A really fun thing about failing to write reviews in a timely manner means that I get to go back and re-experience the joys of comics in order to accurately recount my thoughts! Hooray! It’s harder when I procrastinate with novels, but digging back through volumes of comics is far from the worst way to kickstart a writing project! Unluckily? Luckily? I have nearly a dozen Giant Days to catch up on, so I can relive their adventures while I hunch over my keyboard on this VERY dreary day (seriously- where did summer go? we had four days of sun and heat and now it’s back to chilly rain).
ANYWHO! Without further ado, I present several more volumes of life lessons, best friends, strange occurrences, and LOTS of ENYA!
GIANT DAYS: VOLUME 4 (single issues 13-16)
I almost called this while group “ch-ch-changes”, as our trio’s time at Catterick Hall is quickly running out of time, and soon they will be out in the world outside of the safety net of campus housing! One of the reasons that I stopped working in theater was the ever-constant need to find new roommates, find new housing, and find a vehicle that could cart along all of my worldly possessions every few months- not to mention having to find a new JOB every few months as well! Whew! Obviously, the idea of searching for roommates and housing now fills me with immediate dread despite the fact that I’ve been in the same house with the same dude (hi, husband!) for yeeeeeears. Still, icy cold anxiety pricked along my spine as the girls went through the rigmarole of roommate hunting.
Roommates? Why does our Loyal Three need roommates? Well, it is looking more and more like Esther won’t be returning! She’s freaked out by the workload, missing her ex-boyfriend (and first love), and feeling pretty down. She goes home for break and plans to STAY home, picking up a job as a “Sausage Roll Technician” at a chain bakery. A new co-worker teaches her how to bite the end off of a pastry, then slurp all of the insides out in one fell swoop. Good times!
The duo reunite with Esther, saving her from a life of sausage rolling and a very awkward party with her ex-boyfriend, who has moved on surprisingly quickly. Young love! It’s excruciating! I’m glad to be beyond this point in my life, but I do love reading about others in the trenches. Speaking of looooove, Daisy is assigned a difficult exchange student on her campus tour- a difficult student who quickly takes a liking to Daisy that ends in a, as John Allison says, “EUROPASH” at a campus party. Esther is cheered by participating in making a (very bad) movie and participating in a (very cheap) film festival. Ah, youth!
Housing has been secured for next semester, but things are far from figured out!
GIANT DAYS: VOLUME 5 (single issues 17-20)
The ch-ch-changes swing into full force here! Time at Catterick Hall is almost up, the end of semester ball approaches, and it’s time to face MORE exes who are out and canoodling with MORE cool new girlfriends. Esther and Ed, while searching for quick cash, become accidental scammers- and who amongst us hasn’t done that? Daisy goes on an archeological dig, but her day is damped by Dr. Dick (I could not help myself, and no- that is not his actual name, but he is an actual dick)- causing her to doubt herself and her dreams. How DARE you do that to Daisy!
A Music Festival should brighten everyone’s spirits, and that’s where our Fearless Free head after summer term. The title of this post comes from Daisy’s very specific festival hopes, of course. It wouldn’t be a music festival without mud, port-a-potty disasters, and drug induced nightmares and don’t worry- they are all present! The drug thing is icky, as it is done on the sly by another nemesis of Susan (she does rack up enemies) but luckily the slipped-into-drink drugs are NOT used to perpetuate assault- just send her tripping out of her mind- which is still NOT OK! AT ALL! Girl Guide skills save the day (of course) and 0ur heroines are ready to return to Uni and move into their glamorous new OFF CAMPUS DIGS!
The glamour is skin deep, and McGraw has to secretly help the girls turn their hovel into something livable again. We’ve all been there as well- when you tour everything is peachy (or peachy enough), but when you move in, everything turns to ashes in your mouth. Or you know, particle board under your butt.
GIANT DAYS: VOLUME 6 (single issues (21-24)
It’s FALL and things are getting spooky! Giant Days doesn’t play nearly as far into the comedy-horror of Scary Go Round and Bad Machinery, but October with a goth roommate will surely guarantee some spooky times! Unfortunately, the first spooky thing that happens in their new apartment is a robbery. Other spooky adventures include but are not limited to: a Halloween party, cleaning cursed ovens, trying to catch a fence in bad pubs, getting terribly ill and having your dad BIG GEOFF move in to take care of you, hosting horrifically awkward “grown up dinner parties”, and finding a dead body. Daisy has another big book, as Ingrid will NOT BE IGNORED- leading to both unattainable and the sublime. AGAIN- YOUTH! Daisy also takes on the shady pub with “BEAT ENYA” written on her knuckles, because she is the sweetest and meanest little nerd.
Is there a lot of rambling here? YES! Are there spoilers? NO! Is it worth checking this series out on your own, if you have not done so already? YES, YES, AND TRIPLE YES!
