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Paper Girls #1-6

Paper Girls: The Complete Story

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Brian K. Vaughan and Cliff Chiang’s Eisner Award winning series Paper Girls is coming to Amazon Prime Video in July 2022!

Finally, the entire Eisner Award-winning epic in one complete volume, with a new cover from co-creator CLIFF CHIANG!

Four 12-year-old newspaper delivery girls from the year 1988 uncover the most important story of all time. Suburban drama and otherworldly mysteries collide in this critically acclaimed series about nostalgia, first jobs, and the last days of childhood.

Collects PAPER GIRLS #1-30

800 pages, Paperback

First published October 27, 2021

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About the author

Brian K. Vaughan

959 books13.8k followers
Brian K. Vaughan is the writer and co-creator of comic-book series including SAGA, PAPER GIRLS, Y THE LAST MAN, RUNAWAYS, and most recently, BARRIER, a digital comic with artist Marcos Martin about immigration, available from their pay-what-you-want site www.PanelSyndicate.com

BKV's work has been recognized at the Eisner, Harvey, Hugo, Shuster, Eagle, and British Fantasy Awards. He sometimes writes for film and television in Los Angeles, where he lives with his family and their dogs Hamburger and Milkshake.

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5 stars
1,834 (47%)
4 stars
1,590 (40%)
3 stars
385 (9%)
2 stars
63 (1%)
1 star
12 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 572 reviews
Profile Image for Nataliya.
886 reviews14.7k followers
August 6, 2022
What the holy neon-colored mullet-wearing timelines have I just read?


'I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was twelve. Jesus, did you?'
- Stephen King “The Body”

Time travel, interdimensional time wars, weaponized pterodactyls and random cameos from giant maggots and warring transformer robots, chain-smoking preteens. Time machines in basements, Apple church cult riding quetzalcoatluses, (d)evolved futuristic English which was actually fun to decode. All led by a cast of four 12-year-olds from 1988 Cleveland, Ohio, the titular paper girls whose crazy adventures start on a paper delivery route that gets interrupted by deformed futuristic ninjas and abandoned house basement time machine leading to trails of blood and possibility of the universe collapsing.

But those little brats made fun of a Smart Car. “The size of Hot Wheels”.

Well, yeah. We didn’t need to get personal here now, did we???
🚙🚙🚙

It’s neon-colored and full of terrible 1980s hairdos (seriously, 1980s, what happened there?), often deliberately confusing and a bit frenetic in rushing from one timeline to another. From 11,000 BCE to the literal last moments of life on our planet, the multidimensional time rifts are ready to take you anywhere except the much necessary 1988.

Yeah, time travel is complicated.

Like any self-respecting force featuring kids on the brink of adolescence, it deals with coming of age, loss of innocence and developing friendships.

Yeah, friendships are complicated, too. Especially those quick and intense preteen friendships when a few days together makes it seems that you’ve known each other forever. But they are the best.


'I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was twelve. Jesus, did you?'

(Because quoting Stephen King when it comes to preteen friendships is always appropriate)

And despite those Smart Car dissing antics, it ended up being confusingly, neon-brightly fun, even if a few plotlines made little sense to me. It’s not “Saga”, but I still happily stayed up past 1 am to finish it.

4 stars for sheer entertainment. And please, dear universe, never let me end up with a mullet.

—————
Recommended by Dennis.
Profile Image for Chad.
9,154 reviews1,002 followers
June 24, 2022
I just did a complete read through with this and I do think this is the best way to read it. I missed some of the connections in the time travel elements when reading this one trade at a time originally. Reading it straight through, it really comes together for this Goonies get lost in time story.

This series was as much about burgeoning friendships as it was about time travel. It reminds me how easy it is to make close friends at that age in a matter of days and how it becomes so difficult as you become an adult. I love all of the attention to detail paid to each era the girls are in. My brother and I used to have the exact same walkie-talkie as Tiffany.

The art, by Cliff Chiang and Matthew Wilson, is just terrific. It's full of panel structures that sell the story and vibrant pastel colors that sing off the page.
Profile Image for Dan.
259 reviews86 followers
April 28, 2022
The bad thing about the omnibus format, which is my preferred way to read complete stories like this, is that you can burn out on the book pretty quickly sometimes. Particular quirks of the author start to annoy after you see them over and over, tropes develop and irritate once you notice them, or sheer repetitiveness sets in. This book became VERY repetitive after ten or so issues. I loved the girls, but the endless time-travel wore me down, and I could not wait for it to end. Well done, and the characters kept me reading, but I'm really not a fan of time-travel stories.

My head hurts.
Profile Image for Dona.
864 reviews123 followers
May 8, 2023
In Cleveland Ohio, four 12-year-old girls who deliver the newspaper meet just before a world ending event that sends them hurtling back and forth through time. They see everything from giant tardigrades to different versions of themselves, but all they want is to get back home. Will they make it back to the land of Walkman and those sweet sweet big hair bands?

This was my first graphic novel and it was awesome. I'm so excited to discover what else is out there!

The artwork in PAPER GIRLS is beautiful. Every time I turned the page, my eyes would do a sweep to take in all the artwork. I love how much everything reminded me of the representative decade or century or epoch. It is a beautiful read, and the narrative pulled me right along. The character development of all 4 girls is entertaining and authentic to the story. I adore the nature of the villains because it means the girls can't trust anyone, even each other, and the narrator becomes unreliable. Such a fun read, great concept! A really playful and elegant use of the time travel concept.

Rating: 🚬🚬🚬🚬.5 / 5
Recommend? Absolutely!
Finished: May 3 2023
Format: Paperback
Read this if you like:
🗞 First job stories
🏄‍♀️ Strong female characters
⏳️ Time travel
🪢 Nonlinear narrative
Profile Image for Robert.
1,867 reviews150 followers
January 13, 2023
Stand by Me meets Back to the Future but with an all female cast is the awesomest gestalt going.
Profile Image for Jessica.
Author 24 books5,807 followers
October 29, 2022
My husband became obsessed with this after watching the first season of the TV show, and wanted me to watch/read it too so we could discuss. The consensus: They're both fascinating, they're both weird, they're very different after the first scene, and the ending of the book seemed really, really abrupt and almost silly.
Profile Image for Lukasz.
1,613 reviews256 followers
October 16, 2021
It was great! An imaginative tale about friendship, time travel, and coming-of-age. With its slick visuals and likable protagonists, it'll make you turn a blind eye to some plot inconsistencies :)
Profile Image for a.
108 reviews55 followers
June 26, 2022
it's not that paper girls walked so that stranger things could run; paper girls rode bikes so that stranger things could tag along on less rad bikes.
Profile Image for Adam.
436 reviews196 followers
October 28, 2021
I started Paper Girls some years ago and the early issues piqued my interest, so I was very happy to see this complete edition being released. Brian K Vaughn is one of the most exciting writers out there -- I'm a huge fan of Saga (who isn't?), and Y was quite good before the ending fell off a bit -- and although I really enjoyed Paper Girls as a whole, I think it suffered some of the same issues as Y, The Last Man. The early issues and character development were intriguing, the world-building was thrilling and the idea and early execution was fun and page-turning... but the longer it went on, the more it disappeared into what-the-f**kery. This happens quite a bit when dealing with time-travel stories, but this one is especially feels like it bites off more than it can chew, plot-wise. Overall, it didn't matter too much, as I felt more drawn to the character-driven storylines than the nonsensical disappearing robots and reality-folding not-alien monsters and aged clones, and try as I might, it just didn't make a lick of sense if you put more than five minutes of effort trying to dissect it all. But if you forget to care about the plot and just enjoy the heartful interactions and maturing relationships between the four girls, you'll enjoy the heck out of this story, which I did, in spades.
Profile Image for Federico DN.
752 reviews2,680 followers
January 30, 2024
Paper Universe.

For completism sake. I like to tick stuff.



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PERSONAL NOTE :
[2021] [800p] [Comics] [Not Recommendable]
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★★★☆☆ Paper Girls Vol 1
★★☆☆☆ Paper Girls Vol 2 [2.5]
★★★☆☆ Paper Girls Vol 3
★★☆☆☆ Paper Girls Vol 4
★★★☆☆ Paper Girls Vol 5
★★☆☆☆ Paper Girls Vol 6

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Universo de Papel

Por mi completitud obsesiva. Me gusta tildar las cosas.



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NOTA PERSONAL :
[2021] [800p] [Cómics] [No Recomendable]
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Profile Image for Valéria..
969 reviews34 followers
January 11, 2022
30 čísel naozaj skvelej, našlapanej, par��dne nakreslenej, zaujímavej série plnej emócii, cestovania v čase, robotov, dinosaurov a skrátka to stojí za to. Akurát čítať to v jednej bichli je na ruky peklo. 5/5
Profile Image for Liz (Quirky Cat).
4,709 reviews73 followers
November 7, 2021
As you might imagine, Paper Girls: The Complete Story is a massive graphic novel. It compiles all six volumes of the story into one, letting readers easily binge through the whole thing. It's actually rather quite timely, given the announcement that The Paper Girls will get turned into an Amazon TV series (is it out yet??? Pretty, please?)

The Paper Girls are exactly what they sound like – a group of Paper Girls that started the day off by getting their daily deliveries done. Unfortunately, the day took a turn from that point onward. And before you know it, they've found themselves embroiled in a timewar of epic proportions. The generations have taken a stance against one another, and our Paper Girls are stuck in the middle of the whole mess.

The series has been a fun read, from start to finish. The characters are spunky and dynamic, the plot has been fascinating and harrowing, and the artwork exceptional. So I'm going to be sad to see this one go – while being happy to finally know how it all ends.

Paper Girls is so entwined in times that the story is occasionally told in a nonlinear fashion. Which considering that this series is essentially Chaos Theory in a nutshell, is pretty perfect. Brian K. Vaughan (Y: The Last Man, Saga, Runaways) and Cliff Chiang (Human Target, Beware the Creeper, Wonder Woman) bring this crazy and chaotic time-traveling world to life.

Right from the start, Paper Girls has shown us what a series can do when it's not afraid to take on the grittier side of time travel. This is not a polished and bubbly series. Instead, it shows us some of the darkest sides that can form when people begin messing with the timestream.

The other amazing element from this series has to be the main characters. Our Paper Girls are strong, independent, and oh so fierce. And while each one of them is a force of her own, there's no doubt that these girls work wonderfully as a team.

For the record, this is not my first time reading the series. I read each issue as they came out and then each volume as they came out. Naturally, I couldn't resist reading the whole compilation when it was made available! Realistically, I'll re-read the series again before the television series comes out.

Thanks to Image Comics and #Edelweiss for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Read more at Quirky Cat's Comics
Profile Image for Khris Sellin.
667 reviews7 followers
February 20, 2022
My sister got this for me for Christmas, since we were both paper girls back in the day. Worst job ever! Deadbeats who didn't pay us, vicious dogs chasing us, and I even got chased by a horse once. I know! Makes no sense. Anyway, these chicks get into some heavier and more fun stuff like time travel and fighting off evil, which is to say this really has very little to do with paper routes. Fun read!
Profile Image for Rey Leon.
5 reviews
June 26, 2022
All of Brian Vaughan’s work is amazing. This is a great time travel story with a Stranger Things vibe.
Profile Image for Julie.
15 reviews1 follower
September 15, 2022
Fun, but the whole time travel thing is VERY CONFUSING
(Ps: still mad they cancelled the show)
Profile Image for Ophelia.
148 reviews35 followers
April 3, 2023
Qué decir, estos cómics son una maravilla. Cuando salió el primero lo leí con ansia viva porque tenía muchas cosas que amo en la ficción (un grupo de chicas que forjan una amistad con un fondo fantástico/sci fi) y en lo artístico (el estilo de dibujo es una pasada ), pero no llegué a seguir leyendo más - aunque sí recuerdo pensar: esto sería una serie increíble.

No me esperaba para NADA que tuviera tanta traca de viajes en el tiempo y aunque se vuelve bastante complejo y pierdes el hilo cada dos por tres, si sigues palante te encaja todo más o menos. Se nota muchísimo que son los mismos creadores de los cómics de SAGA porque tiene el mismo alma épico y, por supuesto, el mismo lenguaje visual espectacular. Así que si te gustó SAGA te gustará Paper Girls, en mi humilde OPINIÓN.

En fin, me alegro mucho de tener este mamotreto en físico porque así puedo ojearlo de vez en cuando porque ya las echo de menos ❤️‍🩹.
Profile Image for Alyssa Snipes.
39 reviews3 followers
January 13, 2023
5 stars, EASY!!!

This was a phenomenal volume. The artwork was top-tier; the dialogue relatable and easy to follow along with. I connected so much with each of the characters, who were unique and far from copy/paste. The plot, to boot, was gripping.

This is the kind of book you read when you need a reminder that being an adult is hard, but there once was a time you wanted to be exactly where you’re at right now. It’s about being the best grown-up version of yourself you always wanted to be. And, of course, the value of friendships. Because who has friends like the ones we had when we were middle schoolers? This one will stay on my shelf for a long time.
Profile Image for ripley ✨.
505 reviews14 followers
August 2, 2024
Easiest 5 stars
(Decided to count the complete story as what I read instead of each volume since I gave the whole thing 5 stars)
Profile Image for Sem.
501 reviews24 followers
July 25, 2022
You know, barring all the unnecessary rape/sexual assault moments (weirdly many of them) and the unnecessary slurs (we get it, Brian, people used to say awful things and you think including them makes it faithful to the time period. I used to pee in my diaper when I was little, doesn't mean I'd include those bits in my memoir.) and the unnecessarily convoluted plot with its weak resolution... I kinda just liked this? It's not mind-blowing and the twists are pretty pointless and the characters are paper-thin and if I ever see another "homophobic bully turns into love interest" story I'll stab myself in the eyes... BUT I did like something about this. Probably it's because Vaughan can write some genuinely nice moments, when he's not trying to make a point or be shocking or amaze you. One really gets the feeling that Vaughan misses the good old days of childhood. The adolescent daze of being in love with the world while hating it at the same time, the silly dreams we all had, the time we wasted on video games or other hobbies. His view of it leans cynical, no matter how hard he tries, but sometimes it does hit that sweet spot where everything feels warm, like a porch in the last days of the autumn sun.
Profile Image for Liliana.
485 reviews27 followers
May 7, 2023
This story was a bit more all over the place than I thought, but that's kind of the point. So after overcoming initial weirdness I was just along for the ride and having fun with it, the characters growing on me too.
I would have liked a bit more time to unravel certain parts of the plot, and also to understand the connection between the characters.
This definitely has stranger things vibes, but more science fiction than fantasy. It seems perfect for teens!
Profile Image for Ned Ludd.
790 reviews16 followers
February 4, 2022
Brian Vaughan never fails to deliver. Comparable to his Saga series in terms of quality. Love this man’s fucked up mind! Highly recommended. 5⭐️
Profile Image for Anna.
1,929 reviews895 followers
April 2, 2022
I borrowed the first three volumes of Paper Girls from the library and really loved them. Then the library did not acquire subsequent volumes, so I was left in suspense for four years. (I still am in the case of The Wicked + The Divine, annoyingly.) I recently found out about this complete edition and bought it with my birthday book token. It was great to re-read the first half of the story and discover the second half. The strengths of the initial three volumes continue throughout: fast pace, fascinating sci-fi world-building, witty dialogue, tweenage friendship, extremely cool art, and excellent colours. All the time travel manages to remain coherent and yet pleasantly disorientating, which is the mark of excellent visual storytelling. Even when different versions of the same person are in the same place, it's easy to keep track of who is who. The various monsters and machines are suitably strange and fun - I was delighted by the appearance of a giant ground sloth. I also loved the inclusion of Y2K panic and a futuristic library.

The temporal conflict that the paper girls stumble upon is elucidated in the later volumes in a pleasingly nuanced fashion. The depiction of time travel sidesteps simplistic determinism. Although the narrative revolves around the twelve-year-old paper girls, the adult characters are also vivid and interesting. Culture shock from time travel is shown neatly, as is linguistic evolution over time. I found the ending a satisfying conclusion to the plot, bringing the narrative back to where it started. Paper Girls is a really well-structured sci-fi thriller about female friendship, with queer romance, giant robots, and stylish outfits. I'm so pleased to have read the whole run and definitely intend to re-read it.
Profile Image for Stoffia.
434 reviews3 followers
August 25, 2022
Venant de l'auteur de Saga, ma BD préférée, mes attentes étaient élevées. C'est la sortie de la série Paper Girls sur Prime qui m'a finalement décidé (bien que je ne l'ai pas encore écoutée).

Alors Paper Girls, c'est... Comment dire... C'est comme si la série Dark avait piqué l'esthétique de Stranger Things.

C'est une de ces histoires où tout devient de plus en plus complexe au cours de la lecture. Au point où tu te demandes si l'auteur arrivera à renouer toutes ses ficelles à la fin.

Vaughan y parvient.

L'histoire : On est en 1989. Des jeunes livreuses de journaux (il y a un féminin à "camelot"?) décident, pendant la nuit d'Halloween, de faire leur route ensemble pour éviter les gens louches en costume qui rentrent chez eux. Elles tombent sur une machine à voyager dans le temps défectueuse, et les voilà parties pour une aventure folle. Cela durera toute la nuit pour elle. Mais cela les fera parcourir l'ensemble de l'histoire de l'humanité.

Elles rencontreront leurs elles-mêmes du futur (notre présent) dans des scènes vraiment chouettes. Vaughan explore bien cette tension, des adultes qui cherchent l'approbation de leur soi de 12 ans, tout en ayant complètement oublié leurs préoccupations de l'époque.

Mais surtout, elles deviendront l'épicentre d'une guerre temporelle qui est aussi une guerre intergénérationnelle. Les vieux, d'un futur proche, qui ont inventé le voyage dans le temps, se veulent les gardiens d'une ligne temporelle stable et sans changement. Les jeunes, d'un futur éloigné, qui réclament le droit pour chaque génération de vivre une vie heureuse, croient que le temps doit être changé afin de balayer les erreurs du passé et créer un meilleur avenir pour tous.

Toutes ces thématiques sont abordées avec intelligence et sensibilité.

Vaughan est un génie. ♥️
Profile Image for nani chamoy.
54 reviews
April 30, 2023
This is important. All the answers to the problems of the world can be solved through deep friendship. Paper Girls is edge-of-your-seat, mind-bending, neon-colored, queer-inclusive, revisionist history. If you ever loved the Newsies, get into this and buckle ya seat belt. The reason I can’t give five stars is because this story is lacking more tenderness then I require. I know it is written by four boys— which is mind blowing, since it’s based on the femme teenage experience, and I don’t wanna take away from the brilliant work they created— But I wish they had written with more intention when it comes to feelings. And I know, I got a lotta feelings, and my paper girls do too, so lemme see it in more layered ways. Cuz them boys are great at complicated storylines! I know they coulda done it, it just wasn’t a priority to them, and it shows. Anyways I love this series and it has been a total joy / escape / pleasure to read it in its entirety, and also, in such a gorgeous form, this big ass book is the ticket! I love summer energy, and paired with the 80s and middle of America Ohio, this just hits all the marks— except the tender ones Lol lemme stop, sorry boys— okay okay happy summer energy!
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