To some, the world of comic books has always been open to them. To many others though, the world of comics is massive and intimidating. It was a massive gap that needed to be bridged. Then entered Giant Days and many comics like it.
Suddenly this vibrant world felt more open and welcoming to readers, showcasing a whole different form of storytelling. Stories that did not revolve around superheroes or villains, or even battles in general.
Instead, it began a tale of three college students, all of whom are simultaneously ordinary and extraordinary. While the three are all very much human, they had such a huge talent for getting themselves into the most insane (and entertaining) circumstances.
Giant Days was created by John Allison, with help from Lissa Treiman and Whitney Cogar. It is a totally unique series, following three college girls on their very quirky – but casual – adventures. There were no superheroes in sight, nor was there any chance of seeing these girls become ones.
There is something so beautifully human and relatable about these three, Susan, Esther, and Daisy. All three carry traits commonly found in real people, albeit occasionally pushed to an illogical extreme. That simply made the series more rather than less fun.
What made this series so great was the complete focus on these three girls and the people who entered (and left) their lives. It was a series entirely focused on character development, as well as some seriously wacky events.
Giant Days lasted for fourteen volumes, plus special editions. Think about all that time – and just how long the fans had to grow attached to these three amazing girls. Each one of them came to life over the course of those volumes. Their plights felt real and with it their joy and their pain.
What happened to them mattered. It mattered in a way that the revolving door of superhero comics has not in such a long time. It was impossible not to root for Esther to find her path in life, for Daisy to grow more confident in who she is, and for Susan to find her center alongside her friends.
In focusing on the small things, Giant Days was allowed to become something new and different. It was allowed to become important to us, and really at the end of the day, that is what matters the most.
Another thing that made Giant Days so powerful is the fact that it was willing to deal with real-world problems. Esther didn’t know what to do with her life, Susan dealt with bitterness and anger, and Daisy struggled with dating and coming out. These are all things that many readers have actually had to deal with, and seeing characters we love work through those same problems created a strong connection, as well as creating a sense of peace for fans.
That is why seeing the series come to a conclusion was so bittersweet. On the one hand, the series ended at the right time. It was always meant to be the tale of Esther, Daisy, and Susan in college – not a story of the events that followed. Their journey came to a natural conclusion, and yet it was so hard to say goodbye. After all, the whole point of the series was to allow readers to become attached to these quirky young women.
Giant Days isn’t the only series to take this bold new approach to storytelling. In fact, once the trend got started, it was like a flood-gate opening up. Suddenly there were dozens of refreshingly human comics worth diving into, with even more fans eager to devour everything available.
Lumberjanes is one of the most iconic series currently available. It’s an amazingly inclusive series following a bunch of campers at a summer camp. Only, their adventures frequently get out of hand, what with mermaids, portals to other dimensions and times, and the occasional visit from gods and other higher beings.
Created by Noelle Stevenson, Grace Ellis, Faith Hicks, Brook A. Allen, Shannon Watters, Kat Keyh, Carolyn Nowak, and Carey Pietsch, Lumberjanes is arguably one of the more delightful escapes you can find these days. It is unlike anything out there, and like the campers themselves, completely unafraid to speak its mind or go off on an adventure.
If you’re looking for something more theatre-oriented, The Backstagers may just be the series for you. Once again diving into a world of character-driven plots in an inclusive and accepting world, this series features a backstage with a twist – and magic. This series was created by the one and only James Tynion IV, Rian Sygh, and Walter Baiamonte.
The Backstagers follows a small crew of under-respected stagehands at an all-boys school. Only, it isn’t exactly a normal stage – or backstage, for that matter. In this inclusive and welcoming series, you’ll find rooms full of mysterious items, creatures, and so much more.
The series talked about in this article are just a small number of series that have opened a door to new readers – or shown a new side of comics to longtime fans. They’re breaking open a whole new path in storytelling and teaching the world that there’s more than one way to write a graphic novel.
These genre-breaking series have proven that one does not need to tell a larger-than-life tale in order to draw an audience. Likewise, the audience has spoken in what they want to be reading right now, with the popularity of series like this ever on the rise.
Now more than ever, we need a calm, comforting, and exciting escape from our daily lives. We need something that is full of characters to love and cherish, all while still feeling like there could possibly be a place for ourselves in those very worlds.
Still, for many a reader, Giant Days will always hold a special place in our hearts. This was the first series to teach us something new about comics. It taught us that there were different stories worth hunting down and diving into. Stories that would take up a different voice and make us feel more alive than and welcomed than ever before.
Liz Wyatt 
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