Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #21

Writer:
 Ryan North
Artist:
 Erica Henderson
Colorist:
 Rico Renzi
Letterer: Travis Lanham
Cover: Erica Henderson

Publisher: Marvel Comics

unbeatable squirrel girl coverA review by Nico Sprezzatura

Barring a short hiatus during 2015’s Secret Wars, Unbeatable Squirrel Girl has consistently been one of the best (if not the best) comics Marvel’s been putting out monthly for the last two-odd years. Funny and charming without ever feeling cloying or forced, this is exactly the kind of series that will be looked back upon as a staple of the medium, and undoubtedly the defining Squirrel Girl portrayal.

Look, it’s impossible for me to talk about Unbeatable Squirrel Girl without gushing, but I’ll try.

One of the many, many things I like about Unbeatable Squirrel Girl is its willingness to play around with the form and experiment between story arcs. Last year’s issue #7, for example, was a choose-your-own-adventure tale, while the recent #15 was told entirely from the perspective of a supporting character’s cat. Just like Doreen Green herself, it’s adventurous at heart.

This week’s Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #21 is yet another one-off, putting a spotlight on Doreen’s super-buddies Tomas (Chipmunk Hunk), Ken (Koi Boi), and Brian (Brain Drain) as she and her best friend Nancy head off to the Negative Zone on hero business.

Taking your titular character out of their own series and focusing on others within their world is always a gamble, but writer Ryan North has fleshed out Tomas, Ken, and Brian enough at this point that it works. I know I’m not the only one who’s been clamoring for a Chipmunk Hunk & Koi Boi spinoff since their introduction, and Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #21 makes a pretty good case for one. And despite being a newer character, Brain Drain fits right in with Doreen’s unusual crew of animal-themed crimefighters.

(There’s also the fact that Chipmunk Hunk and Koi Boi are both people of color, with the latter being canonically transgender as well, which makes their spotlight in this issue all the more important for visible diversity.)

Erica Henderson’s art is always a delight, and her work on this issue is no exception. I don’t think Henderson gets enough credit for her work on this series; Unbeatable Squirrel Girl is visually dense as hell, filled with panels and sight gags a mile-a-minute. The fact that she’s illustrated just about every issue to date –not to mention a goddamn Squirrel Girl graphic novel!– and maintained a high level of quality throughout ranks her as one of the best cartoonists working in the industry right now.

Rico Renzi (easily one of my favorite colorists in comics right now) and letterer Travis Lanham are just as vital to the creative success of Unbeatable Squirrel Girl as North and Henderson. Renzi’s colors are bright and appealing, bolstering Henderson’s Bronze/Silver-age vibes even further. It’s gotten to the point that I know when I’m looking at Renzi’s work without having to read an issue’s production credits. (His work on Spider-Gwen is similarly fantastic, and arguably essential to Earth-65’s visual aesthetic as a whole.)

Lanham’s lettering, on the other hand, handles the visual rendering of North’s scripts admirably. I described Unbeatable Squirrel Girl as being visually-dense, and that almost especially applies to the barrage of narration and dialogue bubbles throughout each issue. Almost exclusively typeset in lowercase, it’s calming to the eye, and allows you to focus on what’s being said without feeling overwhelmed by the sheer amount of words on each page. Plus, North’s footer comments never distract from the main action, which is another credit to Lanham’s work.

The Verdict
Listen, just buy Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #21. Buy this issue, buy every issue you can get your hands on, buy every trade paperback and/or hardcover available. You won’t regret it!

Nico Sprezzatura
nicofrankwriter@gmail.com
Nico Frank Sprezzatura, middle name optional. 24. Schrödinger's writer.

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