Paper Girls Volume 1

Since Paper Girls is an ongoing series rather than a miniseries, I'll be collecting both the monthly-release issues, and the trade paperbacks. The first five issues comprise an introductory arc; more questions asked than answered as we're taken from one bizarre predicament to the next.

The series is one of many comics to pay tribute to 1980's culture; it's been a bit of a trend lately. However, instead of focusing on the superficial spark and flash of that decade, we're offered more in the way of suburban nostalgia and B-movie, science-fiction magic. Because of that, I don't feel like the references here are poured on too thick as to be made jarring. Cliff Chiang's art is highly stylized, and Matt Wilson's blend of glowing blues, and violets and yellows add to that visual appeal. Each of the four girls -- Erin, Mac, Tiffany and KJ -- are characterized well and their personalities sort of "bleed" into each other in a way that retains a distinctness which allows for pretty stellar character interaction, despite the fact that Erin has barely met the other three. Comic books have this recurring problem in writing believable youth, where the child characters are either too serious or too naive; "Paper Girls" finds the right balance with flowing dialogue.

I mentioned the "more questions asked than answered" thing, right? Because the mystery only piles up from the first chapter on -- no bicycle brakes. I feel that the first five chapters of the series could have used a slowdown to establish the girls and Stony Stream, Ohio in better detail. I think we could have spent a little more time on bicycles delivering newspapers, before we started driving without a license and being flung momentarily into space. Might just be me, though, because I did enjoy Vaughan's "Paper Girls" a ton more than I could have ever gotten into "Saga"; highly anticipating where the story will be taken from here.

Paper Girls is a time travel comic that begins in 1988 starring a diverse group of teenage girls who all have paper routes. Until most of the people in their town disappear after they find a weird alien device in a basement, at which point there isn't much call for newspapers, and also they spent most of their time running for their lives, caught between two factions engaged in a time travel war, and trying to figure out what the heck is going on.

The first volume felt a little baffling, even on re-read, though it had plenty of intriguing mystery. But can I say how amazing it felt to read a science fiction comic where teen girls are the stars? The second volume included more answers about the war and deeper character development, so that's when the series really "clicked" for me. (Yes, someone does meet up with their future self, because time travel.) The third volume was a little more straightforward "stranded in the past" storyline, and I enjoyed it. So far, Paper Girls is a strong sci-fi action comic centered around girls and women, with POC, Jewish, and queer rep, and I'm looking forward to the fourth volume.

I hate to recommend a comic without discussing the art, but I don't know what to say about Cliff Chiang's art except that I always adore it.

I have to admit, the description given for this book left me unsure whether or not I would like it. Four 12-year-old girls delivering newspapers in 1988 encounter some sort of otherworldly mystery? That wasn’t a lot to go on. Still, I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve read by Brian K. Vaughan, so I thought I’d give it a try.

And I’m glad I did, because the story sucked me in. The four paper girls, delivering their papers in a Cleveland suburb in the wee hours of November 1, 1988, encounter strangeness that they think at first is just related to Halloween shenanigans, but it quickly becomes apparent that there’s more going on here. Being 12-year-olds, though, they have no idea what to make of it. Is it some sort of Russian attack? Aliens? Or what? They don’t know, and the reader is left guessing, too, even as some of what’s happening becomes more clear as the story progresses.

In addition to the strange mystery surrounding the characters, Vaughan builds in some nice human touches. All four main characters are given personalities and backgrounds that shape their reactions to what’s happening to them. The central character, Erin, is given additional interest through hints that she has experienced some sort of problem that has left her without friends. What exactly happened to her, though, remains to be discovered.

So, I’m hooked. I’ll definitely be picking up the next volume in the series and giving it a try. Recommended for fans of Vaughan or anyone interested in a good spooky mystery.

An ARC of this graphic novel was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

In the age of nostalgia being retro, Paper Girls is just what I need right now. So, who came first? Paper Girls or Stranger Things. I'll tell ya; it's Paper Girls. Issue 1 came out in 2015 and the first episode of Stranger Things came out in 2016. So swap out a team of girls with a team of boys and you’re kind of looking at the same story. Don't get me wrong, these are not carbon copies. These are both really cool unique stories in their own right, but they're both running on the same premise- 80s nostalgia rules, especially when you throw in some sci-fi.

So the concept is very simple. You have 12-year-old paper girls finding out that, on Halloween, the world is not as it seems. We're talking aliens, monsters, the whole nine yards, including that 1980s Aliens and Goonies feel (scary with a mix of youthful hope).

What's not to love? Even though I say “what's not to love,” I have to admit that I didn't absolutely love this story. It’s not perfect, but I still totally enjoyed it. The complexity of the characters was really good. Not all the girls are likable, and if you’ve ever met a 12-year-old, you know full well that they can be a bit annoying. Also, the story itself seems to start out a bit disjointed, but I’m hoping that improves throughout the series. The artwork is pretty cool, but nothing mindblowing so far. Regardless, I'm going to keep reading this series. It's entertaining. I like it. It has cool 80s girls as the stars of the show. I love it.

Recommended to comic book fans. Recommended to fans of young adult fiction. Recommended to fans of science fiction and paranormal. Even though it’s a story about 12-year-olds, parents should be cautious; every child is different. May not be suitable for small children due to language, violence, and other mature content (16+).

Paper Girls is set in 1988, Ohio and involves Erin, a newspaper delivery girl who on Halloween night meets up with three other paper girls, Mac, Tiffany, and KJ when she runs into trouble with some teenagers. They decided to split up into twos using Tiffany's walkie talkies to keep in touch with. Erin goes with the legendary Mac, one of the first paper girls.

Tiffany and KJ get their walkie talkie stolen by some really weird guys wrapped up in cloth. All four of them go on the hunt for them since the walkie talkie cost so much and means a lot to Tiffany. On their hunt they find in a building a mysterious machine. They go outside and have a run in with those guys and they drop a slim disk like object with an apple on it that looks like the apple that the new computer at school has on it.

When they go over to Mac's place to get the gun they run into Mac's stepmother who tells her that her dad just disappeared into thin air. They themselves had seen a kid from school be in the streets one minute and gone the next. Her stepmother tries to take the gun to kill herself and Mac wrestles her with it, but the gun goes off shooting someone.

On the way to the hospital, a man in a suit of armor stops them and says he can help. Then the cloth-bound people show up and insist that they are the ones who can truly help. Who should they trust? And what is happening to their world? Can a group of paper girls save it? These four just might be able to. This was a great comic showed the power and smarts of four young teenage girls during the time of some great mysterious threat to the earth. I highly recommend reading this book.

Paper Girls is another fantastically original story from the brilliant mind behind Saga, Volume 1, Mr. Brian K. Vaughan. Halloween morning has arrived. Teenagers are traipsing through town, dressed in their scary, villainous costumes. In the midst of it all, we have four teenage girls who go about their paper delivery routes. But starts off as a day of mundane routine turns into an adventure with crazy alien birds, adolescent boys from the future, and "grown-ups" who aren't what they seem.

The first volume of this new grunge, science-fiction story collects the first five issues of the comic series. The plot feels a bit overwhelming as it unfolds very quickly. There is quite a lot going on that can come off as confusing upon a first-time read through. But if you take your time and pay attention to the little details, you'll find that it's all a foundation for bigger things to come. While I did find the storytelling to be expeditious, it was also extremely engrossing and visually enthralling.

The artwork is a glorious compliment to the 80s chic and epic, larger-than-life atmosphere. The action picks up and maintains it's fast-paced nature until the end of the volume. It's never choppy, or random, but has a wonderfully fluid allure to it all. I felt myself blowing through page after page without even realizing that I was inching closer to a climactic cliffhanger.

Paper Girls swept me up with its high energy and stunning illustrations, and kept me bewitched with fascination all the way through. I loved it and I can't wait to devour the next installment; four crazy alien birds out of five.

First off I want to make mention of the perfectly suited art and colors which are match-made for the storytelling. The characters have a distinct early teenage look and the setting is eerily early morning bathed in few colors to create an atmosphere that truly heightens the reading experience.

The plot is one that evolves as the book progresses. Introducing the key players early on via a standard job for teens undertaking a paper-route followed by a standard boys v girls teenage face-off before turning towards the fantastical when a couple of strange and mysterious people covered in robes appear, while others, namely adults, disappear without a trace.

Snappy dialogue and a distinct teenage voice drives PAPER GIRLS towards the upper echelon of 'blended fiction' - one that comprises elements of teenage drama, horror, sci-fi, and fantasy. Never missing a beat, author Brian K Vaughan evolves his characters in-line with his clever plotting as the unbelievable becomes more prevalent.

From beginning to end, I was hooked. I love it when books/graphic novels surprise me and PAPER GIRLS certainly did that. With the time travel aspect looking to play a large part in the next volume I can't wait to see how the story pans out.

Reviewed on my blog: [...]

I wasn't loving this book at first, it seemed to skew a bit young for me and didn't seem anywhere near as good as Vaughan's other series Saga. But it picked up quickly, VERY quickly, and then I was strapped in for the ride. It's H.G. Wells meets Peter Clines meets R.L. Stine meets Ann M. Martin. What a dinner party that would be, eh? I love that we're treated to Paper GIRLS, when this could have easily been about paper boys. I love that at age 12 the girls are somewhat independent and beyond childhood, yet too young to throw in any unneeded love stories. I love the 1980s references. I love that we have several groups of unknowns who may be good or bad or a bit of both. I love that there are going to be messages and lessons throughout the series.

I love-love-love the broken English the groups were speaking, it was genius.

I would recommend this to anyone 12 and up (if you're a parent, there are mature themes but nothing your 12 year old hasn't heard before, I promise), any lover of Saga, sci-fi, time travel, and/or H.P. Lovecraft. As a 49 year old woman I loved this and cannot wait for the next volume.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for a review.

It’s the morning after Halloween in 1988 and we meet four paper girls - Mac, Erin, KJ, and Tiffany as they start their route. They notice a few strange things happening in their neighborhood. People are disappearing, strange creatures, loud noises… the girls decide they’re going to get to the bottom of it and set out to find answers.

I picked this comic up because I had been hearing some great things about it. I was so excited when it was released and while it has an interesting plot, it’s so strange and weird and I just couldn’t wrap my mind around the whole sci-fi/time travel deal. It was too much in my opinion. I also hated the language barrier. I felt the creators should have just used emotions or expressions or even just left it speechless vs the foreign language. AND what the heck does Apple have to do with any of this?! Killing me to know why that little apple logo keeps appearing.

The ending was unexpected and a nice twist that peaked my curiosity. I’ll continue on only because I want to know how we got to that final point. I enjoyed the group of friends and how they fought to stay in control. They were awesome, strong, and brave. Lastly, the colors in this were really pretty and muted. I love when a comic chooses a color to represent a specific mood! Overall it was good, but just a little too far out there.

A promising start to a new series from Vaughan with gorgeous art to match. A very strange science fiction story set in the 1980s. We're given a lot of information in this first volume and introduced to many characters along with a whole lot of questions about what the heck is going on. Four 12yo girls find that pretty much most of the town has disappeared and they are left to meet strange monsters, flying dinosaurs, alien looking knights who speak a combo mod-slang Shakespearean lingo and deformed aliens who claim to be teenagers like them. We're not sure who the bad guys are yet so the girls can't trust anyone at this point. We don't know much about the girls yet either but we have got to know their personalities. There is also an apple symbolism floating around with both Garden of Eden and the computer company references being explored. I also loved the '80s clothing and cultural references. A very intriguing opening volume that has me anxious to read more, especially with its shock ending.

The one definite failing of the comics medium is that it's often serialized format doesn't always translate to the 5-to-6 issue trade paperback format that has become the norm in publishing.

Paper Girls Vol. 1 is unfortunately an example of that. Not because there's anything wrong or bad about the book, but rather that #1-#5 is anything but a complete and fulfilling story.

As the beginning of a longer, currently incomplete narative, I like Paper Girls a lot. Borrowing from pictures like The Burbs and John Hughes films, Paper Girls does just about as good a job of replicating the '80s as I've seen in recent memory, and infusing it with the more fantastic, big picture sci-fi that you'd expect from a comic that doesn't have to be tethered to a 1980's movie budget.

The story is rather basic still, and not many questions have been answered. The best that I can really tell you without spoiling any surprises is that the four paper girls pictured on the book's cover end up falling right into the middle of an alien-like invasion on Halloween - only to have every new bit of information about the invaders reveal a much more confusing and complex story that will have Paper Girls readers on the edge of their seats for the next few trade paperback releases.

The art is great. Cartoony and colorful, the book's cover art does a fair job of representing the style that runs throughout the book, and keeps the book stylish and easy to read. While I can stomach pretty much any art, I've long been of the opinion that great art can make you pour through a book much faster and easier and the book falls on that side of the spectrum.

Overall, I'd definitely say Paper Girls is worth the read - particularly if you pick up the cheaper Kindle edition - and it sets the stage for great things to come, just don't expect much more than a beginning from this first volume, with the middle and the end reserved for forthcoming volumes.

Trippy and surreal in absolutely the best way possible.

The paper girls are delivering papers in the post-Halloween pre-dawn darkness of November 1, 1988. There are a lot of costumed weirdos still out, so they help each other out.

Everything about the storyline delighted me. Each time I settled into comfortable enjoyment, thinking I knew where the story was heading, the ground shifted under me and I found myself somewhere else altogether.

The are undertones of feminism (one of the paper girls is the pioneer who first took over a boy's route, proving that girls could indeed deliver papers), tolerance (anti-gay slurs get a character mocked for her ignorance), and a heavy dose of the classic teenage screed: don't trust anyone over 30.

Highly recommended. 4.5 stars only because the complimentary review copy I received from the publisher suffered from a low resolution; the images were slightly pixelated on my 8 inch tablet.

This graphic novel had really great art style and the plot was not what i expected at all. I would definitely recommend it (at least from what i have read and watched so far) to people who really like stranger things. It gave me stranger things vibes but with female main characters and more alien activity. Couple of things i did not like though were that 1. There were instances where there were people who spoke a foreign language and there was no translation of it. Because of no translation it took me out of the story a few times. 2. I understand in order to sell more copies of a series of graphic novels you need to keep the reader wanting more so you need to put cliffhangers in them however it does not need to be rushed and muddled and then be a random cliffhanger right?? That is just what i got out of it. It is intriguing enough to continue and i may get my boyfriend to read it but because of these points i give this novel a 3 out of 5 stars.

This freaking story goes from 1 to 100 really fast, like small surprise and then immediately BOOM big surprise - and you're just sitting there looking at the page like what the f***. This plot wastes very little time with dumping you along with the characters outta the pan and into the fiery depths of hell itself.

The characters are all, right off the bat, individual people. Sure at first there's the small cliches of the science nerd, the bad*ss leader, etc. etc., but very quickly we see their other sides pop up while they're trying to figure out how to handle a possible apocalypse or maybe aliens, we're not honestly sure what's up just yet. There's dinosaurs flying in from the sky, there's weird space suit jerks zapping people, there's dudes wrapped up like mummies and it's NOT for Halloween. You tell me what's up.

The art style is very simple but with some rough edges to it so it looks almost sketchy, and personally that's one of my favorite styles cause it just gives a little more character to each stroke. And oh my god the colors, the color palette is gorgeous, especially when shit starts going down and we go from pseudo-realistic colors to more emotive colors, I love it, there's not much else I can say.

This is an amazingly mysterious plot, and the need to know more makes you breeze through this book in, what feels like, seconds. I am dying for more.

Wow!, I guess I'm gonna have to take back all the mean things I said about Brian K. Vaughan. I've heard way too much about "Saga", read many of the reviews, read that a lot of people think it's overrated. I honestly don't give a crap about Saga, and I don't know if I'll ever pick up a volume of that to read, BUT I don't judge a creative person on one work, and this too had amazing reviews on this site, and the plot summary sounded interesting and Chiang's art caught my eye!

Story: We're introduced to Erin, a paper girl, who wakes up All Saints' Day (Nov.1) to do her paper route, when she's accosted (I guess) by some teenage boys. She's saved by three other paper girls, Tiffany, KJ, and the wild child, Mac, short for MacKenzie. Together these girls set out to deliver their papers together so they can back each other up from the "crazies" still out from Halloween. Then, one of them is assaulted by a group of ninja looking guys who steal a walkie talkie. When the girls set out to retrieve it, they have no idea what they would get into. The story started off slow, but gradually got bigger, and bigger, and more epic. It also got more enjoyable as it went along as I found that I was way more into it than I thought I'd be. Vaughan really writes some out there sci fi stuff in this book, and the girls encounter all sorts of weird stuff as they begin to embark on this adventure! I rather enjoyed the sci fi elements in this first volume; I won't spoil anything, but it's pretty creative stuff in my opinion. The story really builds suspense and pulls the reader along quickly. I didn't want to put this down. I'm looking forward to the next volume.

Art: Cliff Chiang won the Eisner for his work on this book, and though I think that maybe that award should have gone to someone like Jason Fabok for his work on The Darkseid War, or Greg Capullo for Batman, it seems like people who draw the mainstream superhero books never actually win the Eisner for their work, and it always seems to go to someone who has a very...what I call an "artsy" style. But, Chiang's art here is absolutely wonderful. I'll say that the Eisner didn't go to some slouch, but to a person who deserves it, for sure. I've only seen some of Chiang's art for Wonder Woman, I never got to read any of Azzarello's run. What really makes Chiang's familiar pencils stick out the most and bring a sense of uniqueness to his work on this book is the inking and especially the coloring! This book is one of the most vibrant books I've ever read. It's not just the cover to the trade, it's the interior art as well. There are so many blues, purples, yellows, and definitely pinks! Frankly, this is just one beautiful book! It's all thanks to the wonderful team of the artists, not just Chiang.

Overall: A big surprise for me, considering I was skeptical of Vaughan as a writer. Don't know why. I mean, this is the guy who created and wrote Y: The Last Man, and Saga, two overwhelmingly revered runs in comics. But, this is my first Vaughan book. The thing that sold me on it wasn't that this book seems to be targeted toward teenage girls (I'm a late 20s guy), but rather the sci fi elements which I'm really into, and it's executed so well here, and the really great, vibrant, pop out at you art that is a masterwork from this art team. The story is captivating, well written, and I can't wait to read volume 2! I definitely recommend this to any comics fan!

I absolutely adore Brian K. Vaughan's Saga series and decided to give Paper Girls a chance. While I expected the book to begin slowly for some reason, punches of action occur almost instantly. The story centers around, you guessed it - paper girls - coming of age in the late '80s.

My favorite of the girl gang is MacKenzie Coyle, a rebel with a cause, made even more mysterious by being a cigarette smoker, even though she's a teen. MacKenzie and company become pals with Erin, a younger girl new to the paper route circuit.

The best part of this story is that it is nothing like I anticipated - it exceeded all of my lowly expectations. A mystery begins to unfurl almost immediately, with the girls racing against time to seemingly save the world.

The paper girls definitely experience a great deal of trauma in this tale as a result of sudden changes in the world the morning after Halloween. The girls are met with danger as well as potential allies in this set-in-the-past-but-futuristic-at-the-same-time graphic novel.

The muted colors of the illustrations didn't blow me away, but as I made my way through Paper Girls, I realized the color scheme fits with the time period in which the story is set.

Needless to say, I quickly fell in love with each character, even the ones who only stick around for a short time, as well as with the story - it has an excellent concept that is brilliantly executed. I can't wait to get my eyes on volume two!

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

Set in the 1980’s, Paper Girls follows a group of four girls who deliver newspapers. Apart from a few people still roaming the streets in their Halloween costumes, it is a fairly normally morning. That is until the girls discover a weird machine in someone’s basement and come across two people who aren’t really people…

Paper Girls is a fast paced graphic novel that will have you flipping through the pages like a madman. The cliffhangers in this series are insane and you will be left wanting more! The colors in this series is very pretty and I would find myself stopping to stare and enjoy the beautiful artwork.

I honestly had no idea what I was going in to when I picked up this graphic novel. Paper Girls is technically the first graphic novel I have actually ever read. I have wanted to expand my genres and graphic novels have been something that have intrigued me for quite some time now. I cannot wait until this series starts back up again. If you are looking for an awesome graphic novel series to pick up, Paper Girls is the comic book for you!

'Paper Girls, Vol. 1' by Brian K. Vaughan with art by Cliff Chiang and Matthew Wilson is so good that it should be optioned into a tv series. I could see this as a series on Netflix.

The story takes place in 1988, and follows a tough group of paper girls who find odd happenings in their neighborhood on the day after Halloween. Erin is only 12 and out on her route when she is harassed by some boys. She is helped by other paper girls and joins up with them. She meets Mac who was one of the first female paper deliverers. Erin finds out these are tough talking girls with a rough side, but they might be in over their heads when a group of people that seem to be aliens show up in the neighborhood.

The tone of this book is so nostalgic without resorting to cheap pop culture references. The art by Cliff Chiang works so well with this story, and the color by Matthew Wilson is spot on for this story. The look of the book is perfect for the story being told. This collects issues 1-5 of the series, and is by no means a complete story on its own, but it's one heck of a ride. If you are a fan of 'Stranger Things' you should definitely check this out.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Image Comics, Diamond Book Distributors, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel

These first five issues of Paper Girls are an absolute blast. Vaughan continues to amaze me with outstanding character development and an intriguing story. Paper girls is about a group of girls, Erin, Mackenzie, Tiffany and Kaje, who are just a bunch of regular paper girls until they find what looks like a ship in a basement, and time travelers. It's just totally crazy and absolutely fun. I don't want to give away too much, but I'll just say there's loads of suspense and mystery. You will not be able to stop reading. I guarantee it. As amazing as Vaughan's writing is alone, paired with Cliff Chiang's art, it's even better. What a beautiful book. I would highly recommend it to anyone. Especially to fans of Vaughan's work.

Disclaimer: I received an e-copy through Net Galley for an honest review.

Paper Girls is about four young ladies that happen to have paper routes in the late 1980s. It takes place the day after Halloween, beginning very early in the morning. The girls are Erin, Mackenzie, Kaje, and Tiffany. After they meet, some strange stuff starts happening.

I enjoyed the story quite a bit. There are aliens, time travel, and a theme about apples. The girls' reaction to these events seems natural for them. We get more background on Erin and Mackenzie than the other girls, and what we know about them makes an impact on their choices. It builds to a great ending that left me wanting to read more.

Stylistically, the art was different but fitting for the setting. There are some gorgeous images as well. The different forces at work in the book are represented well and made distinctive through the artwork and dialogue choices.

There is some strong language and one of the girls smokes, but the story itself is definitely accessible for teens.

Awesome! Such a bada** little story. Graphics are beautiful and edgy. Characters are interesting and intriguing. Very quick read and I will be anxiously waiting for volume two because they leave you off wanting so much more.

What could be exciting about a gang of papergirls in an 80's Ohio suburb? Everything apparently. Story has time travelers, monsters, and mysterious unknown people that makes this graphic novel irresistible. Pleasant surprise since I thought the beginning was kind of lame and only because I didn't not expect the direction it would take.

I got Paper Girls Volume 1 at a book festival and I loved it! The art is absolutely beautiful and the story is fun and easy to follow. It's a pretty cheesy sci-fi story (which admittedly is not a genre for everyone) that definitely reminds me a lot of Stranger Things (but with a lot more girls and a lot less adults). I highly recommend this for anyone who is interested in science fiction (especially of the 1980s variety)!

Yes this was so much fun and I can't wait for Volume 2. I'm VERY picky about my graphic novels, but I enjoyed this almost as much as Saga .

Teenage girls vs time travelers, awesome otherworldly languages, and FANTASTIC FASHION. The art itself was gorgeous - I mean, just look at that cover! And the story was fun, fast-paced, and unique.

Left me feeling excited for more, just like when I was little and would read the latest Animorphs. It's nice to feel excited like that over a series again!

*I received this book as an eARC from Diamond Book Distributors/Image Comics via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Brian K. Vaughan is such a big name in comic books. Y: The Last Man and Saga are two of my favorites (although I am behind on Saga). This comic definitely has Vaughan's wonderful touch. There is great characterization early on, but so much is left open to confuse the reader. Things are flying left and right with little explanation. It is easy to follow, but more complex than it first appears.

This first volume is crazy and fun. I have no idea where it's going, but I want to follow it wherever it goes. The time travel is interesting and I like that it makes sense so far. There's huge world building done so far, but so little is explained. I give this graphic novel a 5/5 and am super excited for the second volume.

Paper Girls kept popping up on my radar through various posts and best of the year lists on Twitter and the like. Honestly, I’m not a huge fan of eighties and nineties nostalgia in particular, and coming into this comic I knew practically nothing about the story itself save for the back cover description. Not my typical read, I thought, but I went ahead anyway. And I’m glad I did – though I have not watched Stranger Things, I assume this is the kind of enjoyment I would get out of it.

For your sake as well, I want to keep you all as much in the dark about the actual plot as possible, because I felt it was a lot more fascinating watching it unfold that way. What I can say is that the supernatural elements and the eighties culture and iconography were mixed very well, including and up to the way the comic was drawn and colored. Neon hues illuminated the pages, like something out of an old movie such as Blade Runner. Everything felt like it fell into the right place for the comic it wanted to be, and boy, it moves at breakneck speed once it gets going. Brian K. Vaughan does not disappoint, as usual.

I absolutely loved the all-female main cast, even if I’m still trying to get a grasp on their characters. They mention breaking the glass ceiling in paper delivery, and I quite enjoy stories that show young women at the helm and kicking ass at what they do. I really hope that in the next volume or so, I can get to know the individual characters more readily and have an appreciation for each of them, as at the moment I see them as a conglomerate.

If you enjoy supernatural elements and your eighties nostalgia, then this graphic novel is right up your alley. I give it a solid four stars, and recommend giving it a try, as I was pleasantly surprised. Which I shouldn’t have been, honestly, because I love the writer’s other works, such as Saga. And if you haven’t read Saga already, you better do that too!

I'm always really hesitant to pick up a new comic when I'm seeing it praised left and right. It's easy to get disappointed when that's happening. But I couldn't resist the concept of a group of middle school girls delivering papers in the 80's. It was weird and it was fresh, so I gave it a chance and I'm really glad I did. It's really strange and the kind of book that makes you wonder where the idea came from. It feels like someone drew random concepts from a hat and had to mash them together for a dare. But it works really, really well.

If you're in the mood for something weird and wonderful to break up the monotony of your pull list, this is definitely one worth giving a shot.

Notes: Review copy received via NetGalley.

I received this free from NetGalley for an honest review.

In 1988, four 12 year old papergirls get caught in a very old generational conflict leading them to fight for their lives. This story includes flying dinosaurs, weird teenagers, spaceships, and futuristic laser guns.

I really enjoyed this story line. I think that Mr. Vaughan did an excellent job creating a plot that stands alone without needing artwork. The artwork is just an incredible bonus to the story. I loved watching the girls fight for themselves against unknowns. They had to decide who is good and who is bad. We are left with a great cliff-hanger, and I can't wait to read the next volume.

I rated this 4/5 stars and recommend it.

I was going into this expecting the unexpected, but the plot was interesting, and I thought I would be in for a heck of a time given Brian K. Vaughan’s previous work, Saga, turned out to be one of my all-time favorites. Paper Girls is a mix up of a time-travel story with alien demons invading the town in the early hours after Halloween in 1988. The plot was really confusing because there was so much going on, there wasn’t any backstory on the characters, and it felt like it was all over the place. The main characters are four 12-year-old paper girls who were stereotypical with the rebel-bad ass all the way to the shy, innocent one. It all was very rushed without much character depth or world-building. It was a compelling plot that felt like it didn’t know what it wanted to be.

I hadn't heard about Paper Girls until fairly recently and I have to say that it's one of those comics that isn't getting the attention it should, despite it being written by Brian K. Vaughan of Saga fame. It's one of those comics that has a great plot, interesting characters, and a central mystery that kept me reading throughout the entire first volume.

The series's premise is set in 1980s America and centers around a group of 12-year-old girls, all of whom work as newspaper deliverers. We're introduced to the girls by Erin, who has just started her route and is invited to join the other three girls after they rescue her from being harassed by a group of older boys intent on causing mischief. From there they end up getting involved with some strange looking aliens and end up finding that their entire town has disappeared.

We're given a little bit of explanation here and there as to what's going on and the nature of the aliens is explained by the end of the first volume, however we're left with far more questions than answers. Just enough information is imparted to keep it from getting too frustrating, which only makes things far more interesting. I have to say that even after zipping through the first volume I'm still not sure what's going on, although I keep wondering if it's a similar situation to Stephen King's Langoliers.

Art-wise, this is great and throughout it I kept thinking that the character design reminded me very slightly of Frank Miller's art style in The Dark Knight Returns. In particular, the character design for Mac reminds me heavily of the character Carrie Kelly, Miller's Robin. It's not super strong, but it's enough to where I wonder if Miller's Carrie was a bit of an influence on Mac's character or design.

Character-wise, Vaughan and all did a good job. There are a few moments where the characters are a bit jumpy in how they're established, where their emotions don't really come across as strong as they should. A key example of this would be a scene in Mac's home between herself and a family member, where an emotional moment just doesn't feel as solid as it should, given that they were somewhat antagonistic towards each other only a page or so earlier. It's not so bad that it stands in the way of the story, but we know that Vaughan is capable of so much more.

Overall this was a fun read and Paper Girls is something I can easily see myself purchasing and re-reading in the future. It's just a little surprising that I hadn't heard of this until I saw it on Netgalley, especially given that it's being written by someone involved with one of the most popular indie series currently running. Hopefully this will be rectified at some point in the future.

4/5 stars

(ARC provided by Netgalley)

Awesome! Great artwork, love the style which really fits the writing too. Great story so far, different. When I picked this up I picked it purely for the art and after reading the first couple pages. Only realizing after I finished it that it was written by the same author as Saga which in my head was the most recent comic I read that was hard to put down and equally awesome.

Paper Girls Volume 1 by Brian Vaughan is a fun, nostalgic story about time travel and, well, what else will become clearer in future volumes. I found this first volume to be a good introduction to the characters as well as the basic premise.

There are many questions left unanswered but that is the idea with serials, there is enough given to get the reader to care about the characters and as the story unfolds we will learn more about both the characters and the plot. This definitely made me want to read following volumes.

Reviewed from an ARC made available by the publisher via NetGalley.

This was quite an interesting read. It was definitely not what I was expecting. Some of the things referenced in the book were nostalgic to me, since I was a child of the '80s. Going into this, I thought that this would be about some tough newspaper delivery girls holding down their turf. I wasn't expecting the science fiction aspect. I admit, I was hella confused through the entire thing, but I still wanted to read more. I absolutely love the style of the artwork. The colors are gorgeous. I am really exciting to see where this story goes.

I was lucky enough to receive a digital copy from Net Galley. All opinions are my own.

I was curious about this book, as I've enjoyed past works by Brian K. Vaughan. I've also heard good things from friends. I wasn't really sure what to expect, but I was happy with what I found.

It has some interesting concepts and a nostalgic 1980's setting and scifi quality I really enjoyed. I'm not ready to call it a must read after 5 issues, but I'm definitely looking forward to the next volume to see if it can live up to the potential seen here.

Written by Brian K. Vaughn (Saga) and illustrated by Cliff Chiang (WonderWoman), Paper Girls is hard to assess. I was drawn to check it out because I absolutely love Vaughn's Saga series, but after having read Volume 1 I have to say that I was less than gripped by it.

It's hard to say why, exactly. One problem I had with Paper Girls was that it has what I can only describe as a "kitchen sink" feel to it where the author keeps throwing stuff in - kids on bikes, 80's nostalgia, Halloween, aliens (E.T.anyone?), and even time travel (Back to the Future?) - hoping that something will something will eventually click and work. Another problem for me was that two of the characters - Erin and Tiffany - were so sketchily developed and so similarly drawn that I was constantly having trouble telling them apart. In the end, I was just not grabbed by anything and so felt no real desire to get or read Volume 2. I'm not saying that it's bad, mind you. Only that it just didn't work for me.

Recommended to fans of Vaughn's other work as worth checking out, with the caution that individual appeal will vary.

I loved Cliff Chiang's art and characters. The main characters are 4 paper girls who don't take crap from anyone. They all have individual personalities and likenesses. The book is set during the 80's and reminds me of E.T. or Goonies. People in town or starting to disappear and strange things start occurring. The story was somewhat confusing. I didn't know what was going on for a long while.

Received an advance copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

* Many thanks to the publisher for providing me this ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. *

As soon as I saw this up for grabs on Netgalley I had to read it. As a huge fan of Brian K. Vaughan I was undoubtedly not disappointed with his latest graphic novel series.

The story centres around 4 pre-teen girls who all have paper runs. Early post Halloween morning in the year 1988, they all run into one another and stumble upon some freaky stuff… and I’m not talking Halloween freaky, I’m talking pterodactyls flying in the sky, disappearing adults and time-travellers.

While the premise had a lot going on, with many elements coming in to play, there were a few instances where I yearned for more explanation as to what was going on or a little more backstory. But what I’ve learnt is that Vaughan is all about the slow reveal. The artwork on the other hand was spot on. I was a huge fan of the stylization and colour tones/palette.

While it was not my favourite work of Vaughan’s, this series has a lot of potential and I can’t wait for future instalments.

It's a first volume. So my main question is, do I want to know more about the characters/world/whatever that the author sets up? And oh yeah.

There are four paper girls out on Halloween night, and something which sort of resembles the rapture happens. It also appears to involve stolen technology, pterodactyls or possibly dragons, and at least two warring factions of people with the paper girls caught in the middle. There aren't a lot of explanations here, but I am really interested in the answers to the questions that are raised. So far it seems like a cross between Stand by Me and Time Bandits, and I am down with that.

Brian Vaughan blew me away with his new book. I loved this story. It is set in the 1980s, and features a group of 12-year-old newspaper delivery girls that get caught up in not only a mystery, but also some kind of sci-fi, magical adventure.

I don't want to give too much away in this review, but it was a lot of fun. As soon as I finished this book, I needed to find out when Volume 2 comes out.

It’s the 1980s and 4 paper girls in small-town Ohio get involved in an adventure involving rival groups of time travellers. Locals disappear, some get killed and dragon-type creatures are also involved. There’s a lot of action and I do not want to give too much away.
The story is well-told and the illustrations are clear and p but effective. Engaging and enjoyable, this tale is well worth a look. It ends on a cliffhanger so there is definitely more to come.

Paper Girls, Vol. 1 is a fast paced, action packed graphic novel. As far as Brian Vaughan's work goes I much prefer Saga but I did enjoy reading Paper Girls as well. I'm not really into the 80s so a lot of references went over my head. Also parts were a bit confusing to me but I really liked the colors involved in the pictures. I wish their was more back story of what is going on and more development of the 4 paper girls.

If you're a fan of Stranger Things then Paper Girls is for you! Its Halloween 1988 and four 12 year old papergirls in suburban Cleveland find themselves on a wild adventure filled with strange teenagers, missing people, dinosaurs and time-travel. Each of the four possesses complementary characteristics that enable them to get through the mundane life of suburbia as well as the supernatural encounters they experience. They do both with humor and grit.

The 80’s pop culture references are central to the character development and conveying the preteen angst of the period. In fact, the clichés are just enough to be fun while not cumbersome. As it turns out, they are central to the storyline and used effectively to deliver a spot on perspective of what modern society has gained and lost over the past 30 years in the transition from GenX to iGen. (Sorry Millennials, but this one’s not about you.) Throw in the terrific graphic design that truly captures the uniqueness of each character and you wind up with one hell of a story that is smart and witty with intriguing plot twists.

Which brings me to my last point: the best part of Paper Girls is you have to read it the old fashion way…wait for each new episode to arrive. It’s the no Binge Zone! You have the option of individual episodes as they come out or the mini five volume sets. I had forgotten what it was like to have to pause and reflect on each episode and anticipate when the next installment would come out. Who would have thought that an 80’s flashback would be the vehicle to rein in instant gratification? Perhaps T.V. can learn something from Paper Girls and take us all Back to the Future.

This is the book I've been looking for.

I'm a late 20's male, and have been looking for a good comic with female leads.

B*tch Planet was awful.
Lumberjanes was too childish and one-dimensional. Granted, the book's target audience is young girls, but considering all the high praise for the series, I expected much more from it.
DC Comics' "Bombshells" series is way too cheesy.
Rat Queens is a bit too goofy, and the dialogue is cringeworthy sometimes.

But Paper Girls. The four main heroines are believable, intelligent for their age, strong and courageous (but in a believable way - they "lose" a lot in confrontations, but it's to be expected since they're just kids), and their dialogue is well written.

This is the book you're looking for, if you've been struggling to find a book with great female leads.

This comic is very beautifully illustrated(the cover art is indicative of what you'll find inside.), with a mostly light hearted story leaning very heavily on nostalgia. The characters are relatable and likeable, if not overly complex(they are children, after all.)

If you're familiar with Brian K. Vaughan you sort of know what to expect at this point. He is great at fast paced, poppy writing(think Joss Wheadon or JJ abrams as a reference point.) That said, the story is kind of slow paced at this point. it's hard to even call it confusing, because that implies enough understanding for there to be something to be confused about. You sort of just go with it and each the beautiful art, the likeable cast, good humor. That said, it has to do with some kind of war between what seem like aliens but may be some kind of war between adults and teenagers who are also time travelers...?

Like I said, it's a work in progress. It's so good in spite of the bizarre story that I definitely plan to keep reading.

I have loved everything I've read that Brian K Vaughan has written and I love Cliff Chiang's artwork so buying Paper Girls was a no brainer which I was not disappointed with! The story reminds me of Stranger Things but with a bit more of a science fiction flair than paranormal.

Excellent writing and artwork! I picked this up on a whim and could not put it down. It's a unique story that keeps you guessing throughout the whole book. I really enjoy this series--I've read the second and third volumes and the story continues just as strongly throughout. Highly recommend this one.

Im an adult and the profanity is strong with this one. The story was alright(a bit confusing) but the cursing was just too distracting I couldn't enjoy it. I'm still on the fence if I should buy volume 2.

This was a good one! An original, compelling plot, kick ass female characters, a diverse cast and some great 80's nostalgia. I didn't know what was going on most of the time, and I was totally okay with that because I was hooked from the beginning. Aliens, time travelers and papergirls who don't take crap. Sign me up for the next volume!

BKV continues to amazing. Super fun book with strong young female cast. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but I wasn't expecting this. Lots of twists everywhere. Art by Cliff Chiang was pretty spot-on especially for the 80s setting. Really good stuff!

This is good! Waiting for the second volume to arrive. I need to know where this going. At least we know who is bad and it wasn't who we thought it was....... the art is so good and the werewolf where the gun n roses shirt was awesome!

A good graphic novel should have great art, compelling plot, non-cheesy dialogue, make you look forward to the next volume, and leave some things to ponder. It's no Sandman or Stray Bullets, but it's a compelling mix of Fantasy, Sci-Fi and slice of life drama.

I love 80s pop culture, coming-of-age, and supernatural genres, but usually stories like that always revolve around white boys. But this story focuses on a diverse group of pre-teen girls. I like that a lot about it. I also like how it subtly calls out one of the girls for her homophobia, acknowledging one of the problematic views that was mainstream in the 80s without condoning it. The story is really inteiguing and the girls are badass. Leaves off on a cliffhanger. Can't wait to see what happens next.

With Paper Girls, we have a title that operates on many levels - some obvious and others very metaphorical. Storytelling of this type can go one of two ways: either devolve into a morass of sophistry and/or confusion - or elevate into a nuanced, intriguing, and though provoking tale that works on many levels. Paper Girls, fortunately, doesn't trip over its own ideals and creates a very interesting story that will leave heads scratching. Ending on a cliff hanger, this first volume doesn't complete a story arc but definitely posits thoughts on religion and the end of innocence.

Story: Four 12 year old paper girls are doing their early morning run on Halloween night, 1988. All seems fine, until they encounter some jerks who steal one of the girl's bikes. They chase after the hooligans - only to discover they have chanced upon something much, much stranger.

In defining each of the Paper Girl characters, we never get info dumps or static text. Always, author and illustrator/letterer/colorist use their art to the fullest to give us personalities - through dialogue, actions, images (e.g., flashbacks), etc. As an example, our first introduction both to the story and the main character of Erin is in her dream about heaven, hell, and most especially the tree of knowledge. This tells us that we are going into a story about losing innocence. for better or worse, and to expect a lot of metaphors on that topic. It's all very clever - from a God-like hippy wearing an "Apple Records" t-shirt to the 1980s kids finding a device with an Apple computer logo on it. This is what to expect thematically.

Stylistically, we're given a Duran-Duran album cover pastel palette of pinks, yellows, oranges, and blues - all perfectly suited to a 1980s milieu. The girls look to be the 'real' version of the 1980s; there's no Olivia Newton John Let's Get Physical homages here - the girls are dressed in denim and loose jackets, sweaters and button down shirts. All perfectly suited for students of religious schools.

The art is detailed and suits the story well. We get a strong feel of suburban middle class America in the 1980s - from split level ranch homes to (my favorite) a Gary Larson Far Side tear off calendar (I had one of those in the 1980s!). I don't think there is a sour note anywhere to be had, with the art beautifully yet accurately catching an era we don't typically see in comics.

Those reading on a shallow level will probably be frustrated by the lack of obvious clarity throughout. This isn't a straightforward story and is all the better for it; Paper Girls reveals more and more with each reread, and the underlying tree of knowledge theme becomes clearer. Of course, it all seems so daft without delving too deeply anyway that it can just be taken as a bit of zany fun, too. There are meany of mysteries to yet explain and I look forward to the second volume. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

I absolutely loved reading this book, it's definitely already one of the best things going in comics right now. The art and coloring get a lot of praise online, but it's another thing to actually see it as you go through this wonderful mystery of a plot. To put it simply: it's beautiful and easily the best in a comic that I've seen.

As for the events of the book, I certainly enjoyed the ride but it's definitely not for people who need stuff to be laid bare and explained right away. That being said, it's certainly very intriguing and definitely bold. Of course it remains to be seen if it'll actually pan out into something that stays good, but as a fan of Brain K Vaughan I have faith.

As it stands, this is one of the top three comics going right now in my opinion, along side Vaughan's other series Saga and Marvel's current Vision run.

It's like The Goonies & Super 8 wrapped into one amazing story. The artwork is some of my favorite, the writing is excellent (Vaughan is awesome & I really like his minimalist style) & if you've ever enjoyed a good 80's style treasure hunt/action-adventure/thriller with some aliens thrown in, you'll LOVE this book! Highly recommended!

Everyone should read Paper Girls. Brian K Vaughan is the most reliable writer in comics — and Chiang's no slouch in the art department. Fun characters, a sweetly nostalgic setting, and a tremendous twisty premise have me hooked. Bring on volume 2.

back to the future with a twist.

i enjoy brian k. vaughan's stories, and this does not disappoint. it's a great set up for something, and i can't wait to see where the story goes.

and i swear, on halloween 1988, my brother was dressed up exactly like Wallace Bund on page 59.

I received an e-copy of this book through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Love this series! It wasn't really what I expected it to be, much cooler and exciting! My friend has described it as "stranger things on acid" and I couldn't agree more. Fantastic read, can't wait for volume 3 to come out!!!

I really wanted to like this and mostly did enjoy reading it. The art's great. I did not like the ending and am currently holding that against the whole book. Maybe the next volume will fix that for me.

The main characters are 12 yo papergirls, but this book is *definitely* not for children...maybe much older teens or young adults. Adult language and guns, shooting, killing. Nice "comic book" in a much sturdier form than classic comic books, sci-fi storyline.

Paper Girls has been getting some good reviews lately so I figured I’d take the chance on a review copy and see what the fuss was all about. Quite frankly, I’m not entirely sure I know…even after reading it. I’m not questioning people’s tastes, but I am seriously questioning my reading comprehension. I feel like I’m missing some key elements of this story, because I spent 70% of my time confused.

This is a story that presents itself to the reader at the same pace it presents itself to the characters…and while that’s not a bad thing, in fact I tend to enjoy that in comics, I found myself getting frustrated at it. I’m assuming this has some deeper meaning about the use of technology …or something. Honestly I don’t know. Half of the players in this don’t speak English….or proper english, so we don’t even get most of the info they give out. I expected to be confused a bit with a time travel type story, but there are so many elements that just come out of no where and I have so many questions.

I think Paper Girls is a love it or leave it affair. It has some strong art and the dialogue between the girls is pretty great, but I think there is where my appreciation ends. I’m not sure I’ll be picking the others in the series up, but I will be on wikipedia looking for a summary.

[NOTE: I received a copy of this book through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.]

Intriguing premise, but lacking in execution, as events piled upon each other at a rhythm that obfuscated them a little too much.

It all starts with four 12-year old girls delivering newspapers in the early hours of the morning, in 1988 Cleveland, and quickly moves from mundane occurrings (bullying from shady teenagers) to weird ones. While running after a group of three shrouded figures who've slighted them, the girls discover some strange machine in a basement; a bright flash of white light later, everybody's gone from town, and armoured-clad soldiers on dinosaurs stalk the streets to off every “straggler” they find. And this is only the beginning of Weird...

I liked the basic idea: people disappearing, those four kids armed only with their bikes and walkie-talkies (no internet or cell phones in 1988!), taken in the cross-fire between the armoured people and the shrouded ones, trying to make sense of it all while surviving... Not to mention a certain nostalgia permeating the whole story—enought to be felt, but not too much, not the point of too much name dropping or constantly referring to 80s items (the graphic format allows to put them here without having to underline their presence like a novel may have to).

On the other hand, so many events end up piled upon each other—so many weird things, without any actual revelation— that, just like the girls stumbling from situation to situation without a clue about what to do next, the reader too can feel confused. It's not about getting all the information immediately, because that'd be no fun; still, there's a very fine line between “mystery” and “a ton of mystery”, and the latter here is made up of one too many of those strange occurrings. Is it horror? Sci-fi? Is it about aliens or time travel? I had the feeling that the authors wanted to add as many elements as possible to deepen the mystery, without seeing where the line was; as a result, it's a bit overkill for a first volume.

It would also have been nice to know more about the characters, since this would make it easier to relate to what's happening to them (Mac's family, Erin's nightmares...). I didn't feel like I had enough of a grasp on these girls to properly care about how they'd cope with events here.

The art and colours are good; my copy had compressed graphics, which dampened a bit my enthusiasm, but as I got a PDF for review, obviously this isn't in the printed version. Ad it has some fairly decent dialogue linesm too.

Just for the artwork, this is worth keeping an eye on. Nevertheless, the story itself doesn't sem to be going anywhere, being more a collage of “this weird thing happens, then this other weird thing, then yet another weird thing.”

For my full review, check out my blog:[...]

I had such high expectations for this series but, to be honest, I have no idea how to feel about it. It started off great, then went from 0 to Coo-Coo Bananas in 60 seconds. I really, really wanted to love it, but the best I can say is that it has lots of potential and gorgeous art. I plan on picking up the second volume in the hopes that things will become clearer (and also because it ends on quite an interesting cliffhanger), but it is not high on my TBR list.

Paper Girls, Volume One By Brian K. Vaughan et. al. is a free NetGalley ebook that I read in an early morning in early April. Being as my boyfriend, Gabe, is a big fan of Saga, I thought I'd take a quick peek at this as an item soon to come down the pike/pipe.

Each cell is gouached in a Lisa Frank palette (DayGlo brite in daytime or cheerful flashback, dim slate darkened at night or disbelievingly evil flashback) and the story is fourfold complicated in ABC after-school special teenspeak and rip-in-the-dimensional-portal drama. Difficult to find a purpose and stick with.