Lumberjanes : Beware the Kitten Holy

“We can explain! There was this bearwoman.”
“And we followed her because duh: bearwoman.”

Lumberjanes : Beware the Kitten Holy (Lumberjanes Volume #1)

By Noelle Stevenson, Grace Ellis, Brooke A. Allen, Maarta Laiho
2015
128 Pages

At Miss Qiunzilla Thiskwin Penniquiqul Thistle Crumpet’s camp for hard-core lady-types, things are not what they seem. Three-eyed foxes. Secret caves. Anagrams. Luckily, Jo, April, Mal, Molly, and Ripley are five rad, butt-kicking best pals determined to have an awesome summer together… And they’re not gonna let a magical quest or an array of supernatural critters get in their way! The mystery keeps getting bigger, and it all begins here.

I was antsy for a fast read on a long lunch break, and what should be at the top of my graphic novel pile? Lumberjanes!

This trade paperback, which collects issues #1-#4 of the ongoing series, introduces us to five rad girls and the very strange summer camp that they attend.

Each issue starts off with a merit badge, which ends up being thematically related to the story that follows- Nighttime exploration, boating, math, and archery. There is a story arc that extends over the four issues, during which we get a glimpse at the strange woods surrounding this camp, as well as an insight into the personalities of the self described “hard-core lady types” at the center of it all.

The story is fun, and the dialog the snappy, creative, and suitable for middle-school aged readers as well as adults. The characters themselves are smart, sassy, and resourceful, plucking themselves from situations thanks in part to their knowledge of math, anagrams, and sick arm wrestling strategy. I mean, you sort of have to be clever and brave when you’re in a forest filled with supernatural creatures, right?

The girls each have their own distinct look, emphasized by artwork that is boldly colorful and compliments the kooky narrative. Sea monsters? Three-eyed foxes? Yetis? They are all present on pages packed with vibrant action and whimsical design.

Should You Read This?

Do you enjoy silly comics with supernatural themes and girls being goofy but badass? If so, then the answer is yes, check this title out.

The series was intended to be a run of only 8 issues, but was picked up as an ongoing release. Will I be reading more? Well, they are up into the 20s on individual issues already, and volume #3 of the trade paperback actually just came out earlier this week (good timing!) though the TB’s are only up to issue #12. In short- yes. Yes! I hope to read more of these, I just have to get my hands on them first.

Summary from Goodreads