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Strangers in Paradise, The Collected volume 1
(Strangers in Paradise Trade Paperbacks #1)
by
The Collected Strangers In Paradise begins the tale of two friends who share their lives and loves. It's a sometimes-heartwarming, sometimes-heartbreaking look at life and the relationships that we stumble through.
Meet Katchoo and Francine and learn how they deal with everyday issues in their own special way! Francine is unable to hold a meaningful and loving relationship ...more
Meet Katchoo and Francine and learn how they deal with everyday issues in their own special way! Francine is unable to hold a meaningful and loving relationship ...more
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Community Reviews
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Start your review of Strangers in Paradise, The Collected volume 1
Back in the mid-90s I started reading Strangers In Paradise. I loved this comic book for the art, the humor, the heart-felt storylines, etc. I could not wait for the next issue!
Unfortunately, around the 30th issue or so, life took over and pulled me away from comic books. For some unfathomable reason, I didn't stick with this amazing story (hell, I loved it so much I even have a letter published in one of the issues!)
Well I am going back! I have every issue on hand and I am going to read them al ...more
Unfortunately, around the 30th issue or so, life took over and pulled me away from comic books. For some unfathomable reason, I didn't stick with this amazing story (hell, I loved it so much I even have a letter published in one of the issues!)
Well I am going back! I have every issue on hand and I am going to read them al ...more
Terry Moore's clean, slightly cartoony black-and-white drawing style is pleasant enough... if only the characters and their experiences weren't quite as bland and predictable! We are introduced to romantic and insecure Francine, rebellious and wild Katchoo, selfish and pretentious Freddie, and kind and gentle David - and the plot unfolds pretty much exactly the way you would expect. At this early stage, at least, Strangers in Paradise reads like a watered-down version of Love & Rockets.
...more
The first time I started reading these books, I wasn't a comic reader at all. I saw them on sale in a game store, and I had some store credit, so, curious, I picked them up.
I don't remember much about my initial read through except that I liked them. I know this because I have 7-9 of the trade paperbacks. That was a significant investment for me back in the mid-1990s.
I also remember being frustrated that I couldn't finish the story, because I couldn't find *more* of the comics. Remember, this ...more
I don't remember much about my initial read through except that I liked them. I know this because I have 7-9 of the trade paperbacks. That was a significant investment for me back in the mid-1990s.
I also remember being frustrated that I couldn't finish the story, because I couldn't find *more* of the comics. Remember, this ...more
This is a bit weird for me. On one hand, the story keeps my interest and I enjoy the illustrations a lot, there's something strange about Terry Moore. I mean, what's his deal with lesbians? He seems half-way a feminist comic book guy like Adrien Tomine or Daniel Clowes, but on the other side of the coin like the creepy Comic Book Guy from The Simpsons who secretly watches The L Word to jack off to. I have a bit of a problem with the female characters, Katchoo is a raging "man-hating dyke" and Fr
...more
Apr 01, 2019
GrilledCheeseSamurai (Scott)
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
comics
It's kind of silly that I have never read a Terry Moore comic until now. I don't know why. It was always something I knew I should look into but just never got around to.
For some odd reason, tonight, on a whim, I decided it was time. I don't know why; perhaps its because I have a banger of a head cold going on right now and in my fevered state of not being able to find anything to hold my attention I figured maybe this would occupy some time.
And it did. I read the whole thing from front to back ...more
For some odd reason, tonight, on a whim, I decided it was time. I don't know why; perhaps its because I have a banger of a head cold going on right now and in my fevered state of not being able to find anything to hold my attention I figured maybe this would occupy some time.
And it did. I read the whole thing from front to back ...more
You may recall one of my reading objectives for this year was to read Terry Moore's Strangers in Paradise. Like Jeff Smith's Bone, I'd heard for years how great this title was/is and just never took the time to investigate it. Well, while at the Great Escape for Free Comic Book Day 2009, I found a used copy of The Collected Strangers in Paradise, Volume One for $3.99. I read it in a single sitting and really enjoyed being introduced to Moore's characters and situations.
The story revolves around ...more
The story revolves around ...more
I happened to see this book one day when I was in a comic book shop looking for other titles. Having some extra money at my disposal, I decided to buy this title. If I didn't like it, I just wouldn't buy more titles. But I was hooked from the first issue. I really liked the art style and how bodies and faces were drawn, and the story itself was entertaining. Little was I to know how much I would come to love this series and devour every subsequent book that came along.
It's not a superhero story ...more
It's not a superhero story ...more
I would say it's obvious this is Terry Moore's first comic book comparing to his newer works, but I genuinely enjoyed it. Good narrative, character development, and individual voice.
Maybe the main qualm I have is in the way the women are drawn. Though more realistic, they're still pretty comic book in their stances (overly sexually suggestive poses in normal situations), so it kind of feels like Moore is just adding some visible fat here and there to an otherwise usual comic style. It's not a b ...more
Maybe the main qualm I have is in the way the women are drawn. Though more realistic, they're still pretty comic book in their stances (overly sexually suggestive poses in normal situations), so it kind of feels like Moore is just adding some visible fat here and there to an otherwise usual comic style. It's not a b ...more
Jul 04, 2015
Anne
rated it
it was amazing
Shelves:
lgbt,
read-in-2015,
comics,
inspiring,
short-stories,
favorites,
series,
dysfunctional,
friendship,
5-stars
Strangers in Paradise is absolutely perfect, especially for those interested in feminism, gender equality and LGBT relationships.
Katchoo, who is in love with her best friend Francine, is my favorite character for a million reasons. She has her hands tied, because Francine is dating a jerk, but she's not trying to get the girl or anything, she just wants to see her friend happy.
Katchoo is extremely devoted to Francine and her loyalty seems unlimited, which is very dysfunctional. To be honest, the ...more
Katchoo, who is in love with her best friend Francine, is my favorite character for a million reasons. She has her hands tied, because Francine is dating a jerk, but she's not trying to get the girl or anything, she just wants to see her friend happy.
Katchoo is extremely devoted to Francine and her loyalty seems unlimited, which is very dysfunctional. To be honest, the ...more
Feb 22, 2010
lucy black
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
graphic-novels-and-comics,
wish-list
yes these are cheesy and trashy and unrealistic etc but...i love this series. so over the top, so addictive, so lush and intense. these books are like the new friend (who is a bit out of date and no-one else is friends with) that you have a crush on. you want to hang out with them all the time cos they are pretty and goofy and dramatic and funny. i love the 90s ness of the early ones and i'm so sad they are over.
Someone (I don't remember who) eagerly recommend me this, and even though I wasn't very interested in reading it, I finally resolved to see what the fuss was about. Well, I don't get it. The characters are, in my opinion, nut jobs who need to chillax a bit and the story was just nothing special. But, what the hell, I don't know how Moore does it, but I want to keep reading to see where the characters are headed (maybe the madhouse). So, I'll probably read the next volume and we'll see.
Rereading for a MOOC on Gender and Comics. It's really hard for me to review this divorced from the rest of the series. I love Strangers in Paradise, despite some things being problematic. But I also feel like maybe 100 years from now it'll seem quaint and dated and the things that I so easily overlooked in the series because it fills such a void in what is written won't be so easy to overlook with better books around.
This shouldn't scare anyone off from the series as a whole but volume 1 is rou ...more
This shouldn't scare anyone off from the series as a whole but volume 1 is rou ...more
All these Strangers in Paradise collections are fucking horrible, I can't even begin to describe the lameness. Two really boring female characters in their 20's, one is a former call-girl and is secretly in love with the other. This is basically a case of some douchebag horny guy making a comic book where he can explore how he feels lesbians might act, and it all comes out as laugh-out-loud stupid or just boring to anyone who lives in the real world. This concept was done waaaaay better by the H
...more
“Strangers in Paradise” is one of those few Black and White indie comics to have survived the boom and bust of the nineties, bringing with it a complex story and gorgeous artwork. It recently celebrated its 25th anniversary and is getting a shiny new re-release of the hardcover omnibi. What better way to celebrate than by looking back at the volume that started it all and seeing just how much one series can change over the course of two decades and a little more than a 100 issues.
The first volum ...more
The first volum ...more
Very well drawn and written. Characters a bit over the top, it's almost a black and white parody of male-female relationships. But I enjoyed it and will read more if I can find it.
You can read this on my blog: my Brilsby's Whims
On the shelf, a woman’s blackened eye stares at me through a tear in darkness. The eye, reddened and swollen, does not cry, not even quivering to predict tears. Firm eyes, strong spirit, looking out beneath the words, ‘Strangers in Paradise: Omnibus,’ and above the signature, ‘Terry Moore’. Not merely box art, but an image from within the story imposed without, overflowing into reality, as if to say, ‘This is no slice-of-life contained between two ...more
On the shelf, a woman’s blackened eye stares at me through a tear in darkness. The eye, reddened and swollen, does not cry, not even quivering to predict tears. Firm eyes, strong spirit, looking out beneath the words, ‘Strangers in Paradise: Omnibus,’ and above the signature, ‘Terry Moore’. Not merely box art, but an image from within the story imposed without, overflowing into reality, as if to say, ‘This is no slice-of-life contained between two ...more
Oct 06, 2009
Kate Lansky
rated it
did not like it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
graphic-novel
So... maybe I'm not your standard lady, I don't know. People tell me all the time that I'm terrible at being a girl. That being said, I can't believe I'm so out of touch with being female as to think that Terry Moore does even a mediocre job at portraying women, friendship, romance, or ANYTHING in this. (view spoiler)
...more
Yeeeah... no. I didn't like the artwork, I didn't like the story and the main characters are both horrible. Katchoo is insane. Seriously. She's a terrible person, violent, rude and full of hatred, she's dangerous and should probably be either in jail or committed. Francine is a hysterical idiot. She acts like the victim all the time, when all that's been happening to her has been the result of her own choices. Freddie is outrageously and with no reason at all portrayed as a bad person in the beg
...more
Apr 24, 2013
Holly
rated it
it was ok
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
people who like boring comics
Recommended to Holly by:
SuperMOOC
Shelves:
comics
I read this for the class I'm taking on gender in comics, so I was pretty much thinking about gender the entire time. As far as that goes, superficially Terry Moore draws women more "realistically" then most comic books, which he should because this is a book about regular people. On the other hand, and especially after I saw the little character breakdowns included and how he was describing Katchoo and Francine, I feel like this isn't so much Terry drawing women realistically as it is Terry jus
...more
Lesbian assassin comic book series that's delicious and heartbreaking at the same time...it rocks!
After three issues, I don't get it. I need someone to convince me it gets better.
Katchoo is the embodiment of my relatively new misandrist side. Obsessed.
Direct quote upon closing the book (spoken aloud), "Le sigh.... Oh, how I love you, 'Strangers in Paradise.'" Yeah, I said that shit. Meant every uninteresting word, too.
not impressed, for such a long running book
I'll use this offering to comment on the entire series. I enjoyed Terry Moore's delightful art work and strong black and white style, and also the strong dialogue and storytelling of his.
I've always liked good comics, have tried drawing myself, so this was a natural pull for me.
SIP is a masterful graphic series. I got to love Francine and Katchoo, and although I'm hesitant about gay sex, this is a wonderful love story and the development of two people finding love and commitment. To understand t ...more
I've always liked good comics, have tried drawing myself, so this was a natural pull for me.
SIP is a masterful graphic series. I got to love Francine and Katchoo, and although I'm hesitant about gay sex, this is a wonderful love story and the development of two people finding love and commitment. To understand t ...more
Back in college, I binged the entirety of Strangers in Paradise in a week or so. It was a trip. The first volume of the collected series contains the initial three-part miniseries, which introduces the central set of characters, and something about them hooked me from the start: Francine's wry humor and vulnerability resonated with me, as did David's artistic vision, essential softness and tendency to find himself in complicated romantic entanglements with off-limits women. And Katchoo- how can
...more
Terry Moore’s Strangers in Paradise epic begins here in this quaint but enjoyable first collection. Longtime friends Francine and Katchoo are polar opposites. Francine is naive and ditzy, often looking to find love in all the wrong places. Katchoo is a feminist with anger issues, carrying an unrequited torch for her best friend. When Francine’s boyfriend dumps her for not having sex with him, both girls take it hard. While Francine spirals into a depression - and a car wreck-induced concussion,
...more
First off, I gotta say that Terry Moore is a terrific artist who deserves all the accolades he gets. The characters have great designs, good anatomy and terrific facial expressions.
But with saying that, his writing style is pretty bad. His humour relies on a lot of sexual violence towards men done by women and that's something really disgusting but never taken seriously by society. His lead, Katchoo, comes off as a strawman's angry lesbian feminist cliche and Francine, the sidekick character, do ...more
But with saying that, his writing style is pretty bad. His humour relies on a lot of sexual violence towards men done by women and that's something really disgusting but never taken seriously by society. His lead, Katchoo, comes off as a strawman's angry lesbian feminist cliche and Francine, the sidekick character, do ...more
Poorly baby yesterday would only nap on me or Daddy but fortunately I was able to snag a graphic novel off the shelf once she was asleep. I haven't read these since I was a student and have been meaning to go back and finish the series (think I stalled around volume 9) so I guess this is the start of my reread before I do so.
This was very much a set-up volume with some back story for Francine, Katchoo and David so not a huge amount happens. Freddie getting his comeuppance was fun though, if a li ...more
This was very much a set-up volume with some back story for Francine, Katchoo and David so not a huge amount happens. Freddie getting his comeuppance was fun though, if a li ...more
Having read nearly the entire series (EXCEPT for the 3 issues from over 20 years ago collected here in Volume 1), I felt that I had to read the original series. The artwork has evolved over the course of 3 series, of course. The fact that the characters and storyline still entertain and have meaning after over 2 decades says wonders for the writer. All I have left to read now is the final collection, #19, and it should be arriving any day now.
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Following the examples of independent comic creators such as Dave Sim and Jeff Smith, he decided to publish Strangers in Paradise himself through his own Houston-based "Abstract Studios" imprint, and has frequently mentioned a desire to do a syndicated cartoon strip in the authors notes at the back of the Strangers in Paradise collection books. He has also mentioned his greatest career influence i
...more
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Strangers in Paradise Trade Paperbacks
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