Lumberjanes (Volume 1) by Noelle Stevenson, Grace Ellis, Shannon Watters and Brooke Allen (Boom Entertainment)

I must admit, there are times when we really struggle to keep our heads above water when it comes to keeping up with the best comics out there at the moment...
It feels like there's never been a better time to be a comic or graphic novel fan, and the sheer quality of talent out there both in writing and illustration really is making it very difficult to keep up with the tidal wave of awesomeness.

We first read a single issue of "Lumberjanes" (Issue 12) a while back and couldn't wait to grab a couple of the collected volumes.

The thing is, it's still glacially slow for these things to come along (and it's also fairly slow waiting for them to drop to a reasonable price - and then you've got such a short time frame to grab them in before they either go out of print or become collectable, and worth a small fortune - pushing the price way way far above what you'd want to pay).

Digital comics have helped with that a little bit, but still being a traditionalist at heart when it comes to books, comics and graphic novels we really do still love a comic you can cradle in your arms.

So enough yapping, what the hootin' heck is Lumberjanes all about? It's about a strange collective of awesome girls who happen to be Girl Scouts. Meet Jo, April, Mal, Molly and Ripley - best friends forever but also a force to be reckoned with when it comes to camping out in the woods, building fires and taking care of the woodland creatures they meet - well, apart from the ones they end up biffing on the chin.

Like a crazy mash up of Gravity Falls, The Powerpuff Girls and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, this introductory collection of the first six comics introduces the gang and their forestial world - where not quite everything is as it seems, or as it should be.

Shot through with hilarious pop culture references, wry humour and utterly delicious characters, it's been a hoot from start to finish and now means we're going to have to track down the rest of the volumes.

Created by a collective of the current female cream-of-the-crop comic talent, "Lumberjanes" is fantastic stuff, perfect for Charlotte too.

Comics truly have come a long way since The Beano and Whizzer and Chips so if you're still one of those weirdo parents who doesn't think comics are suitable reading material for kids, change your brain, and in particular if you have mighty gals at home who love an awesome adventurous romp, then this should go to the top of your shopping list.

"Lumberjanes" Volume 1 is out now, published by Boom Entertainment (self purchased).