Review: Big Girls #6
[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]
Writer, Artist, Colorist:Â Jason Howard
Letterer:Â Fondgrafiks
Reviewer:Â Tony Farina
Summary
From the destruction, a new world is born, but will it mean life or death for Ember and the Big Girls? Lots of questions asked, so many answered and even more to come.
Positives
Big Girls #6 has it all. Action, intrigue, deception, humor, people getting hit by tanks. I mean it. This month, Jason Howard lets it all hang out. Literally. That is the only joke I will make about the full frontal male nudity that is in this book. I would like to comment Howard and Image comics though for being willing to do it. Most of the time, the female characters are all sexed up and have side boob hanging out and nipples poking through their costumes while the men are wearing suits of armor. Not here. Howard is reminding us that these characters are GIRLS and so that would be wrong, wrong wrong. Sure, it might be somewhat problematic that there are giant naked men fighting against said teenage girls, but again, he makes it non-sexual, draws the actions with his stunning precision, colors it perfectly, shades it as though his pen is a scalpel and delivers the goods once again.
It takes a lot of balls (OK, that is the last joke) to put this out. It is a reminder why indie comics are sometimes superior and why we are all thankful that DC Comics has kept the Black Label around. Sometimes, you have to be subversive and push boundaries. Not for the sake of it like it is some exploitation film, but when there is real commentary to be made as Howard does here.
Negatives
Big Girls #6 is pretty flawless. If you are a person who hates fun stories that have excellent art, you will dislike this.
Verdict
Big Girls #6 shows us all how to end an ARC. If Image is stupid and does not pick this book up for more, this will be a perfect ending. However, if Image is smart and keeps this book around for a while, this is the perfect way to tell us a new story about Ember and the Jacks. If you have not been reading this, get on the first volume collection that comes out in March. This is such a well done story that I went back and read it all again, as one tale and it is paced perfectly.
