Lumberjanes #32
Publisher: BOOM! Box, an imprint of BOOM! Studios
Writers: Shannon Watters & Kat Leyh
Artist: Carey Pietsch
Cover Artists:
Main Cover: Kat Leyh
Incentive Cover: Feifei Ruan
Price: $3.99
Diane knows how to fix everything, but it might be too much to ask. Will the Lumberjanes be able to help her before everyone is turned into stone?
Lumberjanes #31
Publisher: BOOM! Box, an imprint of BOOM! Studios
Writers: Shannon Watters & Kat Leyh
Artist: Carey Pietsch
Cover Artists:
Main Cover: Kat Leyh
Incentive Cover: Kelly Bastow
Price: $3.99
Diane and the Lumberjanes have to work with Ligo to figure out what’s going on with camp, and so far, all clues point to…Zeus?!
Lumberjanes #30
Publisher: BOOM! Box, an imprint of BOOM! Studios
Writers: Shannon Watters & Kat Leyh
Artist: Carey Pietsch
Cover Artists:
Main Cover: Kat Leyh
Incentive Cover: Liz Suburbia
Price: $3.99
Mal and Ripley are MISSING?!
Diane is back at Miss Quinzella Thiskwin Penniquiqul Thistle Crumpet’s Camp for Hardcore Lady Types, which means of course the greek mythology shenanigans from the book’s first arc are following her. This time? Gorgons.
Or one gorgon, rather. One that turned the entire Zodiac Cabin minus Diane into stone.
However, the greek mythos doesn’t really seem to be the main focus of this issue. A lot of the underlying themes actually tie back to family, both blood and found. The Roanokes plus Barney are their own family for sure and will do anything for each other, including putting trust in the goddess who tried to kill them earlier in the summer, but it’s very different back outside of camp. Diane, of course, has a family of Greek gods. Notoriously difficult to begin with. However, we also get hints at what family is like for our other Lumberjanes. Mostly in a really sweet exchange between Mal and Ripley, where they share the ups and downs of coming from a really big family versus being the only child of a single parent. There’s also some hints about Molly’s family, which has been a sore subject for her across the span of the comic, but seems to really be coming into play now without answering any questions just yet. This is part of the reason why Lumberjanes is such an important comic in this current market. Not just for being a fun all-ages adventure comic when there’s such a dearth of those, but for normalizing topics such as different family structures and that not all kids come from good ones.
The creative team of Shannon Watters, Kat Leyh, and Carey Pietsch have really begun to hit their stride as a unit lately and it really shows in this issue. Pietsch especially seems to be more comfortable with the world now. Her art has become more fluid and she’s even adding in nice little details, like the shag on Mal’s undercut and Jen reading a book titled “Expecting the Unexpected: At Peace with the Abnormal.” She even has ways of differentiating Jo and Diane’s similar facial structures, which could be a bit of a trip up in the first arc when she was introduced. Not to mention her face full of waffle sticks might just be my personal favorite panel of the entire issue.
I think what I’m saying is Diane could be becoming my new favorite character.
With the start of a new adventure with old characters, Lumberjanes #29 brings the fun of the first arc of the book while still keeping up with the ways the stories and the characters have progressed since then. Pietsch’s art gets better with every issue she’s at the helm combined with Watters and Leyh’s emotional storytelling. Lumberjanes is continuously a joy, even when the characters hit hard times, and it makes me excited to see where they go next. Hopefully not into stone!
Story: Shannon Watters and Kat Leyh Art: Carey Pietsch and Maarta Laiho
Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5 Recommendation: Buy
BOOM! Studios provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
Lumberjanes #29
Publisher: BOOM! Box, an imprint of BOOM! Studios
Writers: Shannon Watters & Kat Leyh
Artist: Carey Pietsch
Cover Artists:
Main Cover: Kat Leyh
Incentive Cover: Rachael Smith
Price: $3.99
Diane is back at camp and the Roanokes…don’t really know how to feel about that, especially when they discover some campers have been turned to stone!
SPACE BATTLE LUNCHTIME #1
(W/A/C/CA) Natalie Riess
Retailer incentive alternate cover illustrated by Carey Pietsch
Fried Pie Comics interconnecting variant cover illustrated by Leila Del Duca
Age Range: 8 and up
Genre: Sci-fi
Price: $3.99
Space Battle Lunchtime is a hit show broadcast all over the universe, and the new season is about to start! When one of the competing chefs drops out at the last minute, an aspiring baker from earth, Peony, gets the opportunity of a lifetime (and a chance at a 20,000 Solarbuck prize!). But is she ready for the cutthroat world of intergalactic cooking?
Lumberjanes #25
Imprint: BOOM! Box
Writers: Shannon Watters & Kat Leyh, Chynna Clugston Flores
Artists: Carey Pietsch, Laura Lewis & Mad Rupert
Oversized anniversary issue! The High Council is coming to camp and Jen is determined to make everything perfect, even though a storm is brewing and kittens are suddenly getting magical powers. Includes a special back-up story by Chynna Clugston Flores (Blue Monday) and Laura Lewis.
The last issue of the current Lumberjanes arc, which involves selkies, interdimensional travel, and mysterious mariner Seafarin’ Karen wraps up with a splash with Lumberjanes #24. (Sorry.) Though it would certainly be more enjoyable to read this issue as part of the larger story that began with Lumberjanes #21, it still stands on its own quite well.
This issue focuses largely on character development. In Lumberjanes #23, Molly was enticed by the wonders of the alternate dimension, and was forced to contend that adventures with the Bear Woman might come at the cost of her relationship with Mal and the other Lumberjanes. Lumberjanes #24 expands on Molly’s characterization as well as her relationships and brings more light to Ripley’s character. Ripley is probably the youngest and probably least-developed character, so it’s nice to see her given depth beyond the surface characterization of hyperactive tomboy.
It is a testament to the solidity of the Lumberjanes team that each issue is unflaggingly entertaining, both individually and in the larger Lumberjanes canon. Writers Shannon Watters and Kat Leyh continue to demonstrate their strength as writers while pushing the characters into increasingly foreign situations. The departure of creator Noelle Stevenson after Lumberjanes #17 was disappointing (even if it was for totally understandable reasons) but the story hasn’t suffered since she left. Watters and Leyh have run with the writing responsibilities, and continue to build on the same consistently wonderful quality that the book has maintained for two years now.
Carey Pietsch’s art has only bolstered the series during this arc. It has been another constant in the series, along with Maarta Laiho’s vibrant coloring. Both keep the story visually interesting, but illustrate the chaotic adventures of the Lumberjanes in a way that doesn’t cloud the story itself. The art is in turns appropriately fun and serious, and it’s easy to imagine the comic finding popularity as an animated show. As always, the characters’ expressive faces and gestures are one of Pietsch’s biggest successes.
Overall, Lumberjanes #24 brought this arc to a satisfying close just in time for the series’ two-year anniversary. The Lumberjanes will return next month with an oversized Lumberjanes #25 to celebrate two years of camp friendships and shenanigans.
Story: Shannon Watters and Kat Leyh Art: Carey Pietsch
Story: 8.0 Art: 8.0 Overall: 8.0 Recommendation: Buy
BOOM! Studios provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review.
Lumberjanes #24
Imprint: BOOM! Box
Writers: Shannon Watters & Kat Leyh
Artist: Carey Pietsch
The Lumberjanes wrap up their adventure with Seafarin’ Karen and Molly gains a greater understanding of shapeshifters.
As with the last few issues, Lumberjanes #23 was written by Shannon Watters and Kat Leyh and drawn by Carey Pietsch. Both the writing and the art have been consistently good in this arc, and with five well-developed characters, the writers are able to throw the girls into a variety of unexpected adventures while still developing their characters. The expressions Carey Pietsch gives the girls are entertaining and give them personality and a sense of relatability and Maarta Laiho’s vibrant colors bring everything to life.
Lumberjanes, while an excellent comic for younger readers, is just as entertaining for adults and that remains true in this issue. Older readers will probably pick up on more of the subtextual plot. Though Mal and Molly’s mutual pining is pretty glaringly obvious at this point, it will be interesting to see where their relationship goes after Molly experiences the pull of the parallel dimension.
It’s hard to tell where this arc will fall in terms of the collected editions. The adventures of the Lumberjanes and Seafarin’ Karen have already covered three issues, but the delay in trade release means that the collected story may not be released until next year. Despite this, the individual issues continue to be worth picking up for their awesome art, adventure, and wit.
Story: Shannon Watters and Kat Leyh Art: Carey Pietsch and Maarta Laiho
Story: 8.0 Art: 8.0 Overall: 8.0 Recommendation: Buy
BOOM! Studios provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review.
