The Spectacular Sisterhood of Superwomen: Awesome Female Characters From Comic Book History
Hardcover | Kindle
By Hope Nicholson
Publisher: Quirk Books
Release Date: May 2, 2017

Well, it is about time. I am oh so happy to see a book that chronicles the amazing female comic characters that readers have loved for decades.

You might have noticed that there have been several comic hero chronicles of late; I have reviewed a couple of them already. There was one that detailed the Regrettable Superheroes and another that explored the just as Regrettable Super Villains. In The Spectacular Sisterhood of Superwomen: Awesome Female Characters From Comic Book History it’s all about the ladies who have influenced comics throughout history.

So join me as we dig into what’s going on in this jewel of a book.

First off, I love the way this book was sectioned out. Instead of being broken up into golden, silver, and modern ages, author Hope Nicholson has divided our heroines up by decade. Starting with the 1930s all the way up to modern times. Each chapter has around a dozen leading ladies, some are well-known whereas others may not be as popular to modern audiences. Within each decade’s offering is a heroine of particular interest, called Icon of the Decade. These are obviously the notable character that held more influence or became vastly more popular than her contemporaries.

These Icons include megastars like Wonder Woman, Batgirl, Supergirl, and Ms. Marvel. Interestingly enough, there are others such as Little Lulu, Silk Spectre, and Witchblade that made the cut. I wholeheartedly agree on almost every single choice, especially that last one. Sara Pezzini will always hold a very special place in my heart. And on my skin, as I have a wicked Witchblade homage tattoo.

When going through the full roster of characters listed, there are some (at least to my eyes) notable exceptions. Angela, first from Image and then from Marvel, and DC’s Black Canary are two exceptionally famous heroines that were somehow omitted. I mean, Squirrel Girl made the cut but the demon hunting angel from Heaven got a pass. Maybe I’m a bit partial to my favorites and am not being rational, but it still sat poorly with me. I was happy to see Vampirella and Dazzler got some love, though.

All in all, it is an amazing compilation that is sure to introduce you to at least one superheroine of which you were unaware. This hardcover is proportioned just like to the two previous books, allowing for it to sit perfectly among its peers. I enjoyed diving into the history and exploring the impact these characters made both in comics and in pop culture. I know you will find a special place on your bookshelf for it, too. Have fun and happy reading!