GIANT DAYS #53 from Boom! Studios hits your local comic book store on August 7, and the issue brings us ever closer to that sad moment; the finale of the series. But at least it’s wrapping up all the important plots.
***SPOILER WARNING***
In case you haven’t heard the news, Giant Days #55 will be the last issue of the series. John Allison made that announcement a few months ago. But it’s only starting to truly sink in now, as we’re nearing the final moments.
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Up until Giant #53, it was pretty easy to stick our heads in the sand and pretend the series would just continue forever – following Esther, Suzie, and Daisy until they were old and gray. Unfortunately, this issue really brought the truth home.
On the bright side, they’re wrapping up the series in the right way. And since there’s nothing worse than a series that just drops off (or ends horribly), we’re willing to settle for this.
John Allison did an excellent job of balancing two competing elements in this issue. On the one hand, he’s got to lead the series towards its inevitable conclusion (the graduation of Esther and Daisy). On the other hand, he’s got to keep the tone and theme the same. That means new elements have to be brought in, while other plots are tied up in a nice little bow.
But you know what? It actually worked out really well here. The issue focused predominantly on Daisy (recall, most issues will have a slight bend towards one of the three main characters). Out of the three, Daisy is the most ambitious, but also the least settled when it comes to her future. So some extra time spent on her was appreciated.
Of course, this is Giant Days we’re talking about. So nothing went perfectly for Daisy. And let’s be honest…Daisy is pretty talented at getting herself all wound up over things the average person would ignore. That’s what gives her so much of her charm.
Taking Daisy’s anxiety and distracting her from the impending graduation was a brilliant move on Allison’s part. It felt organic to the series – because Daisy is at her best when stressing out about fixing or stopping things. But it also didn’t deny or hide from the fact that her graduation was still happening.
Max Sarin is responsible for the line art in this issue, as well as the amazing cover. Seriously, this cover is exactly what the fans needed to see right now. It may not have fit the main plot if this issue perfectly, though it did fit the running theme of the series as a whole.
Sarin was able to capture our three leads in all of their glory – and throw a few unexpected twists our way. It was oddly refreshing to see the new looks revealed in this issue, even if they were only temporary (presumably).
Whitney Cogar’s colors complemented Sarin’s artwork, as well as the tone of the series. She used bright and bold colors as needed, a fact she balanced out with muted colors as needed. In short, it was the iconic color palette of Giant Days.
It’s not every day that the letterer gets to shine, but Jim Campbell had a few moments here to truly blend the words with the artwork provided. And he did not waste them. This did help with the impact of those moments, naturally.
Fans will be sad to see the series go. But if Giant Days #53 is any indication for the following two issues, it seems safe to assume that they’re going to do justice to the series. But until that moment actually arrives, let’s just enjoy what we have left.
