Giant Days #47 Excels At Multi-Level Storytelling

Daisy is a walking beam of sunshine. Behind the wheel is a different story. It’s here she becomes the worst nightmare of the instructors of Nether Fail Driving School. They’ve never encountered someone like her before. While Daisy is trying to get her license, Esther helps her roommate Thompson take care of a mental wellness animal and Susan meets McGraw’s brother, who brings out the worst in him.

This is the kind of multi-layered storytelling that Giant Days is known for and writer John Allison juggles these plots with ease. He seamlessly moves from point to point, often tying the scenes together by having the characters together to go over their current issues. It’s a lesson in efficiency such that you reach the end of the comic and feel like you’ve read an entire graphic novel.
Not only do we get all these different plot threads explored with a beginning, middle, and end, but we also get the seeds of new tales, such as McGraw’s brother’s wedding, which is sure to be a riot. This is particularly interesting as we’re used to seeing McGraw as a gruff and serious type. When he’s with his brother, he’s a man child consumed by pranks and fights.

This plays into Esther’s story very well as McGraw is traditionally someone she can rely on in tines of great stress. Letterer Jim Campbell captures this frustration in a fiery exchange where Esther is at her wits end. It instantly snaps McGraw back to reality.
All of these elements work together to keep the story moving at a breakneck pace. What follows this sequence is an action-packed chase scene deftly illustrated by Max Sarin. The McGraw brothers run and leap through town to help their friend, but they’re not as spry as they once were.

The world of Giant Days is whimsical and imaginative. Sarin’s artwork brings this to life in the most exquisite way. Bad things happen, but it’s not quite life and death. Instead, there’s this humorous angle to it that frames the trials and tribulations of the characters in this fun light.
Thompson’s new pet dog is a great example of this. Colorist Whitney Cogar practically makes this animal sparkle with these big innocent eyes. It’s reminiscent of a Pokemon because it is unbelievably cute. Cogar brings out the quirky quality of this town and its inhabitants, setting a playful tone.

Giant Days is a perfect comic that always leaves me with a smile on my face. Although these characters have only been around for a few years, they feel like old friends in the same way that those in Archie do. They get into these hilarious antics and literally anything can happen. This makes for an unpredictable and always pleasing reading experience. I can’t say enough good things about this comic.
Giant Days #47 from Boom! Studios is currently available at your local comic shop and digitally through ComiXology and Amazon Kindle.