Ruby finally seems to be settling into her superheroine status at the beginning of Geek-Girl #3, and she’s genuinely enjoying beating up baddies and throwing out witty quips.  Thanks to the waitress (Mariella) she rescued in issue #1, Ruby’s figuring out that her fair-weather friends aren’t worth fretting over as well, and I hope that the two ladies form a healthy friendship as Ruby/Geek-Girl helps Mariella with her ex-boyfriend.  The androids from Geek-Girl #2 aren’t exactly what they seem, and some new characters show up to add more depth to Ruby’s already bizarre world.  What will it all mean, and how do they fit in with Lightning Storm?

While I enjoyed seeing Ruby recognize her false friends, a lot of Geek-Girl #3 skipped around and felt disconnected.  The threads mostly tied up in the final pages, but I still wonder who the blue-haired lady is and what her connection is with Mr. Mash-Up/Arin.  Why does she feel responsible for his choices and emotional state? How does any of this tie into Lightning Storm’s attack on Neon Girl (or does it)? It’s a lot to tackle in a single issue.

I’ve talked about the toxic female relationships in the first two installments of Geek-Girl, and Ruby cutting those girls out of her life satisfied me deeply.  Between Mariella’s words and her own growing self-esteem, our young heroine realizes that she doesn’t need people that pull her down in her inner circle; she should focus on those who love her for all of herself, not just parts of it. 

As far as the art, I’ll just say that making things break apart in a realistic enough and creepy way is not easy.  Carlos Granda pulls it off in these pages, and it’s both cartoony and disturbing.

Ruby is already growing into her own by Geek-Girl #3, and her confidence can take her far.  I’m slightly confused about how Mr. Mash-Up’s storyline will tie in with the attack on Neon Girl and Ruby’s pledge to take down Lightning Storm, but I’m hopeful that the creators will make it an interesting journey.

Geek-Girl #3 is out now in regular, digital, and variant editions, and available at www.geekgirlcomics.com and www.comixology.com.

4 Examples of Superhero Banter out of 5