If you were the kid who got lost in reading the backs of Marvel trading cards or you often find yourself going deep down the Wikipedia rabbit hole for your favorite super heroes, Powers of a Girl by Lorraine Cink and Alice X. Zhang is the book you’ve been waiting for. It’s written in a conversational tone for ages 12 and up, but don’t let the easy-to-read style fool you into thinking there’s not a lot to learn about some of Marvel’s most beloved characters! Pick up Powers of a Girl to catch up with the heroes you’ve read about all your life, and then pass it on to your kids to introduce them to Marvel’s spectacular heroines.
Lorraine is the host of Marvel’s Earth’s Mightiest Comics, so you won’t be surprised to hear that she is an expert on the current state of Earth-616 and beyond. Powers of a Girl features 65 characters, their powers, their histories, and where their recent paths have taken them. If it’s been a hot minute since you heard about what She-Hulk was up to, or you’ve always wondered about Black Widow’s complicated history, Lorraine masterfully lays it all out in several pages about each featured character.
You’ll also see quick stats listing powers, affiliations, aliases, and more that will make your old trading card reading self ecstatic.
Paired with each character is an absolutely breathtaking portrait from Alice X. Zhang; Alice’s artwork will stop you in your tracks. My daughter informed me that she plans to claim the book as her own just to admire the portraits. (I already know that once she takes a look, though, she’s going to be hooked reading about the characters!)
Powers of a Girl is part art book, part handbook to the Marvel universe for young readers, and all-around inspirational. Lorraine takes the time often to explain what makes the women featured in the book special beyond their super powers, from their persistence to their intelligence to their overall fierceness.
And you can get all of this Marvel-ous motivation for under $20. Pick up Powers of a Girl today for the Marvel fans in your life who could use a little encouragement now and then–including yourself.
GeekMom received a promotional copy for review purposes.
Photo: Kelly Knox (Cover artwork by Alice X. Zhang)
Other Image: Marvel / Alice X. Zhang
