"Paper Girls" Too Short for it's Own Good?

 

    I'm going to be honest with you, I wasn't sure what to expect going into this series, because while I am a big fan of sci-fi and fantasy fiction, at the same time I mostly chose this series because it seemed well reviewed, and frankly I wanted more female stories. I mean there's nothing wrong with diversity, after all, how could I claim that we should focus on promoting newer more diverse characters, and then not read about them at all. I have to say, perhaps its a good idea to look a little outside of my lane, I mean frankly for a while I've been quite disinterested with comic books, as there are too many to follow, they suffer from many of the same tropes, and the fanbase is insufferable, so Paper Girls was a nice little breath of fresh air.

    I think what stood out to me the most when reading this series was how short it was, it was disappointment because I felt like this series could have been so much more. I mean I booked out this series from the library, and my first reaction to the physical copies was how short everything was, because each volume is 100 pages or so? and there are only 6 volumes in total. Don't get me wrong, I have been on the record stating that I love a series that is willing to recognize its limitations and works within them, but this one time I feel like it could have had a little bit more ambition. I mean it has such an interesting concept, two warring factions fighting for the very fabric of time, all across time, it should have been allowed to breathe and be explored.

    However, despite my lengthy complaints I must admit this comic book series is damn good, and quite impressive overall. It's not often that a series manage to strike a perfect balance between giving you enough so you don't feel discouraged from reading, and confusing you enough so you understand how the characters feel. I mean they don't really explain how the time stream is unaffected by peoples past selves meeting their future selves, but does it really matter when you suspend your disbelief for a good story?

    I think what really allows for it to exist in this sort of paradox are the characters, because without them it becomes much easier for readers to start nitpicking and questioning every single plothole or choice in this comic. If I had to choose a favourite character from the quartet I think I would definitely have to go KJ, from her learning to be a killer, to seeing her future and realizing perhaps she is a lesbian after all, I find it the easiest to root for her, especially in a coming of age piece like this one. 

Final Score: 80/100

    Ultimately, I find it hard not to recommend Paper Girls, its got great characters, a story that's bound to keep you on your toes, and a concept that's constantly changing and growing with the series. Frankly, my only complain is that I really just wanted more paper girls, and was sad to see the series go as quickly as it came, I mean I basically read the whole story in a span of two hours. However, despite that, I do really love this story, and hope more like it pop up, and would whole heartedly ask that you go read Paper Girls.

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