Giant Days Vol. 2

by John Allison and Whitney Cogar

[Quirky Cat]

Giant Days is a fun series that focuses on three roommates in college. I know that doesn’t sound like the making of a terribly exciting series, but trust me, it really works. Esther (yes, really), Daisy, and Suzie all have their own quirks and frequently cause me to wonder how they ever get along. They all also have their own talents for getting into trouble, mayhem, and chaos. In short, it’s a more relaxing sort of series (unlike many of the comics I read, I never feel like I have to worry about any of these ladies dying) and is a lot of fun.
Giant Days is brought to you by John Allison (Bad Machinery, Bobbins, Scary Go Round), Lissa Treiman (animator for Disney), Max Sarin, and Whitney Cogar (Colorist for: Steven Universe, Over the Garden Wall, Adventure Time). You can easily find their volumes on the shelves – they’re almost always the most vibrantly colored covers. For example, you probably noticed that this one is a very blinding orange. It actually kind of suits the series though, so I love it.



Volume two finds out girls still in their first semester, which is almost surprising. It feels like an awful lot has happened to them already, and we’re not even a full semester in! That probably doesn’t bode well for their stress levels…but hey! Better them than me, right?
The end of the term is coming up, and apparently faster than some of them were ready for. The annual Hall Ball is happening, which means the normal dance drama; dress shopping, dates, kissing, hookups, and jerks hitting on people who don’t want it. You know the usual. Just throw in a pinch of Esther’s drama field and you’ve got a pretty good idea of what went on there.
Then there’s the drama that comes with finals…again some are more prepared than others. Again, not terribly surprising. Though it was pretty hilarious seeing Esther freak out – but maybe that’s because I already did my time in test freakout mode. Regardless, it’s a feeling I’m sure we can all empathize with, which is what helps make the series feel so human.
There’s a lot more than happens in this volume, like winter vacation drama (I never thought people could get themselves into so much trouble…but then again look at who I’m talking about) and relationship secrets. While it all (mostly) fits into the realm of normal for college days, it still manages to be highly entertaining.
The more I read this series, the more quirks and habits I’m seeing from each individual character. I love how each of the main three characters are so unique and full of personality, but that the secondary cast (like Ed and McGraw) have been developing alongside them. None of the characters are overlooked, and all feel like fully developed and functional (relatively speaking) people. I’ll be curious to see if they continue to add to the cast, or if this will be it for the permanent set (I can see them floating tertiary characters in and out).


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