all her own.
Rose was one of the coolest characters ever introduced to the Teen Titans, in my opinion. Her backstory was so interesting and her character was a combination of all the best parts of Deathstroke coupled with originality all her own. She became one of the reasons why I looked forward to each issue of Teen Titans. I remember racing my friend Chris in a comic shop to the back issue bin to grab her first appearance.
#5
MISS MARTIAN
There are two kinds of Martians in the DC universe, green and white. Green Martians are traditionally good while White Martians are typically monstrous and evil. M'Gann is a White Martian pretending to be a Green Martian. She's a truly good person trying to do what's right but if anyone found out about her being a White Martian she'd likely be driven away or even killed. That's one of the main reasons why Miss Martian is such a compelling and interesting character.
I thought Miss Martian was great in the Teen Titans comic and even better in the show Young Justice. Her abilities are pretty vast from shape shifting, flight. super strength, telepathy, and more. She's a little overpowered for my tastes but her complicated background makes her all the more intriguing. She has an innocent personality that makes her incredibly likeable but if crossed she sometimes goes White Martian on the villains asses. In short Miss Martian is a very unique and wonderful character.
There are two kinds of Martians in the DC universe, green and white. Green Martians are traditionally good while White Martians are typically monstrous and evil. M'Gann is a White Martian pretending to be a Green Martian. She's a truly good person trying to do what's right but if anyone found out about her being a White Martian she'd likely be driven away or even killed. That's one of the main reasons why Miss Martian is such a compelling and interesting character.
I thought Miss Martian was great in the Teen Titans comic and even better in the show Young Justice. Her abilities are pretty vast from shape shifting, flight. super strength, telepathy, and more. She's a little overpowered for my tastes but her complicated background makes her all the more intriguing. She has an innocent personality that makes her incredibly likeable but if crossed she sometimes goes White Martian on the villains asses. In short Miss Martian is a very unique and wonderful character.
#4
HARLEY QUINN
Harley Quinn is one of those characters that you just can't help but like. From the Batman: Animated Series to the comics to the movie, Harley has changed in looks but has always maintained that fun personality. She, like Wonder Woman, doesn't need a whole lot of explanation. She's just fun. Her close proximity with the Joker adds greatly to the intrigue.
I've never really viewed her as a villain, more of a character making the best of a bad situation. The closest I ever came to viewing her as a villain was in the BATMAN BEYOND film RETURN OF THE JOKER. In the New 52 Suicide Squad book they firmly established her as an anti-hero and swearing off the Joker entirely. I liked her portrayal in that book and she still maintains as one of my favorite characters in DC.
Harley Quinn is one of those characters that you just can't help but like. From the Batman: Animated Series to the comics to the movie, Harley has changed in looks but has always maintained that fun personality. She, like Wonder Woman, doesn't need a whole lot of explanation. She's just fun. Her close proximity with the Joker adds greatly to the intrigue.
I've never really viewed her as a villain, more of a character making the best of a bad situation. The closest I ever came to viewing her as a villain was in the BATMAN BEYOND film RETURN OF THE JOKER. In the New 52 Suicide Squad book they firmly established her as an anti-hero and swearing off the Joker entirely. I liked her portrayal in that book and she still maintains as one of my favorite characters in DC.
#3
CATWOMAN
Selina Kyle maybe one of the most alluring characters in all of DC. She's not good. She's not bad. She's both but yet neither at the same time. Catwoman is perhaps the only true 100% gray character in all comic books. And wouldn't you know it, those are kind of the same attributes of a freakin cat. Undoubtedly feminine and feline, Catwoman is both the woman you want and the woman you hate. She's dangerous and deadly. She could save your life or condemn it. You want so badly to trust her but in your heart you know you can't.
Okay, I just went off the rails a bit there but that's how I see her. She keeps you guessing and you're never quite sure what she's going to do. Catwoman is what she is out of both necessity and want. She is perhaps one of the most complex and layered characters in all comic books. And it is for all these reasons above that make her so completely interesting and enduring. Like I said earlier, the Batman corner of the DC universe has so many intriguing and exciting characters, Catwoman being one of the top three.
#2
STARFIRE
If there is one other cast of characters that I like maybe more than the Batman cast, it's the Titans. And Kori a.k.a. Starfire is one of the best of the bunch, in my opinion. I see her kind of like the Hulk of the group. She's packing the most power on the team but lacks a complete understanding of human behavior and customs. She's an alien from another planet and has on occasion either involved the team on outer space missions or brought the aliens to Earth.
I like Kori because she's a genuinely good person without the baggage of being from Earth. She doesn't always know how to act or what to do but she never stops trying. She wears her heart on her sleeve and is vulnerable because of it. This vulnerability makes it easy to like her and you want to root for her. Starfire has the power of an army at her fingertips but acts with the joy and curiosity of a child. This blending of character traits are what has endeared her character to me and sets her apart in my eyes from all the other women on this list.
#1
RAVEN
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| The image above is from Teen Titans #26, the first issue I ever owned of Teen Titans, given to me by my good friend, Chris. |
Human beings are not inherently good or evil. Good and evil are choices we make. Raven, while far from human, represents that duality in human nature wonderfully. Her choosing to do good, rising above her instincts and birth right is so inspiring. I actually find characters like Raven the most inspiring of all because they have the most working against them. That and I love the horror genre and monsters. I also like Raven's design. It's both beautiful and frightening, dark and elegant, perfectly befitting her personality.
Again, I love the Teen Titans, obviously, and Raven is my favorite among them. I find her the most interesting and intriguing of them all. I actually find her depiction in the original Teen Titans cartoon to be perhaps the best representation of her character of all, Geoff Johns' Teen Titans comic book a close second. I did not care for what they did with her in the NEW 52 and haven't read anything with her since. I should change that.
And there you have it! My top ten favorite women of DC comics!
Feel free to list your favorite femme fatales in the comments below or simply share your love for these characters too!
I hope you enjoyed the list!
And for more lists check these others below!
TOP TEN DC SUPER HEROES
TOP TEN MARVEL COSMIC WOMEN
TOP TEN DOCTOR STRANGE VILLAINS
TOP TEN MARVEL SUPER HEROES
TOP TEN MARVEL HEROES YOU'VE NEVER HEARD OF
TOP TEN MARVEL SUPER HERO TEAMS
TOP TEN MARVEL SUPER HEROES
TOP TEN MARVEL HEROES YOU'VE NEVER HEARD OF
TOP TEN MARVEL SUPER HERO TEAMS
And for my thoughts on the DC Extended Universe (the movies) check out these posts too!
Wonder Woman (2017)
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