“Paper Girls” #6

It’s the beginning of a new arc in Brian K. Vaughan and Cliff Chiang’s “Paper Girls” #6. Okay, so you’re going to have to bear with me here, because this is one of those time travel things.

Apart from some basic plot elements, this review is spoiler free.

Written by Brian K. Vaughan
Illustrated by Cliff Chiang

The smash-hit ongoing series returns with a bold new direction, as Erin, Mac, and Tiffany find themselves launched from 1988 to a distant and terrifying future.

So far in this series, the girls of Stoney Stream have had to defend their small town suburb from time travelling invaders. Issue #6 places Erin and her friends on the other side of that equation, as they are sent forward to the future. June 1st, 2016 to be precise, the exact day of the comic’s publication. And who do you think they happen to meet first? None other than Erin’s future self. As Mac herself succinctly puts it, “we got backed to the fucking future.”

While there are many examples where a book will lose itself in trying to balance its broken timeline or adhere to some self imposed set of rules, Brian K Vaughan and Cliff Chiang have managed to keep their tale commendably unobtrusive. Unfortunately, what we seem to be left with, after stripping away the cool concepts, is a weak plot that isn’t keeping up with its characters.

Not that any of us are in any doubt, but this issue proves to showcase Vaughan’s smart and economic dialogue and his ability to create wildly fun scenarios. There has been a great deal of work to make each character feel unique. Erin, for example, has come into her own as the de facto leader of the group, she’s stronger and more assured than in previous issues. It is especially noticeable during the interactions with her older self. Like a lot of adults in 2016, older Erin is a mixture of defeated and wistful, while Chiang has drawn her with just the right amount of subtle signs of ageing that stops her from being a complete caricature. I like that the team decided not to turn her into some super-athletic future warrior, but rather create a very relatable adult woman. It was a nice touch to have her remain working for the newspaper Erin delivers in 1988. It allows for some truly human interactions between both Erins. Young Erin is suitably unimpressed with her older self’s life, while our present day version is too experienced to feel she needs to justify herself. It is a realistic reaction to an idea most have us have pondered at some point in our lives. No matter what side we’re looking at it from.

Vaughan can also take a trope as well used as time displaced characters, being utterly amazed and bewildered by modern technology, and make it feel fresh. The girls bounce off the scenery and each other, soaking in everything a modest home in 2016 has to offer. A giddy moment for me came after Tiffany turns on the TV and we get a quick glimpse of the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie, suggesting this issue is set in real time. What could have come across simply as a gimmick was handled deftly enough to actually make me laugh (which is probably the biggest reaction any Michael Bay movie has ever elicited from anyone.) This is in thanks to Vaughan’s surgeon like precision with a one liner and the little details Chiang adds to his panels. The stunned look on the girl’s faces after seeing HDTV is one of my favourite panels of the entire issue, heightened by the literal sparks surrounding them. No matter what gets lost in the rest of the issue, the creative team never lose grip on the youthfulness of their protagonists.

However, as enjoyable as these moments are, I’m starting to get frustrated at the pace the story is going. Vaughan keeps adding new concepts and mysteries without furthering or resolving old ones. Yes, Cardinal and ‘Grand Father’ as characters are intriguing enough, but I have no idea what purpose they serve. They could be friend or foe, but thanks to some mysterious ‘curfew,’ I have a feeling we’re still not going to see them interact with the girls for at least another issue. I’m certainly thankful for the simplicity of the sci-fi elements in “Paper Girls” so far, but it is in danger of unravelling. At one point, a rather impressive looking, blood red astronaut touches down, seemingly having traveled through the time storm. I can’t really tell you much more about it though because other than turning a poor bystander into a liquified mess, the astronaut never appears again. It’s cases like these that turn an otherwise straightforward time travelling romp into something heavier and much more confusing.

Unfortunately, Cliff Chiang’s art does not remedy this and indeed further suggests that this issue wasn’t thought through. If you’ve come across Chiang’s art before, you’ll know him for his sleek, clean lines and his unique, stylistic approach to character design. For me, his work has always had a slight ‘Pop Art’ feel to it, but here his lines are heavy and thick. It makes the characters seem literally two-dimensional; they have a striking resemblance to paper dolls with their clothes and facial features appearing to be stuck on to a template. Mouths appear out of sync with the rest of the face and Mac’s right eye has the odd habit of always being visible no matter how obscured it is by her hair. His backgrounds are inconsistent at best. Some, to be fair, are more realised and detailed than others, but most scenes are harsh and rudimentary. I know how good Chiang can be, but it feels like he’s missed the mark on this issue and none of it strikes me as being intentional. Considering this, it has to be said that his panel arrangement does show a distinct feel for drama. There are some lovely moments of enjambement that let the important moments linger. Despite all the shortcomings in terms of art design, Chaing never loses direction.

For an issue about meeting your older self, clearly a conscious effort has been made to weave in a mature tone, one that I imagine will carry over this entire arc. The cover itself, a depiction of the older Erin sat at her desk, sipping coffee, conflicts cleverly with the vibrancy and youthfulness of the covers of Vol. 1. Matt Wilson’s colour pallet is a lot more sophisticated too. Bold, bright colours have now been replaced with subdued pastels. Instead of flat pink we’re treated to several shades of mauve; green have been replaced by teal.

Again, this goes back to my overall feelings towards this issue, it clearly has a talented and creative team, I trust that they are going to make wise decisions and care how it all works out. Though I have no problem with the techniques and devices the team are using to tell their story. The contention arises from the lack thereof. In the end, it is worth sticking with “Paper Girls,” but I hope it’s future becomes a lot clearer.

Final Verdict 5.5 – A disappointing return to “Paper Girls.” Somebody call Doc Brown, I want to go back to 1988.