2016 Comic Book Awards Pt 1: Best Characters

Best Female Lead (non superhero):  Becky Montcrief (The Sixth Gun)
Though at first it appeared she was cast in the sidekick role when the title made its debut, by series end it was evident that the brave and beautiful Becky was the heart and soul of Cullen Bunn’s supernatural western… and the only true savior of the universe.
Nominees: Loma/Megan (Shade), Forever (Lazarus), Addison (Tomboy), Maika (Montress), Rachel (Rachel Rising)

Best Male Lead (non superhero):  Drake Sinclair (The Sixth Gun)
Drake went through hell and high water to obtain the 6 guns and change his destiny. He, Becky and their allies were an unbeatable team. And his final act showed there was a good man under that hard ass exterior.
Nominees: Mont (American Monster), Viv Headland (Injection)

Best Female Superhero: Spider-Woman
In 2015 Jess received a costume upgrade, with this season came happy beginnings and sad ends. There was the birth of her son, the death of two men she was close to and the fracturing of her friendship with Carol. She mentored the younger Spider-ladies, faced impossible odds in a battle with the Skrulls and won with a combination of brains and brawn. Jessica exemplified heroism in its truest form.
Nominees: Spider-Gwen, Gwenpool, Black Widow, Casey Brinke (if she is indeed slated for superherodom)

Best Male Superhero:  The Vision
Though he was dipping into anti-hero territory, I’ll post him here. Nominees: Ant-Man, Spider-Man

Best Super-team:  Red Hood and the Outlaws
The dark trinity, or as someone on the net referred to them, “the broken trinity” has been the surprise of the Rebirth line.
Nominees: The Justice League of China (New Super-Man), Doom Patrol

Best Supporting Character (Female): Virginia (The Vision)
In truth, she was the one who drove the series. What a sad, broken figure she was, her sacrifice at the end left me with a lump in my throat.
Nominees:  Sofia Al Aqani (The Sheriff of Babylon), Etta Candy (Legend of Wonder Woman), Jet (Rachel Rising), every Lazarus and Stray Bullets supporting character

Best Supporting Character (Male):  Nassir (The Sheriff of Babylon)
I found the supporting characters in this mini more compelling than the lead.
Nominees: Cecil the Ghost and Batroc (Gwenpool), Grandpa in Tomboy, George Stacey (Spider-Gwen), every Lazarus and Stray Bullets supporting character

Best Sidekick: Emiko (Green Arrow) 
Emi can be a brat; she grew up knowing she was better than just about everyone, and under the thumb of a toxic father figure. Watching her arc of development due to Ollie’s stern but loving care is one of the character’s positives. Another is her fierce independence, her refusal to bow down to Shado’s faulty sense of honor, while still looking out and fighting for her mum. All of this gives her layers, makes her interesting and makes her the best thing in “Green Arrow”. When she’s not around the series sinks.
Nominees: Abigail (Black Monday Murders), Gabby (All-New Wolverine)

Best Villain (Male):  The Jackal (Amazing Spider-Man)
Why Dan Slott would want to dredge up bad clone memories is beyond me. Thankfully he tweaked the idea. Went all Egyptian, resurrection of the dead with it - Even got the Jackal out of that goofy furry costume and gave him an Anibus mask (the god of mummification and the afterlife).  Then sneaky Slott upended expectations with a surprising revelation.
Nominees: Frank Castle (Spider-Gwen) The Injection (Injection)

Best Villain (Female):  Griselda, the Grey Witch (the Sixth Gun) 
Nominee: Gen Cale (Revival)

Best Anti-Heroine:  Gwenpool 
Though she really, really wants to be cast as the hero. Her willingness to kill, followed by her unwilling recruitment into M.O.D.O.K.S gang of assassins, has thrown her into grayer waters.
Nominees: Lilith (Rachel Rising), Maika (Montress)

Best Anti-Hero:  Karnak, as written by Warren Ellis
Speaking of heroes who kill with impunity… this antisocial, philosophical Inhuman does bad things for the sake of good.

Best Child/Youth (Female):  Kippa (Monstress) 
She might be too darned adorable for her own good, but this fox-girl gives the book its humor, heart and the hope (naive though it  may be) that there’s good in the protagonist Maika. That she’s someone worth believing in, despite the monster within her.
Nominees: Lunella Lafayette (Moon Girl), Zoe (Rachel Rising)

Best Child/Youth (Male): Babylon (East of West)

Best Comic Book Version of the “Odd Couple”:  Jess and Porcupine (Spider-Woman)
A long time hero paired with a long time baddie? Not only that but the big lug is her kids Nanny

Best Siblings:  Vin and Viv Vision (The Vision)

Best Ensemble Cast:  Lazarus 
Nominees: Injection, East of West, Stray Bullets, The Sixth Gun, Rachel Rising

Best Couple: Shan and Hwan (Dr. Mirage) 
The spooky weirdness and mysteries are fine, but it's this couples love story that make this series of minseries soar
Nominee: Vision & Virginia

Best Performance by an animal: Master Ren Momorian, the 2 tailed cat (Montress)
Nominees: Devil Dinosaur (Moon Girl), Lotion (Doom Patrol)

Best New Character Female: Casey Brinke (Doom Patrol) by Gerard Way and Nick Derington - Because she's cool and quirky and sweet (and when I see her the Hello Dragon song "Ambulance Driver" plays in my head.)

Best New Character Male: Kenan Kong (New Super-Man) from Gene Luen Yang
Because he's funny, flawed and a classic 'coming-of-age' figure.
Nominees: Loma/Megan (Shade the Changing Girl), Violet (Mother Panic), Grigoria Rothschild (Black Monday Murders) and Vision's family,

Happiest Returns:  The Doom Patrol from Gerard Way and Nick Derington

Links

Part 1: 2016 Best Comic Book Characters

Part 2: 2016 Best Writing, Art, Designs
Part 3: 2016 Best Stories, Arcs, Events, Misc