Squirrel Girl Returns(!) with an interesting issue packed with bears jokes, exposition done right, and deadpanned business lady villains. Let’s begin!
Recap
Squirrel Girl trapped is trapped by Melissa, who is sadly a bad guy. In addition, she is using a wide assortment of animal henchmen to protect her so she can monologue to Squirrel Girl. What follows is a very text heavy backstory for Melissa. Her grandmother was an industrial saboteur who had the power to control moths using ultraviolet light. Melissa took on the mantle using incredible microchips that allow her to make animals smarter so she can make them do things like conduct industrial spying, knock people into lakes, crash planes into the Hudson River, and wear silly clothes, as one does when they can control animals. She’s got her bases covered.
SQ does her best to sass and protest Melissa, using verbal warfare of both finesse and humor. Sadly Melissa doesn’t give a damn and goes on to explain how IT WAS SHE WHO MADE SURE SHE AND HER ANIMAL THEMED SUPER HERO FRIENDS ATTENDED THE SAME COLLEGE!!!
Melissa takes SQ to the computer room, and then uses the power of magic science to shrink the computer to the size of roughly less than an earbud. She then escapes using a teleporter, leaving SQ to fight off her minions.
There is some peace for a while, but it uneasy for SQ as Melissa is on the loose. That all changes though when she masquerades as Doctor Doom and is prepared to use mosquitoes to take on New York. How will our heroes handle her new and terrifying task?
Melissa is so Evil… but Interesting
Melissa steals this issue. Despite being so text heavy, this issue excels at making Melissa an enjoyable and engaging villain to listen too. Her deadpan delivery of her back story as a villain who uses animals as minions from everything to bodyguards to industrial sabotage is hilarious. She is taking this way too seriously.
Part of what makes her enjoyable is that she doesn’t take Squirrel Girl’s sass. She hardly even focuses on acknowledging her words, and is instead deadly focused on her quest to take over the world. She is all business, even in her villainy. She has plans, and she knows how to actualize them. She is the perfect villain for Doreen to face, as she is so unlike anything this comic has given her before. This reader is very excited to see what happens next.
Fortunately the writers are smart enough to realize how good of a villain she is, and I’m thankful to see that she will return. In some ways she represents Squirrel Girl becoming her own quirky thing within the Marvel Universe. She’s fighting her own nemesis now, not Doctor Doom, not the Hulk, not Thanatos, but Melissa, her own villain to fight against.
Squirrel Girl Just Won’t Give Up
Squirrel Girl is showcasing what a sweet heart she is. She is taking none of Melissa crap, and takes no issues with verbally sparring with her. She challenges her on her philosophy of power, and actually calls her a bully even as she’s captured. Even in danger, Doreen is not afraid to lay a smack-down on those who deserve it.
As entertaining as Melissa is, Squirrel Girl’s reactions to her are a great counter point. Contrasting Melissa, we have Doreen who questions her at every turn and will not give up. It gives the comic a nice, slight sense of tension that makes it interesting to see the two play off each other. Squirrel Girl is a sweet heart who will never give up on you, like when she helps the Rhino through his furry pride or a robber understand the world of late stage capitalism and how he can rebalence his budget to better work within the system, she just does not give up on people.
This issue was humorous and exciting. It was a great blend of exposition mixed in with some characterization. SQ is excellent as always, Melissa is quickly becoming on one of my favorite villains. This reviewer is eagerly waiting for the next issue.
All Images Courtesy of Marvel
