Squirrel Girl Beats Up the Marvel Universe by Erica Henderson and Ryan North
Reviewed by: Dave Gibbons, Library Volunteer
Genre: Graphic Novel – Superhero
Suggested Age: Teens, Adults
What is the book about?: Squirrel Girl has single-handedly defeated the greatest powerhouses the Marvel Universe has to offer: Dr. Doom, Thanos, Galactus. Is it any surprise that Squirrel Girl would triumph against the collected might of the Marvel universe? Well sort of. Due to cloning gone awry, a villainous duplicate of the superhero is created and (as usually happens in these cases) goes evil. After evil Squirrel Girl takes out other hero teams such as the Avengers, and the X-men it is up to the original Squirrel Girl to “kick butts and eat nuts” and take out her duplicitous doppelganger.
My Review: In the current world of increasingly dark and brooding incarnations of superheroes, Squirrel Girl has been a great beacon of light, and this original graphic novel is a prime example of this. Optimism and cleverness rule the day in great inclusive style that hearkens back to the best of what superhero comics have been, all the while not feeling for a moment dated or out of touch. Unique touches such as running MST3K-esque commentary along the bottom of the pages and the main hero’s use of Deadpool’s Guide to Supervillains Cards to identify the myriad of villains she comes up against are just some of the things that add a mildly meta feeling to this title. Squirrel Girl is the perfect jumping on point for both new and lapsed comic fans.
Three Words That Describe This Book: Kitschy, Fun, “Squirrely”
Give This a Try if You Like… Madman by Mike Allred, Batman: Brave and the Bold animated series, any silver age superhero comics
Overall Rating: 5/5
Writing: 5/5
Art: 4/5
About FDL Reads
Welcome to FDL Reads, weekly book reviews from Fondulac District Library. Librarians (and possibly some other guest reviewers) review all types of books, from children’s picture books, young adult favorites, to the latest adult thriller, and share their thoughts each week at fondulaclibrary.org. If the book is owned by Fondulac District Library (or another local library), you’ll see a direct link to the catalog entry and whether or not it is available. If it is checked out or at another local library, you will be able to place a hold as long as you have your library card and PIN numbers. As with any book review, these are our opinions…we disagree amongst ourselves about books frequently. We all have different likes and dislikes, which is what makes the world an interesting place. Please enjoy, and keep on reading!