Giant Days Vol. 5
Boom Studios
Written by John Allison
Art by Max Sarin
Inks by Liz Felming
Letters by Jim Campbell
Colors by Whitney Cogar
Review by Hafsa Alkhudairi
Riding the coat tails of the first four volumes, Giant Day Vol 5 seems to meet all the readers’ expectations about the dynamics between the characters. The development of the characters is apparent and their friendship is getting stronger with each chapter, but the struggle of developing in a college environment comes with its downfalls like broken furniture, annoying roommates, and long working and study hours. Giant Days does what it is supposed to by touching upon those struggles with wit, comedy, and charm. Without discounting the actual difficulty of these experiences, Giant Days includes the fear, the complexity, and the solution to the narrative.
Giant Days Vol 5 maintains its artistic and stylistic consistency. Yet, the experience of this volume is different because of the content and the three thematic plots.
My favourite part was the summer music festival for it addresses the highs and lows of such an experience. This includes finding a niche music stage, camping in the mud, and using to a portable toilet (EW). Still, despite my enjoyment of the graphic novel, it wasn’t on par with the rest of the volumes and that may be due to the filler nature of this volume between the past academic year and the one to come. Hopefully, with the start of sophomore, there will be a more consistency in the overarching plot and not just a series of fillers that were fun and a right of passage, but doesn’t contribute much.
Verdict:
Buy it! Although Giant Days Vol 5 does not have the same level of plot development the rest of the volumes have, the topics the comic raises are those that many college aged students go through from the anxiety at the end of freshman year, the experience of a summer music festival, and the move into a new shared house with classmates in the beginning of sophomore year. The story is very fun and keeps the fans excited about the comic and the characters. The art and style is consistent. Moreover, I love how the graphic novel and the series tackles serious issues in a very light hearted and creative! Get the comic here!
