‘Strangers in Paradise XXV’ #10 Review: A Strong Finish That Sets Up More

Terry Moore has closed the door — not quite as literally as he did last time — on Francine Peters and Katina Choovanski, bringing Strangers in Paradise XXV to a close in an issue that both reminds readers of what they love so much about this book, and, to a lesser extent, points out the most valid critique of the series as a whole.

All of the really big plot revelations came last issue, with #10 serving primarily as denouement, helping the readers come down from the series’ globetrotting adventure and settle back into domesticity with Katchoo.

That is, that Francine and Katchoo did not spend a lot of time together. This issue reunites the family, along with a surprising guest star, while taking time out to tee up Moore’s next series, which will be solicited soon for a May release.

Moore’s art is wonderful, and in this final issue, characters from Strangers in Paradise, Motor Girl, and Rachel Rising share the page, while setting up a “next step” that will presumably rope in at least some of the characters from Echo. Visually, he managed to distinguish characters who on their face look “alike,” and also to keep the world of Manson — where magic is real and everything has a kind of timeless affect — consistent with characters like Tambi and Katchoo, who are more explicitly modern.

This issue feels like an issue of Strangers in Paradise, even with all the guest stars and shenanigans. That is something that has not always been true for the series, which given its “one woman against the system” motif and the massive global consequences of… well, everything, felt tonally more like Echo than Strangers at some point. Given that Echo‘s MacGuffin plays such a significant role in the last couple of issues, this makes perfect sense, but when we see Francine, Katchoo, and their girls together in this issue, it is difficult not to wish that we had seen a little bit more of their lives together throughout the comic’s run.

Of course, Moore literally closed that door in the readers’ face years ago, when the Strangers in Paradise monthly series ended. While it would have been a treat for longtime readers to see behind that door, Moore continually used the door in promotional materials and even in the interior covers, perhaps suggesting to the fans that while it is open, and the characters are out and about, that does not mean the door is not there to be closed again.

That said, the cover — which is an homage both to the very first Strangers in Paradise cover as well as to the final cover of the original run — is a nice touch. Updating that image every so often with different art in the background and the evolved look and lifestyle of Francine and Katchoo is a clever idea, and as a longtime reader, it is nice to see David incorporated as well.

If we never see Francine and Katchoo again, it will be a surprise, but it does seem as though Moore wants to give the girls a much-deserved rest going into the next comic, which seems like either the second half, or more likely the second act, of the bigger story Strangers has been fostering all along. When you read the series all in one shot — as I did to prepare for this interview — the whole thing feels sharper, the pacing smarter and structure more obvious than it did when reading it as a series. That is not uncommon for Moore, who writes for the trade as much as anybody.

Like the rest of the series, Strangers in Paradise XXV #10 is not perfect — and it may not be exactly what you expect, or want, going in — but it is beautifully executed, and it feels like home.