Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Heroines

So this week I get to tell you about a couple of my favorite heroines, spanning all sorts of media. I’ll try not to cover some of the lovely ladies I’ve talked about before (cough, cough Ms. Marvel, cough cough) but here are a couple of heroines who are important to me.

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme started on the Broke and the Bookish blog.

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Kate Bishop from Hawkeye by Matt Fraction, artist David Aja
Kate Bishop; she’s practically an avenger! She took up the name Hawkeye after her mentor, Clint Barton, and she frequently works alongside him. Despite her father’s incredible wealth, she’s no princess, and she’s not afraid to jump right into the fray. Kate is hilarious, and I will admit she can often steal the show. I would recommend checking out the third trade in the Hawkeye series; it focuses on a broke Kate trying to make it as a private detective in L.A.

Lying Cat from Saga by Brian K. Vaughan, artist Fiona Staples
Okay, so maybe Lying Cat isn’t exactly your typical heroine, but she is one of my favorite parts of the Saga series. Lying Cat is roughly the size of a Tiger and has the ability to tell when someone is telling a lie, which she points out by saying, “lying!” a skill which proves invaluable to her bounty hunter companion, The Will. And if that’s not awesome then I don’t know what is.

Forever from Lazarus by Greg Rucka, artist Michael Lark
In an apocalyptic world where a handful of powerful families rule, each family has a Lazarus, or protector. Forever is the youngest daughter, and Lazarus of the Carlyle family. She is sworn to protect them at all costs, and has been trained from a young age to do so. Forever is fiercely loyal, and let’s just say I would not want to be on her family’s bad side.

Ellie from Up
In just a few short moments, Pixar gave us one of my favorite characters in cinema. Ellie is a delight. She’s quirky and kind, and was determined to live her life to the fullest, no matter what came her way. And while she may not have been physically present throughout all of the movie, her bright spirit was a driving force behind the story. Remember, adventure is out there!

Peggy Carter from Captain America: The First Avenger
So admittedly, Peggy C is my current obsession. She’s in my comics, movies, and all over my TV and I love it. Peggy is smart, strong, and gets the job done. She makes me want to run out and get myself a spiffy red hat.

Miss Pauling from Valve Presents: The Sacrifice and other Steam-Powered Stories edited by Rachel Edidin
Incredibly hardworking, Miss Pauling gets one day off a year and spends the rest of her time cleaning up the messes left by the Red and Blu mercenaries of Team Fortress 2. She’s quick-witted, resourceful, and isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty.

The Lumberjanes from Lumberjanes by Noelle Stevenson and Grace Ellis
April, Mal, Molly, Ripley and Jo are the adventures girls of the Roanoke Cabin at “Miss Quinzella Thiskwin Penniquiqul Thistle Crumpet's Camp for Hardcore Lady Types.” (Try saying that five times fast). Each girl is amazing in her own way, and all of them understand that teamwork and friendship are essential in order to accomplish their goals, which in their case involves taming dinosaurs, defeating three-eyed wolf monsters and taking down a Greek goddess.

The Paper Bag Princess from The Paper Bag Princess by Robert N. Munsch, illustrator Michael Martchenko
The Paper Bag Princess is one of the books that I remember my parents reading to me when I was younger. She is cunning, creative and doesn't need a prince. Plus, she can totally rock a paper bag.

Sara Crewe from A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett
She is kind, compassionate, and incredibly imaginative. Sara is wise beyond her years and she manages to bring out the best in those around her. She taught me that all girls can be princesses.

Leslie Knope from Parks and Recreation
Oh Leslie, we will miss you. Sadly, Parks and Recreation is ending this week, which means we are losing one of my favorite characters from television. For those of you who don’t know, Lesle Knope is the driving force behind the Parks Department in Pawnee, Indiana. She is committed to her goals, her town, and her friends, no matter what. She is hardworking and unshakably optimisitc. And I believe that if we all tried to be the Leslie Knopes of whatever we do, the world would be a much better place.

Who are your favorite heroines?

~Marilyn