The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl is here to kick butts and eat nuts

See sample pages from this book at Wink.

Doreen Green is a totally normal teenager. Shes starting college, shes a fan of the Avengers, shes trying to get her new roommate to like her... and she has the proportional speed and strength of a squirrel. She can talk to squirrels, and shes here, squirrel-like, to kick butts and eat nuts. Shes Squirrel Girl!

When the cashier at my local comic book store told me about Squirrel Girl I thought he was pulling my leg shes half-girl, half-squirrel? And shes unbeatable? Squirrel Girl is a hoot. There are dilemmas universal (How does one save the world from a super-villain?) and personal (How does one hide her tail in her jeans?). You can race through Squirrel Girl reading for the goofy plot and funny banter, or you can stop and linger over the fine details and hidden wisecracks.

Some comics are written with the long-time dedicated fan in mind, but Squirrel Girl also works for people who are new to the series, or even new to comics. Iron Man plays a role, but its clear from context who he is and if youve seen the movies, youve got all the backstory you need. And Thanos makes an appearance, as does Galactus, but Deadpool helpfully has provided trading cards to bring you up to speed and lets be honest, these arent subtle characters here, you can figure it out as you go along. Squirrel Girl is suitable for elementary school kids through adulthood (and beyond! No, wait, that doesnt work). Sara Lorimer

The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl Vol. 1: Squirrel Power
by Ryan North (author) and Erica Henderson (illustrator)
Marvel
2015, 128 pages, 6.6 x 10.2 x 0.2 inches (softcover)
$11 Buy a copy on Amazon