Swiftly, Amber moves to intercept the monster then we get a big battle sequence that ends with her finding herself in a more tough and critical situation. And the comic finally ends with an intro of the series villain named Gulliver who is plotting a giant ambush that will put everything into jeopardy.
There’s still a lot to learn about Amber’s character, and the world that she lives in. The title of the series implies that there will be more than one like Ember, but so far we only meet Ember and there are a couple of other names mentioned who might be important in the coming stories.
Merits and Demerits
The beginning of Howard’s manmade Kaiju story makes a case of promising compelling character drama in between all the gigantic battles. The comic has few setbacks as it’s already a heard story with slight differences making it predictable, and the story narration is descriptive. But it’s cleverly interwoven with the panel reveals and cool pacing. It’s largely a non-issue for a first issue of a new comic, as long as it manages to promise an interesting setup for the future. Luckily that is the case for Big Girls #!
The first issue is all about world-building but it lacked enough substance to get the readers hooked when it comes to characters. The comic definitely has an interesting group of characters but it might not be enough to make its readers fall in love with the characters as yet. It did succeed in making a good first impression with a composition of the intriguing universe and cool artwork. Hopefully, the coming issue’s will get more interesting with more plot than setup.
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The first chapter spends time introducing the numerous complex motivations and conflicts within the small cast of primary characters. The character motivations are described very briefly and the backstory is told through a series of quick bursts, yet it’s efficient for explaining everything that has happened, as well as leaving hints for what is likely to come in the future.
The story is not a new one, but the only distinctive thing is having a story of good giant versus a monstrous giant, which offers a different dynamic where the cause of both giants is human-made. On top of that, only females who are born with the condition will stay human, whereas males turn into monsters, is a unique spin on post-apocalyptic monster stories.
The creator himself compared this comic to a few popular properties which are spot-on. It’s also a little bit reminiscent of The Last of Us video-game, with the similarity of a disease that causes people to turn into monsters. It also brings to mind the Pacific Rim movie, where there’s a special unit to take care of the monsters. Jason Howard is a great creator so non-surprisingly he provided his own unique flair to a Kaiju story in Big Girls. Hoping that trend continues.
Artwork Showcases Jason Howard’s Brilliant Creativity
Jason Howard’s utilization of visuals is what makes this comic interesting. He handled the panel layouts with exciting pacing with every turn-of-the-page. Throughout the comic, he smartly pictured the framing of a panel which includes any giant from below, in a normal spectator view so that we can feel the sheer scale of the giants. Normally we see that in monster movies, but seeing that inside a comic is really fun. The cinematic change of scales works very effectively and it is a brilliant choice by Howard.
Howard’s artwork is bold, heavily textured and it’s great for this ruined-future action-adventure series. The line work is incredibly rough too, giving the art a rushed feeling to it. There’s a lot of unnecessary lines in a lot of the images, which often seem to serve an unknown purpose. It sounds like I am bashing the style of this comic, but I’m not. Some may not find this art very appealing, but I think this is exactly what sells this comic’s game and this is what Howard’s intention is.
Because the rougher details and designs of the various characters, ruined environments, and lesion-covered monsters suit nicely to this falling apart dystopian world. I honestly think the artwork is what saved the more boring expository reading. The coloring here is respectable, but all in all a solid performance. It mostly contains dim colors nothing bright and very shady. The giant action sequences are specifically colored in orange and yellow. Also, whenever a character expresses an aggressive mood or shouts or suddenly, the panel color changes which is a smart technique. While nothing is unique about the letter work, Fondgrafiks’ lettering provided a sense of balance and stability to this world.
Conclusion: World of BIG GIRLS is Fascinating
While the specifications of the Big Girls #1 scenario are admittedly unique, its themes feel similar and cliche. While none of its story elements are particularly bad, they feel a bit obvious. A huge part of why Big Girls is a must-read is because of what we were shown. Jason Howard’s skills as both a writer and an artist allowed him to craft a story that utilizes the medium’s ability to combine visual storytelling, with distinct artwork and great world-building.
The reason for what caused this monster situation and why people are turning into giant monsters is not revealed…just yet. I am more than interested to find out those answers. It’s clear that there is more happening here than meets the eye; now we just have to wait for an explanation. Either way, this first issue will successfully grab your attention given that you will like the artwork and in my case, it held firmly.
The debut issue of Big Girls is certainly not that excellent but it is a good and promising start for the fascinating monster-filled comic series. The Illuminerdi recommends picking up BIG GIRLS issue #1.
BIG GIRLS returns with issue #2 on September 16th, 2020. Be sure to check back for our review!
What were you’re thoughts on BIG GIRLS #1? Are you going to continue reading the series? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below on our social media and be sure to come back to The Illuminerdi for more comic reviews.
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