Daisy Becomes A Lioness In Giant Days #41

Esther and Susan are struggling to keep Daisy from seeing her ex-girlfriend Ingrid who has been cavorting around town with a new love. If she spots this too soon, they’re worried it could wreck her, so they’re forced to think of increasingly elaborate ways to shield Daisy’s eyes or pull her out of a building, even if they just walked in. Daisy is made of stronger stuff though, so we’ll see how she handles moving on from her first major break up.

I’m continually impressed with Giant Days and how writer John Allison is able to pack so much content into every single issue. This one is no exception. It really flows like the perfect sitcom mixed with an episode of The Simpsons. The book starts off with something completely separate from the main story and it’s not touched upon again for the entire issue.
Susan arrives home after a long shift at the hospital to find her apartment building full of rambunctious children. She acts like the Grinch, smoothly walking in to destroy every bit of fun they have had, only to be confronted by one of their parents and backing down. This is so unlike her. She instantly enters a spiral where she questions who she’s become and why she’s changed. This could be a major point in Susan’s character development, and we could very well see this play out in future issues, but for now, this is just whetting our appetite for mayhem and hilarity.

Artist Max Sarin’s depiction of the destruction of fun is fantastic. Susan’s expressions start out crazed with this bizarre glint in her eye. Her teeth look razor sharp. Then it flips to one of quiet anger, with here eyes ringed in dark circles and a frown as she stares down a child while popping a soccer ball. It is absolutely ruthless.
Daisy’s story shows some real growth. She’s not a delicate flower. She’s turned into a mature woman who won’t be pushed around. Daisy can stand up for herself now and look Ingrid in the eye without backing down. This shows so much development with her character. She’s no longer this timid mouse who needs protecting.

This comes to a head during a costume ball, where Daisy puts her foot down and dresses like a lion. This perfectly coincides with her new stronger stance. Susan and Esther see Ingrid and try to swoop in to threaten her into staying away from Daisy, but this backfires. Daisy comes in to set everything straight in this awesome moment. Her lion costume makes her appear larger than life, towering over the now cowering Ingrid.
While Giant Days is packed with terrific dialogue and great jokes, sometimes Sarin steals the show with a perfect sight gag. Such is the case with the Ingrid confrontation, which happens in the bathroom. Susan and Esther find Ingrid using the hand dryer to cool off her armpit, because of course that’s what she would do. She looks so sly and laid back about it, like she does this all the time.

It’s impossible to read Giant Days and not feel welcomed by its overall look and feel. Whitney Cogar’s colors definitely have that effect with a gorgeous palette. This is a place where anything is possible. I don’t mean that fairies and dragons are going to show up. It’s more like the story could go anywhere. It’s tough to predict what will happen and the colors speak to that.
Tying everything together are Jim Campbell’s letters, which are always solid. The placement is spot on and emphasis is always placed on just the right spots.

What else can I say about Giant Days? It is perhaps the most consistently great comic on the stands today. It always leaves me with a smile and wanting more, which is exactly the feeling I want after experiencing any kind of media. A number of plot points are juggled in this chapter, seeding further storylines which will blossom in the issues to come, and I cannot wait.
Giant Days #41 from Boom! Studios is currently available at your local comic shop and digitally through ComiXology and Amazon Kindle.