UNBEATABLE SQUIRREL GIRL #13
Writer: Ryan North
Penciler: Erica Henderson
Colorist: Rico Renzi
Letterer: Travis Lanham
Release Date: 10/19/16
Price: $3.99
Enigmo has taken over the world (well the United States and Canada), Doreen, her Mother and Nancy are STILL in Canada and Brain Drain kidnaps….Ant-Man? Follow along as Doreen’s life continues to be wacky as ever.
Plot
Let’s get the team back together again! To take out a supervillain like Enigmo you need pals and Doreen has some great ones. With Brain Drain fighting alone in NYC and Doreen having a small, though not loved, vacation in the previous issue, they’re now back together again. Oh and Scott Lang is here too? When Brain Drain and Scott arrive in the woods of Canada, the team talks…and talks…and talks about Enigmo. The regroup chit chat happens in a cabin, a canoe and a size changing Ant-Van. Complaining, jokes, some plans? It’s a weird issue.
Story
Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #13 is extremely cluttered. North just does not know what to do in this issue! The same plot line repeats itself over and over again in very heavy dialogue scenes. While heavy dialogue works well for some comics, Squirrel Girl is not one of those comics.
The above panel demonstrates the cluttered dialogue North has in this issue. Scott complains about Canada (we get it Canada sucks?), Doreen talks of Enigmo all while North tries to keep Brain Drain fun. A near replica of this scene happens two pages down except on a canoe, then in Scott’s Ant-Van, over and over again like a broken record. It’s a shame to have this come from North whose dialogue normally is something I look forward to month to month.
The issue reaches a pretty drab, underwhelming final decision to not fight Enigmo, but to steal the world back from him instead. This could’ve been a fun take and I’m sure will be a fun outcome in the next issue. Yet, the truth is this is an issue about something that never ever happens. North sets up this group to take to Enigmo, they mention it enough times, but nope not the end readers receive.
Art
Henderson and Renzi’s art tries so hard to save this issue. One of the best part of the art was drawing hunky hunk Scott Lang in a more grumpy dad kinda light, It’s a fun detail that helps highlight Doreen and Scott’s relationship in the issue.
Scott totally doesn’t want to be there and his facial expressions, even in “heartwarming” moments reflects that. Renzi’s colors throughout the issue paint Canada in a beautiful light, take that Scott! The canoe scenes have a deep blue and black background accompanying them.
Looking at these images you truly feel as though these characters are in the middle of nowhere in Canada. The over repeated jokes about Canada fall flat by the beautiful art of Henderson and Renzi.
Verdict
Overall, North and Henderson create a pretty boring moment for Doreen’s tale. Nothing seems to happen while simultaneously too much happening at once. The characters all feel overwhelming and not in a fun way. Even the cameo of Scott Lang was not even enjoyable as he complained throughout the entire issue. Throughout the issue it felt done all the while not being near done. It was a shame that something as wonderful and fun as Unbeatable Squirrel Girl could be boring. Sadly, this is a tale in Doreen’s story that you could miss.