GIANT DAYS: AS TIME GOES BY #1 is out this Wednesday from Boom! Box and gives fans the chance to have an emotional goodbye with the characters we’ve come to know and love. This issue concludes that saga known as Giant Days.
***SPOILER WARNING***
Giant Days: As Time Goes By #1 brings with it the conclusion to a much loved series. As such, it’s pretty much a given that this issue will be bittersweet. But it goes above and beyond with our expectations; giving us one final escapade before the door closes forever.
We all knew that Giant Days was set to end eventually. After all, Daisy, Esther, and Susan could only stay in school for so long (though Susan is still begrudgingly in school). In a way, it’s nice knowing that the creative team behind Giant Days didn’t decide to stretch the series for all it was worth. But it’s still sad to see this series go.
For many comic book readers, Giant Days was a revelation. It broke the mold for storytelling and changed our expectations for what makes a good graphic novel. And for that, we’ll be forever grateful.
It would have been so easy to write an issue all about sappy goodbyes. Yet that wasn’t what this issue was about. Yes, it did give fans a chance to say goodbye. But it was also so much more than that as well.
After all, is it even a Giant Days story without at least one of our three leading ladies getting into some sort of dilemma? We think not! And thus, John Allison gave us one more escapade to enjoy. And yes, that did add to the bittersweet tally.
Giant Days: As Time Goes By #1 is set a year after Daisy and Esther graduated. This gave us a chance to see what our girls have gotten up to post-graduation. Well, Esther and Daisy, that is. Though by all appearances, Susan has thrown herself into her future career as well.
Time changes people. We all know that. But how much change can occur to these three? That question – and many others are answered within these pages. Did you want to know what Ed looked like in his professional getup? What about McGraw, any idea what’s keeping him busy these days?
But more important than all of that is the message hidden within this story. Yes, it is the story of growing up. But it’s also a poignant reminder that we all need a support network. And that your friends aren’t always capable of reading minds – if you need help, don’t be ashamed to ask for help.
Of course, this issue also brought along a lot of the sass and drama we’ve come to love about this series. It wouldn’t have been the same without that touch. Or without Susan having at least one bout of anger (complete with fire bursting from her body). So while we had to say goodbye here, in many ways, it somehow felt like we were coming home at the same time.
Giant Days: As Time Goes By #1 featured much of the charming artwork we’ve come to expect from the series. Max Sarin’s characters and their expressions are perhaps the highlights of this issue, with Esther going above and beyond (as usual) with emoting.
Whitney Cogar was the colorist for this project, and they also did a delightful job. Here the color palette is bright and happy – unless it called for something totally different. There were a few cut scenes and flashbacks in this issue, and they had a slightly different tone from the rest of the panels. This was smart, given that these moments usually only lasted a panel or two.
Jim Campbell’s lettering was the perfect final touch. And you can tell that he had a bit of fun with the sound effects. But frankly, so did we. So it’s all in good fun.
It’s hard to believe that this is the last issue for Giant Days. And yet, at the same time, it feels right. It’s always hard to see a series end. But it’s made a bit easier knowing that it was the proper ending for the series.
