There is nothing I’m more grateful for in Marvel’s reshuffle and reboot than The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl’s creative team of Ryan North (Dinosaur Comics, Adventure Time) and Erica Henderson (Jughead) staying the same. Nothing.

This D-list character established a cult following thanks to Great Lake Avengers and her babysitting role in New Avengers, Squirrel Girl (a girl... with squirrel powers) is back in only her second first issue this year (thanks, Marvel).

This second The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #1 definitely benefits from the last series: there’s already a pre-established cast (of rhyming rodent based heroes) that allows it to feel familiar. Placing Squirrel Girl in university was one of the best decisions North and Henderson have made with this series, because it gives a sense of grounding to what is really a ridiculous series. There’s something about jumping between fighting HYDRA robots and moving into new digs or meeting flatmate’s parents that makes the slapstick nature of the comic seem real.

It’s difficult to point out how superb the comic is without picking out every joke whilst jumping up and down excitedly, simply because there is no element of this work that is not Marvellous (apologies for the unashamed pun). The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl employs a rare breed of comic humour that isn’t overly cynical - it doesn’t use offence or shock value and doesn’t parody or caricature its characters (just, you know, everything else). It’s aware of its context, and breaks the fourth wall on more than one occasion; but then, who doesn’t love poking fun at the sheer number of Spider-people there are in the Marvel universe right now? North’s writing is a bit strained at times (but forgivable as he has to reintroduce a whole cast and landscape in a forced reboot), but the jokes are genuinely amusing.

Henderson’s style fits so perfectly with the goofy nature of the series; it’s bold, exciting and alive. Every character brings to the table their own distinctive look. It’s cartoonish; but this critique should be taken as a compliment: components such as the robot-making montage, for example, succeed mainly because the facial expressions of Henderson’s illustrations are so expressive. I’m glad to see Joe Morris’s ‘Deadpool’s Guide to Super Villains’ cards have remained key to the narrative, as they fit with Squirrel Girl being a young inexperienced hero while at the same time allowing for strange and obscure villains to be introduced easily.

This is, of course, a silly comic. I mean, it’s a comic about a squirrel girl... But North and Henderson never shy away from this, never attempt to make her anything she’s not: by embracing the ridiculousness and the lovability of Squirrel Girl, the writers make a comic like this work. It’s fun, refreshing, and also educational - there are some facts about bums, computer science and M.O.D.O.K.; everything you could ever want from a squirrel themed comic.

It’s Week Five. Even if you’ve never read a comic before in your life, if you’re in need of a quick laugh I can’t recommend The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #1 enough. This review is as close as I can get to standing on a rooftop belting out the Squirrel Girl theme, but trust me, I’m doing it in my head.