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Lumberjanes: the most powerful comic about friendship

Review for the Lumberjanes comic book

By Alex Abad-Santos
Lumberjanes.
Boom
Alex Abad-Santos is a senior correspondent who explains what society obsesses over, from Marvel and movies to fitness and skin care. He came to Vox in 2014. Prior to that, he worked at the Atlantic.
Part of The 13 best comic books right now

Lumberjanes is the kind of comic book you wish you’d had when you were a kid. Or the kind of comic book that makes you wish you were a kid again.

Right away, the comic drops you into its Tumblr-esque, whimsical, slapstick world that centers on a group of girl scouts and their apocalyptic, supernatural camp. There, they take on werewolves, Yetis, punk rock merpeople, and other fantastic beasts.

Beneath this surface of strange creatures is a story about compassion and the reality of growing up. Aside from the supernatural crises they face, the girls also deal with real-life issues like crushes (sometimes on other girls) and falling-outs with friends — and even heavier things like coming out as transgender. What makes Lumberjanes special is that these very real topics are handled with a grace and honesty that’s hard to find in any other comic book today.

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The 13 best comic books right now