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A review by ariadna
Marvel Powers of a Girl by Alice X. Zhang, Lorraine Cink
3.0
Actual rating is 3.6
I gotta begin by stating the obvious: for all intents and purposes, this is a total Marvel media (comic books, TV shows, and movies) marketing ploy to get more folks interested in their IPs. It's a really good one, tho.
This book offers one to two page profiles on over 30 female Marvel superhero characters including their backstory, superpower origin story, and a summary of their continuity up to 2019 (the year this book was published.) I have to tip my hat at the author because she makes tons of info v. accessible to both folks who are familiar with the characters as well as those who have 0 idea who Quake might be.
Like, there are some, such as Natasha Romanoff, who have literal decades of canon and yet, the book offers up a lot of info without overwhelming the reader.
Another thing I liked was that there was a definite balance between well-known superheroines (like Captain Marvel and Peggy Carter) and lesser-known (to the general public) ones like Moongirl and Silk.
Also, the art by Alice X. Zhang is total *chef's kiss*.
IF there is a wonky part to the book, it has to do with the tone. Which, to me, reads like it's aimed to the 10-to-17 y.o. demographic. It's v. friendly and inclusive while also going slightly overboard with the YAYS, GIRL POWER sentiments. THAT SAID, this is categorized as a YA so, you know, there's that.
TL;DR: A pretty good mini-encyclopedia of a lot of female characters in the Marvel 'verse. You're given enough information about everyone to pique your interest and the bubbly vibe makes this a quick read. I was so-so about the tone and writing style which read a tad too young for my liking.
HOWEVER, if you're a casual or hardcore Marvel fan, this book is a fun one to pick up. I borrowed this from the library.
I gotta begin by stating the obvious: for all intents and purposes, this is a total Marvel media (comic books, TV shows, and movies) marketing ploy to get more folks interested in their IPs. It's a really good one, tho.
This book offers one to two page profiles on over 30 female Marvel superhero characters including their backstory, superpower origin story, and a summary of their continuity up to 2019 (the year this book was published.) I have to tip my hat at the author because she makes tons of info v. accessible to both folks who are familiar with the characters as well as those who have 0 idea who Quake might be.
Like, there are some, such as Natasha Romanoff, who have literal decades of canon and yet, the book offers up a lot of info without overwhelming the reader.
Another thing I liked was that there was a definite balance between well-known superheroines (like Captain Marvel and Peggy Carter) and lesser-known (to the general public) ones like Moongirl and Silk.
Also, the art by Alice X. Zhang is total *chef's kiss*.
IF there is a wonky part to the book, it has to do with the tone. Which, to me, reads like it's aimed to the 10-to-17 y.o. demographic. It's v. friendly and inclusive while also going slightly overboard with the YAYS, GIRL POWER sentiments. THAT SAID, this is categorized as a YA so, you know, there's that.
TL;DR: A pretty good mini-encyclopedia of a lot of female characters in the Marvel 'verse. You're given enough information about everyone to pique your interest and the bubbly vibe makes this a quick read. I was so-so about the tone and writing style which read a tad too young for my liking.
HOWEVER, if you're a casual or hardcore Marvel fan, this book is a fun one to pick up. I borrowed this from the library.