There are so many superhero comic books published each year. There are ongoing series and debut series and team-up series and special events. There are critically acclaimed gems and controversial titles. The books pile up and some get lost in the chaos.

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Whether the books on this list were critical darlings but didn't sell well or were just average titles that got lost in the sheer volume of publication, they don't get enough love. These are the recent books we should be talking about. So when the next person asks what your favorite superhero comics are, consider tossing a few of these onto your list.

 

10 Spider-Woman (2015)

Jessica Drew can't be talked about enough. She's best friends with Captain Marvel and a former Avenger herself, but in her solo run, she's even fighting crime while pregnant. That's right, she's a private investigator, superhero, and a soon-to-be mom.

Jessica leaps between the rooftops, baby bump and all in this fast-paced series. And don't expect her to slow down after birth; she simply enlists Ben Urich and Porcupine as babysitters so she can keep going!

9 Silk

Cindy Moon as Silk

A new spider-person introduced in the 2010's is Cindy Moon. Cindy hid in a bunker for over a decade to protect herself from the evil Morlun. Cindy emerged only to find that her family had moved on and she was utterly lost.

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Silk is the story of Cindy finding her way back home. She tracks down her brother first and then joins up with some questionable figures to earn the whereabouts of her parents. Cindy is a sharp, determined, and powerful young addition to the Marvel Universe.

8 Black Lightning: Year One

black-lightning-year-one

Jefferson Pierce moves his family to Metropolis' South Side to start his new job as their high school principal. Pierce has his work cut out for him. The South Side is also known as "Suicide Slum."

Pierce struggles against gang culture during the day and fights crime as Black Lightning during the night. He's quickly targeted by nefarious community leader Tobias Whale. But there's something more sinister going on behind closed doors. This is a great intro to the character that now has his own television show.

7 Vixen: Return of the Lion

Mari McCabe is Vixen, member of the Justice League and wielder of the Tantu Totem that lets her harness the powers of the animal kingdom. She was orphaned in Zambesi and has no family other than her fellow Justice Leaguers.

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In Return of the Lion, Vixen returns home to Zambesi to attack the man who killed her mother. She gets hurt in their fight and flees onto the savannah to tend her wounds. There she meets a man who helps her learn that she is more than her totem, more than her job. And when her friends come to rescue her, they find more than they bargained for.

6 America

Miss America from the comics

America Chavez doesn't take sh*t from anybody. And since she can punch through dimensions, she doesn't have to. She's already been a Young Avenger and she now leads the Ultimates but this is only her first solo comic book series!

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America goes to superhero college in this jam-packed storyline. She's distracted from her classwork by minor villains but it seems her professors and antagonists are teaming up to get her to dwell more on her ancestors. There's an important truth to be uncovered in America's past.

5 Patsy Walker, A.K.A. Hellcat!

hellcat

The Patsy Walker of Marvel Comics is far different from the Patsy Walker of Marvel Television. She's a child star turned superhero in both, but in the comics, she's a lot more fun. She's bubbly and quirky and just trying to make ends meet in New York City.

Patsy has been through a lot, but this comic is easy to slip into without knowing the specifics of her past. When Patsy's romance comics from her child star days resurface, they threaten to upend the already precarious stability in her life. Will this feline land on her feet?

4 Black Bolt

Black Bolt, former king of the Inhumans, wakes up in a horrible prison. How did he get there? Where exactly is 'there'? He knows he must escape this torturous nightmare but is he willing to team up with his fellow "criminals" to do it?

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Saladin Ahmed's two-volume Black Bolt series is a great introduction to the character for newcomers. It's more than just a story of jailbreak. It asks important questions like "what does it take to be redeemed?" and "is villainy permanent?" As a reader, you might find yourself reflecting on the current state of our own prison-industrial complex. And that's really the good that comics can do.

3 Midnighter (2016)

Midnighter is newly single but doesn't have a real name to give the guys he meets. As you might imagine, he's caught in a lie every time. That's because Midnighter really doesn't have a name. He's more of a weapon than a man.

Midnighter was kidnapped as a child and grafted with mechanical implants, including a supercomputer in his brain. This makes him awesome at fighting but not so great at dating. Not that he's one to give up easily. But when dangerous weapons crop up around the world, Midnighter has to put his dating life on the back burner.

2 Eternity Girl

Eternity Girl Young Animals DC

Caroline Sharp isn't your ordinary depressed girl. She sacrificed her mortality to gain shape-shifting superpowers that have helped her save the world. But now she's losing control of those powers. She's unstable, upset, and just really wants to die.

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Eternity Girl is part of DC's Young Animal imprint. It's allowed to go places the main DC comics might not. Thus, Eternity Girl is dark, gritty, and, frankly, depressing but the story and the beautiful art will stick with you.

1 Faith

Faith Herbert was born psionically gifted. She can fly and is somewhat psychokinetic. Based in Los Angeles, Faith is an entertainment journalist by day and the superhero Zephyr by night. When an alien conspiracy comes to town, Faith teams up with other "psiots" to save the day.

Not only are the Faith comics good, but they also present one of the first plus-size superheroes! Faith's size is not a joke nor a plot point. It just is. The creative team from Valiant Comics created a whole new superhero world that makes picking up Faith feel like coming home.

NEXT: 10 Underrated Marvel Characters We Hope Get More Attention In 2020