Giant Days #46

Giant Days #46 does something that’s surprisingly hard to do: tell a stand-alone story as part of a long-running series that’s satisfying on its own while faithful to the appeal of the title.

Writer John Allison and artist Max Sarin have been working on Giant Days for most of the run, so that’s not surprising. What did surprise me was how geek-focused but affectionate this issue was.

As shown in these preview pages, Susan has decided to find out who’s stealing from the comic shop where Esther works.

After a bit of setup and actual investigative methods, there’s a wonderful sequence homaging the classic “down these mean streets the solo detective goes” private eye genre, with Susan monologuing over black-and-white panels. It’s an effective and clever use of the format, interspersed with scenes of the regulars and the outstanding dialogue that keeps this series so readable. And when the mystery is solved, it turns out to have one of the most classic motives possible. (The publisher provided an advance digital review copy.)