The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #1 by Ryan North

Summary from Goodreads:

Wolverine, Deadpool, Doctor Doom, Thanos: There's one hero that's beaten them all, and now she's got her own ongoing series! (Not that she's bragging.) That's right, you asked for it, you got it, it's Squirrel Girl, (she's also starting college this semester!) It's the start of a brand-new series of adventures starring the nuttiest and most upbeat super hero in the world!

Review:

I’m not sure exactly what I was expecting from this comic. I only recently learned of its existence through one of the voting rounds on the Goodreads Choice Awards. It was nominated for best graphic novel, and I’d never seen it before. As soon as I read the above description though, I knew I had to read it.

I must say it’s be been a great year for girls in comics. I have read some really fantastic stuff this year. And I knew there was no way Squirrel Girl could compete with Ms. Marvel (my current favorite), but I was pleasantly surprised by how entertained I was by the whole thing. Yes, bring on the girl superheroes please. And I love the girl superheroes that aren’t 100% sex symbols. Squirrel Girl (besides her tail) is very average looking and isn’t always posing in the best way to highlight all her best assets, as many girl superheroes are drawn to do. I was impressed with this. Girls can be heroes without also being super models. Yes.

I loved the college campus setting. I loved the roommate who had a secret pet cat, and a love for knitting. And I absolutely adored Squirrel Girl. She was so funny, optimistic, and genuinely rather innocent. She was not what I was expecting. It was nice having the main character want to be a superhero and not complain about her powers. Her confidence was so endearing.

She though she could do things and she did. She defeated and or talked her way out of various battles with some of the most famous of villains.  And it’s not like she’s the strongest superhero out there. Her greatest skill is her ability to talk to squirrels. And her kindness is so refreshing.

I loved all the bonus features in the book too. There were all these Q and A sessions and twitter feeds running between the different parts of the book. Also, I loved the Deadpool cards she kept referring to. Oh, and seeing her first interaction with Ironman was so funny. I kept laughing throughout the whole thing.

All in all, I think Squirrel Girl makes an excellent addition to the Marvel universe. Her story is funny and different. And I can’t wait to read more about her. I’m so glad I found this on Goodreads. I give it a 9/10.