Giant Days is absolutely delightful. It’s really funny in a way that never panders to the people who like the lowest common denominator. Low-hanging fruit is thrown out for genuine, character-based moments, and what wonderful characters.

Susan is cynical, easily outraged, and hard-as-nails with a soft spot in the center. Esther is a free-spirited goth who has the potential to create dizzying amounts of drama wherever she goes. Daisy is the sexually confused, socially awkward genius-nerd. This trifecta of best friends is one of the most authentic groups of characters in comic books right now. They are college students who deal with everything from meeting the right person, dating the wrong person, not paying attention in classes, exams, enemies from home, and a myriad of other ups and downs from which spring several moments in which I find myself laughing quite loudly and caring quite profoundly.

That sinking feeling that hits you when Esther realizes that every guy at a winter ball is playing a game to see who can bed her and she walks away hiding behind her crossed arms is fostered by just how much talent and effort has been put into this book.

John Allison’s British wit and charm fill these lovable creations as they dance from one situation to the next with ease. Lissa Treiman and Max Sarin give us visual representations that never feel like comic book drawings. These stories quite literally feel alive. They could be happening somewhere right now.

This is the type of book – the type of stories – that need to be read and lived in. One that somehow gives us a well-rounded look at the world around us, that veers away from simplistic stereotypes and gives us a refreshing and positive look at feminism and friendship while dissecting social “norms” without ever losing its sense of humor. I’m not usually one to complain about this, and this certainly isn’t to disparage the book, but the cherry on top would be to introduce some major characters of different ethnicities.