The world is filled with a ton of stupid noise caused by people being jerks and life being weird and arbitrary; comics like Lumberjanes serve as a lovely escape from the bad and a welcome reminder of the good. Yes, writers Noelle Stevenson and Grace Ellis and artist Brooke Allen’s Lumberjanes is a warm, cute little comic book, unlike those grim and gritty ones about bats and guns. The penultimate issue of this arc (the series is now ongoing!), out today, offers a solid story that makes sense of past issues’ mysteries and gives off the sense that everything is coming together. It’s great, accessible fun.

At this point in the series, an elegant feeling of camaraderie among the characters melts off of the pages. The simplest interactions between characters is enough to garner a smile, because of how much has been built up to by this point. It really is remarkable how well the creative team here has managed to make these girls worth caring about. All of the good times they share give off an infectious feeling of happiness, and every struggle, no matter how small, is felt; intimate character work is done incredibly well in Lumberjanes. Unfortunately, the amount of action in this issue is certainly lacking in comparison to others, but it is not without its bits of cathartic excitement.

After a silly, funny opening sequence at the start of this issue, the biggest chunk of the plot begins. Reveal after reveal and explanation after explanation ensue, making sense of every head-scratching moment from past issues. The only noteworthy problem with this series has been confusion associated with these intentional gaps in the plot, but this issue rids away those issues. With this one in the can, it is safe to say this arc will read noticeably better in a bulk, trade format.

Given the quality of Lumberjanes #7, it’s likely next month’s conclusion will stick the landing. If you missed out on this series as it came out, you better look out for the trade.

Story: Noelle Stevenson, Grace Ellis Art: Brooke Allen
Story: 8.75 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.5 Recommendation: Buy

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BOOM! Studios provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review