Dinosaurs, Space Satellites, And A Whole Lot Of Snow Await In Lumberjanes #64

It’s one thing to get into all kinds of wacky adventures in the woods near camp, but it’s quite another when you’re trapped in another dimension. Despite this harrowing experience, the Lumberjanes are optimistic. All they have to do is move a few crashed space satellites so a horde of dinosaurs can safely travel through a mountain pass. That can’t be that hard, right?

I don’t know how writer Shannon Watters and Kat Leyh come up with the ideas for these hijinks, but I hope they have a never-ending supply. The sheer insanity of some of these situation is just part of the fun with Lumberjanes. Anything can and will happen and everyone will learn a valuable lesson along the way.
In this case, Mal is learning about her own courage. She’s faced so many obstacles in her time at this camp and managed to overcome her fears again and again. She’s grown as a person, but she just hasn’t realized it. Molly has to lay it out for her to understand in this fantastic exchange that speaks to the strength of their relationship. She knows Mal better than anyone.

Letterer Aubrey Aiese presents the dialogue in Lumberjanes #64 in proper case. This allows for some great emphasis on certain words that are shown in all caps instead of a more traditional bold. The conversation between Mal and Molly is a perfect example of this as there’s some added weight at key moments that wouldn’t be the same if this was done differently.
Lumberjanes has a real range to it, bouncing between wide-eyed adventure, deep personal drama, and pure comedy. Watters & Leyh show great control over the pacing of the issue, which really allows each element to shine. This is particularly helpful for the humorous aspects of the book as you get a setup and a punchline.

Artist AnneMarie Rogers adds to this fun with some of the most expressive sequences around. I will never get tired of the shocked face some of these characters have when something scares them. It’s this hilarious grumpy look that’s so over the top that you can’t hold back laughter.
Rogers’ designs for the dinosaurs are just the right amount of creepy. We’re supposed to be afraid of them, but this is still an all-ages book, so there’s still a sense of awe about these creatures. Even though they’re covered in feathers here, they act like dogs at times, wagging their tails or running this way and that.

You get a sense of the dire situation here in the Land of Lost Things from Maarta Laiho’s colors.  It’s like the life has been washed out of this place and the Lumberjanes are the only burst of color it’s seen in ages.
My only qualm with this issue is that it seems to wrap up this arc rather quickly. That’s somewhat out of necessity as they’ve already established that time passes differently in the Land of Lost Things than in our world. In any case, it’s a pretty funny conclusion that involves some of my favorite guest stars.

Where else are you going to get dinosaurs, satellites, and snow surrounded by some of the best and most welcoming characters around? Lumberjanes is where it’s at and it continues to bring a smile to my face month in and month out. I never want this summer to end as I don’t want these adventures to ever come to a close.
Lumberjanes #64 from Boom! Studios is currently available at your local comic shop and digitally through ComiXology and Amazon Kindle.