The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, Vol. 1

The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl (Collected Editions) #1-2

by Ryan North, Erica Henderson (Artist)

Wolverine. Deadpool. Doctor Doom. Thanos. There's one hero who's beaten them all, and now she's got her own book! And to celebrate she's set her sights even higher - much higher. We're talking Galactus! But first Doreen Green, aka Squirrel Girl, is starting college, making new friends, eating nuts and kicking butts, not necessarily in that order! Together with her best (human) pal Nancy, and her best (squirrel) pal Tippy-Toe, and armed only with a tail and some foe fact-filled trading cards, she'll take on villains including Kraven the Hunter, Whiplash and, oh, yeah, the Devourer of Worlds!

COLLECTING: THE UNBEATABLE SQUIRREL GIRL (2015A) 1-8, MARVEL SUPER-HEROES (1990) 8, GLX-MAS SPECIAL 1, THE THING 8, AGE OF HEROES 3

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Marvel, Humor, Graphic Novels Comics, Fiction, Superheroes

248 pages, Hardcover

First published November 15, 2016

About the author

Hi, I'm Ryan! I was born in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada in 1980 and since then have written several books. You can read my Wikipedia page for more, or check out my author site at RyanNorth.ca!

I'm the author of the webcomic Dinosaur Comics (that's the comic where the pictures don't change but the words do, it's better than it sounds and I've also done crazy things like turn Shakespeare into a choose-your-own-path adventure, write a comic for Marvel about a girl with all the powers of a squirrel, or mess up walking my dog so badly it made the news.

I'm working on more stuff as we speak, hopefully it's good

Reviews

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

After reading A LOT of dark and dramatic Batman and Daredevil collections in the last year it's nice to kick back with teen Doreen Green for some lighthearted crime-fighting and unique adventures. This volume has her first eight issues, plus a number of short stories including her debut from 1991. And a tip of the hat to Marvel -- along with my faves Kitty Pryde and Kamala Khan, they sure do something right with young superheroines.

Yes, she 'eats nuts and kick butts' . . . but she and her college freshmen pals (Nancy, Chipmunk Hunk, Koi Boi; not to mention the entire squirrel population of NYC when summoned) refreshingly also use their brains to problem-solve when evil comes to town. The humor and inherent sweetness were a nice distraction from the Arctic blast rocking the northeast U.S. at the start of '18.

[Gary Rhodes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful, and totally nuts. This book took me by surprise. I’d picked it up for my teens and preteen to read and decided to read through it first. I’m glad I did because it’s just a fun ride. I can’t recommend this one enough.

[Aimee Golden · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun ride! Quirky, ridiculous, and empowered.

[Joseph · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is lovely and fun and Squirrel Girl should be in the MCU right now.

[Carnegie-Stout Public Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

" A human girl with the proportional strength and speed of a squirrel, and also a large squirrel tail that she stuffs into her pants to be less conspicuous. Armed with her wits, her kick-butt abilities, her best friend the squirrel Tippy Toe, her awesome friend and roommate Nancy, and Deadpool's Guide to Super Villain cards, Squirrel Girl can beat anyone. She's unbeatable."

See the rest of Libby's review on our blog: http://carnegiestout.blogspot.com/201...

[TJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this!! I’ve been meaning to check out Squirrel Girl, and this didn’t disappoint! It’s super fun and witty, to the point where it was almost overwhelming at one point, but I adjusted to the tone fairly quickly. The characters are likable, and I laughed out loud a few times. The representation here is also great! I’ll definitely be catching up on the rest of the issues soon! 5/5 Stars!

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’re tired of dark and broody comic’s about death and vengeance, then this is the comic for you! It’s so refreshing to see a vigilante character portrayed as light hearted and comedic. Not to mention that this is one of the few comic’s I’ve read where the character actually has normal body proportions.

[Ryan Stanton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series, start to finish, is one of the best things Marvel has published in the past twenty years.

It’s a beautiful, often charming, frequently hilarious and perpetually inspiring take on what could easily be a joke character. The greatest strength here lies in Squirrel Girl herself. Viewed by the comic community as a small piece of “Did you know this character beat Thanos, and Doctor Doom” and not much more, Ryan North, Erica Henderson and (later on) Derek Charm have the unenviable task of turning this relatively thin on the bone character into something relatable and engaging.

Holy hell do they succeed in this.

Doreen Green is the type of aspirational hero that more comics could do with. Sure she has superpowers but, as the comic consistent points out, her greatest strength is her empathy and willingness to listen. More often than not, conflict here isn’t solved by punching (though there is plenty of that). Instead, it’s solved by genuinely engaging, thinking and feeling. We need more comics like that, especially now.

One other thing to address is the art; specifically Erica Henderson’s art which fills this whole volume (though Derek Charm’s contributions in later chapters is perhaps my favourite). I’ve recommended this series to a few people and the one that read some said he couldn’t keep going because the art was too distracting. I’ve seen a common critique online that the art is too ‘tumblr’, but I can’t say I agree. Sure, this art may not be for everyone, but for the tone of this book I think it works. For a frequently irreverent, consistently millennial/Gen Z focused book, art outside of the house style suits. It’s integral to the tone of this book and it wouldn’t work half as well without it.

And honestly, I don’t get people who critique the faces in this being the same type who praise Rick and Morty even as it does similarly exaggerated expressions at times. (Actually, I do get why they may hate one and love the other but that’s a seperate can of worms I have no interest in opening).

So yeah, give this a read.

[Chris Browning · Rating 5 out of 5]

For me, the high point of “funny” superhero comics has always been NEXTWAVE Agents of HATE and Squirrel Girl shares some of that comic’s looseness with super hero continuity and willingness to park up silliness as a central selling point. But what Squirrel Girl also brings us an abundance of warmth and goofiness and big heartedness. Throwaway jokes suddenly surprise you by becoming quite sweet character beats (Chipmunk Hunk and Koi Boi could have been very one dimensional but instead have real emotional heft here). Squirrel Girl ends up defeating Galactus by just chumming about with him on a nut planet. Loki decides to become Cat Thor for a laugh but also seems genuinely fond of SG’s roommate and his siblings. Even a ridiculous character like Hippo the Hippo gets suggested a job which he might actually be good at

It’s a small thing but because North and Henderson genuinely seem to care about their world and their characters, all the tiny beats mean as much as the big ones. The footnotes, twitter feeds and letter pages also add to this care so what should actually be a quick read actually takes much longer because you’re terrified you might miss something. It’s a labour of love that made me put the comic down several times because I was breathless with laughter but also got me genuinely caring for the protagonists AND antagonists. It’s daft and silly and full of heart and may be the best superhero comic of the last twenty years if not longer

[Melissa Cosgrove · Rating 3 out of 5]

Superheroes and comics are generally not my jam, but this one was cute and funny and made me laugh a few times.

I wasn’t a fan of the footnotes (they just weren’t very funny and made me want to groan/roll my eyes — it was too much for me on top of the already-silly main comic) or the “Letters from Nuts” sections (I ended up skipping the rest after reading the first two — I just didn’t care). Also didn’t love the integration of social media/apps — I’m trying to stay off my phone while reading, not get sucked back into the void because there’s some kind of “bonus content” to see. I skipped those too.

Glad I read it, but probably won’t read any additional volumes. I got sick of it by the end. (I’m in my thirties and hate Marvel shit, so please take my review with a grain of salt haha).

[Kennedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

These graphic novels are AMAZING!!!! I love Doreens personality and way of fighting crime. Tippy-toe and Nancy are the most unforgettable side charecters ever! I didn't like it though that John was a superhero too at first, it was just kinda random but it's stil really awesome! I love this marcel charecter sooooooo much! I could read it a bagillion times! I want these book now! Squirrel Girl and Ms. Marvel are officaly my absolute favorite female superheros and in my top 10 list for heros now! Squirrel Girl, Squirrel Girl! Powers of both a squirrel and a girl! Find some nuts, eat some nuts! Kicks bad guuuuuuys' evil butts!

[Grace Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quirky, funny, and very, very nutty

Squirrel Girl does what all of my favorite superhero comics do - it's utterly and completely self aware and mocks its own existence with the inclusion of characters like Chipmunk Hunk and Koi Boy (who constantly hopes the supervillains will fall into the water).

Doreen is HILARIOUS and I had absolutely the best time reading this!

P.S. i've been squirrel girl fan for years, ever since i first heard of her existence, but this was the first time i ever actually got to read a full comic of hers and what. a. blast.

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first Marvel comic that I have ever read, though I have been a Ryan North fan for years. His unique voice and humor shine in these comics and I love how Doreen looks like an average girl that could actually have the muscles and thighs to support her super powers. The Ryan North easter eggs in tiny font at the bottom of almost every page are very on-brand and a hilarious little present for the readers. I'm already getting the next volume!

[Kienie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I still love the first part more (read back in 2016), and just the overall theme of Squirrel Girl resolving issues with her words more often than with punching. Though there's plenty of punching, most of it is implied, which I appreciate. Don't know how I feel about her two superhero friends. They're not flashed out at all. One of them I didn't even know was part of the story. But overall, the art is great, the stories are enjoyable, and the tone is light and fun.

[Cheri · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was okay. First couple issues were really interesting and kind of jazzed my spirit, but the gags grew old and I started to care less and less. At the end, I was glad to be done.

I won't be exploring Squirrel Girl's further adventures, I think. She and I just aren't made for each other.

I liked Tippy-Toe, though.

[Christina Getrost · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally got around to reading the first set of adventures of this goofy superhero--hilarious! Loved the "secret message" at the bottom of every page (in VERY teeny tiny typeface) that added a punchline or another joke to the silliness. A girl with the proportionate strength, speed and agility (and TAIL!) of a squirrel, sure, why not?? LOL!

[Michael B Tager · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Squirrel Girl so much. She's the best. There's something refreshing about a positive, happy superhero (who still punches bitches). It's a bit of a pisstake of course, but it isn't mean or overly farcical. Just a universe where the stakes are a little lower and the joys are a little more pronounced.

[Steve Walsh · Rating 3 out of 5]

A hilarious commentary of the ridiculousness of comic book adventures as a whole. A welcome provider of relief from the heavy, darker aspects of doom and gloom that drive most graphical adventures. I like to see it as the "cozy murder mystery" of marvel; contains serious implications and events, yet remains calm and goofy throughout the resolution.

[angelofmine1974 · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a great cornucopia of Squirrel Girl comics! I loved reading every one of them including the newest ones at the end. Of course I'm dying to know what happens to Ratatoskr... guess I'll have to read the next volume to find out. And looooove the Deadpool cards!!! Spot on!

[Marty Harvey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know the art style is not as polished as some would like it, but the comedy and writing are refreshingly hilarious! Light-hearted, funny, family friendly, and more charming than I could have ever expected.

[Bill MPL · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quirky and fun.

[Matt Glaviano · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. Not for me. I'm still tired of even relatively traditional comic book super heroes.

[Violet · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Unbeatable S.G. kicks butts and eats nuts and I loved every panel of this fantastic comic!

[Ben Yosua-davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best comic series currently running.

[Jaylee · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is like the greatest thing i've read in ages

[Sarah Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pure fun and silliness, but a surprisingly fantastic story. I love this character and we should be looking for more characters like this (i.e. strong female characters) in all of our media

[Daniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly very cute and legitimately funny but it's just not what I'm in the mood for right now or maybe ever.

[Alex Herder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic comic! It's funny in all the right ways and I'm so glad I picked it up.

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful fun!

[Paper Clippers]

2017 Eisner Award Teens