Lumberjanes #13
BOOM! Studios
Writers: Noelle Stevenson, Shannon Watters
Artist: Brooke Allen
Lumberjanes is one of those comics I’ve thought about adding to my pull list for months. I love Noelle Steverson and the general premise — supernatural summer camp for cool girls! However I just wound up so far behind that it just seemed like a better title to trade wait. The problem there is that I also hate waiting an awful lot, and thankfully, the Lumberjanes team has come to my rescue with a special one-shot story for their one year anniversary.
This month’s Lumberjanes #13 is the perfect time to get into the story; penned by Noelle Stevenson and 
Shannon Watters, and illustrated by original series artist Brooke Allen, it’s a self-contained tale that flashes back to the first time the Lumberjanes cast of characters came together. The book itself follows the adventure of Jo, April, Molly, Mal, and Ripley through their journey’s as Lumberjane Scouts at Miss Quinzella Thiskwin Penniquiqul Thistle Crumpet’s Camp for Hardcore Lady Types. It’s fun for anyone but especially great if you have got younger readers in your life itching for new books.
The one-shot is a light-hearted introduction that requires minimal background knowledge of fairly established characters. The back-story is sparse, but understandably so — established readers won’t get bored rehashing details they may already know, but new converts won’t get themselves spoiled for any potentially emotional reveals when they start on earlier issues.
Instead, we’re given a taste of these girls’ personalities and non-camp lives, and a hint of the controlled chaos the camp brings to their lives each summer. It’s just enough to make you curious for more. My one wish is that we’d been introduced to some of the supernatural elements the title promises in earlier issues, but even without any particularly spooky twists, this was a delightful read.
Lumberjanes #13 is a wonderful introduction to the whimsical and engaging world the creative team has built over the last year. If you’re curious about the title pick up this issue, and if you’re anything like me you’ll be snapping up this month’s volume one trade paperback in no time.
TL;DR: If you’re a fan of Gravity Falls (or if your kid is), check out Lumberjanes for a quirky all-ages book. And a bonus fun fact! The Lumberjanes logo may look a little familiar – Felicia Day sported a Lumberjanes tee as Charlie on Supernatural this week.