Classic Comic Compendium: PAPER GIRLS #1

Outside of possibly Pride of Baghdad, I think the last of this month’s look at first issues penned by Brian K. Vaughan is my favourite of his works. It’s a series that heralded the zeitgeist of retro ’80s horror and sci-fi that dominated the latter half of the 2010s. And it really spoke to elements of my childhood in a fascinating and captivating way. This is Paper Girls.

“We warned you…never eat from the Tree of Knowledge.”

Paper Girls #1 by Vaughan, Cliff Chiang, Matt Wilson, and Jared K. Fletcher introduces us to four girls in small town Ohio as they try to deliver their papers on the morning after Halloween in 1988. Things go horribly awry from the start, from the mundane of bullies trying to steal a paper to the fantastical of being transported through space and time.

1. Nostalgia

Paper Girls came out before Stranger Things. About nine months before. It was funny reading some of the criticisms of the Amazon television series that tried to pin it as a knock-off. It’s also not the same thing, in terms of story, characters, and construction, but it does tap into the same well: ’80s nostalgia. While it does feature a group of kids trying to find themselves at the tail end of the decade, steeped in the pop culture and sociopolitical landscape, it feels like it takes different cues from Spielberg veering more towards science fiction than horror. And maybe a bit of The ‘Burbs.

On top of the time-specific material, a large part of the feel for nostalgia is done through Matt Wilson’s colours. Wilson uses a limited palette of soft blues, purples, and pinks that evoke that retrowave feeling. Similar the stylized washes of Ex Machina, it gives the book a unique look at the same time as reinforcing an idea that this is a different time period.

2. Cliffhangers & Shock Reveals

Surprises and twists are a common element in Vaughan’s writing. Sometimes they reveal critical plot developments, like the parents reveal in Runaways. Other times they give context for the world that they’re set in, like the final page of Ex Machina.

In the first issue of Paper Girls, there are three major shock story beats: the revelation of the space ship/time machine, the face reveal of the ninja mummy looking folks, and the Apple tech. Each of them give little pieces of the type of story we’re getting and act as a hook to keep us reading to find out what exactly is going on. The first two also give a chance for both Chiang and Fletcher to shine. Chiang with his interesting designs for the machine and characters and Fletcher with the logograms for the future language.

And there’s a homophobic slur. There’s a bit of a difference here beyond just using harmful language for shock value, though. The AIDS Crisis was a very large part of the ’80s, so it makes sense from a story perspective that something would be mentioned. Also, the character who says the slur appears to actually be homophobic as the early part of the series develops. Working through the problems with the mindset, rather than just being there for shock value.

“It’s not a symbol. It’s an apple.”

Like the first issues of Y: The Last Man and Saga, I consider Paper Girls #1 from Vaughan, Chiang, Wilson, and Fletcher an artistic masterpiece. It immerses us into a fascinating science fiction world, flavoured through ’80s nostalgia, with absolutely gorgeous artwork.

Classic Comic Compendium: Paper Girls #1

Paper Girls #1
Writer: Brian K. Vaughan
Artist: Cliff Chiang
Colourist: Matt Wilson
Letterer: Jared K. Fletcher
Publisher: Image Comics
Release Date: October 7 2015
Available collected in Paper Girls – Volume 1, Saga: Deluxe Edition – Volume One, and Paper Girls: The Complete Story

Read past entries in the Classic Comic Compendium!