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.


Quite rollicking and UNCONVENTIONAL!   June 7, 2001
 6 out of 7 found this review helpful

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...


Beautiful, hilarious, aesthetically pleasing!   April 7, 2000
 5 out of 5 found this review helpful

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.


A very amusing reading!   October 8, 2000
 3 out of 7 found this review helpful

This book collects the original 3-issue series of Stangers in Paradise, a black and white independent comic written and drawn by then unknown Terry Moore. It's an urban story about one deeply emotional and temperamental polish girl named Katchoo, a naive and sweet gal named Francine and a young boy David. Their lives are blended together and the result is... surprising. There are no superheroes in this book, but you will find all the emotions of the human spectre: pain, anger, lust, love, hate. The story is so original and interesting that one thing can be said about Strangers in Paradise: it can be enjoyed by people who dont read comic books.

Too bad that the spark didnt last much, as Terry Moore went on to write predictable and cliched second and third parts of this story. My advise: buy this one and dont waste your time buying the others.


Jeepers crow, what a book!   November 6, 2000
 3 out of 3 found this review helpful

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!