Faculty Review: The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl. Vol. 1, Squirrel Power



Image from RRHS Catalog


As a trade hardcover, Squirrel Power—volume 1 of The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl—collects issues 1-5 in which mutant Doreen Green and her sidekick Tippy-Toe begin college, best Kraven the Hunter, and save Earth from Galactus. Ostensibly, our heroine is attempting to blend in with non-superhero society and become a computer scientist, following in the footsteps of her idol Tony Stark. Unfortunately, she has more than a little trouble acclimating to student life. Set in the Avenger corner of the Marvel universe, Squirrel Power is chock full of not-so-casual, casual references to Iron Man, the Avengers, Stark Tower, Doctor Doom, and Thanos as well as allusions to Green’s possibly more suitable partners the X-men, Wolverine, and Deadpool. Written by Ryan North, creator of the fourteen-year running webcomic Dinosaur Comics (http://www.qwantz.com/), this series is laden with the punny humor and zany commentary fans have come to expect from him. Squirrel Girl is a fast-paced, silly, self-aware romp that is full of wordplay and light on fan-service. Because its artwork is appealing but not overtly sexy, this title is easily appropriate for middle grade readers and beyond. The light-hearted references to itself and the conventions of its genre will find an audience in readers who likes having the “comic” in their comics. Moreover, allusions to other members of the Marvel universe strike the right balance between arcane and insipid in order to appeal to cannon heads and newcomers alike. In short, you would like this book if you like…Marvel’s Deadpool, Lumberjanes, Nimona by Noelle Stevenson, and The Princess and the Pony by Kate Beaton.

- Christina Taylor, DragonLibrary Librarian