This hit. The first four issues are the same energy of fun Nadia and her squad. We also see Ironheart (even though I don't get why she didn't invite her to the group because she's a girl genius too??), and Viv Vision as Nadia fights various threats.

Then in issue five (and the later half of four tbh) it deals heavy with mental illness and jesus christ I did not expect it to go so hard. Nadia ends up discovering she is bipolar and goes into a manic state where she wants to fix everything after one of her friends ends up in the hospital. Her friends try to help but then Nadia attacks and retreats inside of a crystal that holds a tiny lab. Idk how science works but it didn't sound right to me that time moved differently in the crystal just because it was really small but I don't know enough to actually question this lol.

In the crystal Nadia expresses suicidal ideation and I was like damn what happened to how light and cute this was? This girl about to die in a small crystal yikes. The way this worked out was really touching though, beautiful friendship right there. I don't know how I feel about mental illness being used this way but it could have been handled much worse.

But also wait she ACTUALLY has the power to shrink and grow just because she's been exposed to Pym particles enough for it to be in her blood?? And then Janet just popped wings out without having the wings device Nadia has and I'm confused at both of them.

This needed more Jarvis but I loved Janet & Bobbi being cool mentors.

meow meows

I think I would have enjoyed this one more if I knew more of the characters' backstory.

I was so indifferent about this I'm not going to write a full review. Apart from the revelation of Nadia being bipolar, nothing much happened in this. I still enjoy the characters but this felt like one issue of content stretched out into five.

I was disappointed when the previous series was canceled just when the setup story finished. This one jumps right in with an intriguing new story.

This was the perfect way to kick off my 2021 reads.

I have so much love for these characters and the Agents of G.I.R.L. Nadia's story is so much fun but I love the unapologetic and serious way in which it explores mental health. It's not afraid to show Nadia's struggle and the effect it has on her and those around her and I can't wait to see where the next volume takes this narrative. It will never not be incredibly cool to see a Marvel superhero both going to therapy and openly discussing mental health.

Gurihiru's art style might possibly be my favourite I've come across in a Marvel comic. I absolutely adored it!

Overall, this was another solid addition to Nadia's story and once again has me baffled as to why her series' keep getting cancelled. This badass team of young women are phenomenal and I just want everyone to love them as much as I do...

I really didn't know how much I need to read about the adventures of Nadia Van Dyne until now. I read the last run and it was just so perfect, this was an amazing continuation of that run. Where as before is was a pretty standard superhero tale (not that there is anything wrong with that I loved it) and now that we have the origin story and basics down pat we can explore Nadia as a person (and the rest of the team for that matter) mental health is a heavy topic as well as something as specific as a bipolar disorder. I feel like Whitley writes about this topic in a very organic and good way, and that there are many ways it could have been written incorrectly. I love getting to know the team in stories like this, while it is a solo series focused on one character I adore getting to know the minor characters. I genuinely love all of them too, I mean... Shay and Ying... omg they are so so cute together, the Miranda Sisters are iconic

Spoiler

and the mystery of what is going on with Priya?? fascinating! Also while she seems kinda evil at the moment I loved getting to see Finesse again she is literally so cool.

This is complex and adorable and even a bit dark and mysterious, absolutely loved this <3

Nadia didn't just inherit her father's intelligence, but his mental health issues too. Her (possibly) first manic episode is rough, and made worse for her powers. I'm curious how a professional would view the manic scenes, and the treatment of such in (I hope) the next volume.