Big Girls #1 is out August 12, 2020. — **Big Girls #1** is out August 12, 2020.

By Keigen Rea — Big Girls could be good, maybe even great, but I have no idea what it really is because I can’t tell what it wants to be.

The good stuff is pretty good though. Jason Howard’s art, while not necessarily improving from previous books, is nice to look at, and his storytelling exceptional. He does excellent work with perspective that’s great to look at. The energy in this issue feels fairly unique in American comics, with the movement and choreography feeling closer to manga than anything else. The art is great, which extends to the lettering and the coloring, although much of the issue’s palette is more dull than I’d like. The use of orange and reds later is nice though.

What’s holding this issue back the most is the tone, and the fact that I have no idea what it is. On the second page a giant foot is stomping on a hilariously small person, and the caption reads, “and those consequences were massive,” which I think is a hilarious pun. While it is extremely on the nose, it’s using the language of comics to tell a joke in a fun way. It’s also fairly gritty, but that’s okay, perhaps Howard was going for humor similar to what Garth Ennis employs. The problem is that I’m not at all sure if that was intentional.

Content warning: baby abuse

One of the pivotal moments of the issue is when a toddler gets shot in the head.

Now, in context I don’t think it’s handled terribly. It’s an awful event, but I’ll give the story credit for showing how it effects the characters. I don’t think their reactions are interesting, but they are given space to react, which is something at least. My problem is that the panel before we meet the kid has the line, “Why aren’t you fat, Martin?!” which I hope is a joke, because I can’t imagine that line being delivered straight. Maybe the tonal whiplash is intentional, because the rest of the issue doesn’t have anything that’s meant to be humorous, but I’m not sure I’d go with that as the thing to prove my comic is serious. Besides all of that, the pitch this book has feels like it should be more fun than this, and that in itself is disappointing.

My other concern about this book is that I feel like I’m already bored by the main characters. The main male character, High Marshall James Tannik, is manipulative, cynical, and I suspect misogynistic, and the main “Big Girl,” Ember, seems naive, but good hearted and helpful. I can see how this could end up being interesting down the line, but I also think that the chances of that are not very high. I will love if Ember has more depth than just being a manipulated, gaslit cop giant, but I’m not confident she’s much more than that. Women can have flaws that aren’t caused by men.

The last page hook is pretty cool, though, and maybe that’ll get me to read the next issue.

Overall: There are far worse first issues than this one, and it’s competently well-made in every way but the story. Tonal inconsistencies and derivative characters hold this back from being great, but future issues may correct those issues. 6.5/10

Review - Big Girls #1

Big Girls #1
Writer/Artist: Jason Howard
Publisher: Image
Price: $3.99
When men become giant monsters hellbent on destroying the world, only girls can stop them—BIG GIRLS. Meet Ember—she writes poetry, loves to read, and she’s a 300-foot-tall full-time monster killer! She and the other big girls are all that stand in the way of our world’s complete annihilation! Critically acclaimed artist JASON HOWARD (TREES) takes full creative control as the writer and artist of a tale that’s a cross between JOHN WICK and GODZILLA by way of HBO’s GIRLS.
Release Date: August 12, 2020
Buy It Digitally: Big Girls #1

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