After the events in Geek-Girl #1, it’s no surprise that Ruby is feeling a little low. The people she thought were her friends have turned on her, and she’s struggling with the idea that the power glasses reduce her attractiveness. Best friend and roommate Summer tags along with Ruby on a club night to get Ruby’s mojo back, but it doesn’t turn out at all like the girls expect. But who is the pretty redhead who is way too into Ruby, and why is she so incredibly strong?
Several new threads get introduced in Geek-Girl #2, and it will be interesting to see where they lead. Nina, Ruby’s admirer with the cybernetic eye, definitely possesses the abilities to take a greater role in the series, although I found the semi-crazy lesbian trope a little disturbing. The very end of this issue introduces a story arc that should propel things away from focusing on Ruby’s sometimes toxic interpersonal relationships and more into a real threat that Geek-Girl will have to tackle. I look forward to see how the titular heroine will grow when facing a concrete menace.
My only gripe with Geek-Girl #2 is the female-female relationships. The only healthy, supportive friendship is the one between Ruby and Summer. Ruby’s former friends prove to be horrible people who are willing to cut her for becoming different, and Nina’s friends admire her to her face while talking dirt the minute she walks away. Nina isn’t perfect either since she shames one of her companions for not having the money to buy a similar ocular implant. I hope that both women find better friends by the end of the run, because the stereotypical catty female relationship isn’t one I want to see in modern entertainment; however, I have to compliment how the creators handled Ruby’s reaction to Nina’s come-on. Instead of being purely disgusted, the reluctant superhero rebuffs the advance but later thanks Nina for helping show her that she is hot even with the glasses, since the lovely Nina likes her in either incarnation.
The art continues to be spot on for Geek-Girl #2, and the crowd scenes at the club and bar allow Granda to have fun creating a variety of people and backgrounds. There is one panty shot in this volume, but it’s not the focus on the single panel.
The new plot threads introduced in Geek-Girl #2 give me hope that Ruby will be forced to grow and change over the course of the series, instead of staying a self-involved 18 to 22-year-old girl. She obviously cares about other people, so let’s take some steps to really use those super abilities! Who is Nina really? (My money is on the lightning wielding supe who took out Neon Girl.) Why are there androids in the Maine college town? How is this going to affect Ruby’s world? You’ll have to read more of the series to see!
Geek-Girl #2 is out now in regular, digital, and variant editions and available at www.geekgirlcomics.com and www.comixology.com.
4 Impromptu Street Fights Out of 5
