Lumberjanes #44
Kat Leyh and Shannon Watters (Writers), Ayme Soturo (Artist)
BOOM! Studios
November 22, 2017
This month on Lumberjanes: a rock throws a temper tantrum, Abigail helps in a non-violent way (partly), and a family is found.
Molly and her fellow Lumberjanes head off into the forest to chop off the tree that’s causing the time distortion. Meanwhile, Abigail and Nellie nearly duke it out while trying to think of a way to stop the rock Sentry: Nellie advises to fight first and Abigail just wants to get back at Nellie for her time in summer camp all those years ago. Rosie, still affected by the bubble and looking more beastly by the second, snaps at both of them, firmly stating the camp “is not that kind of camp anymore.” To further prove this, the Zodiacs come to the rescue and suggest the obvious: just ask the Sentry what it wants. The adults put their grievances aside and Abigail heads off to go to the Sentry to chat. She discovers that the Sentry is only looking for their fellow Sentry comrades and after realizing they’re all being lazy and still sleeping, decides to trudge away back to its designated resting area. Before you can say “Holy Katherine Johnson!”, Rosie goes berserk and Abigail fights her to protect the Zodiacs.
Molly, still upset and blaming herself for the Lumberjanes’ latest adventure, explains why she wanted to slow time down in the first place: she wanted to continue to be in a place where she felt like she belonged. Molly can be herself here. At home, no one makes room for her. Mel and the rest of the Lumberjanes do what they do best and reassure her that she can find love and acceptance here with them and nothing, not distance or even a different time era, will change that. Strengthened, Molly confronts the voice in the waterfall and chops the timey-wimey tree. Time is more or less restored and all is well at the camp. Except for the voice in the waterfall, but it’s just another day in the life of a Lumberjane, right?
Scenes like Molly’s talk with the rest of the Lumberjanes make me gush with the warm and fuzzy feelings. Molly is not accepted by her family; she doesn’t feel like she fits, and what’s more, they don’t make room for her. The Lumberjanes’ acceptance and love for Molly cement the notion that the Lumberjanes are more than just lady-types becoming BFFs and having adventures—they’re family.
“I’m sorry you don’t want to go home. I’m sorry your parents aren’t nice . . . But . . . you’re nice! You’re the greatest! And I . . . WE . . . can all see that!”
“YEAH! And there are more of US than there are THEM!”
“No matter where you or when you are or whatever, that won’t change!”
This issue is released before Thanksgiving, a time that is usually reserved for family-by-blood. As a non-binary demigirl who hasn’t come out to their family-by-blood, I understand not fitting in to the cookie-cutter expectations families can place on someone. I’m sure many readers of Lumberjanes felt, or still feel, that as well. What makes this issue warm and fuzzy for me is not that the message rings true for me, but that the next generation of hardcore lady-types reading this will see this message that family isn’t reserved for blood relations alone. Love and acceptance is what makes the family.
But enough with the sappiness! Let me end with my favorite quote in this issue from the morbid Zodiacs:
“. . . So you think it ate her?”
“Diane.”
“Yeah Diane!”
“It probably stomped all over her!”
“KENZIE!”
Coming up: a break and . . . jackalopes?!
Stay tuned!
