Comic Review: Strangers in Paradise

By Contributing Writer on Thursday, February 5, 2009 - 00:31

by Lil G

Even though I know this series isn't created by a European, I really wanted to share this with you. "Strangers in Paradise" (or SiP) is a rare gem, that once you're finished reading you wonder why it's not picked up by a more mainstream audience. IT IS THAT GOOD.

I can't remember exactly when I started reading SiP, but I do remember how I started. It was one of those hot Summer days and I passed a comic shop somewhere in downtown Toronto back in 2002, Canada when I was suddenly reminded I still needed to pick up something new for my brother (he's into Buffy, Serenity, Spawn, sci fi and fantasy). So I stepped in and was greeted by a geeky looking guy. I browsed for the longest time - when several "Strangers in Paradise" trade paperback issues caught my eye. That sure didn't sound like any superhero stuff I'd ever seen before. Curiousity piqued I picked up a copy and started reading a couple of random pages.
Up until that moment I didn't consider myself the type to read comics, but this Terry Moore sure knows how to tell a story! The diagologues are the kind anyone can relate to, the stuff you'd probably say to your friends in similar situations. And what's more important: he draws women like real women. No huge sillicone boobs and tiny waist lines but skinny women, curvy women and even a couple of ripped ones.
I picked up one of each volume they were stocking, and when the geeky looking guy saw what I was buying he smiled. He told me I would love it, that his girlfriend is a huge fan of the series, and that she was the one who got him hooked on it as well. That much praise sure promised something very good. And Terry Moore delivered.

I took the liberty of re-reading the series in order to review it for you. That's 90 single issues, or 19 trade paperbacks.

The main characters in the book are:

Katina "Katchoo" Choovanski - An artist with a violent past, and once lover and agent of Darcy Parker. Katchoo has been in love with her best friend, Francine, for most of her life, though she has complicated romantic feelings for her only male friend, David, as well.
Francine Peters - Katchoo's kind-hearted best friend. Francine struggles with her weight and self-image, never quite able to see the beauty in herself that Katchoo sees. Francine has difficulty bringing herself to make a romantic commitment to Katchoo, partly due to her Methodist upbringing and partly because of her childhood dream to become a wife and mother. Her marriage to Brad Silver comes crashing down when she realizes that he's unfaithful to her.
Yousaka Takahashi/David Qin - A born again Christian and younger brother of Darcy Parker. He's also the unwilling heir to the Takahashi crime syndicate.  The complex romantic feelings he harbors for Casey and Katchoo come to a head when he is diagnosed with a serious illness, leading the trio to contemplate having a baby in his memory.

Then there are:

Casey Bullocks - An aerobics instructor with a heart of gold, Casey was married to Freddy Femur but divorced him after she learned he was still in love with Francine. Since the divorce, she has had romantic involvements with both Katchoo and David. Because of her childhood anorexia, she is unable to give birth to David's child.
Freddie Femur - Francine's ex-boyfriend and Casey's ex-husband.
Darcy Parker - Darcy was a ruthless and predatory crime boss who led the "Parker Girls," women who are skilled in various acts of seduction and espionage. Though she employed only women and claimed to hate the male gender, Darcy had an intense, incestuous love for her brother David. She had an intense relationship with Katchoo, until Katchoo ran away to Hawaii with her friend Emma. Darcy was murdered by Tambi after her criminal empire was brought down.
Mary Beth "Tambi" Baker - The muscle behind Darcy Parker, alongside her twin sister Sara Beth "Bambi". Tambi is skilled in not only the deadly arts, but in business and strategy. She and Sara are Katchoo's older half sisters. In a quest to continue the Baker line, she covertly encourages Katchoo to bear David's child.
Griffin Silver - An aging rock star admired by Katchoo in her youth, Griffin's songs were printed in the series long before the character made his first appearance. 
Brad Silver - A charming, handsome gynecologist, Brad at first appears to be an ideal husband for Francine; however, their inability to communicate drives a wedge between them. When Francine discovers his infidelity, she initiates divorce proceedings.

Now don't think it's another "lesbian-till-she-meets-the-right-man", because it's not. It's way more complex than that. For the record: SiP won two GLAAD awards (2001 for Best Comic Book, 2008 for Outstanding Comic Book). And that should say something.
The storyline is told though a lot of flashbacks, enabling the reader to get to know the characters better with each volume (Terry has an occasional appearance; look for a tiny bespectacled balding guy).
You see how Katchoo and Francine meet and befriend eachother, and how that works out through the years - it's clear the two have a bond that goes beyond an ordinary friendship. You see how David walks into the story and how his past is tied with Katchoo's, and how Casey completes their "family".

When Terry Moore wrapped up SiP in 2007 a lot of fans were disappointed, but everything eventually comes to an end. And while some feel he wrote an ending that's open for debate, I think he did a good job. The series remains one of my all time favorite reads. (And I noticed how, by reading the series for the second time, many details slipped by me the first time.)

Personally, I like the fact that Terry doesn't put labels on any of the characters (and I know I'm not the only one in this); he leaves that up to the reader while he narrates. But I've heard someone say how SiP was put with the X-rated magazines because of its lesbian content. Tsk, tsk, seriously.
 
A lot of people thought for a long time Terry Moore was a woman (myself excluded), as the women in SiP aren't as black and white as you'd expect them to be, and most of the men in the story are jerks. All I can say is he definitely has a good eye for interaction. And when in doubt he consults his wife Robyn.

SiP is poignant, goofy, heartbreaking and heartwarming wrapped into a neat package. And if you don't like comics, well... Then, you clearly haven't read "Stranger in Paradise".

SiP ran from 1993 till 2007, with Terry mostly self-publishing his works (Abstract Studio).

SiP site: http://www.strangersinparadise.com/
Fan forum: http://strangersinparadise.org/
Terry Moore on AE: http://www.afterellen.com/Print/2007/4/terrymoore

P.S. After Terry finished Strangers in Paradise in 2007 he briefly put up a missing page on his blog, which I have here, just for you.