Book Review: The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl and the Great Lakes Avengers by D. Slott et al.

The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl and the Great Lakes Avengers written by Dan Slott, Fabian Nicieza, Alex Zalben, Steve Ditko, and various artists

This book is a compilation of various adventures for Squirrel Girl, mostly involving the Great Lakes Avengers. The Great Lakes Avengers is a team of super-powered people in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. They aren't officially affiliated with the Avengers. They decide to name themselves as Avengers to get more name recognition and respect. The only problem is their powers are a bit lame--Mr. Immortal can't die but otherwise has no powers; Flatman is paper thin and is acknowledged as a Mr. Fantastic rip-off; Doorman is a living portal but can only transport himself or others into the next room; Dinah Saur is a female flying dinosaur humanoid; Big Bertha is a supermodel who can add mass at will to make herself huge. Their lameness is used for comedy. They hardly ever win any battle (except when Squirrel Girl joins because she is, as the title says, unbeatable). There is a serious story about the end of the world (because that's where the big drama in comics comes from, right?) but the GLA's role is mostly comic and tragic. Members die in every issue, which is a running gag for the comic. The humor isn't as dark as Kick-Ass and the message isn't as cynical as Watchmen but it's in the neighborhood. The tone is the big difference. The GLA are depicted as a fun bunch of screw-ups.

The book contains a very charming story with the Thing, who has a minor team-up with Squirrel Girl but mostly it's the story of his Bar Mitzvah and the party, with a great big superhero poker tournament. In another couple of stories, Deadpool fights with and eventually joins the GLA, which doesn't work out well for anyone (Squirrel Girl keeps calling Deadpool, "you evil, evil man!"). In addition to making fun of the GLA, readers get the Deadpool humor too (self-aware and a bit crass, if you haven't read any Deadpool stories or seen the movie). I laughed but felt guilty afterwards, just like the Deadpool movie.

The best story is with the Thing. The other stories depend a lot on your sense of humor. I enjoyed them but do not think they are great. And they don't have enough Squirrel Girl, if you ask me.

Book Review: The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl Volume 1 by Ryan North et al. and the Graphic Novels Challenge

The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl Volume 1: Squirrel Power written by Ryan North and art by Erica Henderson

There is no doubt that some Marvel Comics heroes have ridiculous superpowers. Mr. Fantastic can stretch into any shape. Ant-Man can shrink to microscopic sizes and can control ants. So a teenager with squirrel powers isn't so surprising. Squirrel Girl originally appeared in 1990 when she and her cohort of squirrels defeated Doctor Doom. Ironman was there but he didn't do much helping (to be honest, Tony Stark was more damsel-in-distress than knight-in-shining-armor). Marvel has reintroduced the character in 2015 and this trade paperback includes the first four issues along with that original adventure with Ironman and Doctor Doom.

Doreen Green is Squirrel Girl and she's been living in the Avengers Mansion attic for a while. She decides to go to college and have a bit of a regular life. She keeps running into trouble. Her roommate has a cat (which is against college rules but the roommate doesn't care). The cat does get along with Tippy-Toe, Doreen's pet squirrel (who is also her sidekick when fighting villains). So things work out. On campus, Kraven the Hunter shows up. Doreen suits up and heads out for a big fight in the campus woods. She does as much talking as using her powers to send Kraven packing. Will she be great enough to defeat Galactus, whose approach to the planet Earth has only been detected by the squirrels?

The stories are silly but fun. I laughed often while reading and found her naive optimism charming (a refreshing change from the dark, brooding comics that seem to dominate the current market). The art is bright and cartoony, also a refreshing change from the overly violent and sexualized content in other comics. If you want lots of light-hearted chuckles, the Unbeatable Squirrel Girl is right up your alley.



This is the last graphic novel of 2015, concluding my participation in the 8th annual Graphic Novels and Manga Challenge. I hit 55 of 52, so I exceeded the goal! Here's the other 54:

1. Wolverine: Old Man Logan--reviewed here.
2. Saga Volume 2--reviewed here.
3. Saga Volume 3--reviewed here.
4. Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Promise - Part One--reviewed here.
5. Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Promise - Part Two--reviewed here.
6. Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Promise - Part Three--reviewed here. 
7. Serenity Volume 4: Leaves on the Wind--reviewed here. 
8. The Last Airbender Prequel: Zuko's Story--reviewed here.
9. Messiah: Origin--reviewed here. 
10. Cartoon Guide to Economics: Vol. 1--reviewed here. 
11. The Book of Genesis Illustrated--reviewed here.
12. Anne Frank--reviewed here. 
13. Megillat Esther--reviewed here. 
14. Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Search - Part One--reviewed here.
15. Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Search - Part Two--reviewed here.  
16. Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Search - Part Three--reviewed here. 
17. Dr. Horrible and Other Horrible Stories--reviewed here. 
18. Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales: One Dead Spy--reviewed here. 
19. Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Rift - Part One--reviewed here.
20. Free Comic Book Day issues--reviewed here!
21. Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Rift - Part Two--reviewed here.
22. Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Rift - Part Three--reviewed here.
23. The Walking Dead TP 22--reviewed here.
24. Green Lantern New 52 Volume 4--reviewed here.
25. Itty Bitty Hellboy--reviewed here.
26. Saga Volume 4--reviewed here.
27. Usagi Yojimbo: Yokai--reviewed here.
28. Hellboy and the B.P.R.D. 1952--reviewed here.
29. Contract with God Trilogy--reviewed here.
30. Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales: Donner Dinner Party--reviewed here.
31. Baltimore: Passing Stranger and Other Stories--reviewed here.
32. Avengers: Rage of Ultron--reviewed here.
33. The Walking Dead TP 23--reviewed here.
34. The Best of The Spirit--reviewed here.
35. Twilight Zone: Deaths-Head Revisited--reviewed here.
36. Justice League: Trinity War--reviewed here. 
37. Fray--reviewed here.
38. Batman '66 Vol. 1--reviewed here.
39. Pride of Baghdad--reviewed here.
40. Animal Crackers--reviewed here. 
41. The Black Island--reviewed here.
42. Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales: Big Bad Ironclad!--reviewed here.
43. The Sword Vol. 1--reviewed here.
44. The Sword Vol. 2--reviewed here.
45. The Sword Vol. 3--reviewed here.
46. The Sword Vol. 4--reviewed here.
47. Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales: Treaties, Trenches, Mud, and Blood--reviewed here.
48. Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales: The Underground Abductor--reviewed here.
49. Batman: The Long Halloween--reviewed here.
50. Avatar: Smoke and Shadow Part One--reviewed here.
51. The Walking Dead TP 24--reviewed here.
52. Secret Coders Vol. 1--reviewed here.
53. Batman: Hush--reviewed here.
54. Frankenstein Underground--reviewed here.

I am going to go for another 52 in 2016 for the next challenge. I'll probably start the Fables series or Morning Glories. Click on the picture below to find out more about the challenge!