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Rating: 
Summary: Get to know Katchoo, David & Francine
Review: Although the cover of the book says "volume I" I really wouldn't wanna call it that. I think it could be better seen as a "issue #0" or a "get-to-know-the-characters-special" because basically that's what this is. Reading the book is fun, pretty good fun actually. You get to know the characters a little and see a teensy bit of how they are. Volume II though (which is called "I dream of You") is REALLY volume I because there is where it all really starts. The story goes from there to where it is now. In THIS book "The Collected" you get to know who are gonna be in "Strangers in Paradise" but it's "I dream of You" where the story really begins. So don't see this book as the start of SiP that you HAVE to get but see it more as a nice addition if you like SiP from other volumes. If you miss this one you won't be missing any essential knowledge (like you would if you missed either one of the later volumes), but you should get it anyway because, like I said, it still is great fun to read.
Rating: 
Summary: something for everyone
Review: I am not a comic book reader. I like Sluggy Freelance, Bloom County, The Tick, and Doonesbury, but I have never really bought comics. Sluggy and SIP have changed that. A girl I knew used it for her webpage (librarianavengers, it's called now) so I checked it out, and wow, was I impressed! The characters are very evocative, the story is sexy and angsty... I'd say it's really a fairly good comic book for Kevin Smith fans, though it isn't Bluntman... the friend who introduced me to it is a tiny little blonde feminist library science major, who would beat me up if I said she resembled Katchoo!
Rating:
Summary: Don't be a stranger...
Review: I enjoyed this first volume of Terry Moore's STRANGERS IN PARADISE graphic novel immensely. Moore tells of the inner life and times of three young friends-two female and one male-who must find ways to deal with the often frustrating realities of living and dealing with feelings in the real world.Moore creates a realistically painful, yet often humorous world that you'll want to immerse yourself in over and over again. If you enjoyed Daniel Clowes' GHOST WORLD, STRANGERS IN PARADISE is definitely for you.
Rating:
Summary: A breath of fresh air -- absolutely THE BEST!
Review: I've been collecting comic books since the late 1950's when there was a great variety of quality comics to choose from. I bought Superman, Dennis the Menace, Archie, Mutt and Jeff, Little Lulu, Ritchie Rich, Nancy and Sluggo, etc. But for the past 20 years or so there's been only two types of comics to choose from -- superhero and satanic .... Except for Strangers in Paradise. In my opinion, Terry Moore has created the best comic book series ever. And it's a pity that more people don't know about SIP. So many people are addicted to the TV soap operas. They should be so lucky to discover SIP! If they did, Terry's subscriber list would be in the millions and SIP would be a household word!
Rating:
Summary: You'll fall in love instantly with these wonderful humans
Review: The anti-comic book. An addictive series about love, life, crime, sexual identity, God, and what to wear on an intimidating job interview. The three main characters, Katchoo, David, and Francine, will engage you, amaze you...you'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll feel young again! On the real...if you think comics are all superheroes and monster stuff, this is for you. Some of my other favorite writers are John Irving, Anne Rice, Banana Yoshimoto, Vladimir Nabokov, and Jonathan Carroll. If you like contemporary literary fiction-GET THIS COMIC! You will love it. Start with Volume One. :)
Rating:
Summary: A tantalizing introduction to three intriguing characters.
Review: This first compilation of Terry Moore's Strangers in Paradise collects the first three issues of the comic (Volume 1, Issue 1: Breaking up is Hard to Do; Volume 1, Issue 2: Katchoo's Revenge; and Volume 1, Issue 3: Busted!) into one volume. We are introduced to two long-time friends, Francine Peters and Katina "Katchoo" Choovanski, as well as assorted other characters such as Francine's boyfriend (well, at the start) Freddie Femur and the smitten David Qin. So many relationships! Francine is in love with Freddie, Katchoo is in love with Francine, David is in love with Katchoo, and Freddie is mostly in love with himself. The volume revolves around Francine's relationship with Freddie. The sexual tension, the infidelity, the breakup. Then, there's Francine's reaction to the situation, which spurs Katchoo's reaction to the situation, which spurs Freddie's reaction to Katchoo's reaction. It's all very cause-and-effect. The interaction and by-play between characters tends to be fairly fast-paced, with everyone reaecting to the world around them. The one exception seems to be David Qin, Katchoo's unwanted admirer, who seems to take on the role of observer in all of the drama unfolding around Francine and Katchoo. What strikes me about this comic is that it's about normal people in (mostly) normal situations. Francine tries to deal with a breakup. Katchoo and David deal with unrequited love. Freddie is a jerk... There are no magic powers. There are no fantastic worlds. It's just about ... people, living their lives. The exception to this rule seems to be Katchoo herself. Her methods of dealing with alarm clocks must make the alarm clock manufacturers of the world very happy. She seems to be unnaturally strong. She has what the politically correct might call 'anger issues.' But underneath it all, she is a friend, and a protector, willing to do anything she can to keep Francine safe, and happy, and sheltered from the ugliness of the world. Oh yeah, and she also has a felony record that the FBI won't release. Interesting.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful
Review: To be honest I don't read American or Brtish comic books that much. I really only read Japanese comics. My local comic store owner said that because I enjoyed reading Rumiko Takahashi's Maison Ikkoku I would probably enjoy SiP, and I did. That was four years ago. I've just finished reading the slim volume again, and I enjoyed it once again. It is a refreshing comic book. No super heros, or "Satanic Trash" that is what the guy who reviewed before me said, guess he doesn't like Lady Death :) Anyway this series is a simple love story With Katchoo who loves her best friend Francine, and David who seems to have a thing for Katchoo, problem is she does not like men. Just read the book. I'm sure you will enjoy it.
Rating:
Summary: Jeepers crow, what a book!
Review: When I first started to read Strangers in Paradise back in 1996, I had to immediatly get my hands on every issue I could possibly find. I coulnd't stop reading this compelling story of Katchoo, Francine, David, and the rest of the deeply molded characters in this book. Terry Moore, dispite being a really friendly guy, has a great storytelling sence- verbally and visually. Although all three of the Strangers in Paradise series are wonderfull, this one takes the cake. A very deep story that will make you laugh, make you cry, and make you love the characters you are reading about. As soon as this collected edition came out, I had to own it, even though I own all of the indiviual comics. What more can I say... buy it, it's just amazing!
Rating:
Summary: Jeepers crow, what a book!
Review: When I first started to read Strangers in Paradise back in 1996, I had to immediatly get my hands on every issue I could possibly find. I coulnd't stop reading this compelling story of Katchoo, Francine, David, and the rest of the deeply molded characters in this book. Terry Moore, dispite being a really friendly guy, has a great storytelling sence- verbally and visually. Although all three of the Strangers in Paradise series are wonderfull, this one takes the cake. A very deep story that will make you laugh, make you cry, and make you love the characters you are reading about. As soon as this collected edition came out, I had to own it, even though I own all of the indiviual comics. What more can I say... buy it, it's just amazing!
Rating:
Summary: Quite rollicking and UNCONVENTIONAL!
Review: While browsing in the local comic book shop, I came across this book that seems to be about two young women - one blonde and one brunette... I went and bought it... Let me tell you...I'm really glad I got this book because I enjoyed it a great deal and even LAUGHED REALLY HARD at some parts! It's a very honest adult-oriented tale all about Katchoo (what a curious name!), a very feisty young blonde who would wield a REAL gun at the sudden drop of a hat and her dark-haired girlfriend named Francine who is just so innocent and gullible she'd expect any man - even a real jerk like her womanizing boyfriend, Freddie to be sympathetic with her. But poor Francine got stood up and BADLY INJURIED as a result, so the ANGRY Katchoo decides to take the matters into her own hands! Also tagging along is an angelic-faced Japanese-looking young man who likes Katchoo so much he'd patiently take any man-bashing abuse the old girl would dish out to him! Heck, you'd like the good, funny story all about love, sex, betrayal, friendship, gender issues, and the stuff as well as the really nice artwork that even has some REALISTIC-LOOKING close-ups of the characters! Additional bonus: Terry Moore also includes a handful of rejected but amusing comic strips...
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