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The Adventures of Superhero Girl
What if you can leap tall buildings and defeat alien monsters with your bare hands, but you buy your capes at secondhand stores, and have a weakness for kittens, and a snarky comment from Skeptical Guy can ruin a whole afternoon? Cartoonist Faith Erin Hicks brings her skills in character design and sharp, charming humor to the trials and tribulations of a young, superhero battling monsters both supernatural and mundane in an all-too-ordinary world.
112 pages, Hardcover
First published February 26, 2013
About the author
Faith Erin Hicks
31 books1,471 followersBorn in the wilds of British Columbia, the young Faith frolicked among the Sasquatch native to the province before moving to Ontario at age five. There she was homeschooled with her three brothers, and developed an unnatural passion for galloping around on horseback, though never without a proper helmet (because you only get one skull). After twenty years of suffering through Ontario’s obscenely hot summers, she migrated east, and now lives beside the other ocean in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She worked in animation for a bit, and now draws comics full time. She’s not sure how that happened either.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 586 reviews
June 5, 2020
The Adventures of Superhero Girl is a superhero story. Superhero Girl is looking to fight crime and do good, but in a city where there's little to no villains to defeat, it can be hard. She also suffers the challenges of being 20-ish and looking to find her place in life.
Also, can we take a second to admire the art and color palletes?
But when Superhero Girl ends up with no money (or jobs), her mother decides to send over Kevin, Superhero Girl’s annoying perfect older brother, to check up on her.
The author's take on superheroes was full of charm, emotion, and a wonderful sense of humanity. I loved it.
Oh, and don’t forget to put on sunscreen, kids.
3.5 stars
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November 26, 2015
Emerging Adulthood With a Cape
Ever since the first appearance of Superduperman in 1953's Mad #4, countless superhero parodies have appeared in countless comic books, targeting the genre's bizarre origin stories, colorful costumes, childish concepts of good and evil, etc. At this point, I am not really all that keen on reading yet another superhero parody, and Faith Erin Hicks' The Adventures of Superhero Girl thus - despite generally enthusiastic reviews - ended up at the very bottom of my library reading pile; in fact, I almost returned it unread. Boy, am I glad that I decided to give it a try after all!
Yes, Superhero Girl is, in part, yet another superhero parody. At the same time, though, it is a contemporary coming-of-age story that focuses on a life stage sociologists now call "emerging adulthood," a period of prolonged economic dependence that more and more people experience in their twenties (and beyond) and that is marked by pricey post-secondary education, minimum wage jobs, debt, etc. Our protagonist thus not only fights supervillains but also struggles with job interviews, the rent, exams, and relationships.
The cape and the mask may appear ridiculous in the context of real-life problems, yet somehow they dress up the whole coming-of-age theme perfectly, maybe because there really is a link between people in their twenties still being economically marginalized from adult society on the one hand, and them still indulging in rather infantile superhero fantasies on the other - a link that is both funny and sad. In any case, The Adventures of Superhero Girl is more insightful, charming, humanistic, and much funnier than both your typical superhero comic book and most coming-of-age stories. Highly recommended!
Ever since the first appearance of Superduperman in 1953's Mad #4, countless superhero parodies have appeared in countless comic books, targeting the genre's bizarre origin stories, colorful costumes, childish concepts of good and evil, etc. At this point, I am not really all that keen on reading yet another superhero parody, and Faith Erin Hicks' The Adventures of Superhero Girl thus - despite generally enthusiastic reviews - ended up at the very bottom of my library reading pile; in fact, I almost returned it unread. Boy, am I glad that I decided to give it a try after all!
Yes, Superhero Girl is, in part, yet another superhero parody. At the same time, though, it is a contemporary coming-of-age story that focuses on a life stage sociologists now call "emerging adulthood," a period of prolonged economic dependence that more and more people experience in their twenties (and beyond) and that is marked by pricey post-secondary education, minimum wage jobs, debt, etc. Our protagonist thus not only fights supervillains but also struggles with job interviews, the rent, exams, and relationships.
The cape and the mask may appear ridiculous in the context of real-life problems, yet somehow they dress up the whole coming-of-age theme perfectly, maybe because there really is a link between people in their twenties still being economically marginalized from adult society on the one hand, and them still indulging in rather infantile superhero fantasies on the other - a link that is both funny and sad. In any case, The Adventures of Superhero Girl is more insightful, charming, humanistic, and much funnier than both your typical superhero comic book and most coming-of-age stories. Highly recommended!
March 6, 2018
This was really good. There is a lot of mundanity in being a superhero as our girl finds out. She has a roommate and she needs a job to pay rent. Her superhero brother is flashy and has more superpowers than her and she is tired of being in his shadow. You also have to remember to take your mask off after work.
This is so down to Earth. It was completely enjoyable and fun to read. I am entertained.
This is so down to Earth. It was completely enjoyable and fun to read. I am entertained.
January 27, 2013
Superheroes are easy targets to make fun of, from the outfits, to the fantastical powers, to the melodramatic storylines, and when you frame them as ordinary people dealing with the banalities of real life, comedy ensues. Like Superhero Girl who’s in her early 20s and has super-powers like super strength and can leap tall buildings in a single bound (kinda like Golden Age Superman). But she does her superhero outfit shopping in discount stores and rents a room in a shared flat because heroism doesn’t pay well. And, because this is Canada, there isn’t much crime either, so she spends most of her time rescuing kitties from trees and giving spare change to homeless people, wishing she lived in a more crime-ridden burgh.
The book is made up of short comedic vignettes like SG’s cape shrinking in the wash, or leaving her mask on during a sunny day leaving her with tan lines around her eyes when she assumes her civilian identity. She’s learning how to be a superhero, writing checklists for things like “Save World” and “Get Super-villain Nemesis” while dealing with members of the public who inform her she’s not a real superhero because she doesn’t have a tragic origin story - both of her parents are alive and well and she had a happy childhood.
The book gently satirises superhero comics by introducing moronic super-villains reminiscent of the Golden/Silver Age like Marshmallow Man who steals all the marshmallows at Christmas so no one can have any for their seasonal hot chocolates, or Poodle Lady who has a cohort of cute poodles to do her bidding. SG is sometimes joined by her smarmy brother, Kevin, a kind of Booster Gold type superhero who’s famous, beloved, and rich as he’s made a fortune licensing his image to various merchandise outlets, and shows up his struggling sister who’s trying to make a go of it on her own. There’s also a character called “Spectre”, a rival superhero, who’s a wealthy socialite fighting crime who just needs to wear glasses for her identity to be kept secret, a satire on both Batman and Superman.
At a certain point though, the book stops being a parody and becomes its own thing. Superhero Girl has her own world with its own rich cast of characters including King Ninja (king of the ninjas that infest SG’s city) and an overeducated bear with a monocle. In between the jokes and the ribbing, this is the story of a young woman following her dream and finding out who she is as a person. In a very literal sense she’s finding out her identity through the checklists of what being a superhero entails. It’s a universal story where a young person tries and fails at being who they think they want to be, facing doubt and confusion along the way, while taking solace in the small moments of grace and unexpected happiness. It’s the story of how people become who they become and it’s this element that makes this book more than just a superhero parody and gives it depth. But not too much, lest you think it becomes maudlin, this is still mostly comedy and fun, alright?
“The Adventures of Superhero Girl” is a funny blend of superhero comics and Bridget Jones, drawn in the style of Bryan Lee O’Malley with some of the zany Scott Pilgrim humour thrown in and some surprising grounded moments of truth. It’s clever, funny, and hugely enjoyable that anyone who reads superhero comics will get a big kick out of, but I think those that don’t will love this more.
The book is made up of short comedic vignettes like SG’s cape shrinking in the wash, or leaving her mask on during a sunny day leaving her with tan lines around her eyes when she assumes her civilian identity. She’s learning how to be a superhero, writing checklists for things like “Save World” and “Get Super-villain Nemesis” while dealing with members of the public who inform her she’s not a real superhero because she doesn’t have a tragic origin story - both of her parents are alive and well and she had a happy childhood.
The book gently satirises superhero comics by introducing moronic super-villains reminiscent of the Golden/Silver Age like Marshmallow Man who steals all the marshmallows at Christmas so no one can have any for their seasonal hot chocolates, or Poodle Lady who has a cohort of cute poodles to do her bidding. SG is sometimes joined by her smarmy brother, Kevin, a kind of Booster Gold type superhero who’s famous, beloved, and rich as he’s made a fortune licensing his image to various merchandise outlets, and shows up his struggling sister who’s trying to make a go of it on her own. There’s also a character called “Spectre”, a rival superhero, who’s a wealthy socialite fighting crime who just needs to wear glasses for her identity to be kept secret, a satire on both Batman and Superman.
At a certain point though, the book stops being a parody and becomes its own thing. Superhero Girl has her own world with its own rich cast of characters including King Ninja (king of the ninjas that infest SG’s city) and an overeducated bear with a monocle. In between the jokes and the ribbing, this is the story of a young woman following her dream and finding out who she is as a person. In a very literal sense she’s finding out her identity through the checklists of what being a superhero entails. It’s a universal story where a young person tries and fails at being who they think they want to be, facing doubt and confusion along the way, while taking solace in the small moments of grace and unexpected happiness. It’s the story of how people become who they become and it’s this element that makes this book more than just a superhero parody and gives it depth. But not too much, lest you think it becomes maudlin, this is still mostly comedy and fun, alright?
“The Adventures of Superhero Girl” is a funny blend of superhero comics and Bridget Jones, drawn in the style of Bryan Lee O’Malley with some of the zany Scott Pilgrim humour thrown in and some surprising grounded moments of truth. It’s clever, funny, and hugely enjoyable that anyone who reads superhero comics will get a big kick out of, but I think those that don’t will love this more.
February 22, 2019
New review - I am currently going through a lot of the books I read and reassessing their ratings as I feel I was far too generous with my 5 star ratings previously. This was a well-drawn collection of silly and cute occurrences but it wasn't anything more than that sadly.
_____________________________________________
Hahahahahahahaha! *wipes tears from eyes*
What a glorious graphic novel this is! If you're like me, and you love anything pretty silly and whimsical, and a little bit childish, you will LOVE this!!
We follow Superhero Girl on many adventures (mostly involving ninjas and the incredibly conceited King Ninja), on her uncertainties in life (needing to get a job which pays money so she can pay her half of the rent, the ethics behind being a superhero and what it's like to live in the shadows of a much more successful superhero older brother). We follow her when she's sick, when she doesn't feel like getting up and protecting her city because there are other things she could be doing instead.
Much like Hicks' other work (Friends with Boys), it's about girls interacting (or rather, finding it hard to interact) with boys, how she feels out of place at parties where she has to justify her reason for being a superhero (this is pretty funny but also thought-provoking).
There are lots of great sketches in this graphic novel which combines hilarious and cheesy scenarios alongside more pressing and real dilemmas which makes it all the more believable.
In my eyes, Hicks has always been able to create some pretty great and funny female protagonists and Superhero Girl is no exception. What's more, the illustrations and use of colour are beautiful and embodies the caped-crusader-feel that older comics possess.
A must-read for anyone who likes silliness, playful characters with their own stories to tell. Simply brilliant!
_____________________________________________
Hahahahahahahaha! *wipes tears from eyes*
What a glorious graphic novel this is! If you're like me, and you love anything pretty silly and whimsical, and a little bit childish, you will LOVE this!!
We follow Superhero Girl on many adventures (mostly involving ninjas and the incredibly conceited King Ninja), on her uncertainties in life (needing to get a job which pays money so she can pay her half of the rent, the ethics behind being a superhero and what it's like to live in the shadows of a much more successful superhero older brother). We follow her when she's sick, when she doesn't feel like getting up and protecting her city because there are other things she could be doing instead.
Much like Hicks' other work (Friends with Boys), it's about girls interacting (or rather, finding it hard to interact) with boys, how she feels out of place at parties where she has to justify her reason for being a superhero (this is pretty funny but also thought-provoking).
There are lots of great sketches in this graphic novel which combines hilarious and cheesy scenarios alongside more pressing and real dilemmas which makes it all the more believable.
In my eyes, Hicks has always been able to create some pretty great and funny female protagonists and Superhero Girl is no exception. What's more, the illustrations and use of colour are beautiful and embodies the caped-crusader-feel that older comics possess.
A must-read for anyone who likes silliness, playful characters with their own stories to tell. Simply brilliant!
February 1, 2014
Everything about this makes me smile. First, you have the really nice (yes, nice) and insightful introduction by long time superhero author Kurt Busiek, who got to know the work of Hicks through looking for comics for his daughters. He thought this might be a superhero parody, which he thought would be cool. I did, too; though of Jeffery Brown Bots and Bighead work, which is hilarious. So I was excited to finally read (I know, it was online, too, but I hadn't seen it there, sorry!) it here. Though it is a parody in a way, it's not that, too, it's about a girl who is just living her life, with a roommate, encountering annoying guys, superhero brother-who-Mom-likes-best (and the adoring superhero fans who like him best, too, argh), etc etc. I smiled through the whole book. The drawing, the color, the dialogue, all made me smile, made me happy, and now I have four kids and my sci fi-loving wife who will be reading it and loving it, yay. Read her other work, too, like Friends with Boys which is just awesome.
August 22, 2016
This is now my third Faith Erin Hicks book and this one was a 2.5 star book for me. This one felt a little more juvenile although the characters were college-aged. It was also a little more all over the place. I didn't find myself falling in love with the characters like in the other two books I read. They weren't dislikable characters, it's just I never felt like I got to know them deep down. The book felt like a compilation of weekly panels, rather than one cohesive story. For anyone wanting to give Hicks a try, I really recommend Friends With Boys as a starting point.
January 24, 2018
Ohmigosh. So. Freakin. Hilarious.
I know that everyone at Schlotzsky's wondered what the hell I was laughing at today.
Originally a webcomic, pick this one up because it's fantastic.
And I knew it! Hoodies are totally evil.
(And I didn't realize this author wrote the amazing Friends With Boys .)
I know that everyone at Schlotzsky's wondered what the hell I was laughing at today.
Originally a webcomic, pick this one up because it's fantastic.
And I knew it! Hoodies are totally evil.
(And I didn't realize this author wrote the amazing Friends With Boys .)
March 15, 2017
This was a pretty good and funny Superhero graphic novel. If you like funny Superhero stories, definitely check this book out at your local library and wherever books are sold.
June 11, 2013
I was surprised at how much I liked Hicks's Friends with Boys, so it doesn't surprise me that The Adventures of Superhero Girl is every bit as good. Acting as a deeply affectionate parody of superhero comics, Superhero Girl makes her mark mostly by her ordinariness. Green Lantern would never forget to wear sunscreen and end up with mask-shaped tan lines, after all.
The book is a mix of entirely parodic stripes like that one, and more cohesive storylines that still lean towards comedy. Superhero Girl encounters Skeptical Guy (whose lukewarm reactions to her heroics can leave her in a funk) and deals with her Booster Gold-esque brother showing her up. So yes, basically normal, real world problems dealt with in a cape.
All of this would fall down if Superhero Girl herself didn't have such a great voice. Her personality reads a lot more realistically than is often found in superhero comics, and she's easier to relate to than even some of my favorites. And really, it's all very fun to read.
The book is a mix of entirely parodic stripes like that one, and more cohesive storylines that still lean towards comedy. Superhero Girl encounters Skeptical Guy (whose lukewarm reactions to her heroics can leave her in a funk) and deals with her Booster Gold-esque brother showing her up. So yes, basically normal, real world problems dealt with in a cape.
All of this would fall down if Superhero Girl herself didn't have such a great voice. Her personality reads a lot more realistically than is often found in superhero comics, and she's easier to relate to than even some of my favorites. And really, it's all very fun to read.
July 10, 2017
I think I'm late to the Superhero Girl party. Superhero Girl is a slacker superhero in a Canadian city with very little crime, overshadowed by her Superman like brother Kevin.
The Good: Skewers superhero comics in a fun way. The concept of Spectacle is hilarious.
The Bad: Those Canadian ninjas are badasses.
The Ugly: Like a lot of collections of one page comics, the book can feel somewhat clunky from page to page.
Received an advance copy from Dark Horse and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
The Good: Skewers superhero comics in a fun way. The concept of Spectacle is hilarious.
The Bad: Those Canadian ninjas are badasses.
The Ugly: Like a lot of collections of one page comics, the book can feel somewhat clunky from page to page.
Received an advance copy from Dark Horse and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
May 2, 2020
Star Rating: —> 4 Stars!
Very cute! A bunch of laughs for sure. The every day side, & as well as the navigation of Superhero Girl as she fights villains, in search of her arch nemesis !
Very cute! Definitely would be a great intro to comics for your kids👌🏻.
Very cute! A bunch of laughs for sure. The every day side, & as well as the navigation of Superhero Girl as she fights villains, in search of her arch nemesis !
Very cute! Definitely would be a great intro to comics for your kids👌🏻.
November 8, 2018
This was super easy to read and I find this so cute hahahhaha. I don't really have the words to properly review this one but I liked the preface for this book. It encapsulated what I felt about this.
"Superhero Girl is about life. It's about being a younger sister, about being a broke roommate, about needing a job, being underappreciated, getting sick, feeling out of place at parties, being annoyed be people carping when you're doing your best--all wrapped up in the package of being a young superhero in a small-market city where you're pursuing your dreams but don't seem to be getting anywhere.I recommend this to all lovers of light graphic novels!
That's not parody. There may be elements of parody on the surface, but really, that's rich, human storytelling. The superhero stuff is the context, the package, and the humanity and emotion and the humor found in it are the content. The story."
May 31, 2018
A cute Canadian twentysomething with aspirations only to be a superhero stumbles through life; sometimes she's aimless, sometimes she's hapless, and sometimes she's courageous.
"You SUPER GLUED your mask to your FACE??"
"It was the only way I could get it to stay on..."
But mostly she's just hapless.
Superhero Girl is a quirky Ramona Flowers type forever with a smile and a perky outlook on life. She may not be MY cup of superhero tea- I prefer tragic figures with rage issues- but she'll be a great addition to the comic shelf of any casual reader, young or old.
I understand this was originally a serial webcomic, but for a trade release, there should've been a more obvious beginning, middle and end.
That said, there are several storylines and they're all funny and sweet.
One has her being overshadowed by her big brother, an adored superhero.
Another has her identity be stolen and her career be jeopardized.
And another, my favorite, is her origin as the hero she is today. The story includes a shoot backwards in time to when she and her brother formed a team. One maybe one of them didn't want to disband.
And don't let superhero girl make you think this is a title only for nerdy girls. The story's not too girly for a comic-reading boy to like, and there's no romance at all, a refreshing change of pace for any reader.
art specs
I loved Faith Erin Hicks' drawings in The Last of Us: American Dreams years ago, and Superhero Girl has the same cartoony, Powerpuff Girls-esque style. That alone makes it pretty much a must-read for cartoon fans from generation Z.
Overall, it's just serious fun. I wish there was more content, because that would mean a chance for Superhero Girl's story to evolve, but Hicks appears to have moved on. Oh, well. This wee book is totally cool on its own.
"You have to find your own superhero path."
October 11, 2015
The Adventures of Superhero Girl is a 2013 graphic novel written and drawn by author Faith Erin Hicks. It does follow many of the conventions brought to light by having read American Born Chinese earlier this year for my Young Adult Literature class at Stony Brook University. The novel follows its protagonist, named Superhero Girl, through her bouts with crime. These bouts coincide with her struggles in daily life as a 20-something living in a small Canadian town with her roommate. From fending off ninjas, to conversations with her family, friends and roommate, and finding who she really is on the superhero spectrum, The Adventures of Superhero Girl is really about coming to terms with who you are and finding your place in the world.
What drew me to this novel were three main things. Firstly, upon reading the reviews of this novel I saw that it involved itself with a fair amount of comedy and I was drawn to that. I was not disappointed and found myself literally laughing out loud to many scenes. Secondly it was an award winning graphic novel. Having won an award I knew that the content of the story would hold up to a deeper analytic approach to its content. Finally, I wanted a story with a female protagonist. Not only was the protagonist female but she is also a superhero. These two concepts are not ones that frequently merge; having a quality novel that utilizes its female protagonist effectively to tell a much more meaningful story than “Will the girl get the guy?” appeals to me.
If you don't want to read about any scenes in the book, this paragraph can be a bit spoilery. One scene in the novel that stood out to me profoundly and I found myself reading multiple times over was the “altercation and conversation” scene between Superhero Girl and another female superhero figure in the novel, Spectacle. Spectacle believes Superhero Girl has become a villain and the altercation the two have is a scene laced with both comedy and sophistication. The conventions of the graphic novel utilized in the scene that sees Spectacle literally blasting in Superhero Girl’s apartment are followed by comedic lightness. After Superhero Girl brings to light that Spectacle is mistaken, they speak about their origins and Superhero Girl fights the evil version of herself that has traveled back in time to get rich. The break-in, the conversation with Spectacle and the fight with her future self shows Superhero Girl that she loves what she does and needs not the money and gratification she has begun to grow toward. The message this scene and the whole novel send to readers is that is important not to lose sight of what you love in shallow pursuits. Be content with the person you are and find what you love. If you follow this example, you can achieve your own form of greatness. You can be your own superhero.
What drew me to this novel were three main things. Firstly, upon reading the reviews of this novel I saw that it involved itself with a fair amount of comedy and I was drawn to that. I was not disappointed and found myself literally laughing out loud to many scenes. Secondly it was an award winning graphic novel. Having won an award I knew that the content of the story would hold up to a deeper analytic approach to its content. Finally, I wanted a story with a female protagonist. Not only was the protagonist female but she is also a superhero. These two concepts are not ones that frequently merge; having a quality novel that utilizes its female protagonist effectively to tell a much more meaningful story than “Will the girl get the guy?” appeals to me.
If you don't want to read about any scenes in the book, this paragraph can be a bit spoilery. One scene in the novel that stood out to me profoundly and I found myself reading multiple times over was the “altercation and conversation” scene between Superhero Girl and another female superhero figure in the novel, Spectacle. Spectacle believes Superhero Girl has become a villain and the altercation the two have is a scene laced with both comedy and sophistication. The conventions of the graphic novel utilized in the scene that sees Spectacle literally blasting in Superhero Girl’s apartment are followed by comedic lightness. After Superhero Girl brings to light that Spectacle is mistaken, they speak about their origins and Superhero Girl fights the evil version of herself that has traveled back in time to get rich. The break-in, the conversation with Spectacle and the fight with her future self shows Superhero Girl that she loves what she does and needs not the money and gratification she has begun to grow toward. The message this scene and the whole novel send to readers is that is important not to lose sight of what you love in shallow pursuits. Be content with the person you are and find what you love. If you follow this example, you can achieve your own form of greatness. You can be your own superhero.
December 11, 2019
I've only had time to read a few pages but my daughter, age 8, who usually takes a while to warm up to a new book, instantly stopped the craft she was working on when presented with it and read it cover to cover then started again at the beginning. So, I will call this a win!
It contains some mild exclamations, such as "oh crap" and "holy crap on a stick", FYI.
UPDATE: I read the whole thing myself. So good! Light fare. The collection ends a little abruptly and I hope there is more of it. There is a lot of story potential here.
It contains some mild exclamations, such as "oh crap" and "holy crap on a stick", FYI.
UPDATE: I read the whole thing myself. So good! Light fare. The collection ends a little abruptly and I hope there is more of it. There is a lot of story potential here.
October 17, 2014
#SuperheroProblems:
You accidentally shrink your cape in the wash.
You forget to take off your mask thus compromising your secret identity!
Your town doesn't have decent super villains.
This book is so funny and endearing and further cements Faith Erin Hicks' position as my favorite graphic artist.
You accidentally shrink your cape in the wash.
You forget to take off your mask thus compromising your secret identity!
Your town doesn't have decent super villains.
This book is so funny and endearing and further cements Faith Erin Hicks' position as my favorite graphic artist.
May 23, 2015
So funny. I loved this one. Another reason to read web comics, if only I can get my act together.
November 15, 2014
Funny and charming. I just wish it was longer. The whole thing is online, but in black and white. I'm a sucker for pseudo-four coloring, so I sprang for the wide format 100 page hardcover. They don't seem to stock it in stores, but they should.
August 12, 2021
What do Superheroes (SH) do when they get a cold? When they can't pay their share of the rent? What about dating? Faith Erin Hicks will answer all these questions (and so much more) for you! Really engaging stories that looks deeper into the daily lives of SH. Great art!
October 13, 2015
Cute and silly comic about a Canadian superhero. Reads a lot like a newspaper comic than a monthly. Fun read like Lumberjanes. Not suitable for all but older kids might like it.
April 25, 2014
3.5 Stars
The Adventures of Superhero Girl. I have to confess--I can’t help saying this title without superhero theme songs going through my head. I pause and emphasize each word with an echo like vibration and a dramatic sweep of my cape! :D
Faith Erin Hicks wrote one of my favorite graphic novels, Friends with Boys. So I was thrilled to bump into this book. I literally bumped right into it actually. I’m just lucky the whole shelf didn’t topple over! Ignoring the bruised hip and embarrassment factor, I love when I do things like that. I feel like the book fell just for me. Like it was meant to be. Anywho...let me kick this review off.
Superhero Girl’s adventures are filled with fun! Adventures with shrink rays, ninjas, blob families, and bears with monocles. Haha…Monocle Bear! But it’s also a tale about a girl trying to find her way in the world. Trying to find a job, pay her rent, and make friends all while trying to keep her identity secret.
”I’ve forgotten how to talk to people I don’t need to punch.”
By the way, she is not good at keeping her secret under wraps. Every time she forgets to take the mask off cracks me up! :)
Hicks always seems to write smart, funny characters with charm and warmth. I like Superhero Girl. She shows readers that we all trip and fall—even with super powers. We all have good days and bad. We all need help sometimes.
Cute tales filled with villains, sibling rivalry, friends, possible archenemies, and HUGE heart.
Will Superhero Girl find a job?
Will she ever get out from under her big brother’s perfect superhero shadow?
Will ninjas overrun the city?
Tune in to find out….
April 19, 2016
Well this was glorious. It was part of a delivery at work this afternoon, and I flipped through it before adding it to the system. Except then I read one page. And that turned into ten pages. And then I gave up and just brought it home so that I could actually get some work done this afternoon.
I ploughed through it in about half an hour as soon as I got home, and it was fabulous from start to finish. I giggled time and time again, because it's surprisingly relateable for something about a superhero. I think everyone with a sibling has felt like the lesser, more useless sibling who can't do anything right because their sibling earns more or is universally adored. (Or maybe that's just me...)
The art is fabulous from start to finish - I loved the pop comic style backgrounds, the colouring and how individual all the characters were - and even the stereotypical supervillains were great. I mean, the Marshmallow Menace? DELIGHTFUL.
Literally the only downside is that Superhero Girl goes for a job at Tim Hortons, so now I want Tim Hortons but the nearest one is a 19 hour plane ride away. Womp.
I ploughed through it in about half an hour as soon as I got home, and it was fabulous from start to finish. I giggled time and time again, because it's surprisingly relateable for something about a superhero. I think everyone with a sibling has felt like the lesser, more useless sibling who can't do anything right because their sibling earns more or is universally adored. (Or maybe that's just me...)
The art is fabulous from start to finish - I loved the pop comic style backgrounds, the colouring and how individual all the characters were - and even the stereotypical supervillains were great. I mean, the Marshmallow Menace? DELIGHTFUL.
Literally the only downside is that Superhero Girl goes for a job at Tim Hortons, so now I want Tim Hortons but the nearest one is a 19 hour plane ride away. Womp.
April 3, 2015
Sure she can leap tall buildings in a single bound and defeat deadly ninjas, but what about things like accidentally shrinking your cape in the wash or leaving your mask on and accidentally revealing your secret identity by the tanlines it leaves? Or how about trying to find the money for rent or sitting in the shadow of your big brother, Kevin, who also has superpowers?
These are just some of the dilemmas facing Katie aka Superhero Girl.
This collection of comics following her adventures is a pure delight. Faith Erin Hicks strips are clever, skillfully rendered and, best of all, funny. As Superhero Girl struggles with the quest to find love all while trying to defeat space aliens, ninjas and her self-appointed nemesis, Hicks tells an entertaining story but also offers up some sneaky commentary -- both on the nature of comic book superheroes and social commentary.
In the end, it's a funny collection that left me wanting to spend more time in this world. Luckily, I've found that there are more strips featuring Katie and her adventures on-line.
These are just some of the dilemmas facing Katie aka Superhero Girl.
This collection of comics following her adventures is a pure delight. Faith Erin Hicks strips are clever, skillfully rendered and, best of all, funny. As Superhero Girl struggles with the quest to find love all while trying to defeat space aliens, ninjas and her self-appointed nemesis, Hicks tells an entertaining story but also offers up some sneaky commentary -- both on the nature of comic book superheroes and social commentary.
In the end, it's a funny collection that left me wanting to spend more time in this world. Luckily, I've found that there are more strips featuring Katie and her adventures on-line.
February 13, 2016
These comics are wonderfully clever and fun! They are set up almost like daily comic strips with little punchlines, but with a longer story line too.
Superhero Girl has some awesome superpowers, but struggles to pay her rent, buys capes at secondhand thrift stores, and suffers from insecurity because her brother is a cooler, more popular superhero. When she has to put up with snarky comments from Skeptical Guy AND battle an alien monster, Superhero Girl has to call up all her patience and superhero know-how to save the day, and get her laundry done.
I think what I love most about Superhero Girl is that she doesn't have all the answers. She is forgetful and weird and insecure and irritable. She's a person! She tries really hard to be a good superhero, but her version of that just doesn't look like the other guys, so she's kind of a wild card. Doing her own thing.
I laughed and laughed and chuckled and giggled and then laughed some more! 'Nuff said. It's delightful and hilarious. Read. It. Now!
Superhero Girl has some awesome superpowers, but struggles to pay her rent, buys capes at secondhand thrift stores, and suffers from insecurity because her brother is a cooler, more popular superhero. When she has to put up with snarky comments from Skeptical Guy AND battle an alien monster, Superhero Girl has to call up all her patience and superhero know-how to save the day, and get her laundry done.
I think what I love most about Superhero Girl is that she doesn't have all the answers. She is forgetful and weird and insecure and irritable. She's a person! She tries really hard to be a good superhero, but her version of that just doesn't look like the other guys, so she's kind of a wild card. Doing her own thing.
I laughed and laughed and chuckled and giggled and then laughed some more! 'Nuff said. It's delightful and hilarious. Read. It. Now!
December 5, 2014
Fun fun fun! (Until her daddy took the T-bird away ...) This book makes me smile. It's good, silly, goofy fun that communicates that giddy anxiety you feel living on your own for the first time. Superhero Girl juggles her job, fighting crime, love life, and hanging out with her friends. It's all very nice and polite and Canadian. None of that grim and gritty stuff here, no sir. This book is suitable for all ages without being condescending toward any of them.
July 28, 2019
This was a really great comic about superheroes and life as a young adult!
September 9, 2021
The very-contemporary superhero problems with comic art-style.
May 8, 2015
Fairy tale twists are gobs of fun. Like the fractured fairy tale, this is the fractured superhero tale. You've seen them before in "A Heroes Guide to Saving Your Kingdom" or "Captain Underpants," or the movie, "Guardians of the Galaxy." Parodies are one way of dismantling the superhero archetype and Superhero girl does this as well, except she is anything but superhero-y. She's a bonafide klutz with self-deprecating humor and a mask that she forgets to take off all the time. We meet girl hero sitting in an overstuffed chair going through her official superhero checklist: superpowers, cape, arch-nemesis, and saving the world. Her nemesis is Shaun, a boy that questions and belittles her. He insists that she needs a tragedy to be a superhero. He insists it is more cool to fly than leap over buildings which is what she does. He insists she is bad at fighting monsters. When she meets him at the end of the story in her civilian attire, she becomes a real hero as a friend in an unexpected way. Not that Shaun knows that. But then superheroes need to cover their identity from the world.
Superhero girl lives with a roommate that knows of her powers. She is watching the television when a special broadcast interrupts the news to show a monster landing in the ocean. The comic strip-like illustrations show Superhero girl whipping into her street clothes, slamming the door, only to scream, "Aw CRAP. I forgot my cape!" The next frame shows only her foot in the upper left side of the page as she leaps impossibly high off the ground and says, "Whatever." The dry humor continues with the story as she meets Shaun, deals with her brother, and fights the dorky ninjas that show up like popcorn trying to foil her plans.
The story pokes fun at superheroes while taking on universal themes. Superhero girl with all her superpowers feels inadequate and unsure of herself. Her brother, Kevin, is the polished, professional superhero with his own line of special edition dolls. Superhero girl has a weakness for kittens and is a bit of a softy for all of her bravado. She wants to be polished, but feels under-appreciated. She's doing her best, but sometimes it doesn't seem like it is enough for the other people in her life. Sound familiar? So while she is the common person's superhero, the story is about everyday life. She needs a job, wants to meet boys, and drools in her sleep. All with ninja's trying to make her late to the interview and showing up with her mask on. Pretty funny.
I'm not a graphic novel connoisseur. More of a newbie. But I do notice, and like, the use of block-letter sound effects along with images and dialogue. This amalgamation makes for a unique reading experience. Emotions are not limited to text, but are conveyed with color, line, and contrasts. The color patterned backgrounds contrast with the dialogue displayed in the only white-colored speech bubbles and Superhero girl's white eyes; an accent that makes them pop out accenting her expressions and feelings. I've read some really good graphic novels lately. Piqued by the process, I ran upstairs to the middle school library and checked out the book, "Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art," by Scott McCloud. Maybe I'll learn a thing or two. Let me know if there is a superhero writer out there. I need some tips. It takes me longer to write a graphic novel review than read it.
Superhero girl lives with a roommate that knows of her powers. She is watching the television when a special broadcast interrupts the news to show a monster landing in the ocean. The comic strip-like illustrations show Superhero girl whipping into her street clothes, slamming the door, only to scream, "Aw CRAP. I forgot my cape!" The next frame shows only her foot in the upper left side of the page as she leaps impossibly high off the ground and says, "Whatever." The dry humor continues with the story as she meets Shaun, deals with her brother, and fights the dorky ninjas that show up like popcorn trying to foil her plans.
The story pokes fun at superheroes while taking on universal themes. Superhero girl with all her superpowers feels inadequate and unsure of herself. Her brother, Kevin, is the polished, professional superhero with his own line of special edition dolls. Superhero girl has a weakness for kittens and is a bit of a softy for all of her bravado. She wants to be polished, but feels under-appreciated. She's doing her best, but sometimes it doesn't seem like it is enough for the other people in her life. Sound familiar? So while she is the common person's superhero, the story is about everyday life. She needs a job, wants to meet boys, and drools in her sleep. All with ninja's trying to make her late to the interview and showing up with her mask on. Pretty funny.
I'm not a graphic novel connoisseur. More of a newbie. But I do notice, and like, the use of block-letter sound effects along with images and dialogue. This amalgamation makes for a unique reading experience. Emotions are not limited to text, but are conveyed with color, line, and contrasts. The color patterned backgrounds contrast with the dialogue displayed in the only white-colored speech bubbles and Superhero girl's white eyes; an accent that makes them pop out accenting her expressions and feelings. I've read some really good graphic novels lately. Piqued by the process, I ran upstairs to the middle school library and checked out the book, "Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art," by Scott McCloud. Maybe I'll learn a thing or two. Let me know if there is a superhero writer out there. I need some tips. It takes me longer to write a graphic novel review than read it.
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