Sunday, May 12, 2024

2024 read #55: Lumberjanes To the Max Volume 2.

Lumberjanes To the Max Edition Volume 2
Created by Shannon Watters, Grace Ellis, Noelle Stevenson & Brooke Allen
255 pages
Comics originally published 2016
Read from May 11 to May 12
Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Every bit as endearing and vibrant as Volume 1, Volume 2 suffers somewhat from its lack of a cohesive throughline. It seems clear that the runaway success of the first Lumberjanes storyline prompted a quick continuation to keep selling fresh issues. These story arcs, while delightful on their own, lack any overarching plot; they feel like a string of filler episodes after the brilliantly constructed miniseries of the first book.

Most of the characters get lost in group scenes, without the character moments and attention to detail that made the first collection so delightful. Some characters do get important moments, but the voices of the broader cast feel muted. (Or maybe I found it that way because I’m fog-headed from being sick for the first time in about five years.)

The storyline set in the dimension of lost things — which features spectacles-stealing dinosaurs — was of course a personal favorite. The bonus story, “Mixing It Up,” was another highlight, sweet and charming.

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