Rating: 
Summary: Terry Moore is awesome
Review: Watch out with this book, if you read one Strangers in Paradise, you are going to have to read them all. Because the story is so sweet, and you can really get into it. Terry Moore is a great great man for coming up with this comic and continuing it. Thanks.
Rating: 
Summary: Uuuhhh...well, nice.
Review: While I absolutely loved the very first volume of "Strangers In Paradise", the second one is well, just okay. As usual, the art is well-drawn to the point of realism with a little cartooniness thrown in, of course...but what's with trying to present overweight, plain-looking broads as "absolutely beautiful women"? And the story itself does get a bit repugnant at some points, like Katchoo fondly caressing an AIDS patient who had gotten her into prostitution in the first place, not to mention a few sopping sappy scenes in some places. Nevertheless, it's still a very interesting yarn with some hair-raising action and shoot-'em-up adventures as well as a few really delightful cartoon-like dream sequences sandwiched in between!
Rating: 
Summary: Learn more about Francine, Katchoo, and David.
Review: While the jacket blurb does a decent job of describing the general gist of Strangers in Paradise: Volume 2, I don't know that it covers a lot of the tone of the book. There is a lot of material covered in this book, which makes sense, since it compiles nine comics into a single volume: Volume 2, Issue 1: I Dream of You; Volume 2, Issue 2: Someone to Watch Over Me; Volume 2, Issue 3: Echoes of Home; Volume 2, Issue 4: Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?; Volume 2, Issue 5: Something I Can't Hear; Volume 2, Issue 6: Tic Toc; Volume 2, Issue 7: I Talk to the Wind; Volume 2, Issue 8: Do You Remember Yesterdays?; and Volume 2, Issue 9: A Good Night's Sleep. (For those who have not read Strangers in Paradise, Volume 1, I recommend that you do so before reading this.) The book starts with Katchoo returning from a mysterious prolonged trip about which she will not speak to find that Francine has been coping with the rather explosive breakup with her ex-boyfriend Freddie by eating. And eating. And eating some more. And it seems that, as far as David is concerned, absence does indeed make the heart grow fonder, and his unrequited love for Katchoo has not abated. But Francine's ballooning weight and David's infatuation are the least of Katchoo's problems. The world seems to be conspiring to make sure she never forgets her past, and that she - and her friends - will pay for her sins. First, the mysterious trip to Canada. Then, she appears to have acquired a follower, one who doesn't have her best interests in mind. But even more frightening than Katchoo's follower is the mysterious dark woman for whom he works: Mrs. Darcy Parker and her minions, Bambi and Samantha. They will stop at nothing to bring Katchoo back into the fold, including using her friends as bait. But before that, a whole slew of other problems pop up. For instance, if you think Francine is neurotic, you should meet her mother! And running into Freddie and his new fiancee doesn't help her state of mind much, either. And who says that Katchoo can be the only one with secrets? There may be more to David than meets the eye. And do you remember our friend Detective Walsh from Volume 1? Well, if you're a fan, never fear! You get to see more of the moustachioed investigator as he tries to track down the trackers. And what's with Emma and this house in Hana, anyway? All in all, this volume is much more action- and emotion-packed than Volume 1, and also has a much higher allocation of violence. You get to know the primary characters in this tale (Francine, Katchoo, and David) much better this time around, and begin to feel their pains. If you enjoyed the first volume (you did read the first volume first, right?), I suspect you'll be completely hooked by the time you're done with Volume 2.
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