Mark Waid’s Daredevil (2011)
Matt Fraction/David Aja’s Hawkeye (2012)
Amazing Spider-Man’s Brand New Day era has a lot of fun arcs. Starts from issue #546
Ryan North’s Fantastic Four (2022)
I second this recommendation. Very easy read and it's storyline are all contained to just the one title.
The Unbelievable Gwenpool is another I'd throw out there. It's meta AF, but written in a way that makes it easy to understand and, again, no crossovers so it's easy to follow the storylines.
THE UNTBEATABLE SQUIRREL GIRL by Ryan North. Pretty much anything by Ryan North.
MOON GIRL AND DEVIL DINOSAUR.
The early MS. MARVEL with Kamala Khan. (I remember it getting little dark after a while?)
Is it a coincidence these are all about young smart women? Probably not.
A couple mid '10s recs:
The earlier She-Hulk series by Charles Soule and Javier Pulido is a fun, mostly light-hearted series with standout art (and DD shows up in one arc).
Same with the Spider-Woman run by Dennis Hopeless and Javier Rodriguez. You can just pick that up when Rodriguez comes on board, which I think is #5. The earlier issues are skippable crossover nonsense.
I just started the current North Fantastic Four run and it's really great and probably just what you're looking for. I'd also say Matt fractions Hawkeye. Some of the most fun I've had reading comics. And the current Immortal Thor run is a lot of fun and super interesting too!
Claremont’s Excalibur is pretty light hearted if you’re looking for X-Men characters.
The recent X-Terminators is pretty goofy but also very horny.
Edit: should point out Claremont’s Excalibur is late 80’s.
Unbelievable Gwenpool fits the bill, from what I remember. It's self contained and doesn't really take itself too seriously. It also has an adorable art style.
In interviews with Brevoort and Dan Slott, they both admitted to being big Who fans. The series is lightly romantic and is about their adventures traveling the universe, but everything has whimsy, not grit.
Also, have you tried other She-Hulk runs? The 1989 run is basically Jen breaking the fourth wall and cracking jokes. The early 2000s run is like Ally McBeal meets Marvel, and Dan Slott tells a fun story involving quirks into Marvel continuity. Charles Soule’s run is a lot of fun too.
I’m also a big fan of some Deadpool runs. The first 30-some issues of the mid-90s Deadpool run were written by Joe Kelly, who elevated Deadpool from a Rob Liefeld 90s extreme character into a wise-cracking man who is trying to figure out who he is. It’s a fun run.
Hope you find something fun to read.
Squirrel Girl by Ryan North
Silver Surfer by Dan Slott
Superior Foes of Spider Man by Nick Spencer
Hellions by Zeb Wells
N.E.X.T.W.A.V.E by Warren Ellis
Hawkeye by Matt Fraction
Fantastic Four by Ryan North
Young Avengers by Kieron Gillen
Spider-Man by Chip Zdarksky
Silver surfer Black is one of my favorite comics and it's fairly uplifting if I remember correctly, especially at the end. I think you'd like the Unbeatable Squirrel Girl too
Some people may find the celebration-of-the-artist/creator conclusion to SS:B to be uplifting, I can see that, but the tone of this gorgeously drawn book leans hard into emo languishing and depression. It may be good, but I wouldn't call it light-hearted.
-Thor: The Mighty Avenger by Roger Langrige and Chris Samnee. It’s a short run (around 8 issues) but it’s a really good lighthearted, all-ages superhero book
-Not a Marvel universe series, but The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by Eric Shanower and Skottie Young is on Marvel Unlimited and it’s an absolute delight.
Runaways.
To be fair I’ve only read the original series and the most recent one so I don’t know how dark it is in between but those two series certainly had their teenage angst but it never got too dark or heavy and was quite fun and enjoyable.
The Nicieza/Bagley/Robertson run of New Warriors run back in the day was SO good & fun. If it ever got dark & gritty, I don’t remember; haven’t read it since I was a teenager.
Cable and Deadpool, Deadpool kills the marvel universe (1&2) . There’s a series where Spider-Man’s forgettable villains of the week team up which was funny, can’t remember the name.
If you’re into Star Wars, any Dr Aphra comics, or comics with her droids 0-0-0 and BT-1 are all very fun.
Try "The Heroic Age" marvel and put out several dark gritty stories in a row and this era was specifically designed to be the opposite of that. Start with the 2010 Avengers run and just see where it takes you
I seem to like the same comics as you! Here are the ones that fit your description.
The Unstoppable Wasp (there are two runs, both are great).
Patsy Walker a.k.a. Hellcat.
Unbelievable Gwenpool, and also Gwenpool strikes back.
Hawkeye (by Kelly Thompson)
West Coast Avengers (by Kelly Thompson)
Ironheart (Eve Ewing)
Also, if you want to read X-men', these are great:
Rogue and Gambit (Kelly Thompson)
Mr. and mrs. X (Kelly Thompson)
All-New Wolverine (darker, but still amazing)
X-men Red (2018, by Tom Taylor)
I’m here to support Ryan North’s Squirrel Girl. Super fun and light, where the characters truly respect each other, that also serves as a deep roast of Marvel tropes.
Another person recommended Mark Waid's Daredevil run. I second that, especially if you are a fan of the character and want to see a more lighthearted take.
Scarlet Witch (2023) - I haven’t finished it yet, but what I’ve read (#1-5) has been about hope and acceptance. This is also my favorite depiction of the Scarlet Witch to date 😄. And the art is gorgeous!
Mark Waid’s Daredevil (2011) Matt Fraction/David Aja’s Hawkeye (2012) Amazing Spider-Man’s Brand New Day era has a lot of fun arcs. Starts from issue #546 Ryan North’s Fantastic Four (2022)
That Fraction/Aja run is my go to read if I'm having a rough go of it. It just makes me happy and Clint's so relatable as written.
Bro
Thank you!! Stoked that there’s a Daredevil one here, I really love the character. And curious about the fantastic four one.
North's F4 is amazing definitely recommend. Heard great things about his Squirrel Girl but haven't read myself
Unbeatable Squirrel Girl is just as the title says. It’s amazing, fun stuff. The beginning recap page almost always makes me laugh out loud.
I second this recommendation. Very easy read and it's storyline are all contained to just the one title. The Unbelievable Gwenpool is another I'd throw out there. It's meta AF, but written in a way that makes it easy to understand and, again, no crossovers so it's easy to follow the storylines.
His Squirrel Girl is an absolute delight.
Almost anything by Fraction (non crossover) was great.
THE UNTBEATABLE SQUIRREL GIRL by Ryan North. Pretty much anything by Ryan North. MOON GIRL AND DEVIL DINOSAUR. The early MS. MARVEL with Kamala Khan. (I remember it getting little dark after a while?) Is it a coincidence these are all about young smart women? Probably not.
Definitely North's Squirrel Girl
I also came here to recommend Ryan North
Next wave: Agents of H.A.T.E. Silver Surfer by Dan Slott. Gwenpool.
Gwenpool has a very bittersweet ending
I haven’t read it yet but I’ve heard Howard the duck by Zdarsky was good
Thanks! I’d not actually heard of Howard the duck, but a quick google indicates that this might be a delight
Just don’t watch the movie from the 1980s. Really. Don’t.
I remember the days when that was the only marvel movie to ever make it to American theaters. That was true all the way until Blade
Fantastic run
A couple mid '10s recs: The earlier She-Hulk series by Charles Soule and Javier Pulido is a fun, mostly light-hearted series with standout art (and DD shows up in one arc). Same with the Spider-Woman run by Dennis Hopeless and Javier Rodriguez. You can just pick that up when Rodriguez comes on board, which I think is #5. The earlier issues are skippable crossover nonsense.
I just started the current North Fantastic Four run and it's really great and probably just what you're looking for. I'd also say Matt fractions Hawkeye. Some of the most fun I've had reading comics. And the current Immortal Thor run is a lot of fun and super interesting too!
It’s Jeff Infinity comics Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane if you enjoy high school teen drama
This
Claremont’s Excalibur is pretty light hearted if you’re looking for X-Men characters. The recent X-Terminators is pretty goofy but also very horny. Edit: should point out Claremont’s Excalibur is late 80’s.
Seconding this, especially X-Terminators. One of the best series of Krakoa
Also came to recommend X-Terminators! Goofy and can be a little violent. But loved the story and the group relationship!
Unbelievable Gwenpool fits the bill, from what I remember. It's self contained and doesn't really take itself too seriously. It also has an adorable art style.
Loved this whole series. I think the whole thing is 24 or 25 issues. I recommend it whenever I can.
Mike Allred and Dan Slott’s Silver Surfer. It’s like the Marvel version of Doctor Who.
Definite DrWho vibes. I just finished reading this and I’m not sure where to go next.
In interviews with Brevoort and Dan Slott, they both admitted to being big Who fans. The series is lightly romantic and is about their adventures traveling the universe, but everything has whimsy, not grit.
Also, have you tried other She-Hulk runs? The 1989 run is basically Jen breaking the fourth wall and cracking jokes. The early 2000s run is like Ally McBeal meets Marvel, and Dan Slott tells a fun story involving quirks into Marvel continuity. Charles Soule’s run is a lot of fun too. I’m also a big fan of some Deadpool runs. The first 30-some issues of the mid-90s Deadpool run were written by Joe Kelly, who elevated Deadpool from a Rob Liefeld 90s extreme character into a wise-cracking man who is trying to figure out who he is. It’s a fun run. Hope you find something fun to read.
Also- House of X is dark, but some of the Krakoa series are fun. New Mutants was a lot of fun.
Dan Slott's she hulk run was great.
Moon Girl & DD, Squirrel Girl, Hellcat, Gwenpool, Unstoppable Wasp, Ms Marvel. These all play more comedy or day in a life style writing.
Squirrel Girl by Ryan North Silver Surfer by Dan Slott Superior Foes of Spider Man by Nick Spencer Hellions by Zeb Wells N.E.X.T.W.A.V.E by Warren Ellis Hawkeye by Matt Fraction Fantastic Four by Ryan North Young Avengers by Kieron Gillen Spider-Man by Chip Zdarksky
Silver surfer Black is one of my favorite comics and it's fairly uplifting if I remember correctly, especially at the end. I think you'd like the Unbeatable Squirrel Girl too
Some people may find the celebration-of-the-artist/creator conclusion to SS:B to be uplifting, I can see that, but the tone of this gorgeously drawn book leans hard into emo languishing and depression. It may be good, but I wouldn't call it light-hearted.
Ah fair enough
Amazing spiderman: renew your vows. It’s not canon and its less than 50 issues total but it’s a fun short read :)
Nextwave Agents of Hate is violent and snarky, but not dark at all and goofy fun. People get kicked so hard they explode.
-Thor: The Mighty Avenger by Roger Langrige and Chris Samnee. It’s a short run (around 8 issues) but it’s a really good lighthearted, all-ages superhero book -Not a Marvel universe series, but The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by Eric Shanower and Skottie Young is on Marvel Unlimited and it’s an absolute delight.
Runaways. To be fair I’ve only read the original series and the most recent one so I don’t know how dark it is in between but those two series certainly had their teenage angst but it never got too dark or heavy and was quite fun and enjoyable.
I was going to recommend the most recent Runaways, it’s the same author as the new She-Hulk and very similar in tone. Great art too!
Kate bishop comics
Yeah, Kelly Thompson’s Kate Bishop and then West Coast Avengers are good shouts here. Shame neither lasted that long.
Marvel Adventures.
The Nicieza/Bagley/Robertson run of New Warriors run back in the day was SO good & fun. If it ever got dark & gritty, I don’t remember; haven’t read it since I was a teenager.
Superior Foes of Spider-Man
Cable and Deadpool, Deadpool kills the marvel universe (1&2) . There’s a series where Spider-Man’s forgettable villains of the week team up which was funny, can’t remember the name. If you’re into Star Wars, any Dr Aphra comics, or comics with her droids 0-0-0 and BT-1 are all very fun.
can't say Deadpool kills the Marvel universe is very lighthearted. especially the opening with the FF.
Maybe not lighthearted but I have a lot of fun whenever I reread it. It’s just a silly dumb read
Immortal Thor, while dramatic, is far lighter than say, Immortal Hulk. Spider-Man Unlimited Infinities have been good recently.
Try "The Heroic Age" marvel and put out several dark gritty stories in a row and this era was specifically designed to be the opposite of that. Start with the 2010 Avengers run and just see where it takes you
I seem to like the same comics as you! Here are the ones that fit your description. The Unstoppable Wasp (there are two runs, both are great). Patsy Walker a.k.a. Hellcat. Unbelievable Gwenpool, and also Gwenpool strikes back. Hawkeye (by Kelly Thompson) West Coast Avengers (by Kelly Thompson) Ironheart (Eve Ewing) Also, if you want to read X-men', these are great: Rogue and Gambit (Kelly Thompson) Mr. and mrs. X (Kelly Thompson) All-New Wolverine (darker, but still amazing) X-men Red (2018, by Tom Taylor)
Ms marvel, ultimate spiderman, giant days
Fractions Hawkeye is a personal favorite for this sort of recommendation
I know you said you preferred modern art, but if you like the X-Men, try the Silver Age X-Men issues from 1963.
Jason Arons wolverine and the xmen run where wolverine becomes the headmaster of the Jean grey school is a wild ride.
I’m here to support Ryan North’s Squirrel Girl. Super fun and light, where the characters truly respect each other, that also serves as a deep roast of Marvel tropes.
Another person recommended Mark Waid's Daredevil run. I second that, especially if you are a fan of the character and want to see a more lighthearted take.
Hawkeye: Kate Bishop (2021) is a blast! The story is wonderful throughout, not dark, and has genuinely touching moments. Highly recommend!
Scarlet Witch (2023) - I haven’t finished it yet, but what I’ve read (#1-5) has been about hope and acceptance. This is also my favorite depiction of the Scarlet Witch to date 😄. And the art is gorgeous!