A Wedding Extravaganza And Shameful Night Farting In Giant Days #48?

McGraw’s brother, Frank is getting married and everyone is invited to the shindig. This is hitting Susan personally as Frank is marrying a relative to the hated Shaw family. There’s some kind of blood rivalry between these two groups. This leads to a test of Susan’s relationship with McGraw. Meanwhile, Esther and Daisy tag along and go on an adventure of their own.

Giant Days creator John Allison writes and illustrates this issue. It’s funny that the change in style from Max Sarin comes almost as a shock, even though Allison started this to begin with. Obviously, he knows the characters very well and we get the same core essence of each. The only thing that seems odd to me is Susan’s teeth. They appear spiky and sharp, almost like a carnivorous animal. Granted, that somewhat coincides with her fierce demeanor, but it just feels a little weird.
Esther weaves her way through a couple of plot threads in Giant Days #48. We’ll get to her bit with Daisy in a moment. She has a fun dance with McGraw, which leads Susan to doubt herself. Although she puts on a great front, she has a fragile self esteem. Of course, all the drinking at the wedding reception didn’t help. She gets a great pep talk that turns things around. It’s not quite “A very special episode of Giant Days” but there’s a great, positive message in there.

Daisy and Esther share a hotel room that leads to some awkward encounters, especially since there’s only one bed. Esther teases Daisy about how the hotel owner probably thinks they’re a couple and Daisy has an anxious reaction to it. She wonders if she has feelings for Esther, which ultimately go up in smoke when we see how horribly she sleeps.
This is part of what makes Giant Days so great. I mean, there are a ton of things, but the balance of the three main characters is top notch. Sure, Esther is pretty and attracts a lot of attention, but she has flaws like everyone else. In this case, those include “shameful night farting.” I absolutely love the look of shock and terror on Daisy’s face when that one comes up.

Letterer Jim Campbell pulls us through this evening sequence like he’s presenting evidence in a trial. Each panel is framed with a time stamp that coincides with Esther’s increasingly erratic night time behavior. The fart also jumps off the page in this hideous fashion. No wonder Daisy is so disgusted.
Colorist Whitney Cogar expertly sets the mood for each scene. The wedding reception goes through a few tones, from jovial celebration to somber reflection. Although the sun has set outside, the party is lively and energetic.

Since we’ve grown so close to these characters, seeing them in a setting like this is par for the course. I’m expecting to go through milestones of their lives. In this case, we’re celebrating a side character’s wedding, but they’re all involved. This becomes a memorable event and, more importantly, one that allows for personal growth for all three of them. Giant Days sits head and shoulders above most books on the stands due to this solid storytelling. I sincerely hope this comic runs forever.
Giant Days #48 from Boom! Studios is currently available at your local comic shop and digitally through ComiXology and Amazon Kindle.