Customer Reviews

Strangers In Paradise Pocket Book 2 (Strangers in Paradise Pocket Book Collection) (Bk. 2)

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This first compilation of Terry Moore's Strangers in Paradise collects the first three issues of the comic (Volume 1, Issue 1: Breaking up is Hard to Do; Volume 1, Issue 2: Katchoo's Revenge; and Volume 1, Issue 3: Busted!) into one volume. We are introduced to two long-time friends, Francine Peters and Katina "Katchoo" Choovanski, as well as assorted other characters such as Francine's boyfriend (well, at the start) Freddie Femur and the smitten David Qin. So many relationships! Francine is in love with Freddie, Katchoo is in love with Francine, David is in love with Katchoo, and Freddie is mostly in love with himself.

The volume revolves around Francine's relationship with Freddie. The sexual tension, the infidelity, the breakup. Then, there's Francine's reaction to the situation, which spurs Katchoo's reaction to the situation, which spurs Freddie's reaction to Katchoo's reaction. It's all very cause-and-effect.

The interaction and by-play between characters tends to be fairly fast-paced, with everyone reaecting to the world around them. The one exception seems to be David Qin, Katchoo's unwanted admirer, who seems to take on the role of observer in all of the drama unfolding around Francine and Katchoo.

What strikes me about this comic is that it's about normal people in (mostly) normal situations. Francine tries to deal with a breakup. Katchoo and David deal with unrequited love. Freddie is a jerk... There are no magic powers. There are no fantastic worlds. It's just about ... people, living their lives.

The exception to this rule seems to be Katchoo herself. Her methods of dealing with alarm clocks must make the alarm clock manufacturers of the world very happy. She seems to be unnaturally strong. She has what the politically correct might call 'anger issues.' But underneath it all, she is a friend, and a protector, willing to do anything she can to keep Francine safe, and happy, and sheltered from the ugliness of the world. Oh yeah, and she also has a felony record that the FBI won't release.

Interesting.

While browsing in the local comic book shop, I came across this book that seems to be about two young women - one blonde and one brunette... I went and bought it... Let me tell you...I'm really glad I got this book because I enjoyed it a great deal and even LAUGHED REALLY HARD at some parts! It's a very honest adult-oriented tale all about Katchoo (what a curious name!), a very feisty young blonde who would wield a REAL gun at the sudden drop of a hat and her dark-haired girlfriend named Francine who is just so innocent and gullible she'd expect any man - even a real jerk like her womanizing boyfriend, Freddie to be sympathetic with her. But poor Francine got stood up and BADLY INJURIED as a result, so the ANGRY Katchoo decides to take the matters into her own hands! Also tagging along is an angelic-faced Japanese-looking young man who likes Katchoo so much he'd patiently take any man-bashing abuse the old girl would dish out to him! Heck, you'd like the good, funny story all about love, sex, betrayal, friendship, gender issues, and the stuff as well as the really nice artwork that even has some REALISTIC-LOOKING close-ups of the characters! Additional bonus: Terry Moore also includes a handful of rejected but amusing comic strips...

In this short collection of the first three issues of the Strangers in Paradise graphic "Comic Book" series, the reader is introduced to the main characters of the series, Katchoo and Francine. The story centers mainly around the dynamic relationship between the two, and delves deeply into the issues of true love, trust, and friendship. It's hard to remember that Katchoo and Francie aren't real people at sometimes; while the plot is at times fantastic and a bit too action-packed to be quite real, they experience every range of human emotion, and their lives will touch yours. No spandexed, overly-endowed superheroes in this one, and the most surprising fact of all is the accuracy of Mr. Moore's perception of the female psyche. You *really will* laugh and cry with this one. The girls are beautifully drawn and accurately proportioned and the story is superb. You won't be able to stop reading. Someday, like me, you'll bite your nails down to the quick waiting for the next issue to come out and hang on every one of Terry Moore's words.

When I first started to read Strangers in Paradise back in 1996, I had to immediatly get my hands on every issue I could possibly find. I coulnd't stop reading this compelling story of Katchoo, Francine, David, and the rest of the deeply molded characters in this book. Terry Moore, dispite being a really friendly guy, has a great storytelling sence- verbally and visually. Although all three of the Strangers in Paradise series are wonderfull, this one takes the cake. A very deep story that will make you laugh, make you cry, and make you love the characters you are reading about. As soon as this collected edition came out, I had to own it, even though I own all of the indiviual comics. What more can I say... buy it, it's just amazing!

I'd heard so many great things about STRANGERS IN PARADISE that I had pretty much assumed that it was going to blow me away. I like it. I enjoy it. But I'm also somewhat underwhelmed.

I fundamentally have two major problems with STRANGERS IN PARADISE after the first two volumes. The first is the "action" elements of the stories. The second are the rather terrible poems that are inserted at various spots. I won't say much about the latter except that the poems and songs are the series "weakest link" and add nothing to the stories. As far as the action elements go, I find them perplexing. I love Katchoo and Francine and the parts of the books devoted to their everyday lives. It was said of SEINFELD that it was a show "about nothing." When STRANGERS IN PARADISE is "about nothing," it excels. It is charming, delightful, and riveting. I almost wonder if Terry Moore knew that he had something special, but didn't quite trust it to stand on its own. The "action" or "adventure" aspects of the books feel like distractions. I don't want to read about Darcy and Katchoo's dark past and Tambi (especially Tambi!) or any women wearing those stupid tattoos! If Tambi is part of the story, you know it is sucking.

I'm going to stick with this, but I really hate Terry Moore for not trusting his characters to stand on their own. This is speculation on my part, but I think that many others who love these comics ignore the Darcy aspects of the stories. I think they ignore them. I can't. I hate the parts dealing with Katchoo's criminal past and feel that they pull the series as a whole down. I already have Volume 3 on my bookshelf and will start reading it almost immediately. I just hope that the series ceases being a somewhat unsuccessful blend of crime and everyday life stories. Katchoo and Francine are great; the thugs and criminals are not.

Although the cover of the book says "volume I" I really wouldn't wanna call it that. I think it could be better seen as a "issue #0" or a "get-to-know-the-characters-special" because basically that's what this is. Reading the book is fun, pretty good fun actually. You get to know the characters a little and see a teensy bit of how they are. Volume II though (which is called "I dream of You") is REALLY volume I because there is where it all really starts. The story goes from there to where it is now. In THIS book "The Collected" you get to know who are gonna be in "Strangers in Paradise" but it's "I dream of You" where the story really begins. So don't see this book as the start of SiP that you HAVE to get but see it more as a nice addition if you like SiP from other volumes. If you miss this one you won't be missing any essential knowledge (like you would if you missed either one of the later volumes), but you should get it anyway because, like I said, it still is great fun to read.

Mr. Moores talent takes us further into the lives of Katchoo, Francine and several others in this at times funny, provactive graphic novel. A must read!

Terry Moore's series Strangers in Paradise is a fantasic study of modern life and love. It's about breaking down social stereotypes and learning to love a person for who they are not what they are. It's about true friendship and how hard and how beautiful that is. It's about growing up and knowing yourself and being yourself and rising above your history. It's also an action/adventure thriller with twists and turns and plenty of surprises. There are stories within stories. It's a multilayered, many splendored thing. It's such a good read. Read it.

I was late jumping on the SiP bandwagon, but in the end I'm sure glad I did. If it's one thing Terry Moore is good at, is writing stories that pull on the strings of your heart. It's certainly the most unconventional comic to say the least as all of the characters seem like real people, with no superpowers to be found. Yet all of them do have a real villain- reality. The pain of a love relationship gone wrong, gang crime, brutal murders and dissapointment of dying dreams. It is also a book filled with genuine warmth of friendship, romance and happiness that simply doesn't exist in other books.

All in all, I recomment this a must read for any comic fan. I do agree with what the reader below me said, that the faces of Casey and Katchoo are almost identical. But it's still a damn good book and I'm sorry to see that it will soon becoming to and end.

This was my first foray into the 'Strangers in Paradise' series, and what an incredible series it is. Infact, it is one of the best comic works I have come across, and I recommend it highly. I am completely excited about reading the rest of Moore's collection and was sorry when this had finished.

This pocket book is wonderful value and provides hours of entertainment. I am pleased to see that the series has been compiled, it is just too difficult to find the chronology of little books, and it was the release of these pocket books that inspired me to investigate 'Strangers in Paradise.'

The female characters are fleshed out, strong, very real, utterly likable and unlike the female caricatures so common in the comic genre. I particularly loved the high school portion of the work, which charters the beginnings of their intense friendship. As well the Xena story, which is also wonderful and quite funny.

Moore's work has a subtle gentle humour and he is quite amazing at nagivating the female psyche. While I wished I could have read the Pocket Book 1 first, it is not impossible to start a 'Strangers in Paradise' journey with this work.

But I do suggest you begin it. It is such a wonderful comic.