Strangers In Paradise Pocket Book 1 (Strangers in Paradise (Graphic Novels)) [Paperback]

Terry Moore (Author, Artist)

Book Description

Series: Strangers in Paradise (Graphic Novels) | Publication Date: August 10, 2004

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 friend, Francine. Then Katchoo meets David, a gentle but persistent young man who is determined to win Katchoo's heart. The resulting love triangle is a touching comedy of romantic errors until Katchoo's former employer comes looking for her and $850,000 in missing mob money. As her idyllic life begins to fall apart, Katchoo discovers no one can be trusted and that the past she thought she left behind now threatens to destroy her and everything she loves, including Francine. This is the first edition in the series - don't miss it!

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

*Starred Review* In the world of Moore's award-attracting comic book Strangers in Paradise, best friends Francine and Katchoo are young women trying to find their places. Katchoo, a talented artist, is secretly in love with Francine. When Katchoo meets David at an art museum, it seems to be by chance, and the two build a strong friendship, despite David's desire for more. Just when Katchoo's little love triangle begins getting complicated, the Mafia past she thought she had walked away from arises to try to destroy her life. Moore's attention to detail in characterization makes Katchoo and the gang jump off the page. The story has an epic feel but never loses the details of the characters' lives. Bouncing between scope and scale, Moore also never loses the reader in the transitions. His art has a bright, clean look; he manages to be cute and also very dark when darkness is appropriate. The combination of art and storytelling elements allows Katchoo, Francine, and David to be touching and to make one care about where they are going. A sophisticated must-read, never more library-friendly than in the new series of regular-book-sized volumes this book inaugurates. Tina Coleman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Paperback: 360 pages
• Publisher: Abstract Studio; 1ST edition (August 10, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1892597268
• ISBN-13: 978-1892597267
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #124,477 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great jumping-on point for new readers!, September 6, 2004

By 

Kon-El "Superboy" (Earth, SOL galaxy) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Strangers In Paradise Pocket Book 1 (Strangers in Paradise (Graphic Novels)) (Paperback)

Strangers in Paradise is a comic series that's been running for over a decade now, published on a roughly bi-monthly schedule. No superheroes, no spandex, just real human drama. The characters and settings are believable but at the same time filled with dramatic possibilities. The first few issues and storylines feel somewhat forced and even juvenile and predictable at times, but it was the beginning of a series when the writer (Terry Moore) was attempting to establish complex characters and dynamics. This Pocket Book is a great way for new readers to jump onto this title. The clean, consistent artwork will draw you in, and the excellent writing and pacing will hook you for sure. Not a series to be missed by anyone looking for a serious literary masterpiece. The collected format is great as each issue flows very suddenly into the next.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The start of something great, December 10, 2004

By 

Scott A. Misko (STONE MOUNTAIN, GEORGIA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Strangers In Paradise Pocket Book 1 (Strangers in Paradise (Graphic Novels)) (Paperback)

If you try to read this series in the individual comic issues, you won't get nearly half of what you get in these pocket book series. With individual issues, you have to look for the correct volume as well as issue numbers. Here, the story is perfectly laid out. We get a long look at the characters of Francine, Katchoo, and David and their development over a period of time. This is lost when reading the indiviual issues.

I have to say that the writing is top notch with every conceivable twist and turn. I found it hard to put down and was glad when volume 2 came out. Volume three hits the racks next week and will certainly find it's way into my collection.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Didn't quite mee my (perhaps excessively) high expectations, April 20, 2009

By 

Robert Moore (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Strangers In Paradise Pocket Book 1 (Strangers in Paradise (Graphic Novels)) (Paperback)

I had heard a string of great things about Terry Moore's STRANGERS IN PARADISE have long harbored hopes of reading it. But given that there are only so many hours in the day, I had kept putting it off. I recently have really enjoyed Moore's story for the latest installments of THE RUNAWAYS (if not Humberto Ramos's artwork), so I was finally prompted to give his most famous work a read.

My reaction was both very positive and somewhat negative. The parts focusing on Katchoo and Francine were delightful and I especially enjoyed the almost grotesque (in the earlier sense of the word) characters, like Francine's tippling uncle or the peeping Tom neighbor. Every bit of the first volume dealing with somewhat mundane, everyday life affairs was a joy. But a lot of the story ruined parts of the book for me much like the way that an accidental killing of an attempted rapist marred some of the otherwise extraordinary Season Two of FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS. Just as the killing lessened the overall quality of the television series, so the entire organized crime angle of STRANGERS IN PARADISE really distracted from the overall story. This was only the first volume and my hope is that the more sensationalistic elements will drop out after this, but I won't know until I get there.

All that aside, I have to admit to very mild disappointment at this point. I had heard so many great things about STRANGERS IN PARADISE that I was expecting something truly outstanding. I found it good, but not truly great. I really hope that changes as I go further into the series. I have Volume 2 on order. My expectations for Volume 1 were perhaps a bit too high. Hopefully Volume 2 will fulfill them.