Title: Paper Girls, Vol 1
Author:
Brian K Vaughan
Contributors: Cliff Chiang, Matt Wilson, Jared K Fletcher
Genre:
Graphic Novel, Sci-Fi
Series: Paper Girls (#1-5)
A
few starting notes:
I
received a free digital review copy of this book via NetGalley.
NetGalley provides review copies from publishers in exchange for fair
and honest reviews.
I was totally prepared to not like this - and I'm not entirely sure why.
I guess maybe I thought it was just going to be about boring paper-delivery-girls and their struggles to buy roller blades...or something.
It's not. Don't worry.
So when I decided to see what the fuss was about?
Wow. It's... something else.
Premise:
A group of paper girls get wrapped up in something waaaaaaay bigger than themselves.
Something happens to them on their paper route. And nothing's going to be the same again.
Because now... now they have to survive.
And there's some mighty weird sh** going down.
Best
bits:
These girls rock. Witty, brave, but uber-realistic, I absolutely love seeing girls like this in the world of comics.
The whole thing has kind of a Super 8 (UK - US) vibe. Maybe because it's set in the 80s, and maybe because loads of random sh** is going on, and the kids are a witness to all of it.
Either way, it's a compliment, not a criticism.
The artwork manages to catch the retro-ness of the 80s while still keeping a fresh feel to the colours and lines. Not an easy feat, and definitely something that deserves a mention.
I love the sci-fi elements - and the fact that we only really know as much as the girls at any given moment; it's pulled off with what can only be described as finesse.
This also struck me as a great graphic novel for newbies - I don't mean that in a negative way.
I mean that it is really accessible to people who maybe aren't so keyed into the genre as die-hard graphic novel fans. It's not intimidating. So newbies are welcome here :)
Not
so great bits:
I might be one of the only people on earth to think this, but I don't like the cover.
It's too neon, overly-retro, and I just don't like it. Maybe that was one of the things putting me off trying it out.
I know a lot of people adore the cover - so, to each his own.
I know I say this a lot, but there's some swearing and violence. So if you don't like that, you know what to do.
Although, unlike The Private Eye (UK - US) - the other Vaughan title I've reviewed, it hasn't got any sexual content. So that's a change to my usual list of warnings.
Verdict:
A really awesome graphic novel, with an awesome set of characters.
This is really great - and has a lot of potential for the future of the series.
Plus, it's enjoyable for new graphic novel readers and seasoned comics addicts alike. What more could you want?
This is really great - and has a lot of potential for the future of the series.
Plus, it's enjoyable for new graphic novel readers and seasoned comics addicts alike. What more could you want?
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I have read quite a few graphic novels but I know I am still relatively a newbie so maybe this will be a good place for me to start as well! I really like the sound of the sci-fi kind of element being added to the retros 80s feel. That time period has me enraptured!
ReplyDeleteI think you'd really like this one Liv, seems like your sort of thing! :)
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