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A-Force Presents #1
A-Force Presents 1
Marvel's most amazing heroes step into the spotlight in this all action book packed with adventure, danger, drama...and fun! Black Widow seeks redemption for her past - in ways that the Avengers wouldn't approve! When Carol Danvers takes on the legacy of Captain Marvel, she'll live her dream of traveling to the stars! Teenage Kamala Khan fights crime as Ms. Marvel...but is she ready for this dangerous new life? She-Hulk isn't just a green powerhouse - she's an attorney with legal skills that will knock her opponents' socks off! A mysterious woman lifts the hammer Mjolnir, and claims the powers of the mighty Thor! And Squirrel Girl faces her most dangerous challenge yet: college!
COLLECTING: BLACK WIDOW (2014) 1, CAPTAIN MARVEL (2014) 1, MS. MARVEL (2014) 1, SHE-HULK (2014) 1, THOR (2014) 1, UNBEATABLE SQUIRREL GIRL (2015) 1
COLLECTING: BLACK WIDOW (2014) 1, CAPTAIN MARVEL (2014) 1, MS. MARVEL (2014) 1, SHE-HULK (2014) 1, THOR (2014) 1, UNBEATABLE SQUIRREL GIRL (2015) 1
144 pages, Paperback
First published September 29, 2015
2 people are currently reading
225 people want to read
About the author
Nathan Edmondson
216 books125 followersComic book and screenwriter Nathan Edmondson is a native of Augusta, GA. His Eisner-nominated book Who Is Jake Ellis? will soon be a major motion picture from 20th Century Fox, and The Activity film will come soon from Paramount Pictures. NPR has listed his work among the “Top 6 Comics to Draw You In” and USA Today and CNN are among those who have listed him in their Top 10 lists.
Nathan currently lives near Los Angeles, USA.
Nathan currently lives near Los Angeles, USA.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
November 6, 2019
This book is just a cash grab. All it is, is the first issues of all of these characters ongoing series that have already been collected in their own books. Marvel should be giving this away for free to drive interest to their books, not charging $15 bucks for it.
October 7, 2020
I initially thought this was a new story arc, a fictional crossover of six superheroes - Black Widow, She-Hulk, Captain Marvel, Ms Marvel, Thor and Squirrel Girl. But no, it's just a collection of the first few single issues of their solo series.
It's still great because it's quite a time-consuming task to go through multitudinous story arcs to get the best ones or the origin stories, especially for non-regular comic readers who don't find sufficient time.
1) Black widow - ★★★★ - I had already read this volume before and to my surprise really liked it. But a lot of that credit goes to one of the best artworks I've ever seen in the comics.
2) She-Hulk - ★★★★ - My knowledge of She-Hulk is limited to a single gratis issue I read once. So, this was my first series read and it turned out to be really good. You must often find plots in comic books which are pretty much unreasonable. Not this one. It was somewhat logical, at least good fiction.
3) Captain Marvel - ★★ - I had already read and reviewed this series. "I first read Carol Danvers in some free Avengers standalone issue (don't remember) and found her character quite captivating. Since "In Pursuit of Flight" series of Marvel Now! doesn't have many good reviews, I decided to pick up this series. And well, that was definitely not apt to get started with Captain Marvel.
With not much information about the background and motives of the characters, the story arc comes out as quite superficial revolving around some heroes saving some aliens from some villians on some planet with some cliched dialogues and some cliched action scenes."
But it can't go without saying that the art of this series is awesome. Probably, I'll pick more books of this series for the art only.
4) Ms Marvel - ★★★ - At this point of time (I'm currently reading volume 7), it's already one of my favorite series.
5) Thor - ★★★ - It ended exactly when it had started to get interesting. Well, good for an ending scene. But that's why I prefer reading the volume and not single issues. So, I don't know, maybe gear up for the next book.
6) Squirrel Girl - ★★★ - This was my first time reading Squirrel Girl. Somewhat entertaining. But I won't go about ordering her books outright. Probably later.
Overall, it was a great entertaining read with splendid artwork in especially Black Widow, She-Hulk and Captain Marvel's issues. Also it's a wonderful way to be introduced to She-Hulk, Thor and Squirrel Girl all at once. Plan to read all of the series as soon as possible.
It's still great because it's quite a time-consuming task to go through multitudinous story arcs to get the best ones or the origin stories, especially for non-regular comic readers who don't find sufficient time.
1) Black widow - ★★★★ - I had already read this volume before and to my surprise really liked it. But a lot of that credit goes to one of the best artworks I've ever seen in the comics.
2) She-Hulk - ★★★★ - My knowledge of She-Hulk is limited to a single gratis issue I read once. So, this was my first series read and it turned out to be really good. You must often find plots in comic books which are pretty much unreasonable. Not this one. It was somewhat logical, at least good fiction.
3) Captain Marvel - ★★ - I had already read and reviewed this series. "I first read Carol Danvers in some free Avengers standalone issue (don't remember) and found her character quite captivating. Since "In Pursuit of Flight" series of Marvel Now! doesn't have many good reviews, I decided to pick up this series. And well, that was definitely not apt to get started with Captain Marvel.
With not much information about the background and motives of the characters, the story arc comes out as quite superficial revolving around some heroes saving some aliens from some villians on some planet with some cliched dialogues and some cliched action scenes."
But it can't go without saying that the art of this series is awesome. Probably, I'll pick more books of this series for the art only.
4) Ms Marvel - ★★★ - At this point of time (I'm currently reading volume 7), it's already one of my favorite series.
5) Thor - ★★★ - It ended exactly when it had started to get interesting. Well, good for an ending scene. But that's why I prefer reading the volume and not single issues. So, I don't know, maybe gear up for the next book.
6) Squirrel Girl - ★★★ - This was my first time reading Squirrel Girl. Somewhat entertaining. But I won't go about ordering her books outright. Probably later.
Overall, it was a great entertaining read with splendid artwork in especially Black Widow, She-Hulk and Captain Marvel's issues. Also it's a wonderful way to be introduced to She-Hulk, Thor and Squirrel Girl all at once. Plan to read all of the series as soon as possible.
June 3, 2022
i need volume 2 now!
December 21, 2015
The Good: I love superheroes and strong women, so, when you put the two together, you've got a winning formula! This comic book omnibus features some names that were previously familiar to me--She-Hulk, Black Widow, and Ms. Marvel--and one that wasn't: Squirrel Girl? Seriously? These are all origin stories of the various superheroines, which is good for those who aren't familiar with the characters. Other Marvel stars, such as Iron Man, make appearances as well. The artwork is fabulous, as usual from this studio.
The Bad: As good as this is, I wish it had more of the characters' stories; then again, I know Ms. Marvel has had more than one omnibus of her comics already published, so maybe the others have as well. Also, this was a bit edgier than I was expecting; see the content concerns for why.
Content Concerns:
Sex: None. 5/5
Nudity: Women are occasionally seen in low-cut or bare-midriff outfits. 4/5
Language: Occasional uses of d-words, h-words, and euphemisms such as "freaking". 4/5
Violence: As you'd expect, there is fantasy violence throughout, and it gets bloody a few times. 3/5
Drugs: A woman hangs out at a bar; a teenage girl unknowingly drinks an alcoholic beverage, but spits it out when she finds out what it is. 4/5
Frightening/Intense Sequences: Freaky visuals throughout. 3/5
Other: One of the comics endorses Islam. 4/5
Conclusion: This was fun for what it was...but, I was expecting more. Are you listening, Marvel?
Score: 3/5
The Bad: As good as this is, I wish it had more of the characters' stories; then again, I know Ms. Marvel has had more than one omnibus of her comics already published, so maybe the others have as well. Also, this was a bit edgier than I was expecting; see the content concerns for why.
Content Concerns:
Sex: None. 5/5
Nudity: Women are occasionally seen in low-cut or bare-midriff outfits. 4/5
Language: Occasional uses of d-words, h-words, and euphemisms such as "freaking". 4/5
Violence: As you'd expect, there is fantasy violence throughout, and it gets bloody a few times. 3/5
Drugs: A woman hangs out at a bar; a teenage girl unknowingly drinks an alcoholic beverage, but spits it out when she finds out what it is. 4/5
Frightening/Intense Sequences: Freaky visuals throughout. 3/5
Other: One of the comics endorses Islam. 4/5
Conclusion: This was fun for what it was...but, I was expecting more. Are you listening, Marvel?
Score: 3/5
February 23, 2016
It's a bunch of #1s, but they're GOOD #1s.
March 2, 2024
Every issue in this trade is GREAT. But I still gave up on the series as a whole after volume 2 for four reasons.
1. They are really meant as a sampler for the six series include.
2. Having to swap between books is kind of annoying.
3. To complete the six story arcs of the six titles, which you can totally do with A-Force presents, could be done in a lot more organized by buying each series first trade individually.
4. In two cases I had already checked out them from the library on a previous occasions.
But it has convinced me to maybe go back and read Captain Marvel, Thor, She-Hulk and Black Widow in their entirety at another time.
1. They are really meant as a sampler for the six series include.
2. Having to swap between books is kind of annoying.
3. To complete the six story arcs of the six titles, which you can totally do with A-Force presents, could be done in a lot more organized by buying each series first trade individually.
4. In two cases I had already checked out them from the library on a previous occasions.
But it has convinced me to maybe go back and read Captain Marvel, Thor, She-Hulk and Black Widow in their entirety at another time.
July 23, 2016
This graphic novel collects the first issues of some of Marvel's female superhero series, including Thor, Captain Marvel, Ms Marvel, Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, She-Hulk and Black Widow, and serves as a great introduction to the characters.
I picked this up in the library so that I could try out a variety of different female superheroes before investing time in the individual volumes and I'm so glad I did. Experiencing these comics this way meant that I could pick out which art styles I enjoyed and which heroes I would want to read more about. She-Hulk was definitely one of my favourites and honestly, before reading this, it isn't one I think I would have picked up on my own.
Overall, if like me you haven't read any Marvel comics before, I think this is a great way to start and I will definitely be looking into some of these characters' stories in the future.
I picked this up in the library so that I could try out a variety of different female superheroes before investing time in the individual volumes and I'm so glad I did. Experiencing these comics this way meant that I could pick out which art styles I enjoyed and which heroes I would want to read more about. She-Hulk was definitely one of my favourites and honestly, before reading this, it isn't one I think I would have picked up on my own.
Overall, if like me you haven't read any Marvel comics before, I think this is a great way to start and I will definitely be looking into some of these characters' stories in the future.
July 31, 2017
A collection of first stories of various Marvel female superheroes. All of these I've read before. You've got a Black Widow story, which is one of the good ones, before the book went downhill. You've got a She-Hulk story which is surprisingly good as are most of the She-Hulk stories. You've got Captain Marvel about to go back to space - a weaker story though not bad. And Ms. Marvel - all of which so far has been awesome. And Thor. Sigh. The world of Thor always drives me crazy with its mythological but stilted bit and really this isn't any better. And then The Incredible Squirrel Girl with lousy art but oddly interesting writing. So a mixed bag but on the whole good, and a good first look at these books if you've not already seen them. 3.5 of 5.
October 5, 2015
A-Force Presents introduces some of the gutsy-girls of the Marvel universe. You get just enough of each of their stories to tantalize. I'm already a huge Ms. Marvel fan, so I'm current on her collected stories. Apart from her, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed reading She-Hulk and Squirrel Girl (seriously, a girl who has squirrel powers??). Those are two I'll seek out independently. Captain Marvel and Thor may also be worth another look, but I didn't connect with Black Widow at all.
June 30, 2018
Greed + Lack of Shame = REPRINT-CITY!
December 4, 2025
It's a compilation of first issues about kick-ass ladies. I enjoyed them very much! Especially She-Hulk, she really is my fave. Great reading!
April 4, 2020
04/04/2020
3 ⭐
I know some people are mad about this because they thought it was a crossover but I knew it wasn't before I started reading it. So, taking this as it is, it was really helpful to me. I wanted to know more about these characters and now I do!
Black Widow Issue #1 - Possibly controversial but I've never cared for Black Widow, that being said, this was very compelling so I might give her series a go in the future, for something different.
She-Hulk Issue #1 - I knew nothing about She-Hulk going into this but now I am definitely going to search out more comics with her in it, she's a total badass!
Captain Marvel Issue #1 - I really recently read the first and second volumes in this trilogy, so this wasn't anything new to me. Still a lot of fun though.
Ms. Marvel Issue #1 - This is one of those fun comic circumstances where you have t have read other comics to understand how the hell the main character got their powers and I'm not about that life so can someone pls explain to me what the hell just happened. Otherwise, this was pretty different so I might give this a shot once the libraries re-open!
tw: racism
Thor #1 - "There must always be a Thor." Thor can't wild the hammer, so who can? ...Thor, apparently. We didn't get much in this issue but I definitely think I'll revisit the series before Love and Thunder comes out!
The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl Issue #1 - I'll be honest, I skipped most of this, it just doesn't seem like something I would ever enjoy.
3 ⭐
I know some people are mad about this because they thought it was a crossover but I knew it wasn't before I started reading it. So, taking this as it is, it was really helpful to me. I wanted to know more about these characters and now I do!
Black Widow Issue #1 - Possibly controversial but I've never cared for Black Widow, that being said, this was very compelling so I might give her series a go in the future, for something different.
She-Hulk Issue #1 - I knew nothing about She-Hulk going into this but now I am definitely going to search out more comics with her in it, she's a total badass!
Captain Marvel Issue #1 - I really recently read the first and second volumes in this trilogy, so this wasn't anything new to me. Still a lot of fun though.
Ms. Marvel Issue #1 - This is one of those fun comic circumstances where you have t have read other comics to understand how the hell the main character got their powers and I'm not about that life so can someone pls explain to me what the hell just happened. Otherwise, this was pretty different so I might give this a shot once the libraries re-open!
tw: racism
Thor #1 - "There must always be a Thor." Thor can't wild the hammer, so who can? ...Thor, apparently. We didn't get much in this issue but I definitely think I'll revisit the series before Love and Thunder comes out!
The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl Issue #1 - I'll be honest, I skipped most of this, it just doesn't seem like something I would ever enjoy.
May 16, 2017
Lets be honest - a small little book containing only the very first issues of 6 different comics is not exactly going to be a gripping read; All you are getting is a bunch of prologues. As a one off volume though, I can see some merit. It's a sample platter to see if there are any of the individual stories you might want to pursue in the future. I my case I might look a bit more into the new Thor and Ms Marvel - but none of the other stories did anything that piqued my interest.
Art wise, it's a bit of a mixed bag. The art for Ms Marvel, Thor, and Black Widow were the highlights for me, but that is completely counterbalanced by the sheer awfulness of the She-Hulk issue - which was so ugly that I couldn't even bring myself to read more than a couple of pages of it.
I will probably read A-force volume two, but only because I got it out from the library at the same time as volume one. Beyond that I don't see any value in reading the later volumes.
Tidbits: She-Hulks dead-eyed stare; and Odin is not worthy (lol).
Art wise, it's a bit of a mixed bag. The art for Ms Marvel, Thor, and Black Widow were the highlights for me, but that is completely counterbalanced by the sheer awfulness of the She-Hulk issue - which was so ugly that I couldn't even bring myself to read more than a couple of pages of it.
I will probably read A-force volume two, but only because I got it out from the library at the same time as volume one. Beyond that I don't see any value in reading the later volumes.
Tidbits: She-Hulks dead-eyed stare; and Odin is not worthy (lol).
December 31, 2017
I bought this volume of A-Force Presents just after it was released, and promptly forgot that it existed. I'm planning on unhauling it soon, because it's only a collection of the first issues of six different series, but before getting rid of it I decided to get a taste of She-Hulk, Black Widow and Ms. Marvel (I've already read Thor, Captain Marvel and The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl in their own volumes).
I'm not sure whether I'd be interested in carrying on with Black Widow because I didn't enjoy the art style much, but it works the best as a standalone issue. She-Hulk was delightful, as was Ms. Marvel - I wasn't sure whether I wanted to read either of them, because it feels a little late to catch up. However, Jennifer and Kamala are both delightful characters, and - in the case of Ms. Marvel - it's delightful to see a completely different culture represented in a Marvel comic.
I'm not sure whether I'd be interested in carrying on with Black Widow because I didn't enjoy the art style much, but it works the best as a standalone issue. She-Hulk was delightful, as was Ms. Marvel - I wasn't sure whether I wanted to read either of them, because it feels a little late to catch up. However, Jennifer and Kamala are both delightful characters, and - in the case of Ms. Marvel - it's delightful to see a completely different culture represented in a Marvel comic.
May 26, 2020
Enjoyed it! I picked it up for Squirrel Girl but enjoyed getting to know some new female super heroes. There is a good variety of characters and powers. Some of the art is not a style I really care for (lots of tight clothing and unrealistic proportions) but some of it I really admired. I'm planning to continue on with this series.
May 28, 2018
I didn't realize that this is not a team-up book. It collects the first issues of several amazing female-led comics that Marvel currently has. I'm glad for the chance to sample them, but I'm going to continue reading them in their own books rather than in this format.
July 8, 2018
It’s good(!) but because it’s just a compilation on #1s, I don’t think I can give it more than three stars. They were all enjoyable, but I look forward to reading the rest of the stories even more :)
November 13, 2016
These are the first issues of these people and nothing new. Kind of a rip off. I guess it's good to see if you want to read them.
July 27, 2017
Comic readers would love this, especially if they are interested in the Marvel women. Comics are just not my thing.
October 20, 2017
A collection of the first issues of Ms Marvel, Captain Marvel, Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, She-Hulk, Thor and Black Widow. It's a great way to get them in hard copy for reading versus on the screen.
April 16, 2019
I truly dig getting to read the origin stories or the early days of various awesome female superheroes! I dig the set up and am looking forward to learning more about these women.
April 13, 2020
Not bad, but still a way to make more money out of the Marvel brand.
December 28, 2020
An excellent sample of some of Marvel's best heroines.
March 12, 2023
The Black Widow backstory was intense
December 30, 2020
Awful, so boring, just terrible, these characters deserve so much better than this crap!
January 11, 2016
When I saw the listing for this at my local library, I'd already read a few volumes of Ms Marvel and the first volume of Thor, so I already knew how I felt about those. My library also has Squirrel Girl, Captain Marvel, and Black Widow, but we don't have She-Hulk at all. So I felt this was a good way to taste-test several series at once without chasing down separate books for each one.
Black Widow #1
Even without what I've gleaned from the movies (which isn't all that much, let's face it), I feel the first issue really provided a decent amount of information about Natasha's personality and motivations. There's maybe not that much story going on just yet, but that's fine. In addition, the art is great, and really helps set the atmosphere for the title. Would I seek out the individual title from this issue alone, yes.
She-Hulk #1
Going from Black Widow to She-Hulk is like mood whiplash. But in a good way, because She-Hulk is just that awesome. While I'm interested in reading more Black Widow, I need to read more She-Hulk. While Natasha's character is all shrouded in mystery, Jennifer's is right in your face, in the best way. She takes no crap from anyone, not even Tony 'I'm Iron Man' Stark. The art is adorable and, while it is almost classic in its style, is still quite nuanced. I never knew I needed this comic in my life until now. Why does my library not carry it?
Captain Marvel #1
By virtue of being the personal in-character inspiration of Ms Marvel, Captain Marvel has been on my 'I'll get around to it eventually' comics list ever since I started reading that title. Having now read an issue of Captain Marvel, I can safely say it's bumped itself up to the 'I WILL read this once my current comic backlog is caught up, or at least a little smaller' list. As for the issue itself, feels a little scattered because there's so many short little scenes, which considering she's feeling a little lost herself is actually rather fitting, but where Captain Marvel seems to shine is with her interactions with other characters. That, and the brawl scene had such a Firefly feel to it, especially where the art was concerned, I got a bit nostalgic.
Ms. Marvel #1
I've already read four volumes of Ms. Marvel at the time of this review, but rereading the very first issue was fun! Kamala's character is adorable in her earnestness. She's the youngest out of all the leading ladies in this collection and she feels like the teenager that she is. Unlike the first three titles in the collection, Ms Marvel is an origins story at it's core, and even within the first issue there is a lot going on. Kamala is introduced, her friends, family, and even some classmates are as well. Her relationships with each group, and even within each group, are all different and unique. She's just a normal teenaged girl who loves writing Avenger fanfiction and is trying to navigate home and high school. Now throw superpowers into the mix.
Thor #1
If we judge this collection simply by how well the single issues give us a feel for the title as a whole, Thor is probably the weakest, simply for the fact she doesn't even appear until the very... last... page. Well, her hand appears in the second to last page, too. However, the issue does do a good job of setting the stage and introducing other major cast members, ie The-Dude-Formerly-Known-As-Thor, his Mom, his Dad, and then this shady looking Malekith dude. Also, it does give a pretty good feel for the atmosphere of the title as a whole (having read a couple volumes of Thor at the time of this review), what with ex-Thor being a giant manchild, limbs flying everywhere, and Malekith being creepy as hell. For the record, new Thor's armor = fantastic. No chain mail bikini here.
The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #1
Squirrel Girl is unique. The title will either appeal to you, or not. I fell into the 'not' category. It's not that I hate the title, I just have a feeling it's not for me. I might go hunt up a full volume before I write it off completely, but I don't think I'm going to change my mind on this one. The art is actually a strong point for the title, as nothing says light-hearted shenanigans like a bright pink background and lime green impact vectors. While I'm not sold on Squirrel Girl, I did like her roommate and her squirrel sidekick, and the trading cards were so silly they were almost funny. The footnotes at the bottom of the page however, were annoying. They were so faint and tiny I could barely read them.
What's great about this collection is that each title is different from the others. The leading ladies have different backgrounds, different personalities, different motivations, different goals. The art is all different, but adds greatly to the individual titles. Out of six titles, I was already reading two, but found three more I was either more interested in than before, or instantly hooked. So five out of six isn't bad!
Black Widow #1
Even without what I've gleaned from the movies (which isn't all that much, let's face it), I feel the first issue really provided a decent amount of information about Natasha's personality and motivations. There's maybe not that much story going on just yet, but that's fine. In addition, the art is great, and really helps set the atmosphere for the title. Would I seek out the individual title from this issue alone, yes.
She-Hulk #1
Going from Black Widow to She-Hulk is like mood whiplash. But in a good way, because She-Hulk is just that awesome. While I'm interested in reading more Black Widow, I need to read more She-Hulk. While Natasha's character is all shrouded in mystery, Jennifer's is right in your face, in the best way. She takes no crap from anyone, not even Tony 'I'm Iron Man' Stark. The art is adorable and, while it is almost classic in its style, is still quite nuanced. I never knew I needed this comic in my life until now. Why does my library not carry it?
Captain Marvel #1
By virtue of being the personal in-character inspiration of Ms Marvel, Captain Marvel has been on my 'I'll get around to it eventually' comics list ever since I started reading that title. Having now read an issue of Captain Marvel, I can safely say it's bumped itself up to the 'I WILL read this once my current comic backlog is caught up, or at least a little smaller' list. As for the issue itself, feels a little scattered because there's so many short little scenes, which considering she's feeling a little lost herself is actually rather fitting, but where Captain Marvel seems to shine is with her interactions with other characters. That, and the brawl scene had such a Firefly feel to it, especially where the art was concerned, I got a bit nostalgic.
Ms. Marvel #1
I've already read four volumes of Ms. Marvel at the time of this review, but rereading the very first issue was fun! Kamala's character is adorable in her earnestness. She's the youngest out of all the leading ladies in this collection and she feels like the teenager that she is. Unlike the first three titles in the collection, Ms Marvel is an origins story at it's core, and even within the first issue there is a lot going on. Kamala is introduced, her friends, family, and even some classmates are as well. Her relationships with each group, and even within each group, are all different and unique. She's just a normal teenaged girl who loves writing Avenger fanfiction and is trying to navigate home and high school. Now throw superpowers into the mix.
Thor #1
If we judge this collection simply by how well the single issues give us a feel for the title as a whole, Thor is probably the weakest, simply for the fact she doesn't even appear until the very... last... page. Well, her hand appears in the second to last page, too. However, the issue does do a good job of setting the stage and introducing other major cast members, ie The-Dude-Formerly-Known-As-Thor, his Mom, his Dad, and then this shady looking Malekith dude. Also, it does give a pretty good feel for the atmosphere of the title as a whole (having read a couple volumes of Thor at the time of this review), what with ex-Thor being a giant manchild, limbs flying everywhere, and Malekith being creepy as hell. For the record, new Thor's armor = fantastic. No chain mail bikini here.
The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #1
Squirrel Girl is unique. The title will either appeal to you, or not. I fell into the 'not' category. It's not that I hate the title, I just have a feeling it's not for me. I might go hunt up a full volume before I write it off completely, but I don't think I'm going to change my mind on this one. The art is actually a strong point for the title, as nothing says light-hearted shenanigans like a bright pink background and lime green impact vectors. While I'm not sold on Squirrel Girl, I did like her roommate and her squirrel sidekick, and the trading cards were so silly they were almost funny. The footnotes at the bottom of the page however, were annoying. They were so faint and tiny I could barely read them.
What's great about this collection is that each title is different from the others. The leading ladies have different backgrounds, different personalities, different motivations, different goals. The art is all different, but adds greatly to the individual titles. Out of six titles, I was already reading two, but found three more I was either more interested in than before, or instantly hooked. So five out of six isn't bad!
October 9, 2016
Very fun! This is the first time I've read any Squirrel Girl, even though my friends are always talking about it. I should have read her sooner.
December 22, 2015
Disclaimer: I enjoy comics and graphic novels from time to time, but am not a "comics person" - so this review is for other neophytes and sometimes-readers like me. I don't know for sure, but I'm guessing it will annoy the heck out of "real" comics readers.
Ok, then. It's hard to effectively rate or review this, because, like all compilations, it's a collection of distinct stories. So, I'll give one review of the concept, the whole, and a little on each part.
The concept/whole: Genius. I've been curious about almost all these femme-centric titles, but never quite got to exploring them. Having an easy way to check them all out at once virtually guarantees that I'll follow some of these stories.
Black widow: Meh. I love Black Widow, but didn't really see anything novel or unique here that caught my attention. Would read the series, but certainly not a priority.
She-Hulk: Love, love love. Soooo much better than that ridiculous travesty of a novel Marvel put out on her. Will definitely follow this one!
Captain Marvel: Love, with reservations. It will be interesting to see how this develops when she makes the move off-planet, but for now, I'm in.
Ms. Marvel: Yes, please!!!
Thor: Erm . . . hard to say? The whole first issue was the old Thor getting unworthy, having a mental breakdown, and getting his arms chopped off. I enjoyed the Freya/Odin power struggle, but have always been put off by all the mythological language surrounding Thor, and new Thor only appeared for six or seven frames at the end (depending on whether you count her hand and shadow), and did nothing but pick up the hammer. I'd probably read issue 2, but am mostly blurgh so far.
Squirrel Girl: No idea what to make of this, it's so weird. I think I liked it? I'm confused and amused enough to at least check it out again!
Ok, then. It's hard to effectively rate or review this, because, like all compilations, it's a collection of distinct stories. So, I'll give one review of the concept, the whole, and a little on each part.
The concept/whole: Genius. I've been curious about almost all these femme-centric titles, but never quite got to exploring them. Having an easy way to check them all out at once virtually guarantees that I'll follow some of these stories.
Black widow: Meh. I love Black Widow, but didn't really see anything novel or unique here that caught my attention. Would read the series, but certainly not a priority.
She-Hulk: Love, love love. Soooo much better than that ridiculous travesty of a novel Marvel put out on her. Will definitely follow this one!
Captain Marvel: Love, with reservations. It will be interesting to see how this develops when she makes the move off-planet, but for now, I'm in.
Ms. Marvel: Yes, please!!!
Thor: Erm . . . hard to say? The whole first issue was the old Thor getting unworthy, having a mental breakdown, and getting his arms chopped off. I enjoyed the Freya/Odin power struggle, but have always been put off by all the mythological language surrounding Thor, and new Thor only appeared for six or seven frames at the end (depending on whether you count her hand and shadow), and did nothing but pick up the hammer. I'd probably read issue 2, but am mostly blurgh so far.
Squirrel Girl: No idea what to make of this, it's so weird. I think I liked it? I'm confused and amused enough to at least check it out again!
January 3, 2016
This was a thoroughly enjoyable collection of introduction/ origin stories for a number of Marvel Now! female superheroes. Ms. Marvel was my favorite: her voice and personality and culture are portrayed with such clarity, and I feel like her story has a lot of potential. I also enjoyed Captain Marvel, who is strong and sassy and good at what she does, but with enough issues to make her human. I didn't know her backstory with Iron Patriot before, so that was also interesting. Black Widow is great--haunted but turning that guilt into positive action for the world, via her unique and powerful skill set. Squirrel Girl is actually surprisingly hilarious. I had not read anything about her before, and I found the humorous tone and silly antics pretty engaging. I didn't find She-Hulk as engaging as the others, but her story was interesting, and I'd give her another chance. And the new Thor--well, the jury is still out on that, since the origin story in this book only shows a brief glimpse of her, as it relates how she comes into her role. I'm skeptical, but I'd give it a chance.
In general, just a fun read that makes me want to go out and pick up a lot more comic books in the future.
In general, just a fun read that makes me want to go out and pick up a lot more comic books in the future.
October 3, 2017
This is actually a bit different to what I thought it was going to be. I thought it was A-Force, Volume 1: Hypertimebut it’s actually the first edition for 6 different female Marvel comics. There’s Black Widow, She-Hulk, Thor, Captain Marvel, Ms Marvel and The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl. I was aware of most of these characters but it was interesting to read some of the other comics and see different styles. My favourites out of this were She-Hulk, Ms Marvel and Squirrel Girl. I didn’t mind this Captain Marvel either, it’s a new reboot from the one I read earlier this year and didn't like (Captain Marvel, Volume 1: In Pursuit of Flight) so I might actually pick up this one as I preferred it to the other one. This would be good to pick up if you’re new to comics and want to try a few different things before committing to a series but if you regularly read comics then you don’t really need this.
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