The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl Vol 7: I've Been Waiting for a Squirrel Like You by Ryan North and Erica Henderson

The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl Vol 7: I've Been Waiting for a Squirrel Like You written by Ryan North and illustrated by Erica Henderson is the seventh collected volume of Squirrel Girl comics. I have previously read and reviewed reviewed the earlier volumes (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6). This one stands alone reasonably well and does not require having read the earlier stories for continuity reasons.

Squirrel Girl goes savage! When Doreen Green and Nancy Whitehead enter a mysterious programming competition, they don't suspect that the prize for winners will be an all-expenses-paid trip to...the Savage Land! Will Squirrel Girl fight a dinosaur? Will Squirrel Girl fight two dinosaurs?! Will we come up with really excellent reasons why these fights would take place, reasons that both justify the fights while also telling the story of what lead to this dinosaur-punching smashup: a story which, even though it stars dinosaurs and Squirrel Girls, contains within it the chance for us to recognize, perhaps for the first time, our most personal and secret selves? Of course! Plus, jokes and a super villain who's causing major problems - it's the complete package!

This volume contained a four-issue story arc in which Doreen and Nancy (and Tippy-Toe) visit the Savage Land, which is a magical tropical world in Antarctica filled with dinosaurs (which was originally built by aliens). Of course, something goes horribly wrong but perhaps not quite in the way you would expect, assuming your expectations are based on Jurassic Park or its sequels. One of the problems requires programming to solve, so that's fun and different. I like how often Doreen and Nancy break out their programming chops — or at least consider things programmatically. So that was a fun arc.

The dinosaur story was followed by a special "zine" issue which was more like an anthology issue. Various guest artists wrote/drew short stories based on many Squirrel Girl characters plus some other Marvel heroes. These were mostly entertaining, although I did feel some were too short to be properly funny (and the Galactus one just wasn't).

Finally, the last issue in this volume was A Year Of Marvels The Unbeatable #1, which was a story centred on Tippy-Toe and involved a supervillain and a team-up with Rocket Racoon. That was pretty adorable because Tippy-Toe can't not be adorable. I enjoyed it even though I'm not a fan of Rocket — in large part because it was very much Tippy-Toe's story.

So this volume is a bit more diverse than the last few I've read. I wasn't a huge fan of the anthology zine issue, but I enjoyed the glimpse at Tippy-Toe's life when Doreen is otherwise occupied. Recommended to fans of Squirrel Girl. I think it's a reasonable place to start, although the zine issue will probably be lost on readers unfamiliar with the various characters.

4. 5 / 5 stars

First published: 2018, Marvel Comics
Series: the Unbeatable Squirrel Girl 7th volume of an ongoing series, collecting issues #22–26 and A Year Of Marvels The Unbeatable #1
Format read: Trade Paperback
Source: All Star Comics, Melbourne

The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl Vol 6: Who Run the World? Squirrels by Ryan North and Erica Henderson

The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl Vol 6: Who Run the World? Squirrels written by Ryan North and illustrated by Erica Henderson is the sixth collected volume of Squirrel Girl comics. I have previously read and reviewed all the preceding volumes (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) except for the Squirrel Girl Beats Up the Marvel Universe hardcover which is its own self-contained story and also an expensive hardcover. (I’ll probably buy it eventually.)

It's a normal, quiet day at Empire State University, filled with lots of lectures and higher education and students learning quietly. But don't turn away, there's also going to be a fistfight! A big one! And Doreen Green will also get a new Flying Squirrel suit from a mystery benefactor that would render her even more unbeatable, if such a thing were scientifically possible! That pretty much means crime is over forever. There definitely can't be a new super villain in town conspiring to mold Squirrel Girl into the perfect minion...or is there?! Gasp at a secret invasion of character motivations! Thrill at a civil war of emotions! Boggle as monsters truly get unleashed and Doreen's fate hangs in the balance! Also, machine-gun-wielding bears! It's squirrels and girls and punching, oh my!

This volume starts with a four-issue arc featuring a new villain who decides to target Squirrel Girl specifically on the way to world domination. I enjoyed the depth offered by the length of this story as well as the passing nod to “fake news” towards the end. Also the minor side plot about the bear and the chicken was surprisingly awesome. Yes, this was an animal-heavy story.

The final issue in this volume was a standalone one in which Doreen and Nancy go on a trip, leaving Koi Boi, Chipmunk Hunk and Brain Drain to guard New York and have their own adventure. While I am significantly less invested in these characters, it was still an entertaining read and they got to have a bit of character development, which is nice for them.

Overall, I quite enjoyed this volume of my favourite Marvel superhero’s adventures. I recommend it to fans of Squirrel Girl who haven’t already read it. I already have the next volume lined up and I look forward to getting stuck into it soon.

4 / 5 stars

First published: 2017, Marvel Comics
Series: The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl vol 6 of ongoing series. Containing issues #17–22 of run 2015B
Format read: Trade paperback
Source: All Star Comics, Melbourne

The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl Vol 5: Like I'm the Only Squirrel in the World by Ryan North and Erica Henderson

The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl Vol 5: Like I'm the Only Squirrel in the World written by Ryan North and illustrated by Erica Henderson is the fifth collected volume of comics. Squirrel Girl is my favourite Marvel hero and I have previously read and reviewed all the previous collected comic trades (1, 2, 3, 4). Broadly speaking, this volume brings us more of the same Squirrel Girl goodness that I have come to expect.

Everyone gets a week-long break from class, and Squirrel Girl is taking Nancy to visit her parents up in Canada! WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG, RIGHT? Turns out, nothing! It's a great trip and nothing of note happens and our story is actually EXTREMELY DULL. Sorry everyone. No, just kidding! Our story is actually SUPER AWESOME and things get real crazy real quick once a certain super-powered villain nobody has heard of for over a decade reappears! That's right! This comic features mysteries AND Canadians AND camping, not to mention our ALREADY super-enticing focus on squirrel powers! Let's see Howard the Duck promise you THAT.

The volume contains a three-issue arc about a new super villain, which involves the excellent events depicted on the cover of this volume: Squirrel Girl throwing Tippy-Toe, who in turn throws Ant-Man. Superhero team-up gold. It also involves Canada and physics, so that's pretty cool.

The remaining two issues in the volume stand alone: we have a story told from the point of view of Mew the cat (who lives with Doreen's roommate), who ends up helping our heroes defeat the villain of the hour (and I think encounters Pizza Dog?). Then we have a special issue in which Doreen turns twenty and we get a look back at little Doreen on her fifth, tenth and fifteenth birthdays. That was an interesting look at the continuity of the current comic run (different to the continuity of the tie-in novels, for example).

Overall, this was a fun read and I recommend it to all Squirrel Girl fans who are this far behind in their reading (as I was). I don't think there's very much continuity in this volume, so only a basic understanding of Squirrel Girl is needed before reading; not all of the previous volumes need to have been read.

4 / 5 stars

First published: 2017, Marvel Comics
Series: The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl vol 5 of ongoing series, containing issues #12–16 of the 2015B run of Squirrel Girl
Format read: Trade Paperback
Source: All Star Comics, Melbourne

Ms Marvel Vol 8: Mecca by G Willow Wilson

Ms Marvel Vol 8: Mecca written by G Willow Wilson and illustrated by Marco Failla and Diego Olortegui is the eight collected volume of Ms Marvel comics. I have reviewed all the previous seven (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7), which means I feel like I have been following and Marvel for a long time. This volume followed on from the events of the previous one (the mayoral election was particularly relevant to the first story arc) and featured the reappearance of a minor character we had met before.

The villains are at Kamala's door, and Ms. Marvel has to save a city that doesn't want saving. The malleable Ms. Marvel continues her hero's journey as an enemy from her past begins targeting those closest to her, a challenge that calls into question everything about her -- not just as a super hero, but as a human being! Who can Ms. Marvel trust when everyone in Jersey City is against her? As Kamala's life hangs in the balance, a new crimefighter moves in on her turf. Plus: Bruno may be far away at a prestigious school in Wakanda, but even thousands of miles from his former best friend, Kamala Khan, adventure still finds him!

The first story arc in the volume was three issues long and very topical. It was about silent majorities and people seizing power and abusing it. Ms Marvel suffers some existential angst brought on by a) not everyone liking her and b) some people hating her and thinking she’s making Jersey City worse. But the story also deals with issues of immigration and the ostracism of people who are different. The issues are blended between immigrants and Kamala’s family, and people with super powers who are specifically being targeted by government forces. It was a pretty powerful storyline.

In comparison, the second story arc was a lot more fun and light. It was two issues of Ms Marvel and her new friend/sidekick stopping a train whose breaks had failed, but which wasn’t actually going very fast. There were some hairy moments but there was also a lot of character development. The volume ends on a low note but since I know there’s another volume out there, I’m not too worried.

I enjoyed both stories in this volume and I highly recommend it to fans of Ms Marvel. As usual, I think it works a bit better if you’ve read the earlier comics, but it probably stands alone a bit better than some of the others. I think all the important back story is filled in with only a few minor things left a bit ambiguous for people who haven’t read the rest of the series.

4.5 / 5 stars

First published: 2017, Marvel Comics
Series: Yes. Volume 8 of ongoing series, collecting issues #19-24 of the 2015 Ms Marvel run
Format read: Trade Paperback
Source: A Sad Physical Book Shop

The Unbelievable Gwenpool Vol. 2: Head of M.O.D.O.K by Christopher Hastings

The Unbelievable Gwenpool Vol. 2: Head of M.O.D.O.K written by Christopher Hastings and illustrated by Irene Strychalski and Gurihiru is the second collected volume of Gwenpool comics. I previously reviewed the first volume Believe It, which introduces the character, and a holiday special. Quick background for those unfamiliar with the character: Real World comic fan Gwen Stacey gets transported into comic book world and, recognising the comic book tropes around her, endeavours to become a main character.

What's the best part about living in a world of comic-book heroes? Team-ups, baby! And imagine the awesome when Gwen Poole meets Miles Morales! Spider-Men and Gwens are a match made in heaven, right? Huh. Maybe not always — this one goes to some dark places! Second best thing about living in the Marvel Universe? The job opportunities! She's only been here a few weeks, and now she's got a shot at running her very own Mercenary Organization Dedicated Only to Killing — M.O.D.O.K.! Talk about getting ahead in business! But Gwenpool may not be up to the task! Still, it's always good to be wanted, right? Except when it's by the NYPD. Or aliens. Her only chance? Do something awful and not care about the consequences! Join the Gwenpool army today!

The problem is, Gwen isn't that good at being morally unambiguous and quickly gets on the bad side of the NYPD and also Miles Morales (Spiderman). The fact that she has also become de facto head of a shady organisation doesn't help either. Also, there are alien arms dealers after Gwen, complicating matters.

This was a fun read and I was sad when I got to the end of it because I have not yet bought the subsequent available trades. Sadface. I think this series has jumped to number two on my Marvel priority list after Squirrel Girl, which is not an easy achievement (knocking Ms Marvel, Spider-Gwen and Captain Marvel down a rung).

I recommend this comic and this series to anyone that likes their fiction to break the fourth wall. I also generally recommend starting with volume 1, but I think volume 2 will make enough sense to a new reader to be an OK place to start. There'll just be some missing backstory. I am very keen to read the next volume of Gwenpool, whenever I manage to get my hands on it.

4.5 / 5 stars

First published: 2017, Marvel Comics
Series: The Unbelievable Gwenpool, vol 1 of 5 so far (I think), collecting issues #5–10
Format read: Trade papeback
Source: All Star Comics, Melbourne

Ms Marvel Vol 7: Damage Per Second by G Willow Wilson

Ms Marvel Vol 7: Damage Per Second written by G Willow Wilson is the latest collected volume of the Kamala Khan run of Ms Marvel. It follows on from Vol 6 which was (tolerably) set during the Civil War II event and which I have also reviewed. It collects issues #13–18 of the most recent numbering system run (the back of the trade says starting in 2015 but I think the issue numbering has restarted at least once since then).

Civil War II is behind her, and a brand new chapter for Kamala Khan is about to begin! But it's lonely out there for a super hero when her loved ones no longer have her back. It's time for Kamala to find out exactly who she is when she is on her own. Plus: it's election time! Kamala gets out the vote!

There are three story arcs collected in this volume. The first single-issue arc is about Ms Marvel encouraging New Jersey people to vote in the Mayoral election. I didn't mind this one, but politics centring getting people to vote is always strange from this Australian used to compulsory voting. I also put the comic down for a while after this issue and when I came back to read the rest and write this review I found it hadn't been very memorable.

The middle four-issue arc is overwhelmingly the dominant one in this collection and is the origin of the volume title. This story involves Ms Marvel gaming online in her down time and then having to deal with a computer-based villain. The story deals with the idea of there not being any privacy or secrets in the modern digital age, but there wasn't enough space to delve into this very deeply and the story is limited to issues surrounding doxing, more or less. It was interesting and memorable but I don't think it's one of my favourite Ms Marvel arcs. (I also side-eyed the computer stuff in it, but it fits in with the magic of the Marvel universe, I suppose.)

The final single-issue arc shows us Bruno's story who doesn't appear earlier in this volume after events in the previous volume. Bruno is going to school in Wakanda and we see him struggling to fit in as "the American" but also making friends and — most interestingly — dealing with his acquired disabilities. I really liked this arc and while I don't know how sustainable future Bruno stories will be if he continues being on the other side of the world from Ms Marvel, I hope we see more of him in the future.

I enjoyed this volume and I definitely recommend it to fans of Ms Marvel. I think it's probably also an OK place to pick up the story, but not the best starting point. As always I advocate starting at the start of the Kamala Khan Ms Marvel run for maximum Ms Marvel goodness.

4 / 5 stars

First published: 2017, Marvel Comics
Series: Ms Marvel vol 7, containing issues #13–18
Format read: Trade paperback
Source: Local comic book shop

The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl: 2 Fuzzy, 2 Furious by Shannon and Dean Hale

The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl: 2 Fuzzy, 2 Furious by Shannon and Dean Hale is the second Squirrel Girl prose novel, following on from the setting and characters established in the first book, Squirrel Meets World. That said, 2 Fuzzy, 2 Furious stands alone fairy well and does not require having read the earlier book to be enjoyed.

Squirrel Girl is BACK in an all-new adventure and things are about to get . . . hairy. Thanks to Squirrel Girl, Ana Sofia, and the Squirrel Scouts, the crime rate in New Jersey is at an all time low. It makes for safer streets but also bored-er squirrels. That's why it's super exciting when Doreen's school announces a new mall is being built right next to their town. Mmmm . . . Doreen can smell the soft pretzels now. The corporation building mall has also announced that there will be a competition to choose the mall's mascot. Because malls need mascots?Anyway, Doreen's school will be voting for a cat and the neighboring school will be voting for a dog. As the relationship starts to unravel between the two towns, Squirrel Girl and her friends suspect something more sinister is at work. With the help of old friends like Ana Sofia, Tippy Toe, and The Mighty Thor as well as some surprising new ones, Squirrel Girl will squash a villainous plot and save everyone.The unbeatable Squirrel Girl is ready for more nuts AND more butts! Are you?

Much as expected, this book was fun, light-hearted and humorous. It revisits middle school-aged Squirrel Girl/Doreen Green along with her best human and squirrel friends, Anna Sofia and Tippy Toe, respectively. While Doreen and Anna Sofia navigate friendship and middle school, something strange and probably evil is brewing in their town. Will they realise in time to put a stop to it before it gets out of hand? And now many Squirrel Girl commentary foot notes can be squeezed into one book? (94. The answer is 94.)

I enjoyed 2 Fuzzy, 2 Furious a lot, although I think slightly less than I enjoyed the first book in the series. I'm not sure whether that's to do with actual differences in tone/voice etc or just a difference in my mood when each book was read. That said, I did feel there was a difference in Tippy Toe's voice with its idiosyncrasies being toned down a bit in 2 Fuzzy, 2 Furious compared with Squirrel Meets World. I don't think this is a bad thing though, since it's now a bit more accessible.

Overall this book was strong on the power of friendship and being nice to people, with a few amusing attempts at peaceful conflict resolution on Squirrel Girl's part. I would definitely not hesitate to give it to young children (although Australian and other non-US children would probably require an explanation as to what middle school is). I enjoyed it a lot and I will definitely be reading any more Squirrel Girl books the Hales write.

4.5 / 5 stars

First published: March 2018, Marvel Press
Series: The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl book 2 or 2 so far
Format read: ePub
Source: Purchased via iBooks

Spider Woman: Shifting Gears Vol 1: Baby Talk by Dennis Hopeless and Javier Rodriguez

Spider Woman: Shifting Gears Vol 1: Baby Talk written by Dennis Hopeless and illustrated by Javier Rodriguez is another volume 1 following, chronologically Vol 2: New Duds, which I previously reviewed. Because randomly restarting numbering schemes is just so Marvel. Anyway, this is the volume with the pregnant Spider-Woman on the cover, and all five issues contained inside it deal with the one story arc of Jessica being (very) pregnant and then having a baby.

Jessica Drew is a private investigator, a super hero and...a mom-to-be? Since we last saw her, Spider-Woman's got a whole new responsibility -now she's adventuring for two! Ben Urich and Porcupine are still along for the ride -in fact, half the time they won't even let Jess leave the car! How's a gal supposed to save the day when her friends are being all overprotective? Then, Spider-Woman will be in over her head when she gets trapped in an alien hospital. Jess is no stranger to unusual circumstances, but getting held captive by Skrulls in the center of a black hole with a bunch of extraterrestrial moms-to-be might take the cake! Expectations won't be disappointed in the mother of all Spider-stories!

This was a strange read, not least because it started with an eight-month pregnant Spider-Woman and no explanation as to how or why. However, having gotten past the surprise — helped by the cover — the story takes us to interesting places. First Jessica Drew must deal with having to step back from her usual superhero PI work. Since her superpowers didn't vanish, she finds it hard to hold back because she can still beat up bad guys and the only thing stopping her is the risk to the baby if something more dire than petty criminals show up.

The story takes us through the boredom of pre-partum maternity leave, a requisite bit of action involving aliens and saving a bunch of other pregnant people, then a look at Spider-Woman's life as a mother. I enjoyed the middle part of the story the most — the action and the butt-kicking while pregnant. Overall, I thought this volume raised some interesting issues regarding motherhood, friendship, work and the sense of self. That said, the ending was a little sudden and did not follow through on some of the subversive ideas that were being built up earlier on.

Nevertheless, this was a fun read and I recommend it to fans of Spider-Woman. The pregnancy is dealt with better than I expected and we do find out why/how she got pregnant in the end. (We don't find out why everyone expects the baby to be a normal human though...) Spider-Woman has had some crappy storylines and this one is not so bad, even if it was unexpected when it launched.

4 / 5 stars

First published: 2016, Marvel
Series: Spider-Woman, ongoing series. The start of a reboot which still follows the previous continuity
Format read: Trade paperback
Source: Purchased from All Star Comics in Melbourne

The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl Vol 4: I Kissed a Squirrel and I Liked It by Ryan North and Erica Henderson

The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl Vol 4: I Kissed a Squirrel and I Liked It written by Ryan North and (mostly) illustrated by Erica Henderson is the forth volume in the current/modern run of Squirrel Girl comics. This volume contains a three-issue arc nestled between a couple of stand-alone issues.

The hero who refuses to be beat celebrates 11 consecutive issues without a new #1! And she's letting you seize the chance to be the Unbeatable Squirrel Girl in a choose-your-own path encounter with Swarm, buzzkill made of bees! Then, Doreen takes charge of her life -her love life, that is - and starts dating. But just who will kiss a Squirrel and like it? Surely not...Mole Man?! When the subterranean super villain falls deep in love, he's willing to hold the world hostage to get Doreen's attention. Can she save everything without becoming Mrs. Mole Man? But enough with the hearts and the flowers and the kissing, you read this book for computer science and super heroics (not necessarily in that order). You'll get both - and more - in a showdown with Count Nefaria!

As always, Squirrel Girl makes for a fun read. The first issue was a "choose your own adventure" comic, which was amusing but slightly annoying to follow. Funny, but not a gimmick I'm keen to see too often. The story involved Swarm, a villain made of bees.

Next up was a three-issue arc in which Squirrel Girl attempts online dating and has some unfortunate experiences. Some of the dates are just mediocre, but one (which involved a superhero truther — denying their existence as part of a large conspiracy complete with animatronics) leads to an encounter with Mole Man. Mole Man had been planning to go on an evil rampage, but when Squirrel Girl is civil to him and convinces him to leave, he decides to hold the world to ransom to get a date with her. Classy. Lots of nice feminist commentary from Nancy in this one, though. And lots of gross stuff from the media, of course.

And the final issue in this volume is a short one-off in which Squirrel Girl battles a villain mainly using the powers of computer science, so that was pretty cool.

All in all, an enjoyable read and one for fans of Squirrel Girl and female-led superhero stories generally. This volume doesn't rely very much on events of the past, so I don't think it's a terrible place for new readers to start. Of course, starting at volume 1 gives you more Squirrel Girl to enjoy, but I suspect the comics are still enjoyable out of (volume) chronological order.

4.5 / 5 stars

First published: 2016, Marvel
Series: Yes, vol 4 of ongoing comic book series. This volume contains issues #7–11 (of the 2015B run).
Format read: Trade paperback
Source: Purchased at (I think) All Star Comics in Melbourne

Ms Marvel Vol 6: Civil War II by G Willow Wilson

Ms Marvel Vol 6: Civil War II written by G Willow Wilson and illustrated by three different artists is the sixth volume of collected Ms Marvel comics and contains issues #7–12 with the numbering starting from 2015 (although the trade volume numbering didn't restart...). It is apparently part of the Civil War II event but, happily, makes perfect sense without having read any other comics from that event.

While CIVIL WAR II brews, the next generation of Avengers has bigger things to worry about - like a tri-state academic competition! As rival schools clash, Ms. Marvel's teammates Spider-Man and Nova are now her enemies! But when Kamala gets called to the real battle's front line, she faces a fight she can't embiggen her way out of. She's about to learn a valuable lesson: Never meet your idols! As war intensifies, tragedy strikes too close to home - and Ms. Marvel must choose between her heroes and her family. When friends become foes, Ms. Marvel struggles to put her life and Jersey City back together. Kamala will be forced to grow up fast and find her true place in the world. But will she be an international sensation...or a menace?

So first off, there's the requisite sigh for another bloody comic event ruining things. SIGH. But at least this more or less held together coherently. Except for maybe the first issue, which I think might have been a bridging one and seems, in retrospect, not very connected to the other five. The premise of the event is also not very original. It's basically minority report with Captain Marvel playing the role of wanting to stop future crime and enlisting Ms Marvel and some new randoms to help do it. There's even a psychic doing the predicting. On the bright side, the text seems at least somewhat aware of this fact, throwing in a reference to the Minority Report movie.

Around the Civil War II storyline there are two other stories being told: Ms Marvel/Kamala disagreeing with her friends (over the future crime stuff) and the story of Kamala's family migrating first from India to Pakistan and then to the US. Those two stories tie together the latter five issues in this volume and bring Kamala to dealing with the aftermath of the events of the main story. Although I did find the last part of the last issue was a bit rushed on that front. It will be interesting to see how that develops and whether it goes any further.

The real highlight in this volume, for me, was the background detail in a flashback of Kamala's grade two classroom. I was quite shocked to see children assembling a puzzle entitled "Napalm Sunrise" and reading books with titles such as "Poppa Bear is Wanted for Questioning", "Momma Bear Runs Afoul of Local Triad" and "Hobo Has No Toes". There was also boxes labelled as containing bees and (separately) teeth. And a poster about the cat of nine tails (yes, the whip). I'm not sure what to make of all that, really, but it certainly stood out.

Anyway, I'm not a fan of comic events, and this is no exception. However, this is also a continuation of Ms Marvel's story and I don't think it should be skipped out of hand if you've been enjoying Ms Marvel thus far. Therefore, I recommend it to fans of Ms Marvel. To people who haven't read Ms Marvel yet, I suggest starting from Volume 1: No Normal. This volume is certainly not a sensible place to start reading, at any rate.

4 / 5 stars

First published: 2016, Marvel
Series: Ms Marvel (Kamala Khan) vol 6 (counting from 2014) of ongoing series, containing issues #7–12 (counting from 2015).
Format read:b Trade paperback
Source: All Star Comics in Melbourne

Black Panther, Volume 1: A Nation Under Our Feet by Ta-Nehisi Coates and Brian Stelfreeze

Black Panther, Volume 1: A Nation Under Our Feet written by Ta-Nehisi Coates and illustrated by Brian Stelfreeze is the first collected volume of the current ongoing Black Panther comic book series from Marvel. It's not the first Black Panther series, but I believe it is the first to be both written and illustrated by black men.

A new era begins for the Black Panther! MacArthur Genius and National Book Award winner Ta-Nehisi Coates (Between the World and Me) takes the helm, confronting T'Challa with a dramatic upheaval in Wakanda that will make leading the African nation tougher than ever before. When a superhuman terrorist group that calls itself The People sparks a violent uprising, the land famed for its incredible technology and proud warrior traditions will be thrown into turmoil. If Wakanda is to survive, it must adapt--but can its monarch, one in a long line of Black Panthers, survive the necessary change? Heavy lies the head that wears the cowl!

You would think that this Volume One would be a good place to start reading Black Panther. It wasn't particularly and I'm not sure what would be a better place to start. I am not very familiar with the character — beyond his appearance in the latest Avengers movie — and my knowledge of Wakanda, his home country (that he is king of) is limited to references in other Marvel comics (and the aforementioned move).

A Nation Under Our Feet puts the reader in the middle of conflict and struggle in Wakanda and, to a degree, revolving around Black Panther. I was pretty lost for most of the book, not entirely sure of the who/what/why of the conflict and not strongly connecting with the titular character because I wasn't entirely sure what he was doing. I got the bit about wanting peace for Wakanda and looking for his sister, but I was fairly confused about the sister part.

The only characters I did feel I could get behind were the lesbian vigilantes, partly because we witnessed their origin story, more or less, and partly because who doesn't like lesbian vigilantes? Unfortunately, they didn't get an awful lot of page time, though I expect they would feature more in future issues/volumes. Although, I'm told they had a spinoff series that got cancelled after two issues, so, um. Well done, Marvel. 🤦‍♀️

I'm entirely sure who to recommend Black Panther to besides people already familiar with the character and location. My guess is that he has recently appeared in other comic book series too, but I have no idea which, other than not the ones I've been reading. It wasn't a bad comic book, but it didn't feel like a good place to start reading, unfortunately.

3.5 / 5 stars

First published: 2016, Marvel
Series: Black Panther, volume 1 of going series, containing issues #1–4
Format read: PDF with hideous watermark covering some of the text
Source: Hugo Voter Packet

Patsy Walker, aka Hellcat Vol 2: Don't Stop Me-ow by Kate Leth and Brittney L Williams

Patsy Walker, aka Hellcat Vol 2: Don't Stop Me-ow written by Kate Leth and illustrated by Brittney L Williams is the direct sequel to Vol 1: Hooked on a Feline, which I reviewed last year. Volume 1 ended part-way through a story arc and Volume 2 picked up where that story left off.

In another world they might be gal pals who help each other through hard times. But when Patsy Walker and Jessica Jones meet at last in the Marvel Universe, could it be they'll end up as...best frenemies?! Not everyone can get along all the time, which is why the world's heroes are about to be rocked by a second Civil War! But when the fallout from the battlefield hits close to home, Patsy is forced to take stock of her life and face what it really costs to be A.K.A. Hellcat! Plus, fallouts with former friends don't get any worse than Patsy and Hedy. Now Ms. Wolfe is about to torment her rival more than ever, with a little help from Patsy's evil exboyfriends! Will Hellcat get burned by her old flames?

As well as picking up mid-way through a story arc, Hellcat Volume 2 also ends part-way through a story arc, which was kind of annoying. Especially since it felt a lot more unfinished, being an incomplete villain face-off. Having a "to be continued" when it seems like only one more issue would finish off the story was very frustrating.

Another thing that was frustrating was the tangential impact of the latest comic event on Patsy's story. In this case Civil War II takes out one of Patsy's regular friends (I suppose I'll refrain from spoiling who or how) and everyone has to spend a little while reacting to that, which wasn't otherwise necessary to Patsy's story.

Negativity aside, I enjoyed this volume and I continue to enjoy reading about Hellcat. Patsy has interesting friends and interactions with them. I especially like her housemate, who gets a bit more story progression in this volume than in the previous one. There's also a section involving Jessica Jones, which was pretty great. Less interesting was the part where Patsy was revisited by ex-boyfriends/husbands, but that was at least resolved pretty satisfactorily.

The villain that appears towards the end (and doesn't get resolved in the included issues) is Black Cat, as you may have guessed from the cover art. I particularly liked how Black Cat recruited what amounts to a girl gang to do her henching and I hope we see more of them after the storyline is resolved.

Overall, if you liked the previous volume of Hellcat, I definitely recommend picking up this next instalment. Unnecessary cliffhangers aside, I'm definitely planning to pick up the next volume, although I'll probably wait until I've cleared out a bit more of my current comics backlog (I'm pretty sure the next volume is already available, if that matters to you). If you haven't read any Hellcat before, I'd recommend starting with the first volume, which properly introduces all the supporting characters as well as Patsy herself. In general, I also recommend this series to fans of female superheroes, because duh.

4 / 5 stars

First published: January 2017, Marvel
Series: Hellcat, ongoing series, trade volume 2 of 3 so far, containing issues #7–12
Format read: Trade paperback
Source: All Star Comics, Melbourne

The Unbelievable Gwenpool Vol 1: Believe It by Chris Hastings

The Unbelievable Gwenpool Vol 1: Believe It by Chris Hastings is the first collected volume of Gwenpool comics. It collects issues #0–4 and is more or less an origin story for the character. I previously read and reviewed the Gwenpool holiday special, a small portion of which was reprinted in this collected edition.

Gwen Poole used to be a comic book reader just like you...until she woke up in a world where the characters she read about seemed to be real! But that can't be, right? This must all be fake, or a dream or something, right? And you know what that means...NO CONSEQUENCES!

Could Gwenpool truly be Marvel's least responsible and least role-modely character to date? She can if she tries!

Gwenpool is a great character. She started off as a bit of a joke — a Gwen Stacey version of Deadpool — but has grown into her own character. Although we don't get her full back story in this volume (there are hints that more information is coming) the basic idea is that Gwen is from our universe and has been transported into the comic book world. Her super power is knowing everyone's secrets because she read a lot of comic books back in our world. This also gives her a reason to break the fourth wall and allows her to make direct references to real-world pop culture that aren't possible in other comics.

Gwen is a rather devil-may-care character at first, but soon starts to realise that just because she's from the real world, doesn't mean everything is going to magically work out for her with no effort. Things get a bit dicey and Gwen realises she needs to actually try to survive the situation she's gotten herself into.

This is a hilarious comic and I recommend it to fans of humour and silliness. I think it will appeal to fans of Squirrel Girl and Spider-Gwen, although it is significantly more irreverent than both of those. I am looking forward to the next issue and I hope the writers keep up the current, fresh vibe (and that she manages to get some pants added to her costume, c'mon Ronnie).

4.5 / 5 stars

First published: 2016
Series: Gwenpool vol 1 of onging series
Format read: Trade paperback
Source: All-Star Comics, Melbourne

The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl: Squirrel Meets World by Shannon Hale and Dean Hale

The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl: Squirrel Meets World by Shannon Hale and Dean Hale is a novelisation of the awesome comic book character's early high school life and emergence as a superhero. It's a YA book and is set when Doreen Green is fourteen and has just moved to New Jersey from LA.

WHO RUNS THE WORLD? SQUIRRELS!
Fourteen-year-old Doreen Green moved from sunny California to the suburbs of New Jersey. She must start at a new school, make new friends, and continue to hide her tail. Yep, Doreen has the powers of . . . a squirrel! After failing at several attempts to find her new BFF, Doreen feels lonely and trapped, liked a caged animal. Then one day Doreen uses her extraordinary powers to stop a group of troublemakers from causing mischief in the neighborhood, and her whole life changes. Everyone at school is talking about it! Doreen contemplates becoming a full-fledged Super Hero. And thus, Squirrel Girl is born! She saves cats from trees, keeps the sidewalks clean, and dissuades vandalism. All is well until a real-life Super Villain steps out of the shadows and declares Squirrel Girl his archenemy. Can Doreen balance being a teenager and a Super Hero? Or will she go . . . NUTS?

This book was awesome! I mean, Squirrel Girl is already a pretty awesome character and if I had any apprehensions going in it was that the novel character wouldn't be quite the same as the comic character. But, although novel!Doreen is younger than comic!Doreen (who is in college), the authors managed to get her voice down exactly, giving the book a very similar feel to the comics. And there are footnotes from Doreen as she reads along with us.

On top of that, some of the chapters are from other characters' points of view, like Doreen's best human friend Ana Sofía (more on her shortly) and Doreen's best squirrel friend Tippy-Toe. Yes, there are chapters from Tippy-Toe's point of view. And they are in first person. And they are awesome. So awesome. And my favourite thing with Tippy-Toe is a bit of a spoiler...

Tippy-Toe picks up some ASL from watching Doreen and Ana Sofía sign to each other and then is able to sign to Ana Sofía in an emergency. Eeeee!

Ana Sofía, meanwhile, is the first friend Doreen makes at her new school and is instrumental in keeping her spirits up when times are tough. She also plays a part in helping Squirrel Girl save the day.

Squirrel Girl is awesome and you should read this book even if you haven't read any of the recent comics. They are completely independent of the book, despite being about the same character. I highly recommend this novel to anyone who likes YA and/or superheroes and also doesn't hate fun. Because Squirrel Girl is awesome.

5 / 5 stars

First published: February 2017, Marvel/Scholastic
Series: Yes? No? Squirrel Girl is an ongoing character in the Marvel comics universe, anyway.
Format read: Paperback! Gasp!
Source: Purchased at local book shop

The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl Vol 3: Squirrel, You Really Got Me Now by Ryan North and Erica Henderson

The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl Vol 3: Squirrel, You Really Got Me Now, written by Ryan North and illustrated by Erica Henderson, is the third consecutive volume of Squirrel Girl comics. Although they restarted the issue numbering, they thankfully left the volume numbering in tact. For now. It's also not a terrible place to jump into the comics, although I would recommend starting with Volume 1 because then you get more Squirrel Girl and more backstory to establish the other characters with.

New series, New Avenger! With her unique combination of wit, empathy and squirrel powers, computer science student Doreen Green - aka the unbeatable Squirrel Girl - is all that stands between the Earth and total destruction. Well, Doreen plus her friends Tippy-Toe (a squirrel) and Nancy (a regular human with no powers). So, mainly Squirrel Girl. Then what hope does the Earth have if she gets hurled back in time to the 1960s and erased from history? At least Nancy will never forget her friend, but what invincible armored Avenger can she call on to help, through the magic of social media? Decades apart, can they avert doom, or will everything go wrong forever? Howard the Duck hopes not... he has an appointment for a crossover!

The opening issue is somewhat introductory, (re-)introducing Squirrel Girl, Nancy and a few other key characters. There's a bad guy attack that, in true Squirrel Girl style, is more morally grey than you might expect from a monster-of-the-issue incident.

The main story arc of this volume involves time travel to the 60s and Doctor Doom. The Doctor Doom part, actually, is probably yet another reason to read the first two volumes of Squirrel Girl. It's not strictly necessary to follow this story, but I think it still helps to provide some useful context. I quite enjoyed the story arc, especially the way the new (temporary?) side characters were integrated into the story. And I approved of it being more Nancy and less Koi Boy and Chipmunk Hunk — not that I hate the latter two, I just find them a bit meh.

The final story arc was a two-issue crossover with Howard the Duck, with the Howard the Duck issue included in this volume. I haven't read any Howard the Duck before and this arc didn't especially encourage me to. It wasn't bad, and I didn't mind seeing a new character, but I didn't find him interesting enough to bother following up. Squirrel Girl was much more interesting to me.

I enjoyed this volume of Squirrel Girl and, as always, I am looking forward to reading more Squirrel Girl when it becomes available. I highly recommend the Unbeatable Squirrel Girl to fans of humour, female characters, squirrels and computer science. If you're new to Squirrel Girl, this isn't a terrible place to start, but I think Volume 1 is an even better place to start.

5 / 5 stars

First published: June 2016, Marvel
Series: Volume 3 of ongoing series, containing issues #1–6 (and Howard the Duck #6) of the 2015B run of Squirrel Girl.
Format read: Trade paperback
Source: A comic book shop. I think it was Orbital Comics in London\

Patsy Walker aka Hellcat! Vol 1: Hooked on a Feline by Kate Leth and Brittney L Williams

Patsy Walker aka Hellcat! Vol 1: Hooked on a Feline written by Kate Leth and illustrated by Brittney L Williams is the first collected volume of a brand new ongoing series featuring (obviously) the titular character. You might remember me mentioning Patsy/Hellcat in my She-Hulk reviews. This new series follows on from the same situation, with some overlapping character and also some new characters. And, of course, a focus on Patsy rather than She-Hulk/Jen.

Patsy Walker has managed to escape her past, her enemies and Hell itself (literally) - but nothing compares to job hunting in New York City! Between trying to make rent and dodging bullets, Patsy barely has time to deal with her mother's exploitative romance comics about Patsy's past resurfacing, much less how they start to interfere with her work and dating life. As she goes from living a double life to a triple, what the hell is Patsy Walker supposed to do? There'll be friendship and burgers, monsters and rent checks and a ghost from the past with questionable motives! Comics' most flexible heroine has been a provisional Avenger, a Defender, Satan's daughter-in-law and a dead woman–but she's never been anything like this!

This comic was excellent and even better than I expected. I was expecting to enjoy it because I like the character (and She-Hulk!). What I didn't see coming, however, was the lightheartedness and sheer fun of the comic. On that front, I'd say it was probably most like Squirrel Girl, with a similar — but not identical — style of puns, quips and jokes. There were several laugh-out-loud moments for me.

The story is basically: Patsy gets fired from being Jen's investigator because Jen is broke and then Patsy has bad-guy-thwarting adventures while trying to set up a new business. There's also the matter of romance stories that Patsy's mum wrote about teenaged Patsy and friends resurfacing, which Patsy is not impressed by.

I also really liked the art. It was bright and cheerful and Hellcat was often drawn in a chibi style, which was just adorable. Also, She-Hulk got to have pants as part of her hero costume! Win!

This was an excellent and entertaining read. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys fun comics and doesn't hate female characters. I will definitely be reading the next volume in this series and hope that it runs for MANY issues. <3

5 / 5 stars

First published: July 2016, Marvel
Series: Yes, first collected volume of an ongoing series, containing issues #1–5
Format read: Trade paperback
Source: Some comic book shop or other (Orbital Comics in London, I think)

Ms Marvel Volume 5: Super Famous by G Willow Wilson, Takeshi Miyazawa, Adrian Alphona and Nico Leon

Ms Marvel Volume 5: Super Famous written by G Willow Wilson and illustrated by Takeshi Miyazawa, Adrian Alphona and Nico Leon is the latest collected volume of Ms Marvel comics. It takes place after Secret Wars and collects issues #1–6 of the 2015 run. This volume follows on directly from Last Days, which the world didn't end, and takes place after Secret Wars. The last issue is apparently part of the Civil War II event, but not in a way that disrupts the story (in fact, I didn't even realise it was until after I'd finished it and saw the Civil War II cover).

She's your new favorite. She's everyone's new favorite. And now she's joining the big leagues. Look out world, Kamala Khan is an Avenger! But is she really cut out to be one of Earth's Mightiest Heroes? Saving the world is important, but Jersey City still needs its protector — and a development company that co-opted Ms. Marvel's face for its project has more in mind for gentrification than just real estate! Can Kamala take down the evil suits destroying her home without ruining her grades and personal life? Speaking of which, who exactly is that with Bruno? And when Kamala creates an army of automatons to help her fight crime, will she learn that too much Ms. Marvel is actually a bad thing? Get back on board, Kamala Korps, the ride is about to get wild!

As seems to always be the case with Ms Marvel, this was an excellent issue with a cohesive storyline. It deals with issues of gentrification in Jersey City, with the issue of the normal residence being pushed out by new developers being central to the plot. It also deals with the question of ownership of the Ms Marvel image. If she's everyone's hero and otherwise anonymous, can anyone use her likeness, for example in advertising?

On a character level, this issue also has Kamala struggling to balance everything going on in her life. Between being an Avenger and a normal teenager who has school and family commitments, there's a lot for her to fit in. Unlike for a normal teenager, the consequences of letting a few things slide or trying to fit more in are rather dire and dramatic.

As well as enjoying the story, I absolutely loved the art. There are several panels with extra detail in the backgrounds which adds amusement while reading. It was pretty rest and I was soon finding myself disappointed with the sparser panels that didn't have significant backgrounds.

Ms Marvel is an excellent comic series that you should probably be reading if you're not already. I am particularly pleased to see with this volume and the previous one that the creators have managed not to disrupt the main story and character development too much with events. Although, so far this has probably been helped by the fact that Ms Marvel hasn't been to instrumental to said events, which could change in the future (fingers crossed that it doesn't). I highly recommend this comic to all comics fans and YA readers to might be interested in dabbling in comics. I do suggest starting from the first volume, however. While this volume doesn't make a terrible entry point, it is volume five and does build on the story from the previous volume and so forth.

5 / 5 stars

First published: July 2016, Marvel
Series: Volume 5 of Ms Marvel (Kamala Khan), ongoing series, containing issues #1–6 of the second run (2015)
Format read: Trade paperback
Source: Local comic book shop

Silk Vol 1: Sinister by Robbie Thompson

Silk Vol 1: Sinister written by Robbie Thompson and illustrated by Stacey Lee, Tana Ford and Veronica Fish is the first collected volume of Silk comics after Secret Wars. It also follows on directly from the pre-Secret Wars Vol 0: The Life and Times of Cindy Moon.

Silk is back and badder than ever! Cindy Moon -- the other victim of the radioactive spider that bit Peter Parker -- has been working to find the missing members of her family since she escaped the bunker that was her home for so many years. But Silk's quest has taken her down a darker path than expected, and now she's in cahoots with the most ferocious feline in the Marvel Universe: the Black Cat! But not everyone in the Cat's criminal crew is happy about the arrangement. Nor is a certain friendly neighborhood CEO of Parker Industries, and that will bring Cindy into conflict with Spider-Man and the Goblin King! What could have led her to this? Who is Espectro? And will Cindy go so far there's no redeeming the Sinister Silk? 

Silk Vol 0 was one of my favourite Marvel trades. I didn't enjoy this second volume quite as much... But that just means it wasn't my absolute favourite, most exciting new trade of the year. It had a lot to live up to. And quite frankly, Sinister was more than just more of the same. Having already established Silk as a character with a purpose (finding out what happened to her family), this volume has Silk fighting bad guys, in a fairly standard superhero way, and being a double agent, which is less standard. Along the way, Silk encounters and fights a large number of green goblin minions, works for a bad guy and has a few run-ins with Mockingbird and SHIELD.

I am continuing to really enjoy Silk and I will definitely be picking up the next volume. I highly recommend Silk to basically everyone, but I recommend starting with Volume 0 rather than this one. It's not that this is a bad place to start, just that you get even more awesomeness if you start earlier.

4.5 / 5 stars

First published: June 2016, Marvel
Series: Silk ongoing series, collecting issues #1–6 from the second 2015 run (2015b), following on from Silk Vol 0
Format read: Trade paperback
Source: Purchased from All Star Comics in Melbourne

Black Widow Vol 3: Last Days by Nathan Edmondson and Phil Noto

Black Widow Vol 3: Last Days written by Nathan Edmondson and illustrated by Phil Noto is the final volume of the Black Widow sequence that ended just before Secret Wars. It contains issues #13–20 of the 2014 Black Widow run with no need for random extra issues to bad out the volume (yay). I have previously read and reviewed volumes 1 and 2.

The world has turned against Black Widow. Her web is broken. How will she deal with this? The final path to Chaos is at her feet, but will her own demons keep her from finally taking it? What happened to Isaiah? Can Black Widow still turn to the Avengers, or even to S.H.I.E.L.D.? Natasha wants answers about Chaos and now she has a list of people who have them.

This volume of Black Widow had a lot of flashbacks. On the one hand, they were interesting because we got to learn more about her past, but on the other hand, they didn't necessarily move the main story forward. The main story being the one that the first two volumes were leading up to: Black Widow versus Chaos. Given how much trouble Chaos caused earlier on, especially in the first two volumes, I did feel that the final confrontation with a representative of Chaos was over too quickly and too easily. Not to mention that I wouldn't've minded a bit more explanation of the weird stuff going on with Chaos anyway (but there was a hint that we might be seeing more of that later, I suppose...).

I didn't dislike this volume, but it didn't grab me as much as the earlier ones. I ended up reading over a much longer period of time than I usually do, almost an issue at a time, until I got to the last few. There was also much less of an actual "Last Days" storyline, especially when compared with Ms Marvel's and Silk's corresponding volume and issue. Which isn't a bad thing, and probably makes sense given that Black Widow ended the earliest before Secret Wars, but was a bit of a surprise.

I recommend this volume to fans of Black Widow. I didn't love it — the art is still nice though — but I do intend to keep reading Black Widow in the future (is there a post-Secret Wars version? I'm not actually sure). Last Days does conclude the stories started in the earlier volumes and gives us more back story on the character. And we get to see the cat again. (Superheroes with cats are the best, as we all know.)

4 / 5 stars

First published: 2015
Series: Black Widow (2014) Vol 3 of 3, containing issues #13–20.
Format read: Trade paperback
Source: Purchased from some meatspace comic book shop or other

Black Widow Vol 2: The Tightly Tangled Web by Nathan Edmondson and Phil Noto

Black Widow Vol 2: The Tightly Tangled Web written by Nathan Edmondson and illustrated by Phil Noto is the second volume of collected Black Widow comics in the 2014 run. I have previously read and reviewed the first volume here.

On a snowy night in Prague, Black Widow must fight her way out of disaster alongside the Winter Soldier! And as Isaiah’s London business turns complicated, Natasha finds herself fighting against — or alongside? — the Punisher for access to a deadly criminal network. But trapped on an exploding oil rig with Crossbones and his Skull Squad, will Frank and Natasha complete their missions — or take each other out? Then, Hawkeye is back! But could his fight with the Widow cost Isaiah his life? And in the wake of Wolverine’s death, Black Widow bonds with the despondent X-23 over punching and espionage, and teams up with the Howling Commandos for a dangerous mission in Afghanistan. But what will the Avengers do when they learn how Natasha has been spending her days off? 

I continue to enjoy this run of Black Widow, however I found this middle volume of the run to be a little bit of a "who is going to make a guest appearance next?" kind of thing. We had several guest appearances including from Daredevil (in which I learned that he and Natasha used to date), Hawkeye, X-23, and Punisher. I didn't mind the guest stars except for Punisher, but that was mainly because that issue was followed by the Punisher issue of the same event, adding absolutely nothing except for a different (inferior) art style.

In this volume, we see Natasha travelling the world and completing missions that has been given to her. In the meantime, there is a background build up of some sort of conspiracy that she has yet to get to the bottom of. The issue culminates in a bit of a cliffhanger, and I am keen to get to the next volume to find out what happens. The next volume is also a Last Days story, leading into Secret Wars, so hopefully the main conspiracy will get enough page-time.

I didn't enjoy this volume quite as much as the first, but I think that is in part because of the large gap I left between volumes one and two, in terms of reading. I suspect they would've been slightly more au fait with what was going on, if I'd been able to jump straight into it. That said, I still really like the art style used by Phil Noto and I hope he'll be illustrating more of the comics I'm into after this run.

I will definitely be picking up the last volume soon. I recommend Black Widow to fans of Black Widow, female superheroes, female spies, and cat owners. (Well, the cat owner thing is a little bit more complicated than that, but still.)

4 / 5 stars

First published: 2015, Marvel
Series: Black Widow (2014) vol 2 of 3, containing issues #7–12 (and issue #9 of Punisher)
Format read: Trade paperback
Source: Present-ish