The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #27
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Writer: Ryan North
Artist: Erica Henderson
Color Artist: Rico Renzi
Letterer: Travis Lanham
Review by Anelise Farris
The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #27 begins a new arc for Doreen Green (aka Squirrel Girl): a computer science student, who is also a half-girl, half-squirrel superhero. Over breakfast, Squirrel Girl recalls a trip to the moon Trippy where she and the lovable squirrel Tippy-Toe defeated Galactus. It appears that Galactus isn’t only on Squirrel Girl’s mind, however, as a pop quiz in her friend Nancy’s physics class is full of hypothetical questions about beating Galactus, and the whole town is buzzing about a certain figure who begins with G. It seems that Nancy and Tippy-Toe are the only ones not obsessed, and when they are kidnapped and find themselves on the planet Chitt-crrt, they discover why.
Squirrel Girl, desperate to find her friends, is at a loss when her squirrel scouts cannot help her find them. The only being at the scene of their disappearance was Mew, the cat. Clearly squirrels—even super-squirrels—can’t speak cat, so as The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #27 progresses, Squirrel Girl seeks out various superheroes who might speak cat. Finally, she has the brilliant idea to visit the Sorcerer Supreme. Killer fashion designer/fairy godmother Loki helps her out in some ways, and, in others—as one would expect with the mischievous god—leads them both into unforeseen danger.
As someone completely new to Squirrel Girl, I thoroughly enjoyed my first foray into Doreen’s world in The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #27. I always prefer comics that keep a sense of reality present, and it’s always enjoyable to see superheroes who are also students. There is a great sense of humor throughout this issue, and squirrel planets who have leaders named Chitty is right up my alley. Furthermore, this issue manages to be entertaining and lighthearted, without being cheesy or just silly. There’s a lot of heart here, and this grounds The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #27 with some depth.
The art in The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #27 is simple with crisp, clean lines and an appropriate cartoonish style. This marries well with the story itself, and it prevents the portions of the story with heavy writing from coming across as too busy. Similarly, the neutral panel backgrounds and soft, muted colors work to this effect. Finally, the strong presence of the Marvel Universe in The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #27 is impressive, bringing in a lot of characters, but doing so in a way that prevents it from feeling overwhelming.
Verdict: Buy it. A new arc begins with The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #27, and, whether you are a long-time fan or a newbie like me, I highly recommend picking up this issue. Although it’s filled with lots of familiar faces, The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #27 feels refreshingly different: a smart, squirrel-filled tale with action and spirit.
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