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David is in love with Katchoo. Francine was in love with Freddie, thinks
she might be in love with David, and also thinks she might be in love
with Katchoo, even though she's always considered herself heterosexual.
Katchoo is in love with Francine, but also thinks she might be in love
with David, even though she claims to hate all men. Confused? So are
they. (In the image at right, the characters are Francine, David, and
Katchoo, from left to right. Click this image or any other image in
this review to see a full-sized version).
This is Strangers in Paradise.
Strangers in Paradise is written and drawn by Terry Moore, a nice fella from Austin who has an almost uncanny ability to understand and portray human interaction in all its grandeur and ugliness. His two main characters, Katina Choovanski (Katchoo) and Francine Peters, are two of the most realistic women characters in comics today, and their adventures have hooked a growing body of fans that will only get bigger now that the series has begun to be published in color.
The original miniseries that launched the story is nearly impossible to find now in single issues but is available in graphic novel form. It mainly focused on the relationship between Francine and her boyfriend Freddie, a cad who cheated on Francine and eventually left her because she wouldn't sleep with him. Ironically, Francine had wanted to sleep with Freddie but didn't because she was afraid he would dump her if she did.
Katchoo, Francine's roommate and an old friend from high school, wreaks a humiliating revenge on Freddie, which gets her into trouble with the law and sets up the second story, told in Strangers in Paradise issues #1-9 (later collected into the graphic novel I Dream of You, released earlier this year).
"I Dream of You" is a darker
story by far than the lighthearted miniseries that preceded it. In it,
Moore introduces Katchoo's ugly past as a victim of child abuse who ran
away from home and became a high-priced call girl for a dangerous,
Mafia-like organization. The leader of this group, Darcy Parker, has
been searching for Katchoo to find out what happened to some money that
disappeared at the same time Katchoo fled the organization with her
friend Emma. "I Dream of You" also develops the character of David, an
art student who was introduced in the miniseries and who gets closer to
Katchoo and Francine throughout.
Though "I Dream of You" still has humorous and touching moments, overall it attempts to fit into the noir genre and has limited success at doing so. Moore's at his best when he's portraying the conflicting feelings of tangled romantic relationships; he doesn't seem as adept at creating three-dimensional villains with believable motives.
But this criticism should be taken in combination with Moore's otherwise deft characterization and gorgeous artwork. Though originally he had conceived Strangers in Paradise as a series that would examine the relationships between a large and loosely related group of people, Moore (and his fans!) have become attached to Katchoo, Francine, and David. Issues #10-13 explored the relationship between Katchoo and David more and also covered Francine's lingering feelings for Freddie. The new Strangers in Paradise, which will publish its first issue under the Homage imprint in November 1996, will start a fresh story about the three. These people are so wound around each other they could be a human pretzel, and it doesn't look like anything's going to be straightened out among them for a long time. Lucky for us.
Review by Sara Lipowitz
 David Confesses His Love |
 Katchoo Tells Francine About Men |