Things I've Read Recently (80): New (to me) Comics!

If you're new around here, Things I've Read Recently is a series of posts I do that are basically mini-reviews of books that I either forgot to review, didn't have enough to say for a full review, or just didn't want to do a full post about for whatever reason.

Squirrel Power (The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, Vol 1) by Ryan North and Erica Henderson

Published: September 1st, 2015 by Marvel
Genre: YA Fantasy Comic
Binding: Paperback
Page Count: Goodreads says 128
Part of a series? This collects issues 1-4 of the Unbeatable Squirrel Girl.
Got via: The library, of course.
Amazon / Book Depository / Indiebound

Summary (from goodreads): Wolverine, Deadpool, Doctor Doom, Thanos: There's one hero that's beaten them all-and now she's got her own ongoing series! (Not that she's bragging.) That's right, you asked for it, you got it, it's SQUIRREL GIRL! (She's also starting college this semester.) It's the start of a brand-new set of adventures starring the nuttiest and most upbeat super hero in the world!

Thoughts: Wow, I did not think I was going to like this as much as I did. This is freaking hilarious. Honestly, there's a moment where I just stopped and cracked up, because, like. Like honestly, the image of an Iron Man helmet attached to just the glove with a squirrel inside is so funny that I had to take a minute to stop and laugh before reading more.

I'm definitely going to be picking more of this, because it's great.

Giant Days, Volume One by John Allison, Lissa Treiman, and Whitney Cogar

Published: November 24th, 2015 by BOOM! Box
Genre: YA Contemporary Comic
Binding: Paperback
Page Count: Goodreads says 128
Part of a series? This collects issues 1-4 of Giant Days
Got via: The library
Amazon / Book Depository / Indiebound

Summary (from goodreads): Susan, Esther, and Daisy started at university three weeks ago and became fast friends. Now, away from home for the first time, all three want to reinvent themselves. But in the face of handwringing boys, “personal experimentation,” influenza, mystery-mold, nu-chauvinism, and the willful, unwanted intrusion of “academia,” they may be lucky just to make it to spring alive. Going off to university is always a time of change and growth, but for Esther, Susan, and Daisy, things are about to get a little weird.

Thoughts: I didn't really like this. It's fine, and some of the humour is good at times, but it just doesn't do a whole lot for me. I liked the author's work, Bad Machinery, but over-all I was just really unimpressed by this.

Also, frankly, I'm not down for lectures about how women are doing feminism wrong from male authors. Especially not when the women in question are created by that male author, and therefore have no agency in how they act or choices they make. So, like, could you just not?

I know a lot of people like this series, but I don't think I'll be one of those people and I don't think I'll be seeking out any more of these.

Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur, Volume 1: BFF by Amy Reeder, Brandon Montclare, and Natacha Bustos

Published: November 26th, 2015 by Marvel Comics
Genre: Science-Fiction Comic and I would borderline call it MG, personally.
Binding: Paperback
Page Count: Goodreads says 160
Part of a series? This collects Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur issues 1 to 6.
Got via: The library.
Amazon / Book Depository / Indiebound

Summary (from goodreads): LUNELLA LAFAYETTE IS AN INHUMAN PRETEEN GENIUS WHO WANTS TO CHANGE THE WORLD!

That job would be a lot easier if she wasn't living in mortal fear of her latent Inhuman gene. There's no telling what she'll turn into - but Luna's got a plan. All she needs is an Omni-Wave Projector. Easy, right? That is, until a red-scaled beast is teleported from the prehistoric past to a far-flung future we call...today! Together they're the most Marvelous Team-Up of all - the Inhuman Moon Girl and time-tossed Devil Dinosaur! But will they be BFFs forever, or just until DD's dinner time?

Lunella soon learns that there are other problems with a having a titanic T. Rex as a pet in the modern-day Marvel Universe. School, for one. Monster hunters are another - especially when they're the Totally Awesome Hulk! Then there's the fact that everyone's favorite dino didn't journey through time alone. Beware the prehistoric savages known as the Killer-Folk - New York City's deadliest tourists! Can Lunella handle all this turmoil... and keep herself from transforming into an Inhuman monster?

Thoughts: This was delightful! First of all, the art in this is wonderful. There's something about it that seems so quick and full of movement and life. Lunella is so adorable and smart and feisty and I think she's gonna have a ton of appeal for both kids and older readers.

This reminded me a lot of Ms. Marvel not because there are a lot of similarities between them (though they do exist in the same world, and I would really enjoy if these two characters met) but because of how much I enjoyed them.

I'm really excited about this one, and I can't wait to read more. Definitely going to order more of this if my library has more!

Slam! (Slam, Volume One) by Pamela Ribon and Veronica Fish

Published: August 15th, 2017 by BOOM! Box
Genre: Adult contemporary comic
Binding: Paperback
Page Count: Goodreads says 112
Part of a series? This collects Slam! issues 1 to 4.
Got via: The library.
Amazon / Book Depository / Indiebound

Summary (from goodreads): In the fast-paced, hard-hitting, super cheeky, all-female world of banked track roller derby, two young women will have to decide if their budding friendship is stronger than the pull of a team when a win is on the line.

When life starts coming at you like a freight train, you have two options: run away screaming or lean into the hit.

From the first day of Fresh Meat Orientation for the Eastside Roller Girls, Jennifer and Maisie knew they’d be fast friends. But when they’re drafted to different teams, the pull of competition — and their increasingly messy personal lives — threaten to drive them apart. In roller derby you take your hits, get back up, and learn how to be a better jammer, a better blocker, a better lover, and a better friend. Derby can heal your heart... but it might break a bone or two in the process.

Thoughts: I'm kind of fifty-fifty on this. The art is really gorgeous, and I truly loved how so many of the characters had different body types and skin tones and hair choices and it was all around just beautifully illustrated. Not to mention all the hair colours and piercing choices, which are just fun to see from people who are, you know, normal? Like they're not villains or bad influences or anything.

However, it felt pretty rushed and somewhat underdeveloped. I liked the characters, and I was interested in their relationships, but I didn't feel the connections very deeply. It was more told to me that these characters were very close than shown to me that they were actually close. I also thought the end felt very unfinished. It probably wouldn't have felt so unfinished if I had the second volume of the series, but I didn't, so this is all I can judge it on. And from what I gather from a little research, this was originally cancelled after the issues in this volume, but later brought back as a mini-series to wrap the whole thing up, so. That's interesting.

Anyways, I am going to order the sequel to this if my library has it available and we'll see how it goes. If you're into roller derby, I'd check this one out. It seems like it had potential, and I'm interested to see how it wraps up.

So, is anyone else singing the Space Jam song now? *hums* Come on and SLAM, and welcome to the JAM... no, just me? Oh, well, that's fine.

Also, awwww yeah, it's October. My favourite month!

Peace and cookies,
Laina