3 webcomics with fierce female heroes

The tagline promises “Adventure, Romance, MAD SCIENCE!,” and this webcomic delivers. The plot follows Agatha Clay, an unlucky student at Transylvania Polygnostic University whose fortune may just change for the better when she discovers that she is the last of a famous family of heroic mad scientists (called Sparks). The webcomic is the online version of a graphic novel, and the story has been around since 2000. The website clearly states that the story is intended for teenagers and adults because of “Victorian underwear, occasional innuendo…[and] violence.” Thankfully, that same combination of elements leads to a very entertaining, female-friendly comic. Think women are bad at science and math? Girl Genius presents a solid counter-argument.

White Girl follows Nesa White. Short on skin pigmentation and long on sarcasm and wit, Nesa is difficult and endearing. The White Girl webcomic is what the creator, Kate Cosgrove, calls “a cartoon diary” based on her time living in a predominantly black neighborhood in Chicago. The comics are presented in black-and-white strips. The tidy endings are a nice break from the more episodic webcomics. Sadly, there won’t be new material for a while because of budget cutbacks, but it’s still worth taking a look at.

Maytag is a bisexual comedian, and Bernadette is a skilled swordswoman who dreams of knighthood. Both women in this fantasy/drama webcomic are fierce and fearless, especially in comparison to Crest, the young, nervous boy they befriend. With plenty of sexual tension and magical elements in the plot, readers will have no problem becoming engrossed in the story. The drawings are mostly in black and white, but a colorful cast of characters brings the world they inhabit to life. It’s a mature story in a typically youthful media, and adults will find it fun.