Some of my favorite memories as a little girl involve stealthily (so I thought) sneaking across my room after lights out and flipping on my closet light, and pulling my Betty and Veronica comics out from under the bed. Would Betty or Veronica win Archie's heart this month? Who would wear the cuter dress to the prom? I enjoyed poring over every detail, from the outdated slang to their weird little triangle-noses.

As much as I enjoyed Betty and Veronica, their adventures were missing…something. It wasn't until I got older that I figured out that as adorable as they were, they weren't really doing anything but fighting over boys and competing with each other. With friends like that…right?

I put down comics for a few years as I got busier and older, but I am happy to say that when I went to library school about four years ago I came back to that world with a vengeance. And fortunately, there is a treasure trove of comics about women who work together, have a purpose in life besides looking cute, and have compelling adventures.

Here is the first part of a short guide to some of my favorite comics and graphic novels that feature women and girls who are strong leads, written and drawn by both women and men. These characters don't scream for help from the highest tower; they rescue themselves, and a few other people along the way.

Title: Blue Monday (four volumes)
Artist: Chynna Clugston
Age range: Teen-Adult
Available through: Oni Press
Artist's Blog: Far Gone and Out

Chynna Clugston typically draws comics about young people that have a punk or mod flavor to them, with a nod to Japanese manga style. She winds song lyrics and titles through her work, giving the panels a "soundtrack" or mood. One thing that is consistent throughout her work is her hilarious writing and the visual humor present in the art.

Blue Monday is set in the 1980s and revolves around the life of high-schooler Bleu Finnigan. There is a strong emphasis on her close friendship with two other girls, and how friendships can evolve in unexpected ways. Of course there are boys and the confusion that surrounds them, the thrill of seeing your very favorite band live, and social awkwardness. Clugston writes very frankly about what life in high school can be like and skates the line between funny and raunchy. I remember in particular a subplot about being addicted to masturbation, as well as a series of over-the-top pranks the kids play on each other.

Title: Inverloch (five volumes)
Artist: Sarah Ellerton
Age range: Young teens-Adult
Available through: Seven Seas or read online at Seraph Inn (artist's website)
Artist's Blog: Artsangel

Australian artist Sarah Ellerton's webcomic Inverloch is a newer discovery for me, and I am somewhat sad to say she has just ended it, though the final strips haven't gone online yet. Inverloch is a fantasy story set in a world where humans, elves, and a race of wolfy-goatlike creatures called "Da'kor" tensely co-exist. The main character is a sensitive young Da'kor named Acheron who sets forth to solve a mysterious kidnapping for an elven friend.

At the end of Volume One, the story gets really interesting as Acheron is joined on his journey by a mysterious elven thief-hunter named Lei'ella. She has a fierce exterior and a complicated past, and her street smarts and toughness go a long way to keep the main character alive, which I feel makes her one of the most interesting characters in the series. Inverloch is a good mix of fantasy adventure and sweetly written moments between the main characters, who grow to care for each other over the course of the series. I recommend this for young teens on up, but I also read it in print form to my six-year-old daughter, who got a huge bang out of it. There is a some fighting and wounds, but it is certainly not gory. I can't wait to see how it ends!

Title: Girl Genius (six volumes and counting)
Artist: Kaja and Phil Foglio
Age range: Teens-Adults
Available through: Airship Entertainment/Studio Foglio (also updates as a webcomic MWF)
Artist's blog: Diary of a Cartoon Girl
Bonus: Othar Tryggvassen's Twitter (Othar is a recurring character in Girl Genius)

Hoo boy. How to describe Girl Genius to a potential reader? Broadly speaking, it falls under the category of "alternative history." The Foglios bill it as a "gaslamp fantasy," which is similar to steampunk, but not right on the nose. It takes place in Europe during the Industrial Revolution. Mad scientists, or "sparks" are very powerful players in this comic, and have a good deal of control over Europe's (and the world's) fate.

The main character, Agatha Heterodyne, is the daughter of two famous and powerful people. Agatha's parents, before they disappeared, decided to hide her so that no evil person would try to control her and her powers, and also so she wouldn't destroy herself as she was coming into her own as a mad scientist. The story begins as her peaceful life as a university student ends as she discovers she is a spark. Agatha gets "adopted" by a traveling circus of bizarre characters, acquires a talking cat sidekick with a Napoleon complex, and tries to solve the mystery of her parents' disappearances.

My favorite thing about Girl Genius is watching Agatha develop her powers and learn to control her own fate. Despite the endless numbers of people who plot to control, use, kill, or even marry her, Agatha stands on her own. This is another book I enjoy with my daughter. You may wish to screen it for younger readers; Phil Foglio's style has always leaned toward extremely busty/voluptuous female characters and there is the occasional ribald innuendo. Personally, I think this is part of the fun and the uniqueness of the story absolutely amazes me.

Title: Amelia Rules!
Artist: Jimmy Gownley
Age range: Any, as long as you enjoy the story
Available through: The Amelia Rules! site
Artist's Homepage: Amelia Rules!

If you have young readers in your life, or enjoy comics, you may have heard of Amelia Rules! already, because it's been nominated for and won a few comic awards. Amelia McBride is an ordinary kid who must adjust to life after her parents divorce and she moves to a new city with her mother and her super-cool Aunt Tanner.

Amelia faces some typical kid problems: fitting in, negotiating friendships, and trying to adjust to a new relationship with her father now that they are living apart. There is a fun kidworld fantasy element throughout the comic as Amelia joins secret ninja clubs in her new neighborhood and falls in with the nerdy outcasts at her new school. Amelia makes mistakes and feels conflicted about the complicated relationships in her life, which makes her very relatable. Gownley captures equally well the sweetness of and the horrors of childhood. Additionally, the adults in Amelia's family are written richly and as strong and loving leaders, and not just as buffoons or foils (as in many sitcoms, for example). Amelia Rules! is not available as a webcomic, but you can get a sneak peak of it here.

Since I'm passionate about this genre, I'll be back with the second part of the list next week. In the meantime, I'd love to hear about graphic novels or comics you love, especially if they star women...but men, robots, and/or wombats are welcome too.