Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur #12 Review

Writers: Amy Reeder, Brandon Montclare / Artist: Natacha Bustos / Marvel Comics Holy OTPs, Moon Girl! It must be cuffing season already because love is in the air like nobody’s business this issue but Lunella ain’t having none of it. Swerve with a capital S, and the “S” stands for Science. I mean! No more of this dragged-out self doubt when it comes to Ms. Marvel, our old Moon Girl is back with a vengeance to tell everyone what’s what. Buildin’ legos and takin’ names. But let’s take it back to the beginning.

It’s easy to feel awful watching Lunella having to go through the painful process of not only struggling to make friends but to also have that friend totally misunderstand her affection and force their feelings onto her, but I honestly think Reeder and Montclare do a spectacular job of demonstrating how to let someone down with grace (or, you know, about as much grace as our favorite deadpan snarker can manage). In a world where consent is routinely dismissed, especially for Black women, Lunella’s refusal to be guilted into romance simply because Kid Kree befriended her and is one of a few people who understand her is an invaluable lesson for children. I remember the first time I encountered this problem in high school I panicked and couldn’t bring myself to be around the person I had become so close to simply because I couldn’t imagine a reality where those unrequited feelings wouldn’t be pushed onto me. After all, we continue to live in a society that prioritizes (hete…