I face a problem that many men who like comic books in this day and age face- and that is a girlfriend who utterly detests them. Oh she looks at it as nothing more than an idiosyncrasy of mine, but she never misses an opportunity to tell me just how much time and money I waste on them.

Imagine my surprise to hear her admit that she has, indeed, read and enjoyed a comic book in the past- Terry Moore’s Strangers in Paradise. I had heard of the title, but knew next to nothing about it. However, I, like any deeply in love comic book geek would do, immediately went out and added Strangers in Paradise to my monthly pull list for her to read. In the process, I grew to enjoy it for myself.

The Story So Far

Strangers in Paradise is essentially a love story revolving around two women, Katina “Katchoo” Choovanski, and Francine Peters. Katchoo and Francine are two very close friends who have an obvious love for one another. However, as close as they have come time and time again to breaking that intimacy barrier, it always seems to fall apart and cause more strain on their friendship than it is worth.

The core relationship story in Strangers in Paradise is highly complex. Francine can best be described as “frumpy,” your average woman. She battles an on-again-off-again weight problem and a real insecurity problem not only with her self, but also in her relationships. She is predominantly straight- which is one of the main obstacles preventing her from growing any closer to Katchoo. Whenever she reached a point where she is willing to cast all doubt to the wind with regard to Katchoo, something happens to gum up the works, and send her spiraling right back into the abyss of uncertainty.

Katchoo, on the other hand, is very much the opposite. Her sexuality is ambiguous to say the least, but it is clear that she has a real preference for women, and an almost brutal hatred of men. One of the ways Moore manifests this is through her intermittent relationship with David Qin. David is a shy, but persistent man who became fascinated with Katchoo in the very first issue, and has done everything possible to insinuate himself in her life. He remained stubborn long enough to win a grudging admiration and possibly love from the bitter Katchoo. He has since moved on, but that lingering relationship resurfaces from time to time in Strangers to add a little tension to the ongoing story.

Katchoo has something of a shady past, which adds a bit of spice to what must seem to be a drawn-out love story. She at one time worked for one Darcy Parker, one of the leaders of a powerful crime syndicate. Katchoo was one of “Parker’s Girls,” who were one part high-priced prostitute, one part brutal assassin. She has since left that world, and now struggles as an artist. As you might imagine, such a life is difficult to abandon, and quite frequently it comes back to haunt her, in the form of detectives in ongoing investigations, assassins out to target her, or old comrades attempting to bring her back into the fold.

Thoughts

Moore does an excellent job blending the outlandish nature of Katchoo’s past into an all too realistic story about the trials of everyday love. One might wonder why a comic centered on such a mundane and potentially sappy subject could last for ten years. Reading a few issues for yourself explains everything. In some way, you can relate.

Unlike your run-of-the-mill Hollywood romance stories, there is hardly ever a happy ending. Moore quite effectively portrays such a wide range of romantic disasters that it is impossible for you to avoid coming across something that you can relate to. Just as in real life, cheating spouses, fear of commitment, jealousy, nervousness around someone you are attracted to, denial of love, aching memories of loves past, self-doubt, and the constant interference of your own life in your love-affairs: these, and many more are common themes in Strangers in Paradise. At least once you will swear he was writing about something that happened to you.

Terry Moore also draws this comic, and his style fits perfectly with the story. The art is in black and white, and while it is not the hyper-detailed work you find in most mainstream comics of today, there can be no denying his talent. Even without all of the bells and whistles, his attention to specific and important details are impossible to miss. Emotions are conveyed clearly, with a very subtle touch. The characters also evolve naturally, be it Francine’s weight-gain (or loss, depending on the issue), or periods of stress or frustration that take their toll on the characters, they always look as they should for what they are going through. Moreover, it is not distracting. The art is simply a part of the story, so much so that when it is not needed, it is not there. Moore shows no hesitancy in switching to prose when the story demands it, and it is not uncommon to turn the page and find several text-only pages following. I admire the fact that Moore recognizes that some things are better left told than drawn.

Bottom Line

Strangers in Paradise is the kind of book that those of us who grew up reading comics should read. It has attained by nature the very level of storytelling maturity and seriousness that many mainstream comics can only pretend. While it is admirable that many of today’s comics are trying to incorporate some serious stories, instead of good guys vs. bad guys action, Strangers is the real deal. Anyone who reads this book can tell you just how far off the mainstream is from this goal. Pick your favorite X-men couple, and recall their story. There, you are told they are in love. In Strangers in Paradise, not only are you told Francine and Katchoo are in love, you feel it. And that difference is what makes this comic such an incredible read.

There are some resources out there to familiarize yourself with the Strangers in Paradise world (the official website is interesting), but I really recommend staying away from them at first. Strangers is the sort of story you just have to dive into, and seek answers to your questions by simply reading more.

One of the best things about Strangers in Paradise is that each and every issue is made available in trade paperback form as soon as it makes sense to release a new one. Issue 58 is due out in stores soon, and already Issue 54 is available in the 12th Strangers in Paradise trade. All of them are often readily available at your local comic store, and are relatively easy to order online through the Strangers in Paradise website. It is best to start from the beginning by picking up the first Strangers in Paradise trade, and reading up from there. They also make great gifts for those “comic hating girlfriends.” I promise you, get the first trade paperback for your girlfriend and she will be hooked. She may not go ga-ga over Batman, but she will at least gain a little respect for comics in general.

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