Kinda nonplussed by this one? I will NEVER say no to a Kraven arc, especially with an escape room thrown in. That said, Squirrel Girl usually underwhelms me the comic tries to tackle themes of redemption and reconciliation. Doreen, I love ya, but maybe Kraven needs to go to jail? Maybe personal charisma / likeability / good deeds / the world's sweetest van doesn't get you off the hook for past misdeeds?

The art is strong, but I miss the quirkiness of Erica's character and costume designs.

I didn't even really enjoy the librarian comic! As a librarian myself, I usually have a good sense of humor about librarian stereotypes, but c'mon Ryan, give me one normal, contemporary librarian on-screen to counter the shushing bun lady. (That said, there were some excellent Dewey Decimal jokes so he was playing to his base in that respect.) ( )

This is the ninth volume of collected Unbeatable Squirrel Girl comics, and the first one not to feature the original artist, Erica Henderson (although she did still do the cover art). The art changes did take a little getting used to, but Derek Charm's style is very pleasant and works nicely for the comic. I will say, though, that I still do miss Henderson's version of Squirrel Girl, just because she was honestly a little bit goofy-looking, and, geez, how often do you get to see a female superhero that not only isn't a sexpot, but isn't even conventionally cute?

The main story here focuses on the reformed (or at least reforming) villain Kraven, who's been a recurring character since the beginning. It also features Squirrel Girl and friends trying to enjoy a fun afternoon doing an escape room puzzle which, of course, turns deadly thanks to a supervillain. And then after dealing with that, they get arrested and put on trial. I do have to say that part of that storyline worked for me less well than these usually do, as it highlights how nonsensical the whole idea of criminal justice in the Marvel Universe is in a way that broke through my usual cheerful acceptance of the extreme silliness of it all. But just when I was about to be a little bit grumpy about that, Ryan North came through with a couple of self-aware jokes about it that quickly got me smiling again. And overall, the story was still lots of good-hearted fun. (Especially the bits with Brain Drain. I love Brain Drain.)

The collection also includes a short, nearly dialog-free story about a ghost librarian who imposes silence across the entire city. The non-verbal storytelling works very well, and it's an interesting plot concept, too, because Squirrel Girl's favorite strategy of talking things through with the bad guys and turning them into friends is a bit more challenging when she can't do the talking part. Of course, she's hardly going to let that stop her, is she? ( )

Squirrel Girl and friends spend time being positive influences on Kraven the Hunter; also, a ghost silences New York.

3.5/4 (Very good).

The new artist's work isn't bad. It's cheerful and communicates well, which is better than most modern mainstream comic book art. But compared with Erica Henderson, this feels like Squirrel Girl On A Budget.

(Mar. 2022) ( )

Concerned about Kraven the Hunter returning to his supervillain ways, Squirrel Girl invites him to join her and a group of her friends for a hang out doing an escape room. Of course, the mysterious individual running the escape room has darker plots in mind. Plus a "silent" issue of the comic with a library connection.

Another delightfully fun entry in this series, I was as charmed and delighted by the series as expected. I was concerned about the change in artist for the series but Derek Charm's drawings are excellent and he renders these characters I've grown to love just as well as I could hope. ( )

No end of fun! When you start with Borges's library, meet Kraven in an escape room, fight the police AND Spider-Man - how can you not have a blast?? Oh, let's not forget She-Hulk, too! ( )

A new artist takes over and the characters seem less expressive. This will take some getting used to. The main story here is that Doreen wants Kraven the Hunter to adjust to his new life no longer being a villain, and invites him to spend time with other heroes in an escape room. Of course, the escape room is run by a C-level villain who makes it really dangerous and they have to used their unique powers to escape. Except that being with Kraven gets them all arrested and they go to trial with She-Hulk as their lawyer. It's a funny adventure with a thoughtful discussion of the shaky line between vigilante heroes and villains. The last issue is a wonderful story with minimal spoken dialogue as all of New York is silenced by the ghost of a librarian! ( )

This is a stand-out edition for the themes that I like best about Unbeatable Squirrel Girl: her tendency to employ the "power of friendship" before resorting to violence, and her optimistic belief in, and willingness to trust, the people she calls her friends. From an escape room-turned-deadly to a courtroom drama, this story arc concerns her friend Kraven the Hunter and whether or not he can transcend his past. Near-wordless story about a ghost librarian is a nice touch as well, especially when our heroes look to the library to research a solution to their problem. Special accolades for accurate Dewey Decimal-labeling on the library shelves.

I'm not loving that Doreen has gone on a diet and gotten her teeth fixed courtesy of the new artist, though the art isn't bad otherwise.

The stories are still good at least, though I'm not a fan of redeeming Kraven the Hunter. It's not peak Squirrel Girl, but the silent issue at the end comes close. ( )