I don’t know if you can make the comparison between those three types of artists because you have to consider genre. Jeffrey Brown’s girlfriend books aren’t really that comparable to Achewood, for example, and then you couldn’t really make a comparison between X-Men and Persepolis, right? I suppose you could, but it wouldn’t make sense to compare those female characters.

1. As a comics scholar, I wish you would have specified superhero genre graphic novel/comic in the written text. I know it is totally clear in your title and imagery, but it messed with me in reading. I say this because independent women writers are huge in other genres of long form graphic novels. Everyone always nitpicks about using the term “graphic novel,” because it is used by bookstores to legitimize comics as respectable. Blah blah blah, I say. I just usually see it referring to non-superhero long-form works, so it messed with me in your usage. I usually hear “trades” for long-form or collected superhero stuff around my LCBS, graphic novels if you visit the section in Barnes and Noble, graphic narrative by Hillary Chute to refer to long-form autobiographical comics, comics or comix by people like Art Spiegelman because people shouldn’t have to put a different name on it or try to take themselves too seriously. :p

2. Differences between misogyny and male privilege. You are right that a lot of comics authors aren’t themselves trying to act as misogynists, but a lot of them cannot see how much it sucks to play Final Fantasy and have the one of two that is your gender be the archer on the back row with white magic and somehow doing this in a bikini and GoGo boots (looking at you, Rosa from FF4 archetype). There isn’t an inherent problem with having women have these powers that are less physical, but there is a problem when people can only name the notable 7 or 8 exceptions that you mentioned when there are thousands or more of male characters across the mythos that get physical powers or super intelligence etc. It is also an issue to not write male characters in as healers or other “feminized” roles. Because as an escapist genre, your masculinity dictates that you must long to be physically strong rather than an empath with cool water healing stuff ala waterbending. /sarcasm.

3. I would also point out Catwoman’s spine issues on Catwoman #0. As a counter to that bit of weird anatomically impossible sexualization from DC, we have the lovely reboot of Ms. Marvel as Captain Marvel kicking so much ass. Sexuality as power isn’t an inherent issue either, but it is something that the real world throws at white** women to use for our economic stability in a country that used to consider us property and still don’t pay us equally. Marvel is generally better than DC on wider ranges of female characters, but DC also gives their superheroines more chances with title issues. I am a big fan of Barbara Gordon as Batgirl, though I am not as up on her as Oracle and know how harsh that was to the differently abled community to reboot her. Also, Gail Simone squeeeee. And Batwoman is an awesome read too; her identity as a lesbian isn’t male fantasy fetishized, so that is a positive touch. I think things are getting better, but people (male people with buying power who still are catered to in the industry) need to support the women superheroes and diversity by buying the books. Or, change distribution models so that women are more likely to get into comics (I miss the comics rack at the grocery store checkout) and maybe visit their local comic book store.

4. Superhero genre as performing heteronormative male power culture with writers and staff mostly reflecting this bias. It isn’t that male writers cannot write female characters well, it is that most of them strive to write female characters rather than just characters who are embodied female. And their percentages of their staff are pretty woeful (looking at you, DC). Marvel is a bit better here.

**Racism is still an issue in comics, but also getting a lot better.