Comic Review: Paper Girls #28

Paper Girls #28

Image Comics

Writer: Brian K. Vaughan

Artists: Cliff Chiang & Matt Wilson

More questions are asked than answered in this series’ best issue yet. Fate. Mortality. War. Brian K. Vaughan begins to tie up each of these universal themes within the first couple of pages, proving once again he’s one of the industry’s top storytellers. With each narrative Vaughan creates, I gain more respect for him due to his ability to choose a creative team and execute complex ideas. I’m constantly in shock at his ability to continuously elevate himself. If you haven’t been paying attention to him, you’re already late to the party.

Each of our paper girls, being displaced in different dimensions, attempts to answer age-old questions such as Why are we here? and Where exactly is here? One might argue these questions have been asked by nearly every intellectual since the dawn of man, but no one has answered them quite like Vaughan.

All four tales are seamlessly interwoven, playing off of one another while still being perfectly cohesive. I’d give Vaughan’s storytelling a 12/10 for this one. Unlike many science fiction comic writers, Vaughan’s storytelling is straightforward. It’s a real breath of fresh air. There are plenty of details involved, which gives it re-readability, but there’s less confusion than something like East of West, which is great in its own right but requires more head-scratching. I love how Vaughan can simplify such a complex idea and incorporate the balance of detail and simplicity.

This issue’s art and coloring perfectly supported Vaughan’s out-of-this-world storytelling. This is a team who clearly planned out every detail to the letter in the beginning stages and are now reaping the rewards. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for our paper girls, for this creative team, and for the end of the series.

This is a series anyone can enjoy and that anyone can enjoy more than once.