LUMBERJANES #68, out this Wednesday from Boom! Studios is the ideal conclusion to the most recent plot arc. In it, you’ll find a battle between goddesses, romantic moments, and cute kittens. In short: It’s the perfect Lumberjanes arc.
***SPOILER WARNING***
Lumberjanes has always been a fun series, what with the campers and their ability to find chaos. And don’t forget all of those magical kittens. It’s no wonder that there are so many fans for the series. Lately, the Janes of Lumber have been put up against a kitten-napping goddess. And you know what that means. Because there’s no way our campers would ever give up their kittens without a fight. That’s what makes them so great. Okay, it’s part of the reason.
But the battle between goddesses is only part of what makes Lumberjanes #68 so brilliant. We’ll get to that in just a moment or two.
Lumberjanes #68 is a fairly fun issue, wrapping up the most recent plot arc with humor and relationship changes. Shannon Watters and Kat Leyh have made several promises during this plot, and this issue brought them all to fruition.
The goddess fight was pretty fun too, naturally. After all, who doesn’t love seeing two goddesses scream and fight with one another? And of course, it’s refreshing to see what Diana can really do with her magic, when she’s not trying to hold back (or when she’s not too busy acting arrogant).
While the wrap up itself had that endearing and sweet charm we’ve come to know about the series, there’s something bigger worth noting here. For one thing, the canon relationship of the series has finally been affirmed with titles (aka, the term girlfriend was finally used and confirmed).
What’s bigger? The series introduced their first ace character. Or more accurately, they revealed that one of the existing characters is ace (asexual). This is huge and is one more feather in Lumberjanes’ cap. The series has always been open and welcoming to all, but this still feels like a major moment for many.
The artwork behind Lumberjanes #68 was a lot of fun. The creative team for this series has never been afraid to fool around or just be silly. And that’s a trait that shined during the battle of the goddesses. There were some appropriately dramatic and beautiful scenes as well (especially for the cat lovers in the audience).
Kanesha C. Bryant’s lines were the perfect foundation for this plot. The expressions on the Lumberjanes were probably the highlight, especially given all of the reveals and affirmations that occur towards the end.
Then there’s the coloring, which was done by Maarta Laiho. Laiho’s colors are bright and bubbly – and if that doesn’t describe the Lumberjanes, we don’t know what does. Her ombre backdrops show a delightful amount of attention to detail while giving an excuse for even more color in this issue.
And finally; the lettering. Aubrey Aiese was the letterer behind this issue, and you can tell that she had fun with the sound effects in particular. And to be fair, there were some funny moments surrounding them. But on the whole, the lettering was precise and yet playful – just like the Lumberjanes themselves.
Lumberjanes #68 was an incredible issue, all around. Yes, it did conclude yet another Lumberjane plot. But it had fun along the way. It also gave the fans some things we’ve been hoping for, such as a cute moment between the main couple of the series, and another LGBTQ+ character. And that’s perhaps the highlight of this issue, all things considered.
