A series of dead ends?
Creative Staff:
Story/Art: Terry Moore
What They Say:
Jet comes to the rescue when Katchoo meets a man she doesn’t like but not before he provides an important clue to finding Katchoo’s fugitive Parker Girl.
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
I was definitely excited to see a new Strangers in Paradise series coming out even though I wasn’t pleased by the number of years involved since the first series got underway. I really enjoyed Terry Moore’s stuff back then and the brief bit of Rachel Rising that I had read. With three issues of this series out I’m finding myself in that place between enjoying it aspects of it for nostalgia and wondering whether there’s an actual plan here that’s worth following. A good part of the appeal of the project are the characters themselves and Katchoo is definitely dominating it but it needs to have something that feels really tangible that I haven’t found yet. I mean, I could totally get into a series of just simple family adventures for the group but what we have here just hasn’t clicked yet.
Katchoo being in a very bad place along the cliff after being shot at and chased by dogs is resolved pretty quickly here thanks to Jet and company, which reduces the threat that was there in a way that kind of bothers me. With that having happened she’s now pissed and opts to go after the guy at his house by crashing through the gate and storming out of her car while shooting bullets into the air to establish that she’s in charge here. Her dealing with Carver is all about trying to find Stephanie but Katchoo just comes across as unhinged and both her and Carver are close to coming to blows it feels like. There’s not a lot to glean from him other than she always talked about going to Scotland but there’s so much time and energy expended here that it doesn’t feel like there’s enough payoff.
That in turn starts her journey to there through cold airports and the even colder Scottish countryside where she seemingly rubs people the wrong way easily. Some of it is amusing, particularly since she asks if there’s someone with the last name Kelly there, which is like asking if there’s a Smith in the house, but mostly it’s just a lot of brusque material between brusque people before an awkward sudden end thanks to cows. The way these issues end makes it clear that it really isn’t being written for the monthly but for a longer read of issues in a collection because it’s just so abrupt and without any notice. And that suddenness has me feeling even more off-balance as I finish out each issue.
In Summary:
While we get a brief almost wordless section with Francine taking care of her mother and checking on the kids, this is once again the Katchoo show. And it’s struggling to be an interesting show. I continue to adore Moore’s designs and the look of it, especially these cold New England settings, but it’s lacking a strong enough story as the hunt for the Parker girl just isn’t enough. Especially since we didn’t get enough grounding time with these characters with where they are in their lives at the start. I’m still reading as I want to see where it goes and to enjoy these characters but it’s definitely proving to be a struggle in individual not-monthly form.
Grade: B-
Age Rating: 13+
Released By: Abstract Studio via ComiXology
Release Date: April 25th, 2018
MSRP: $3.99
