Review: Just So You Know #1

Most stories dealing with gender transition are overtly earnest, and perhaps rightfully so. It’s a weighty subject that involves a lot of soul-searching and makes some people pretty uncomfortable.

Joey Alison Sayers, however, took a different approach in telling her story of transitioning in Just So You Know #1. The result is delightful and hilarious and shows the lighter side to something that is often presented as a troubled time.

Sharing the distinctive round heads and broad facial expressions as her strip Thingpart, much of the humor here comes from every-day situations, such as her coming out to her parents (their reaction isn’t what you’d expect) to her excitement over her new driver’s license, which she doesn’t get to show off nearly enough. The recurring “Am I a Bitch Now?” tracks her progress in the less-than-pleasant side of being female (although I’d like to say that I think snarking about people isn’t exclusive to either gender).

I liked her story about Small Press Expo, where two fans who thought J. Sayers was a “dude” kind of shrug it off when she tells them “Oh, I was, but not anymore!” I think that moment is prrepresentative of Sayers’ attitude throughout this whole comic — it’s down-to-earth and honest. That’s a really beautiful thing.

I think ultimately we all want to be seen for who we know we are on the inside. Just So You Know #1 is a touching and joyful expression of that and I’m glad that Sayers shared it with us.

See samples of Just So You Know and purchase at Joey Alison Sayers’ site.

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