Lumberjanes #1
Written by Noelle Stevenson and Grace Ellis
Illustrated by Brooke Allen
Colors by Maarta Laiho
Letters by Aubrey Aiese
Covers by Noelle Stevenson, Maddie Flores, Lauren Zuke
Boom! Studios
Release Date: April 9, 2014
Cover Price: $3.99

Have you ever picked something up strictly because of the title? Sometimes the name of a book or comic tells you right away what it’s about, whereas other times it’s a crap shoot. Well, I grabbed Lumberjanes #1 from the list based solely on the unique name. And I have to say, I’m glad I did.

The setting is summer camp and the protagonists are a group of young girls out after curfew. It’s hard to tell from the art if these young ladies are adolescents or teenagers. But one thing is for sure, they are pretty damn funny. For instance, there’s a scene that feels like it was lifted from Charlie’s Angels where they are posing right before some asskickery begins.

But the long and short of the first issue is the girls are out after dark, exploring the woods when they are attacked by a group of three-eyed supernatural foxes. But that’s not the strangest part, though you’ll just have to trust me on this since I don’t plan to spoil any of the fun in this story. But I can tell you that Rosie the camp supervisor is in the know about all the strangeness going on and confides in the girls that they are in for an odd summer.

Noelle Stevenson and Grace Ellis did a fine job on this premiere issue and really grabbed my attention with the perky and fun attitudes of the girls. This comic is all about empowering young women and erasing boundaries. It doesn’t come through as clearly as some things I’ve read but the undertones are there. These girls are here to kick ass and take names, mostly fearless in their actions. Mostly. Artist Brooke Allen is illustrating the series and brings a simple, yet unique, style that fits right in with the vibe I got reading this issue.

I especially liked the fact that this comic was appropriate for all ages since it’s becoming increasingly more difficult for me to find new comics for my daughter, Vivienne. So when I find a good one, I make a big deal out of it…and this series has all the earmarks of a good, wholesome comic loaded with girl power. So my advice is that you go buy this one for every girl you know, from age three to sixty. They will enjoy it and will be badgering you for the next issue just about as soon as they are done with the first one. And as I’m told there are eight issues planned for this miniseries, that’s a lot of badgering! But seriously, I read this comic three times in a row and I’ll be passing it on to my 10-year-old daughter tomorrow. Now go get it before your local comic shop sells out.