Customer Reviews

Girls: The Complete Collection Deluxe Hardcover

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

THE_SERIES:
Oh how prepared I was to hate the comic that always had a naked woman on its cover. Nothing but gratuitous sex exploited like everything else in society. Crowds drawn to the mention of t**s like moths to a flame. & then one day I stumbled upon the first issue posted on-line for free. I read it, ready to cringe yet curious of what it was really about. It began to a poem; about life's chaos, beauty, & ugliness to the scenes of sperm searching for an egg & a young man masturbating. `Oh boy, yet another erotica desperately pretending to be something deep,' I thought. But then I read the rest of the 22 pages & it was... amazing. Beautiful. Genuinely deep. An over-coming celestial sort of awe. All of my harsh prejudges were crumpled.
Its enigmatic unsettling tone matches to that of The Birds rather than that of Girls Gone Wild. That atmosphere alone reaches out & grabs you by your throat. I cannot praise it enough. It's one of those stories where if you say anything, almost anything at all, it will spoil so many of the twists that the series is famous for. But here's a hint. In the words that inspired the Luna Brothers themselves; beautiful monster. & it all begins with Ethan--the masturbating man, a 20-something nobody who has no luck when it comes to the opposite sex. To top it all off he's still in love with his ex-girlfriend. One ominous was-rainy night he has an emotional breakdown at a bar & is thrown out, but while driving home in a frustrated daze he almost hits someone: it's a frightened, naked, bleeding, breathtaking woman. & she's about to change more than just his world.
The deeper into the series you go, the more surreal & almost dreamlike it becomes. The story never dies down for a second, each & every page is fascinating & drenched in dark hearted drama or bizarre mystery. The art is beautiful, with blurred surroundings & smooth colors. & the ending, those very last 3 pages, is dazzlingly reminiscent of 2001: A Space Odyssey. The finale itself does collapse under its own weight a bit, but the ride is such a grand trip that this can be forgiven. Ultimately, in my opinion, it's a science-fiction masterpiece that explores the depths of stereotypes & holds a statement on the differences between genders; played out by very human characters whose humanity & hope slowly erode away in a situation they can't comprehend. & only one thing is certain; no one will ever look at the opposite sex the same way again. As well as exploring the very nature of beauty itself. Yes there is nudity & sexuality, but it's more of a commentary on humans' slavery to sex & never feels pornographic at all. This is a rare breed of story, one in which everything that can be explored is, & thoroughly so. But don't be mistaken, this is a very mature read, a very strange read, & not for everyone.
If you are someone who prefers conclusive endings, energetic pacing, & is interested in the meeting of an alien race over the arguing of humans, this is a series you will either find sub-par or simply average.
Girls is a character study above all else.

THE_PRODUCT:
Oversized, hardcover, & $[...]--a bit steep.
The book is heavy & acts as more of something for show, but the comic certainly looks amazing in its large format. The slip it comes with is attractive & looks more penciled than its counterparts. Mine was lightly dented on one edge, & the top's image was loose around the edges--I glued it down more securely.
Ultimately this is a book for the die-hard fans, & for casual readers I recommend the trades.

When I first set eyes on the Luna brothers' artwork in the Spider-Woman: Origin book, I was motivated to hunt for more of their work. I tend to gravitate towards hardcover collections when it comes to graphic novels, so I was very pleased to discover the deluxe hardcover edition of Girls. The cost was rather off-putting, so I checked out the first issue for free on the Image Comics Web site. After reading that first issue, I was assured that the nudity wasn't just a ploy for fanboys. I really wanted to know where the authors were going to take the story.

The book was a really compelling read, although not for the reasons I had expected. I was expecting the science-fiction story line to be the main event. What made the book such a pleasure to read, though, was the well-rounded characters that adapted and changed as the story unfolded around them. The sci-fi story would be incredibly hard to swallow if that were all that the Luna brothers explored. But as a springboard for complex character studies, it works surprisingly well. The characters are dropped in an endless number of thought-provoking scenarios, and I found myself constantly asking what I would do in each character's position. It's quite an insane social experiment.

Unfortunately, while the character interactions are intriguing, the actual sci-fi string does feel a bit flat. Perhaps this is due to the Luna brothers decision to not explain what's happening in explicit detail. But the characters really wouldn't experience a monologuing mastermind in this world, so to some degree the reader experiences the events just like the characters would.

As for the deluxe treatment, I love the artwork in these pages and can't imagine not having the oversized pages. I don't really remember much for bonus features, but I believe there are some cover variations. The story is one very cohesive thread, so I appreciate having all 24 issues collected in one hardcover volume. The cost is prohibitive for many, but this isn't a mass market DC or Marvel publication, so I'm just happy to have the story available in this format. After poring over the Girls deluxe hardcover, I hope the Luna brothers latest project (The Sword) will eventually receive a similar treatment.

I just came back into reading comics after stopping in the early 90's. I heard of the Luna Brothers through The Sword and heard they had a few other series out which included Girls. I checked out the first issue online and I loved it. It's not just piles of nudity (which there is plenty of) but the story is the real gold here. I almost read this whole collector's edition in one sitting, I kept needing to find out what happens next, much like The Walking Dead. This is a story of life, and human nature. You take 63 small town folks and put them into a helpless situation and see how they react. It's an amazing story and the end just blew me away. Mature Sci-Fi, Horror at it's best. Highly recommended!

Girls is the comic that got me back into comics after a long hiatus. I'd place it up there with Y: The Last Man (and a few others) in the category of recent comics that really exemplify why this art form should be viewed on par with movies and novels. The artwork and layout are terrific - the Luna Brothers have a real touch when it comes to visuals and this book really stands out. The setup of the story, the underlying mystery, and the conflicts (both personal and global) that develop are outstanding. I still think about some of the story twist moments in this book even though I finished reading it more than a year ago.

Excellent book. The Lune brothers do an excellent job crafting the story and the art work is top notch. This edition is amazing and has the entire series run. Worth the investment.

Very fun book. The book reads more like a movie then a graphic novel, but it kept me entertained all the way through.

When you introduce a premise involving a passel of spectacular nekkid women who are nekkid, and you proceed to make that story come off more harrowing than it is tittilating, you, my friend, have got some kind of talent. Underestimate the Luna Brothers at your own risk. Dismiss them and miss out on storytelling so compelling it glues your eyes to the page more securely than the mightiest epoxy. Read ULTRA and THE SWORD and also this one, GIRLS, and then I dare you to call me a liar.

Pennystown is a quaint little town (population: 65 and, soon enough, dwindling rapidly). Pennystown is friendly and comfortable and accepting, but only on the surface. What happens next will unleash all those dark, ugly things that fester beneath any community populated by folks. Ethan Daniels some time ago was so charmed by Pennystown that he decided to become a permanent resident. Ethan Daniels is one of them unfortunate souls unlucky in love. He's not smooth around da ladies. Six months ago, in the wake of an epic spat, his girlfriend Taylor broke up with him.

One evening, after Ethan finally publicly vents his grievances in a bar (which Taylor bartends), he's driving home when he espies a naked, bleeding girl on the roadside. He picks her up, takes her home to tend to her wounds, and she comes on to him. Ethan, whom we first saw performing a flute solo to a pin-up magazine, demonstrates the resistance of, well, a chronic flute soloist. His one night stand propels one of the best survival horror stories I have ever read.

Let me tender a reassurance. GIRLS offers smart and suspenseful writing. You'll be amazed at how quickly you're drawn into the story. The Luna Brothers, Jonathan and Joshua, know what they're doing, mixing genre elements and concocting a brew that is part psychological mystery, part gory horror, part alien invasion, and all gripping drama. What happens when a community is forcefully isolated and falls prey to homicidal attacks from naked, cannibalistic, egg-laying women and other baffling creatures? I know, I know, it sounds like something from Family Guy, but the Lunas construct the narrative in such a way that a sense of creeping horror surfaces and lingers.

More than anything, GIRLS examines the collapse of society's infrastructure. When the governing rules of civilization fly out the window, how do we handle ourselves? When enforcing social obligation falls to only one figure in authority, will that be enough? The Luna Brothers answer is a resounding NO! In GIRLS the Lunas set it up so that the genders are at war with each other. The murderous naked women are bent on mating with any man and killing off the town's female population. Paranoia runs deep. The prohibitive protagonist is our guy, Ethan Daniels, except that I don't know that he's all that likable. Thankfully, it's a complex and sprawling cast and there are many passages devoted to the other characters. Although, honestly, the only person I ended up sympathizing with unequivocally is Taylor. People in a struggle for survival, their compassionate instincts get kicked to the curb in favor of Darwinism. You'll end up horrified with some of the decisions these folks make. The violence is fairly horrific. The few survivors won't be able to look each other in the eye for a loooong time.

Joshua writes. Jonathan draws. They both plot. I love Jonathan's art. Its simplicity is an illusion, don't let the clean, uncomplicated style fool you. Jonathan's technique is cinematic in scope. And don't underestimate the value of easy to follow composition. Jonathan Luna is a visual sensei.

So GIRLS somehow works. It's a plate heaped with themes concerning relationship dynamics and gender roles and sexual politics and stuff that may excite Joyce Brothers but surely not me, not ordinarily. Except that in GIRLS the hodgepodge works, every element falling into place. I haven't even mentioned the humor injected into the story. GIRLS is also darkly funny, the humor rising organically from the story development. If you're new to the sort of mad crazy the Luna Brothers bring to the table, then your verdict may be that GIRLS is unexpectedly good. But to me and others who've read other stuff by the Lunas, GIRLS is old hat. It is predictably awesome.

That is what I can compare it to. I can also compare it to the word Awesome because this one is a page turner.

Book is beautiful and if you haven't read this story pick it up here. It's like the graphic novel version of the I-MAX

Girls was a fun read, the kind that you can't put down because it was designed to end in cliff hangers and new story branches with every chapter (so get all 4 volumes or get this complete series). That being said, it is very good at keeping you interested in what's going to happen next. The problem is that by the time you get your questions answered in every chapter, you feel a bit let down. I can't say that it is predictable, but the resulting feeling definitely seems that way. I can forgive the dangling a carrot approach, after all, Girls is a character focused plot. But I had higher expectations for character development and really digging down into their flaws/dilemmas. Well, this is where it gets really stereotypical and predictable. You have a cast of characters, each one playing to a specific stereotype, blatantly type casted and neatly packaged to fit their roles. This was what really kept me from enjoying Girls as much as I thought I should have. It was like an after school special with multi ethnic actors, making sure to have enough to cover the diversity basis. You have the village slut, the village idiot, the village wise man, the village chief, the love interest, the chinese lady with the bad english... I am being a bit harsh here, I think the Luna Bros did do a fairly good job of playing these stereotypes out. The signature snappy dialogue is here, the Ultra-esque artwork is still good and a thrilling storyline to keep things moving along. The character analysis could be deeper, but since I can't come up with better ideas in this review, I have to accept the fact that this is just the nature of the genre. I guess you just can't go into this expecting to be blown away by something new or with depth. The Luna Bros have become a guilty pleasure of mine, their work is a bit shallow but very entertaining (sexy, shiny new, kaboom pow stuff). It's like watching a hit TV series, it's quick, predictable but addicting, and mainstream. And you just can't go wrong with mainstream, right?

Recommend to check it out for its entertainment value but don't spend too much on it for lack of much to gain from a re-read and very likely that it has been better done elsewhere.

I read the single issues, tho i did miss a few. This book is huge and heavy! The story is great, and twisted. BUY IT!