| Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #4 |
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| Saturday, 25 April 2015 14:40 |
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This is it! The main event! Our very own everywoman Squirrel Girl versus the unearthly devourer of worlds Galactus! Is there any doubt as to the way this confrontation will end?The humor in Unbeatable Squirrel Girl might come from the simple absurdity of a squirrel based superhero that’s brought to ridiculous levels by taking that “unbeatable” superlative literally, but this is only the gateway for a variety of humorous devices. The creators manage to cram humor in almost every page, from sarcastic comments to visual juxtaposition, and of course, the nut-based puns. Oh, those nut-based puns.My favorite is the very first gag, the way the issue opens on a splash page of a prone Galactus and triumphant Squirrel Girl. I’ll admit to being taken in, to feeling a twinge of disappointment because I thought the moment was over— the actual battle between the two was “off panel,” in between issue #3 and #4, a cheap tactic especially after this moment was being built up since the beginning. Then there were the letter column pages, and the story resumed, tongue-in-cheek and aware of the joke they just played on me. And I laughed. Nicely paced, guys.There is also another, more modern take on verbal humor in the dialogue. It’s that kind of deadpan humor that presents almost everything as understatement, stating the obvious in such an obvious way that it’s funny. It results in Galactus, the mysterious and enigmatic force of the cosmos, saying “And let me guess, you are all out of nuts” and “it’s YOUR language that lacks a universally-accepted gender-neutral third person singular pronoun.” It’s funny (because it’s true) but it’s also deflates what Galactus is supposed to represent for the sake of the overall humor. It works for a few laughs, genuine and forced, but it’s a bit disappointing in that it doesn’t feel as enmeshed with the Marvel universe. When Galactus is your straight-man, it’s a very left-of-center kind of comicbook from your mainstream.An absolutely brilliant bit exists when Squirrel Girl susses out Galactus’ whole deal. She surmises that Galactus does indeed seek Earth out, but not to eat it outright. Since there are so many heroes there, Galactus is ensured to be steered away to a different planet, one that would be even more satisfying (and morally justified.) Is it a kind of unconscious, narcissistic defense mechanism on behalf of Galactus? There’s gotta be some psychological term for this kind of displacing behaviour, but I’ll rely on any reader who can help me in the comments.Lovingly rendered, the art continues to support the whimsical nature of this book. There’s a splash page of the Big G and Squirrel Girl in silhouette, star-gazing at the Earth that’s perfectly timed and sweetly evocative. That deserves to be a wallpaper or profile header, for sure.The post Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #4 appeared first on Weekly Comic Book Review. Read more: http://weeklycomicbookreview.com/2015/04/25/unbeatable-squirrel-girl-4/ |
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