Paper Girls (#3)

• Writer: Brian K. Vaughan
• Artist: Cliff Chiang, Matt Wilson
• Colorist: Matt Wilson
• Published by: Image
• Pages: 36, Publish Date: December 2, 2015, Price: $2.99
• Notes: Monthly series

Synopsis:

“The ongoing mystery series from BRIAN K. VAUGHAN & CLIFF CHIANG charges ahead, as the girls have a close encounter with an unexpected visitor.”

Personal Thoughts (minor spoilers):

Paper Girls delivers again!!

Open and there is more craziness to this stranger world for our hapless heroines. I see this weird unique aura to this latest issue, where I can feel to what Paper Girls might be moving towards; unpredictable fun. It’s not the horror, fantasy, or science fiction, but the sort meshing of all with drama and humor. Brian K. Vaughan does that well with his written work, without straying the reader too far away into pretentious nonsense. And, he has fun with it all…

First, we open withTerry and Gabs, of who I assume are minor characters in the opening of this issue. Typical teenagers, though a bit more real life to how I relate to ideas of fantastic danger somehow uniting young couples together. That’s great for the 50s, 60s, 70s of campy storytelling but shit gets ridiculous in the 80s. I can sympathize with the otherworldly knight dude riding the dino-bird thing.

“Scruddy teenagers..”

Though his action was a bit uncalled for. By that, assuming they are dead..or perhaps teleported. Will see. Anything is possible in a comic book.

Also, guns are really bad in this world of Paper Girls. Erin was nearly fatally shot in a struggle for a gun between Mac and her step-mom. There exists a possibility I think, for a main character to die this early. Would the writer dare? Turning the pages later on, I might have been right. We have a badass, standing in front of a car daring to accelerate the story plot in a different direction. But then, a headshot happens and we have one less adult who can make a difference. Oddly enough, it’s more scruddy “teenagers” at fault.

Anyway, Erin has a cool weird dream with Cold War symbolism, Charlie Brown’s Christmas, and…Ronald Reagan?

Back to the overall plot; to what I first thought was aliens, or the future, or perhaps some netherworld occult weirdness. I’m leaning towards dimensional portals now.

That all being said, the art is awesome again. I hope to meet Vaughan someday, and ask him on choice of artists and colorist in his work. Everything I come across by his writing has a special style combo. I can’t put my finger on it, as I will perhaps ponder the process of grouping a comics team in the future. That’s all I have to say on the art for now. More in-depth for another day.

Overall, another great issue giving you more for $2.99, and more than most $3.99 books flooding the comic store shelves. Not that I mind paying $3.99 for an issue of Paper Girls, but I just like feeling I have enough left over for a vended can of root beer after paying the $2.99. Root beer goes well with this.

– Orion T