• Lumberjanes #1 (April 2014)
• written by Noelle Stevenson & Grace Ellis
• illustrated by Brooke Allen
• colors by Maarta Laiho
• letters by Aubrey Aiese
• published by Boom! Studios (Boom! Box)
• Roar Score: 4/5

What the junk? This one came out of nowhere for me. I hadn’t heard much about it, and then Twitter sort of erupted into a bunch of people talking about plaid shirts and shouting “Lumberjanes!” So of course I had to go check it out.

So what do we have? An all-ages comics about five female friends at camp fighting three-eyed foxes and dealing with a bearwoman? Yes, please. The issue doesn’t waste any time with unnecessary exposition. It jumps right into the middle of the story. At first, I felt like maybe we had missed an issue #0 or something, but within a few pages, all becomes clear. What’s left unclear is supposed to be unclear.

Issue #1 establishes the world of the Lumberjanes and sets up our initial mystery, but it’s the five lead characters (each hilarious in her own way) and the promise of “friendship to the max!” that will keep me coming back. And keep me putting the book in Zoey’s hands.

The writing is delightful and razor sharp. It’s a pleasure to read aloud, which is huge in an all-ages book. But don’t let the “all-ages” moniker I’m tossing around throw you for a loop. This isn’t a “kids comic,” per se. The Lumberjanes are pretty badass. They’re just the kind of badass girls my daughter adores.

The issue also includes my favorite line that I’ve read in any comic this year (and which will be tough to beat). Hint: It comes in the middle of the Lumberjanes pledge.

Stevenson, Ellis, Boom, and the rest of the Lumberjanes gang? I know you’ve got a passel of new fans, but you can add a couple more to your tally. This is a team book that charts its own course. We’re really excited to see where we go from here…