What if Stranger Things was led by four girls instead of boys and featured more sci-fi elements than horror? Well, thankfully, there was a comic book made, starting in October 2015 and lasting for 30 issues, that’s got one yearning reader covered. Written by Brian K. Vaughan with art by Cliff Chiang, Paper Girls is about four twelve year olds who deliver newspapers around their neighborhood who soon get caught up in time-travel. While I will always recommend reading the original material of a comic before watching its direct adaptation, this story was made into a show by Amazon, which only lasted for one season before getting cancelled (blame Amazon, not the story). This post will contain spoilers for Paper Girls #1.
Set in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1988, the first issue starts with one of the four girls, Erin, in a dream. Staying true to how weird dreams can get, her dream features an apple, a deceased astronaut, and the devil. Once woken up, Erin sets out on her typical paper route. Because the setting begins in the early morning after Halloween, Erin finds three teenagers still out in costume. Before they can harass her for too long, the bullies are stopped by the rest of the main cast who help Erin; Mac, Tiffany, and KJ. While the girls split up and continue their route, they are soon reunited after “three guys in bad ghost costumes” jump two of the girls and steal Tiffany’s walkie-talkie. Thinking that the thieves could be stashed in a house that’s still being built, the girls wind up in its basement based on the humming sound they hear (a sound “like how you can tell there’s a TV on in your house, even if the volume’s off,” as Erin says). In that basement, behind a cloth that feels like skin, is a strange device that just might be a time machine. There’s a bit more to the plot after that, but if I summed up the whole story, you may not end up reading the actual thing!
If anyone is unfamiliar with Brian K. Vaughan’s work, I’m honestly jealous. I’m aware of how high everyone’s “to-read” piles are, but if you manage it at a steady pace, balance Paper Girls, as well as Saga (Vaughan’s adult sci-fi fantasy series) on the top of that pile. Vaughan is the master at witty dialogue that reads like a breeze, and while it applies to almost every character, they maintain their own unique identity that still makes them stand out amongst the other characters. Similarly, and as I hope you can see from the pictures, Cliff Chiang’s art is simply beautiful, creating a recognizable style the more you see his art and its colorful, at-times simple, but effective tones.
My fondest memories of reading this series were the issues I read over one summer. Any story has a slight edge of further enjoyment if one has a tad more free time as one can have in that season. That being said, this story is best enjoyed year-round. With the adaptation, there’s a good chance that your local library has a copy of at least the first volume. However, one of the fun aspects of comics is the different versions of the story you can read it in besides a simple paperback and hardcover. You can read Paper Girls in single issue, trade paperback, oversized hardcover, or the compendium (every issue combined under one paperback). If you’ve never been to a comic shop before, they will most definitely carry a copy for your future enjoyment!
Liam Jarot – Asst. Prose Editor & Blogger: Liam is a Senior at Lewis University, majoring in English with a concentration in writing. His hobbies include watching movies, reading comic books, and listening to music. Some of his favorite authors include Charles Soule, Stephen King, and Brian K. Vaughan. After graduating, he plans on working with organizations through technical writing while pursuing creative writing on the side.