Paper Girls #30

   I'm certainly sorry to see this series come to an end.

   Paper Girls has been an interesting mix of teen adventure / comedy, mad science fiction adventure, and fever dream / stream of consciousness / alternate reality.

   The story has been complex and Byzantine - and I suspect the ending makes it a great time to revisit the series and sort out the complete (and complex) plot, as it weaves through different times, places and realities.

   The final issue manages to be a sweet (but never cloying) wrap-up to this nostalgia-fueled romp. (Hint: it's all about the friendship.)

   Terrific art and a wonderful (and challenging) story - lots to like here!

Grade: A

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Paper Girls #16

   If you're looking for a unique time traveling, science fiction story that stars four girls, look no further - Paper Girls is back from its regularly-scheduled, thankfully brief hiatus.

   We've followed the four - Erin, Mac, Tiffany and KJ - as they've traveled into the distant past, and now to their own future in the year 2000, as the Y2K virus takes effect (you may remember events differently).

   They became separated because of the events that led to their return to the present (about which we'll say no more, lest we spoil the fun), and they find lots of changes - and a menace that starts at the local Applebees, spills across the city, and has ties in the future and a devastated present day (whatever that is).

   It's a terrific series, and it's well worth tracking down the trade reprints of earlier issues so you can hit the ground running here.

Grade: A-

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Paper Girls #12

   My oldest son was going to his local comics shop to look for something to read, and he asked me for a recommendation (an event that always makes me happy).

   He had already started in on Saga (also written by Brian K. Vaughan), which he was enjoying, so I was happy to recommend Paper Girls, an imaginative and unpredictable series with art by Cliff Chiang and colors by Matt Wilson.

   It almost defies description, but it follows the adventures of four teenage girls - local paper girls (which is to say, they deliver newspapers) who band together when the world goes mad.

   People disappear, strange creatures and events transform their neighborhood, and they travel through time to meet their future selves (what a scary experience that would be).

   In the latest issue, the girls find themselves (apparently) in the distant past, where they meet a young woman with a surprising secret.

   It's a world loaded with dangers - both human and inhuman (unhuman?) - and as always, you never know what will happen next.

   So, great art, sharp dialogue and terrific characters - it's a lot of fun!

   I'm happy to report that my son agrees - he loved it!

Grade: A

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Paper Girls #5

   Paper Girls shows why comics are awesome.

   This series is a jigsaw puzzle of strangeness, as four 12-year-old girls who deliver newspapers (yep, they're Paper Girls, not girls made of paper) find their lives turned into some kind of science fiction nightmare.

   The population seems to have (mostly) disappeared, there are strange figures wandering the neighborhood, strange creatures flying in the sky, and the threat of death around each corner.

   But what makes the series work is the fact that we're immediately invested in the "girls" - Erin, Mac, Tiffany and KJ - as they work together to face assorted strangeness and try to find a way to survive.

   And just when you think you're getting a grip on the series, it takes an unexpected turn.

   Kudos to Brian K. Vaughn, Cliff Chiang and Matt Wilson for crafting a unique story that makes such great use of the storytelling potential of comics.

   Strange, but highly recommended!

Grade: A

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Paper Girls #2

   I admit a real fondness for kids delivering newspapers, since I spent two years of my youth as a paperboy (hey, it was a great job and I made good money, which I used to buy lots of comic books).

   So I'm intrigued by the new series Paper Girls, which centers around four young women who ride their bikes through the neighborhood early every morning, dealing with assorted punks, cops and the occasional monster.

   Written by Brian K. Vaughn and drawn by Cliff Chiang with colors by Matt Wilson, the series doesn't take long to take a weird turn - starting slow in the first issue, and then kicking the weirdness level off the scale with this issue.

   There's a lot to like here: from the terrific art to the instantly-likeable quartet of girls to the delightfully strange turns the story takes.

   The series is off to a odd start, but its unpredictable nature is a big part of the fun.

   Highly recommended!

Grade: A-

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