LUMBERJANES #73, available Wednesday from Boom! Box brings with it the first Lumberjanes event, ‘The End of Summer.‘ Our beloved campers are about to embark on yet another journey, though this one with less intentional than usual.
***SPOILER WARNING***
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It’s safe to say that the Lumberjanes have always had a talent for getting themselves into trouble. That goes doubly so for the campers within the Roanoke Cabin. But what is about to follow is different.
Lumberjanes #73 is the start of an event in Lumberjanes, the first event, according to Boom Box! It’s hard to believe that a series has gotten 73 issues in without an event – but then again, with this delightful series every plot feels like an event.
‘The End of Summer‘ brings many thoughts to mind. It’s a reminder that summer will eventually end, even in a world full of time bubbles. In that sense, it’s a bit of a depressing reminder of what will eventually happen to this series (read: end).
Yet that doesn’t feel like the focal point of this event. Once again the Lumberjanes are going to go up against forces of evil (they’re old pros at that), and face odds and adventures like never before. The real question is, what sort of chaos will they get up to in the meantime?
The Writing
‘The End of Summer‘ begins here in Lumberjanes #73. Written by Shannon Watters and Kat Leyh, this issue feels like it’s going to take the Roanoke Cabin to new heights – and adventures. All while bringing with it that charm that made fans fall in love with the series in the first place.
Unlike many other issues in the series, it starts out on a calmer note. The campers are enjoying the nice weather, staring up at the clouds and discussing what they want to do before camp ends. (Another depressing reminder).
From there, things quickly spiral in that classic Lumberjanes fashion. What is surprising is that they don’t stick together, not for the beginning of this adventure, at any rate. Perhaps (hopefully) they’ll get grouped up once again, later on.
Still, it’s impressive to see several plots running alongside one another. All while reminding fans of the unique characters that fill the pages (as well as providing some fun new details about those characters).
It all made for a fun and quirky start to this event. Honestly, that actually makes it even harder to predict what’s going to happen next. Will it be one major event for all of the campers to deal with? Or several events happening simultaneously? With these campers, anything is possible. Even giant kittens, as they were so quick to prove.
The Art
The artwork inside Lumberjanes #73 is fun and knows better than to take itself seriously. While artists have come and gone for this series, there has always been a unique style to this series. A style that shines through in this issue in particular.
The characters all seemed to get a moment to simply be themselves, showcasing the attributes that make them unique. Seriously, April has never looked more determined, and Ripley never so excited (just to name a couple).
Kat Leyh was the lead artist for this issue, as well as being responsible for the writing. As such, Leyh obviously knew exactly how each character was feeling, and thus how they were meant to look at any given time. Not to harp on it too much, but there are times when these expressions really did feel larger than life, but that’s honestly part of the charm for this series. (Also, that’s kind of April in a nutshell).
Maarta Laiho was the colorist for this issue, and the colors really do a wonderful job of setting the scene. On that note, there are several scene changes that occur within this issue (courtesy of several adventures), and each one has its own color palette. It makes it all feel distinct, even while being neatly tucked together.
The lettering was provided by Aubrey Aiese, and its the icing on the cake. The letters convey the story, of course, but also the level of excitement required (remember, Lumberjanes). All while making sure we don’t miss a single detail on the page.
Conclusion
Lumberjanes #73 is the fun and highly entertaining beginning to the campers’ first major event, and it’s already obvious that it’s going to be full of chaos and charm. It’s the Lumberjanes way, after all. Now it’s time to guess what sort of mess they’re going to get into before it’s all said and done.
