Kelly Thompson Comics: The Best Books and Series to Start With

Kelly Thompson is currently one of the hottest names in the comic book industry. She has had one smashing hit after another, both while working for Marvel and now with DC Comics, as well as at Image and on the new Buffy the Vampire Slayer series.

It’s really no wonder. Kelly Thompson comics are great, and she has had a hand in creating some industry darlings. From writing one of the most compelling portrayals of Diana in the pages of Absolute Wonder Woman to charming people young and old with her It’s Jeff series, Thompson knows exactly what she’s doing.

This is an easy claim to verify: you can pick up any of her comics and see for yourself! But which one should you grab? Well, that can be tricky. With such a vast bibliography, picking a starting point can be a challenge. Heck, even writing about them all is tough!

That is why, today, I present to you a practical starting guide to Kelly Thompson comics. These are some of her notable runs and my sneaky favorites that she has penned over the years!

Who Is Kelly Thompson?

From comics criticism to comics writing

First, to understand why I enjoy Kelly Thompson books so much, we have to go back to her “(Not So) Secret Origins.” She began her life in the industry by writing the op-ed column “She Has No Head!” for CBR. (She’s just like me, writing about comics, right? That means I can be that successful too. Right?!)

In the column, she offered critiques of depictions of women in comics, exploring female-led narratives and representation in comics. With a degree in Sequential Art from the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), she had the tools to give in-depth opinions and understand the deeper mechanics of the art.

This is why it was not hard for her to transition from writing critiques to writing comics themselves. She is able to infuse her stories with rich narratives and interesting, layered characters. She grabs our attention and doesn’t let go!

What she is best known for

Today, Kelly Thompson is known for two things: her amazing work in comics and the awards she reaps along the way.

When it comes to creating comics, Kelly Thompson is fabulously versatile and can effortlessly write adventures about a lone protagonist or whole crews of wacky people. She has tackled all the major publishers, licensed comics, and creator-owned series, and each of these books is a joy to read.

What I personally enjoy about her work is the way she is able to mix high-stakes action with witty banter and humor. Every character she writes feels approachable, and you are drawn into their adventures alongside them. However, it’s not just banter with Thompson. Instead, she has stories that focus on trauma recovery, grief, interpersonal relationships... There’s something for everyone!

These stories have earned her acclaim. Hawkeye scored her an Eisner nomination in 2018 for Best Continuing Series, and Black Widow won her the Eisner for Best New Series in 2021. The year 2024 brought her an Eisner for Best Humor Publication for It’s Jeff, and the following year, she won an Eisner for Best New Series with Absolute Wonder Woman. These are the series with which I will begin my Kelly Thompson recommendations!

Best Kelly Thompson Comics to Start With

Black Widow

As usually happens in the business, there are one or two characters that will define most of your career. For Kelly Thompson, the first of these is Natasha Romanoff, the Black Widow. This book is for those who want stylish action, deep spy drama, and character-focused storytelling.

The premise itself is something unexpected: Natasha Romanoff is a woman whose life has always been in a state of flux, from the KGB to S.H.I.E.L.D., the Avengers, etc. What happens when an investigation leaves her amnesiac and living with a husband in a luxurious San Francisco house? Of course, there is a dark conspiracy underneath it all that will shake up Nat and bring her back into action.

Kelly Thompson’s Black Widow is intriguing and mysterious but still so much fun. On top of that, Elena Casagrande’s art gives us a breathtaking, kinetic Natasha whose athleticism flows across each double-page spread. Jordie Bellaire infuses the color palette with signature red, like a cherry on top of a delicious sundae. And that’s how you win an Eisner.

Hawkeye: Kate Bishop

If high-flying spy thrillers aren’t for you, then you might want to give Kate Bishop a try. Street-level Marvel is something I’m particularly fond of, and detective stories mixed with Kelly Thompson’s humor are always a plus. And no one makes Kate as fabulously dangerous as Kelly Thompson.

Is Kelly Thompson’s Hawkeye good? Yes, yes, VERY much so. I would go as far as to call it a modern classic. This is the Kate Bishop book you want to read for her solo adventures. Thompson moves Kate to Los Angeles, where she opens a private agency, and chaos ensues.

Captain Marvel

I will be brutally honest here: ever since Marvel’s cursed Civil War II, Carol Danvers has had trouble being a likable character. Tony had a similar fate after the original Civil War, but it was never that bad. Writers struggled to make her relatable again, and it felt like Marvel didn’t know what to do with her. Enter our prolific hero.

Kelly Thompson’s Captain Marvel was a breath of fresh air for the character. The 50-issue run gave Carol the high-octane space action she deserved, but Thompson also gave her plenty of quiet, intimate character moments that made people fall in love with Carol again. That’s why this run is the perfect starting point for Carol Danvers fans!

Plenty of fantastic artists worked on the run, too, including Sergio Dávila, Lee Garbett, Carmen Carnero, and Belén Ortega. If you wonder why Captain Marvel matters as a character, Kelly Thompson’s Carol Danvers gives you all the answers you need!

Absolute Wonder Woman

We cannot talk about Kelly Thompson comics without addressing the new, piping-hot book over at DC. Kelly Thompson’s Wonder Woman is an exceptional book, as well as a fresh starting point for anyone curious about Diana Prince.

Thompson was given free rein to completely reimagine Diana and her world, and she does it magnificently. This Wonder Woman grew up in Hades, raised by her enemies. She emerges on Earth as a hardened, sword-wielding witch with a skeletal Pegasus.

Hayden Sherman masterfully embraces this mythology-infused story, bringing it to life with their exquisite linework. Absolute Diana is mythological herself! Jordie Bellaire’s colors give everything a very specific atmosphere. This comic isn’t a manga, but it will probably draw in those who love kaiju monsters or dark fantasy!

Birds of Prey

As I mentioned, Kelly Thompson’s books aren’t only about a single protagonist struggling against the grain. She also excels at writing fun team dynamics, as seen in the most recent run of Birds of Prey.

The book features an unlikely team-up among Black Canary, Cassandra Cain’s Batgirl, Big Barda, Harley Quinn, and Zealot. The girls are sent on an extraction mission to Themyscira, Wonder Woman’s place of origin... but the shores of the paradise island aren’t so friendly these days!

This book is a masterclass in team dynamics and in mixing witty dialogue with emotional stakes. The pairing of Leonardo Romero and Jordie Bellaire gives the book a vintage, Kirby-esque aesthetic, ensuring that the all-female cast isn’t sensationalized, but sensational!

Black Cloak & The Cull

If you are tired of reading my endless tirades about superheroes, then these two books are for you! Black Cloak, a creator-owned crime neo-noir, mixes magic and politics while exploring its characters as well as a deadly mystery. This is a world of dragons and skyscrapers, and no one is safe under Kelly Thompson’s pen and Meredith McClaren’s ethereal brush.

Meanwhile, The Cull gives us the story of five teenagers who decide to make a short film on the beach. However, they soon find out that they are in way over their heads when a mysterious cave takes them to places they never thought possible... Mattia De Iulis captures the wonder and terror with photorealistic art that will leave the characters, and you, breathless.

Kelly Thompson at Marvel: Captain Marvel, Black Widow, Hawkeye, and More

Now that I have given you a quick overview of the greatest hits, we can delve deeper into Kelly Thompson’s comics and what she brings to the forefront in each book! (I have also scoured our shop to figure out the best ways to own the books, so you don’t have to!)

Captain Marvel

It is impossible to search for Captain Marvel comics without running into Kelly Thompson’s name. After her run on the character, the two have become intertwined. Now, every Carol Danvers book is compared to this seminal run on the character.

Throughout those 50 issues, Kelly Thompson redefined Captain Marvel for a new generation. She placed greater focus on Carol’s bonds with allies like Spider-Woman and Hazmat. Thompson gave Carol an unforgettable body-swapping adventure with Doctor Strange, exposing her to the magical side of Marvel, too. And yet, she also gave Carol the emotional depth and maturity the character needed for people to connect with this powerhouse.

Marvel’s decision to collect the run in omnibus format was the best one they could have made, and it was a bit of a worry whether they would ever finish it. Captain Marvel by Kelly Thompson Vol. 1 stood on shelves for three years before Captain Marvel: Highest, Furthest, Fastest arrived this year to finish it off!

Black Widow

Another run that deserves its own separate spot! If not for the critical acclaim it has received, then for its importance to Black Widow fans. Natasha has had many, and I mean MANY, runs and guest appearances over the years. And yet, this is the perfect beginner’s run!

Kelly Thompson’s Black Widow sidesteps this dense continuity and offers a self-contained tragedy with a rich emotional core. It’s a puzzle box that masterfully mixes spy thrills and familiar bonds through both writing and art. At its core is the theme of found family and healing. Thompson brings Anya Corazon, Spider-Girl, into Natasha’s web to demonstrate this clearly and effectively.

Sadly, this run only ever came out in trade paperbacks, and those are out of print and tough to find. Hopefully, Marvel will collect it at some point soon, seeing as Mark Waid’s Black Widow just got the chance to shine as well!

Hawkeye and West Coast Avengers

While Hawkeye by Kelly Thompson moves Kate to Los Angeles and establishes a distinct voice for her, Kate’s social life is expanded in Thompson’s West Coast Avengers. This is a perfect, light ensemble comic for those who don’t take things too seriously.

This time, the West Coast Avengers roster is fully funded by a ridiculous reality television show. Now, Kate, Clint Barton, America Chavez, Gwenpool, Kid Omega, and Fuse need to deal with the chaotic repercussions of accepting this Faustian reality TV deal.

This book also introduced the current star and most popular character in Marvel Comics (sorry, Spidey fans), as well as Walt’s Employee of the Month for the 17th month in a row: Jeff the Land Shark! And while the Hawkeye book is another victim of the OOP symptom, West Coast Avengers is collected in the Gwenpool omnibus, whose reprint is incoming! Grab it while you can. Trust me!

Rogue & Gambit, Mr. & Mrs. X, Jessica Jones, Deadpool, and It’s Jeff

To close the chapter on Kelly Thompson’s Marvel comics, I give you a quick-fire round of greatest hits:

Rogue & Gambit/Mr. & Mrs. X is for those who love romantic comedies mixed with space adventures. Huh?!

Jessica Jones: Blind Spot is a hard-boiled noir with a heavy dose of psychological crime and family drama. It’s the perfect continuation of Bendis’ legendary work!

Deadpool is Deadpool. It’s full of meta-humor and action. If you liked Thompson’s other humorous works, you’ll adore this one!

It’s Jeff! needs no introduction. It’s Jeff! It’s the silent, wholesome comedy book that will melt even my parents’ icy hearts. Did I write this out loud?

Kelly Thompson at DC: Absolute Wonder Woman and Birds of Prey

Absolute Wonder Woman

Of course, I would be remiss not to include a dedicated section on the amazing Absolute Wonder Woman run. Kelly Thompson’s Absolute Wonder Woman reimagines Diana in DC’s Absolute Universe, a world created and run by Darkseid.

In this reality, Diana is raised in Hell and trained by Circe, a long-standing villain in the mainline continuity, yet she is just as warm and heartfelt as the original. This Diana is more in tune with her magical side, though, and will use it when fighting anything from giant kaiju monsters from outer realms to creatures from Greek myths, before she befriends them.

Best of all, the Absolute imprint is standalone and going strong. The trades and hardcovers are available most of the time, and DC would be insane not to keep them that way for quite some time!

Kelly Thompson Beyond Marvel and DC

Jem and the Holograms, Nancy Drew, Sabrina, and Buffy

Beyond the Big Two and the indies, Kelly Thompson has also had a hand in many licensed characters. She began her comic-writing career with Jem and the Holograms, redefining the group for the 2010s and giving them the psychological depth of stage fright and sisterhood.

Both Nancy Drew and Sabrina the Teenage Witch received the same treatment: character-first deep dives into relatable teen drama with queer-inclusive themes, too!

At the moment, Thompson is also tied to Dynamite’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer! This new book will offer a fresh narrative that is set to integrate the cast of Angel as well, while still being new-reader-friendly! As an avid fan of both shows, I am excited to read it!

Heart in a Box and her prose novels

While searching for Kelly Thompson books, you might even run into her prose work! While I focused on the big hits here, there are two novels, The Girl Who Would Be King and Storykiller, that had a lot of success on Kickstarter before Kelly Thompson’s comic career exploded.

She also penned Heart in a Box, a magical realist original graphic novel that follows a young woman whose heart is literally breaking. Meredith McClaren joined Thompson again with explosive artwork that will leave you as heartbroken as the main character. Thompson has thus left her mark not just on the comic world but on the wider literary world as well, and I cannot wait to see what she will do next!