We Called Them Giants
Kieron Gillen, writing; Stephanie Hans, art; Clayton Cowles, letters
Image Comics, 2024

The young protagonist, Lori, wakes to find the streets empty. It could be a classic Rapture situation–where all Christian believers are physically transported to Heaven–although, as an orphan, she has learned to accept never feeling truly accepted: “Everyone will leave you.” Uncovering the reason why most of the human population disappeared would be an obvious driver for the story going forward, but Gillen and Hans have a different idea.

Lori first meets her schoolmate Annette. After months of scavenging for food, they finally run afoul of the local gang, the Dogs, who are holed up in the mall outside town. Then something fell from the sky, and the first Giant appeared. When the girls followed it to see where it lived, they saw another Giant: an Emerald Giant along with the ruby Red. After a wolf attack, they met another survivor, an older woman named Beatrice. No one knows what the Giants want, but she has learned that camping near them provides protection.

Then the Red Giant offered them food, changing their relationship. As it begins collecting them, one by one, its intentions are still unknown. But a battle between the two Giants finally convinces Lori–too late–that the Red Giant had no hidden agenda. He just loved the human survivors. Lori finally learns trust, and love. She will value the time she has with her friends: because even if we do not truly understand each other, sometimes we understand enough. It is a bittersweet conclusion to a story that is a kind of fable about communication and trust.

Gillen and Hans delivered a more compact statement than their series DIE (which eventually became too convoluted for me, as a non-gamer). It is a story with many unresolved mysteries, but is emotionally convincing just the same. A few pages of Character Designs give some insight into Hans’ beautiful illustrations.