Tag: Ryan North

I've seen a lot of speculation about Unbeatable Squirrel Girl by Ryan North and Erica Henderson being on the edge of the cancellation zone, but the first four issues are getting a reprinting—their third—with connected covers by Henderson and new copy by North. This is sort of interesting to me, without knowing any of the behind the scenes on it, as it seems to speak to a special interest in the book, which features a college age heroine who has fun with pals while beating Galactus. It definitely has an all-ages vibe to it, and a bit of a cult following. It's certainly one of the most unusual books Marvel is publishing so it's nice to see it get a boost, even as it suggests the book is more successful than it seems from the charts alone.

With Squirrel Girl, Marvel is proving just how strong the Marvel brand is—so strong that it can do a 180 and it's still part of the fun. Written by Ryan North (Adventure Time, Dinosaur Comics) and drawn by Erica Henderson (Atomic Robo, Marceline and the Scream Queens) this book is as "indie" and charming as comics can get. It even has lovely flat colors by Rico Renzi. Squirrel Girl is Doreen Green a typical college student except that she also has the proportionate speed and strength of a squirrel....and a big bushy squirrel tail, which she stuffs into her pants to keep her secret identity secret. Squirrel Girl was created in 1992 by writer Will Murray and Steve Ditko (!) and the gimmick is that even with powers that sound less than a-list, she can defeat anyone —and so far she's defeated Doctor Doom, MODOK, Terrax, and Thanos, all with the help of her squirrel sidekick Tippy-Toe.

There’s an air of impossibility surrounding this book. It begins with a song and vibrant neon crime fighting. It deflates the hyper-serious and allows for a sense of whimsy. When I started working behind the desk at a comic shop, something like this would have barely snuck through Marvel editorial as a one-shot - a reaction to an audience that had an appetite for Serious Comics about Things That Matter and very little else. Today things are clearly different.

  A young woman who goes around dressed as a squirrel. And defeats Doctor Doom and Thanos. Yes, it';s the ultimate cosplay Mary Sue, Squirrel...

As announced on a livestreamed video feed in which a giant cardboard Ryan North loomed over helpless Anthony Clark and Christopher Hastings, the trio will be...