Strangers in Paradise Pocket Book, vol. 1

by Terry Moore

book data

522 ratings, 4.09 average rating, 62 reviews (more data...)

rating	frequency	%
5		38%
4		38%
3		17%
2		4%
1		1%

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published

August 11th 2005 by Abstract Studio

details

Paperback, 360 pages

isbn

1892597268 (isbn13: 9781892597267)

description

Katchoo is a beautiful young woman living a quiet life with everything going for her. She's smart, independent and very much in love with her best fri…more

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Apr 08, 2008

Audrey rated it:

recommends it for: anyone who loves a good love triangle.

I was handed this in trade paperback form when I wandered into a comic book shop one day asking if there were any "realistic" comics without all of the tights and capes. I took it home and fell in love with Katchoo, Francine, and David. Over the years I have re-read this story over an over again as the trio worked their way to the only possible conclusion they could have. It is a beautiful adventure and I recommend whenever I am given the opportunity. It was my gateway drug to the ...more

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Sep 14, 2007

Melissa rated it:

bookshelves: gravett-graphic-novels

Read in September, 2007

recommends it for: zaftig brunette lovers

Eric will argue aggressively about why Locas is so much better than Strangers in Paradise, but I must admit that I find Terry Moore's paean to plus-size brunettes equally fun. Maybe because I was thrown off by the dinosaur mechanic thing early into Locas, maybe because I like the name Katchoo, I dunno.... Francine is slightly Archie-fied where Maggie is simply HOT, but still, I like the goofy romance comic vibe of Strangers a lot. I'm looking forward to the rest of this series (and, to be fair, ...more

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May 03, 2009

George rated it:

bookshelves: 2009, graphic-novels

Read in May, 2009

Just read the first volume of Strangers in Paradise. Boy oh boy, did it rile me up. In a good way, of course. Let's just say I admire this graphic novel, but I'm not its intended audience. Loved the art. It put me in the mind of Berke Breathed's Bloom County. For some reason Francine's mother reminded me of Bill the Cat.

OK, let's get down to it. Every single male character in this volume is an asshole. Every. Single. One. Does Terry Moore hate men? I doubt it – he is a man, after a...more Just read the first volume of Strangers in Paradise. Boy oh boy, did it rile me up. In a good way, of course. Let's just say I admire this graphic novel, but I'm not its intended audience. Loved the art. It put me in the mind of Berke Breathed's Bloom County. For some reason Francine's mother reminded me of Bill the Cat.

OK, let's get down to it. Every single male character in this volume is an asshole. Every. Single. One. Does Terry Moore hate men? I doubt it – he is a man, after all. I think it's more likely that he's a shrewd marketer who knows his audience. I admire his audacity: you've got to admire a guy who can make moving statements about feminine empowerment and draw great cheesecake at the same time and get away with it.

SIP is a graphic novel about sex, minus the sex (the first volume is, anyway). Instead we have the slow, richly deserved torment of the male characters. Let's talk about those male characters, shall we? Freddie and David, the scalp-taker and the teddy bear.

Freddie, first; he's the scalp-taker. Go to a used-car lot and he'll try to sell you a car. Go to a bar and he'll try to pick you up. He's an asshole, but at least he's up-front about it. In the interests of fairness I must also state that guys like Freddie get laid a lot. Moore nails him; the only thing he doesn't get right is that there's no way he would wait a year for sex. A real scalp-taker cuts ties and says bye-bye after two weeks.

David is the teddy bear. He's worst than Freddie, because he can’t take responsibility for his filthy sexual urges. Here’s a scoop: every man has filthy sexual urges. David neuters himself. He is the mascot, the little buddy, the pet. David is the type of character women like, because he’s harmless; men despise and pity him. Unfortunately for him, no woman will ever, ever find him attractive.

I give Katchoo credit; she tells David to go away. He doesn't, of course. David’s job is to read puerile poetry and tell Katchoo he loves her and be her designated punching bag while she works out her aggression. This is empowering, for Katchoo. In the spirit of abusive relationships David sits there and takes it. At one point he tells her he had it coming. I guess it’s Katchoo's pure soul; either that, or he likes being slapped in the face. Whatever; he stays.

The laundered Mob money storyline was a bit incoherent. It also put my Melodrama Meter off the charts. One of the characters ends up being related to another character, which - in the words of the Church Lady - is rather convenient.

Oh, and there's a wonderful fight scene between a female assassin and a fat guy. Yes, I know comic book violence is not realistic, but if you outweigh somebody by 100 pounds, all you need to do is sit on them and the fight is over. By the end of that one I was waiting for the ninjas to show up; maybe they will, in Volume 2.(less)

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Nov 30, 2008

Alsha rated it:

bookshelves: graphic-novels

Read in December, 2008

recommended to Alsha by: Christine L

*inarticulate noises of glee and other emotions* That was wonderful. Next!

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6 comments

Jan 29, 2010

Catherine rated it:

Read in February, 2010

Wow. This is basically everything I look for in a graphic novel. I love that Terry Moore has crated something for women here showing that the medium can be used to depict relatable female characters with realistic illustrations instead of the vapid T&A fest you will find in many other comics. Katchoo's crush on Francine is so well handled and Francine's confusion and realizations about her feelings towards Katchoo is really rewarding to watch. My favorite thing about the series is how forcefully...more

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Aug 30, 2009

Elyse rated it:

Read in August, 2009

I've known about the Strangers In Paradise series for years, but it wasn't until I heard Terry Moore speaking at a panel at ALA this year that I actually followed through and picked up the book. When asked what motivated him to write Strangers In Paradise, Terry responded that he'd started with a question - "What is it like to be a woman walking around in a planet full of predators and trying to match up with one?" I was intrigued.
The first book in the series does not disappoint...more

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Jan 06, 2009

Jeremy rated it:

bookshelves: 2009, graphic-novels

Read in January, 2009

I'd heard good things about Strangers in Paradise for years, so I finally decided to check it out. I found it amusing that within a few pages, I was seeing a strong resemblance between Katchoo and a friend of mine (more in personality/attitude than backstory, mind -- to the best of my knowledge, none of my friends have mob ties :-p)

Ultimately, it's the relationships between the three main characters that really drives the story. There's action, too, particularly when Katchoo's past...more

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Feb 22, 2010

Brandy Rivers rated it:

I am totally hooked on this graphic novel series now. It came highly recommended by both Neil Gaiman and Kevin Smith, so that got my attention. Essentially it's a romance/adventure comic. Francine and Katchoo (a nickname for Katina Choovasky) have been best friends since high school and roommates for years. Katchoo is in love with Francine, who is secretly in love with their friend David, who is in love with Katchoo. While trying to untangle this romantic mess, at the same time Katchoo is attemp...more

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Mar 08, 2010

Kelly rated it:

bookshelves: book-club

Read in March, 2010

One of those books where I don't really feel like I'm into it, but by the time it's over, I'm hooked enough to be sad it's over. At times it seems like Moore is not sure what he wants to do from chapter to chapter, but then it all ties up a few chapters later. I think the artwork is good and I like that all of his women are "healthy" and when they are at their ugliest, they actually look ugly, but I think I prefer a bit more escapist fantasy in my graphic novels.

I proba...more

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Feb 20, 2010

Ed Soto rated it:

Read in March, 2010

I was a little iffy on this book at first but I enjoyed it more and more as it went along and by the end of the book I found my self gasping and having audible outbursts like you would wwith your favorite prime-time drama. Also, I've been reading this at the same time as I've been reading Moore's current series, "Echo" so, it's nice to compare his early work with his current work. He has obviously grown over the years but even here you can see his unique voice peaking through even th...more

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Mar 25, 2009

Isaac Aiono rated it:

I've heard nothing but good stuff about SiP for years, so i decided to finally check it out and i am glad i did. The art, story, and characters are amazing and i'm surprised to discover that Terry Moore is not a woman ! Moore definitely has a sort of reverence for his female characters; take his unique and sensitive portrayal of the ample sized (though still totally hot) Francine, for example. A good read!

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Dec 30, 2009

Strayfarce rated it:

Read in December, 2009

Fantastic graphic novel. Kept me captivated from the get-go, lots of frustrating twists and turns (enough to keep you interested enough to find out what happens). Surprises. Surprises on TOP of the surprises. Resurprises. Seriously, I don't want to give any of it away but I definitely recommend picking it up.

Now, if I can just talk my Irish Santa into keeping me stocked in subsequent volumes...

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Jun 20, 2009

Zack rated it:

bookshelves: read-in-2009

Read in June, 2009

Love. Violence. Love. Violence. Crime. Mystery. More Mystery. Betrayal. Love. Love. Violence. Poetry.

There's a lot going on here, and while at first I didn't think I'd get hooked on it, I fell for it pretty hard about fifty pages in. I'm mostly surprised by how realistic the characters seem: very complex motivations, very lifelike. And the art, the art is really good too. I can't believe that my local library is missing Volume II!

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Nov 25, 2008

Carrie rated it:

bookshelves: graphicnovel

Read in May, 2006

This story follows best friends Katchoo and Francine. Katchoo is a tough girl with a mysterious past, and secretly in love with Francine. Katchoo becomes friends with David, an artist. It's a quick read, but very fun. I like that the girls are drawn realistically, not litle skinny girls. I can't wait to read the next in the series!

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May 02, 2009

Summer rated it:

bookshelves: graphic-novels

This has to be one of my favorite comic series if not my absolute favorite. The story involves a love triangle between three people: Francine, Katchoo, and David. Katchoo is in love with her best friend Francine, who claims she doesn't see Katchoo that way and is battling some self-image issues. David is introduced a little ways into the story and befriends both of them but develops feelings for Katchoo. All three of them have a past, especially Katchoo's which is probably the most dark and invo...more

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3 comments

Apr 03, 2009

Angie rated it:

bookshelves: comics, female-protaganists-subjects, lent-by-jon-o, series

Read in April, 2009

I started out not really liking this. I felt like the characters were too over the top, not very human. But towards the end I started to like them. Still I don't feel compelled to move on to the next book.

PS I'd call this an adult comic, not for the young ones.

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Dec 01, 2008

Julie Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ rated it:

bookshelves: manga-and-graphic-novels

Read in January, 2006

recommended to Julie Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ by: D, Kim, Jesse
recommends it for: Um, Kim. But she knows that considering I gave it to her.

This book is a real trip. I think it's a bit much for me in the end, but I'm glad I read it. A couple of my friends really like this series and I'd never given it a shot. The artwork is very unique, and the storyline, well, that's definitely unique too!!

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3 comments

Jan 20, 2010

Jessica~CoinOperatedJoy rated it:

Read in February, 2010

I really got addicted to this book. The art really pulls you into the story and the characters are pretty interesting. I'm looking forward to starting the second book in the series when I get home. I feel attached to Katina, Francie and David so I have no idea how I even want this series to end! Great read! VERY quick and highly entertaining!

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Jul 05, 2008

kubby added it

recommended to kubby by: jasper

okay, okay, i'm a sucker. sucker for romance? i'm not gonna write a review for all the books but i got addicted for a good moment there. i read this one while i was stuck in the dc airport and the next weeks i read 2-5 as well. the storyline just stays consistent, things that may be mentioned in passing become something later and when that happened i wanted to go back and read the previous books again. the art is good, the mafia is sexy and there were many many times i physically reacted to...more

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4 comments

Aug 23, 2009

Frank Taranto rated it:

bookshelves: graphic-novel

Read in July, 2008

The characters are really cool, and the black and white artwork fits the story very well. I will read the next one just to learn more about Katchoo and Francine

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