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Giant Days Library Edition #7
Giant Days Library Edition Vol. 7
The seventh hardcover collection of the Eisner Award-winning comic series as their Uni journey comes to a close!
Graduation day is so close that Esther, Daisy, and Susan can almost taste it. It’s time to think about what they want to do when they leave behind the hallowed halls of Sheffield University–or, in Susan’s case–consider where McGraw will go and what that might mean for their future together. But even when real, grown-up tragedy strikes, there are still wild oats to sow, championship cricket games to play, and prank wars to survive before it’s time to don caps and gowns to leave the giant days of university behind, once and for all. Written by John Allison (Wicked Things, Steeple) and illustrated by Max Sarin (Harley The Animated The Eat. Bang! Kill Tour), Vol. 7 collects the final six issues and the grade finale of the Eisner Award-winning and Harvey Award-nominated series, along with a special short featuring Shelley Winters, all in a deluxe hardcover! Collects Giant Days #49-54 and As Time Goes By.
Graduation day is so close that Esther, Daisy, and Susan can almost taste it. It’s time to think about what they want to do when they leave behind the hallowed halls of Sheffield University–or, in Susan’s case–consider where McGraw will go and what that might mean for their future together. But even when real, grown-up tragedy strikes, there are still wild oats to sow, championship cricket games to play, and prank wars to survive before it’s time to don caps and gowns to leave the giant days of university behind, once and for all. Written by John Allison (Wicked Things, Steeple) and illustrated by Max Sarin (Harley The Animated The Eat. Bang! Kill Tour), Vol. 7 collects the final six issues and the grade finale of the Eisner Award-winning and Harvey Award-nominated series, along with a special short featuring Shelley Winters, all in a deluxe hardcover! Collects Giant Days #49-54 and As Time Goes By.
240 pages, Hardcover
Published February 13, 2024
32 people want to read
About the author
John Allison
311 books832 followersJohn Allison is the author and artist of the British webcomics Scary Go Round and Bad Machinery.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See other authors with similar names.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See other authors with similar names.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
November 1, 2024
The end! I'm so sad to not have more of their stories...
September 23, 2025
Okay, so after getting all the other volumes at once from the library (didn't expect them to all come in so fast), I just decided to read through them at bedtime, get through a chapter or two a night, and that was the ideal way to do this.
The comic is really charming and cute, endearing characters that actually grow a little bit over the years, slight changes in scenery, but no real advancement in story. There isn't much to distinguish any one chapter from another, which also means that the fun extra stories included at the end of each book don't throw off the 0verarching narrative. They are just extra guest stories.
Learning that this had its origins in webcomics (and/or the creator has additional webcomics) made it all click for me, as what this reminded me most of were the webcomics I'd read in the late 90s/early 2000s, the series that started as gags but ended up becoming long running stories that were clearly inspired by the creators aging, getting older, wiser, and seeing more of humanity. Jokes were still present, but they were no longer the focus. I'm sure, if I were to go back and look, at least two of these would still be going today, with spin offs featuring children of characters. And I'm sure three times that many will no longer even be online.
Anyway, this felt good like those felt good. It didn't do anything particularly special, it was just... nice. Kind. Occasionally surreal and fun, but generally just nice.
The comic is really charming and cute, endearing characters that actually grow a little bit over the years, slight changes in scenery, but no real advancement in story. There isn't much to distinguish any one chapter from another, which also means that the fun extra stories included at the end of each book don't throw off the 0verarching narrative. They are just extra guest stories.
Learning that this had its origins in webcomics (and/or the creator has additional webcomics) made it all click for me, as what this reminded me most of were the webcomics I'd read in the late 90s/early 2000s, the series that started as gags but ended up becoming long running stories that were clearly inspired by the creators aging, getting older, wiser, and seeing more of humanity. Jokes were still present, but they were no longer the focus. I'm sure, if I were to go back and look, at least two of these would still be going today, with spin offs featuring children of characters. And I'm sure three times that many will no longer even be online.
Anyway, this felt good like those felt good. It didn't do anything particularly special, it was just... nice. Kind. Occasionally surreal and fun, but generally just nice.
June 8, 2025
The seventh and final volume of Giant Days in these amazing library editions.
The covers of the seven were:
1: Esther
2: Susan
3: Daisy
4: McGraw
5: Ed
6: Nina
7: Daisy, Esther, and Susan
This book contains: Esther trying to write her paper back home in Tackleford, and visiting Lottie, who sure is growing. And experiences her hometown bar scene, coming back to it, the z-list friends, the ex who's decided to stay there and put on weight and is settling in (poor ol' Eustace The Boy). She experiences the world moving on and personal growth, set against the background of helping Lottie root out a venture capitalist who's secretly a vampire, though it eventually escapes in a barge. McGraw: "You come from a very strange town." A great way to set the oddities of the Scary-Go-Round world against the grounded college scene of Sheffield. (also Des cameo in the bar.)
McGraw's cricket team gets food poisoning so Susan helps gather up some other people to play, all of whom have at least heard of the sport. They win! And then McGraw gets the phone call from his mom.
After the funeral, his stoic mood becomes a sticking spot, so Esther takes them all out to a festive barn cabin in the countryside, even dressing in something floral (a hand-me-down from Shelley Winters! "a career woman for the 1990s.") And Nina finally breaks through to McGraw and it's a lovely moment. It's really nice to see all the cast together, the different characters getting chances to have chemistry together, while they all also still go on the paths that their own lives are taking them on.
Then a story of Esther going off to London for a job interview, and staying with Shelley - a whole bunch of Shelley here! "The three key areas of life: business, romance, and miscellaneous." I enjoy how Esther and Shelley become friends in this universe, especially after reading them for so long separately; wild to think that this takes place some 20+ years after Shelley's initial debut, which would've probably been before Esther was even born. It's a remarkable experience getting to read this much of a person's life and character developing over so much time. It's also written well with the imbalance of Esther casually basing her decisions off of some youthful blur of an impression of what Shelley does, which inspires Shelley to drink a little extra - I feel that. The interview was too soul-crushing for Esther; meanwhile, Daisy and Susan have a spa day. Esther and Shelley do a black metal concert, but Shelley gets real about her life situation. Esther calls up Ken Lord of all people, there's a classy literary party, and it works out well for all of them. Roommates? (I love the Shelley stories - I'm glad she doesn't come to dominate this Giant Days series entirely, but Shelley has been one of my favorite fictional characters for decades now so it's always lovely to see her around.)
The next story is Daisy as an RA, and one of her students, Coralie, starts exacting her "revenge" based on some perceived slight in a pervious book as the year draws to a close. I like this one because it brings back the Night World concept and art, and shows Coralie living there "on a permo." I love Saffie here and her eyebrows especially. Daisy's dark cyberpunk arc. Coralie taking her time. But the trio has a nice moment sitting where they sat in their first years together, and it's a very sweet last dance.
Esther and Daisy move in with Susan as McGraw leaves for the summer. Great panel of Daisy claiming the couch for sleeping modeled off of Gollum. Esther's last day at the comics shop. Ed cuts his hair. Esther's parents see her accidental back tattoo that she got in her first year from that lame cult. A quick little Emilia cameo. Graduation! A fantasy drawing of the idea of Esther having McGraw's baby and dressing it like Susan and giving it a cigarette. And then, wow, they all graduate! And that's that!
The next story is set a full year later.
Susan and Daisy meet for drinks now and then, but Esther keeps ditching them for being busy. She's working in the publishing industry, at the mercy of the two Cressidas. Daisy and Saffron are together!! Susan is becoming a doctor, McGraw is looking for a job while working at a locksmiths, Daisy is starting archaeology. Shelley has moved on from the Department of History and is touring as a published children's author! Esther and Ed meet up. Susan finds out McGraw is turning down jobs. And Esther finally joins Daisy and Susan for a reunion. Unfortunately, the Cressidas find it and tear Esther away. Tension, drama. The girls confront the Cressidas.
This is where it gets a little odd for me. This whole time, the series has been grounded. But in the end story here, it feels like Esther suddenly has new problems and new, unearned character flaws that she's dealing with, out of nowhere, and then the solution to them is defeating this fantasy beast. It's a very neatly written story, all tied up in a bow at the end, and it's not bad, but it all just feels very out of place, and not like the resolution I was expecting at all. It feels like the resolution to a Giant Days from another universe just slightly off from ours.
Still, it was all very enjoyable and emotional and it's a very worthwhile journey reading these books.
Finally, as a bonus, we get some stories with Shelley drawn by John Allison in his Destroy History series, about what Shelley was really doing at the Department of History. Not exactly my favorite, but still some good fun.
The covers of the seven were:
1: Esther
2: Susan
3: Daisy
4: McGraw
5: Ed
6: Nina
7: Daisy, Esther, and Susan
This book contains: Esther trying to write her paper back home in Tackleford, and visiting Lottie, who sure is growing. And experiences her hometown bar scene, coming back to it, the z-list friends, the ex who's decided to stay there and put on weight and is settling in (poor ol' Eustace The Boy). She experiences the world moving on and personal growth, set against the background of helping Lottie root out a venture capitalist who's secretly a vampire, though it eventually escapes in a barge. McGraw: "You come from a very strange town." A great way to set the oddities of the Scary-Go-Round world against the grounded college scene of Sheffield. (also Des cameo in the bar.)
McGraw's cricket team gets food poisoning so Susan helps gather up some other people to play, all of whom have at least heard of the sport. They win! And then McGraw gets the phone call from his mom.
After the funeral, his stoic mood becomes a sticking spot, so Esther takes them all out to a festive barn cabin in the countryside, even dressing in something floral (a hand-me-down from Shelley Winters! "a career woman for the 1990s.") And Nina finally breaks through to McGraw and it's a lovely moment. It's really nice to see all the cast together, the different characters getting chances to have chemistry together, while they all also still go on the paths that their own lives are taking them on.
Then a story of Esther going off to London for a job interview, and staying with Shelley - a whole bunch of Shelley here! "The three key areas of life: business, romance, and miscellaneous." I enjoy how Esther and Shelley become friends in this universe, especially after reading them for so long separately; wild to think that this takes place some 20+ years after Shelley's initial debut, which would've probably been before Esther was even born. It's a remarkable experience getting to read this much of a person's life and character developing over so much time. It's also written well with the imbalance of Esther casually basing her decisions off of some youthful blur of an impression of what Shelley does, which inspires Shelley to drink a little extra - I feel that. The interview was too soul-crushing for Esther; meanwhile, Daisy and Susan have a spa day. Esther and Shelley do a black metal concert, but Shelley gets real about her life situation. Esther calls up Ken Lord of all people, there's a classy literary party, and it works out well for all of them. Roommates? (I love the Shelley stories - I'm glad she doesn't come to dominate this Giant Days series entirely, but Shelley has been one of my favorite fictional characters for decades now so it's always lovely to see her around.)
The next story is Daisy as an RA, and one of her students, Coralie, starts exacting her "revenge" based on some perceived slight in a pervious book as the year draws to a close. I like this one because it brings back the Night World concept and art, and shows Coralie living there "on a permo." I love Saffie here and her eyebrows especially. Daisy's dark cyberpunk arc. Coralie taking her time. But the trio has a nice moment sitting where they sat in their first years together, and it's a very sweet last dance.
Esther and Daisy move in with Susan as McGraw leaves for the summer. Great panel of Daisy claiming the couch for sleeping modeled off of Gollum. Esther's last day at the comics shop. Ed cuts his hair. Esther's parents see her accidental back tattoo that she got in her first year from that lame cult. A quick little Emilia cameo. Graduation! A fantasy drawing of the idea of Esther having McGraw's baby and dressing it like Susan and giving it a cigarette. And then, wow, they all graduate! And that's that!
The next story is set a full year later.
Susan and Daisy meet for drinks now and then, but Esther keeps ditching them for being busy. She's working in the publishing industry, at the mercy of the two Cressidas. Daisy and Saffron are together!! Susan is becoming a doctor, McGraw is looking for a job while working at a locksmiths, Daisy is starting archaeology. Shelley has moved on from the Department of History and is touring as a published children's author! Esther and Ed meet up. Susan finds out McGraw is turning down jobs. And Esther finally joins Daisy and Susan for a reunion. Unfortunately, the Cressidas find it and tear Esther away. Tension, drama. The girls confront the Cressidas.
This is where it gets a little odd for me. This whole time, the series has been grounded. But in the end story here, it feels like Esther suddenly has new problems and new, unearned character flaws that she's dealing with, out of nowhere, and then the solution to them is defeating this fantasy beast. It's a very neatly written story, all tied up in a bow at the end, and it's not bad, but it all just feels very out of place, and not like the resolution I was expecting at all. It feels like the resolution to a Giant Days from another universe just slightly off from ours.
Still, it was all very enjoyable and emotional and it's a very worthwhile journey reading these books.
Finally, as a bonus, we get some stories with Shelley drawn by John Allison in his Destroy History series, about what Shelley was really doing at the Department of History. Not exactly my favorite, but still some good fun.
January 17, 2025
Overall series - 4.5 stars
Finally completed it and loved it so much. I related so much to these characters and the ins and out of university life. Amazing comic
Finally completed it and loved it so much. I related so much to these characters and the ins and out of university life. Amazing comic
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews