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Strangers in Paradise Trade Paperbacks #16
Strangers in Paradise, Volume 16: Molly & Poo
Molly has a secret, a very bloody secret. From a teenage Death wannabe to convicted axe murderer, Molly's story is told in her own words, offering a fascinating insight into the mind of a psychopath. This trade paperback collects the entire Molly & Poo saga from its quirky beginning to the shocking end.
80 pages, Paperback
First published June 29, 2005
3 people are currently reading
130 people want to read
About the author
Terry Moore
823 books648 followersFollowing the examples of independent comic creators such as Dave Sim and Jeff Smith, he decided to publish Strangers in Paradise himself through his own Houston-based "Abstract Studios" imprint, and has frequently mentioned a desire to do a syndicated cartoon strip in the authors notes at the back of the Strangers in Paradise collection books. He has also mentioned his greatest career influence is Peanuts' Charles Schulz.[1] Some of Moore's strip work can additionally be found in his Paradise, Too! publications.
His work has won him recognition in the comics industry, including receiving the Eisner Award for Best Serialized Story in 1996 for Strangers in Paradise #1-8, which was collected in the trade paperback "I Dream of You".
It was announced on June 15th, 2007 that Moore would be taking over for Sean McKeever as writer of Marvel Comics's Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane series starting with a new issue #1. On July 27th, Marvel announced that Moore would also take over for Joss Whedon as writer of Marvel's Runaways.[2]
On November 19th, 2007 Terry Moore announced in his blog that his new self-published series would be named Echo and its first issue would appear on March 5th, 2008.[3]
His work has won him recognition in the comics industry, including receiving the Eisner Award for Best Serialized Story in 1996 for Strangers in Paradise #1-8, which was collected in the trade paperback "I Dream of You".
It was announced on June 15th, 2007 that Moore would be taking over for Sean McKeever as writer of Marvel Comics's Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane series starting with a new issue #1. On July 27th, Marvel announced that Moore would also take over for Joss Whedon as writer of Marvel's Runaways.[2]
On November 19th, 2007 Terry Moore announced in his blog that his new self-published series would be named Echo and its first issue would appear on March 5th, 2008.[3]
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
October 28, 2018
Molly and Poo is a short side project from Strangers In Paradise creator Terry Moore. Not really a graphic novel (see second image below), but sold in comic book format. It is basically a series of letters and prose sections dealing with the relationship between Molly and Poo in Victorian England. As the letters progress, it goes from simple infatuation to a dark and twisted place.
Even though these issues were sold under the Strangers In Paradise banner, the tie in can only be loosely inferred - and even then it is a bit of a stretch. Molly could be a representation of Francine while the more blunt and aggressive Poo might be Katchoo. I am betting if I did some background research on this I could find more details from the author, but it seems like a likely explanation since it came out with SIP.
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While it was a bit hard to get into at first with the abrupt format change, in the end it was a pretty suspenseful and gruesome tale. In fact, the nature of the story ended up being perfect for Halloween (I read this the last week of October), even though I did not know that going in. You will definitely be shocked when
I don't think it would be difficult for a non-SIP fan to jump right into this. However, an SIP fan may appreciate the Moore style a bit more (not necessary for enjoyment, just a little extra bonus!). If you can get past the slow and potentially confusing start, you might enjoy this Victorian erotic-horror-romance-thriller!
Even though these issues were sold under the Strangers In Paradise banner, the tie in can only be loosely inferred - and even then it is a bit of a stretch. Molly could be a representation of Francine while the more blunt and aggressive Poo might be Katchoo. I am betting if I did some background research on this I could find more details from the author, but it seems like a likely explanation since it came out with SIP.
[image error]
While it was a bit hard to get into at first with the abrupt format change, in the end it was a pretty suspenseful and gruesome tale. In fact, the nature of the story ended up being perfect for Halloween (I read this the last week of October), even though I did not know that going in. You will definitely be shocked when
I don't think it would be difficult for a non-SIP fan to jump right into this. However, an SIP fan may appreciate the Moore style a bit more (not necessary for enjoyment, just a little extra bonus!). If you can get past the slow and potentially confusing start, you might enjoy this Victorian erotic-horror-romance-thriller!
May 3, 2023
Por que lo llaman Strangers in Paradise cuando no tiene nada que ver? Pues a saber, pero no tiene nada que ver con la historia que se cuenta en SiP. Juega con la narración normal, epistolar, en viñetas, pasado, presente… demasiada mezcla para una historia negra con pretensiones.
June 22, 2017
I love Strangers in Paradise, but I hate the Molly and Poo stories. Boring and self-indulgent.
February 20, 2024
While I love Terry Moore's masterful storytelling, his flair for plot and characterization, his line work ... and his deep understanding of his female heroines and villains -- in fact, almost everything about his work, I hold him nearly above all other comic artists and writers -- I still couldn't see this as essential in the 19-volume series of Strangers in Paradise trade paperbacks. Only because it is a self-contained spinoff and not any more than a very insignificant part of the main storyline(s). It is darker in its depths and maybe takes more chances with the story than we've seen even in the often comic, sometimes tragic SIP universe. Pity, really. For me, i mean, being a completist and a big fan. But for what it is, on its own, it is not an unenjoyable read, and not really a lesser work.
The two parallel timelines are also a key to the Moore canon, or the Terryverse, as fans call it -- similar to SIP in the way you can start anywhere in the story, as I did, with a hardcover Volume 3 Part Two, and get it instantly -- and then want to read the rest. He always leaves you wanting more Moore.The Complete Strangers In Paradise, Volume 3, Part 2
The two parallel timelines are also a key to the Moore canon, or the Terryverse, as fans call it -- similar to SIP in the way you can start anywhere in the story, as I did, with a hardcover Volume 3 Part Two, and get it instantly -- and then want to read the rest. He always leaves you wanting more Moore.The Complete Strangers In Paradise, Volume 3, Part 2
June 22, 2019
Ever since the second run of SIP, the "Molly and Poo" storyline has been controversial. It has limited connection to the main story, is admittedly partially fictional in-world, and often seems like a departure from the characters and plots we really care about. That said, I enjoyed it. It was a fun diversion, though not an essential one, and deepened the world that these characters inhabit.
June 14, 2020
Pretty terrible, with very little entertainment value.
Read
October 12, 2021I love this series. Faults and all
June 4, 2023
Algo lenta al inicio pero con interesante vuelco al final
February 5, 2016
http://morethansuperhumans.blogspot.c...
Molly & Poo is a tale told in two parts. The first is a Victorian romance-turned-horror story that takes place in London circa 1908 and is told entirely in the correspondence between Molly, the reserved wife of Dr. Fleming, and Poo, a spirited and independent woman who seeks to set Molly free. What begins as a strong friendship soon transforms into a forbidden romance--with dire consequences. The second part of the story takes place in the present and follows Molly Lane, a perennially rejected author who is writing the tale of Molly & Poo. She stands accused of murdering her husband, Dr. Fleming, in a manner that eerily echoes her own fiction.
As you might guess from the the plot summary above, Molly & Poo has very little to do with the main Strangers in Paradise story. In fact, Francine and Katchoo make only the briefest of appearances, as youngsters, in a scene from Molly's childhood. Molly had appeared (also briefly) in volume 10, as Moore's way of connecting Molly & Poo (albeit tenuously) to his main story. I appreciate Moore's desire to create something different with Molly & Poo, and his use of the Victorian convention of creating a novel through letters is interesting, but ultimately the story lacks narrative sophistication. Moore's prose style, sometimes used effectively in SiP when Moore wants to convey a lot of information in a small amount of space, is weak when it's all the reader has to draw upon. And although the twists and turns of the story are sometimes unexpected, the "surprise" ending is telegraphed pages ahead of time. I would recommend this book only for the most diehard SiP fans, and even so it should be noted that this volume can be read out of order, since it has absolutely nothing to do with the rest of the SiP story.
Molly & Poo is a tale told in two parts. The first is a Victorian romance-turned-horror story that takes place in London circa 1908 and is told entirely in the correspondence between Molly, the reserved wife of Dr. Fleming, and Poo, a spirited and independent woman who seeks to set Molly free. What begins as a strong friendship soon transforms into a forbidden romance--with dire consequences. The second part of the story takes place in the present and follows Molly Lane, a perennially rejected author who is writing the tale of Molly & Poo. She stands accused of murdering her husband, Dr. Fleming, in a manner that eerily echoes her own fiction.
As you might guess from the the plot summary above, Molly & Poo has very little to do with the main Strangers in Paradise story. In fact, Francine and Katchoo make only the briefest of appearances, as youngsters, in a scene from Molly's childhood. Molly had appeared (also briefly) in volume 10, as Moore's way of connecting Molly & Poo (albeit tenuously) to his main story. I appreciate Moore's desire to create something different with Molly & Poo, and his use of the Victorian convention of creating a novel through letters is interesting, but ultimately the story lacks narrative sophistication. Moore's prose style, sometimes used effectively in SiP when Moore wants to convey a lot of information in a small amount of space, is weak when it's all the reader has to draw upon. And although the twists and turns of the story are sometimes unexpected, the "surprise" ending is telegraphed pages ahead of time. I would recommend this book only for the most diehard SiP fans, and even so it should be noted that this volume can be read out of order, since it has absolutely nothing to do with the rest of the SiP story.
April 10, 2016
This is brilliant story telling. Moore has created two female characters, two in 1908, and two in the nineties, whose lives follow parallel tracks. Some sections are truly poetic, and in both, one of the women from each time period is married to a serial killer. The killer thing is the story, which plays itself out beautifully.
Unfortunately, this segment does nothing to move the main story forward. In fact, it's totally unrelated and could be omitted without hurting the main story.
Unfortunately, this segment does nothing to move the main story forward. In fact, it's totally unrelated and could be omitted without hurting the main story.
November 12, 2012
2012 Reread: I got lost in this for a month. My very first full reread since the series hit its ending. Since I knew where it would start and go and end up. It was just as terrible, wonderful, painful, heartbreaking, heart healing, amazing as every other read. I never stop knowing my heart belongs to this.
September 26, 2007
The prose was much better this time though the story was back to being jarringly disjointed. I'm not sure I'd put this book as part of the Strangers in Paradise universe. Yeah, there was a very brief thing with Francine and Katchoo in high school, but they were cameo appearances.
February 10, 2008
Very nicely illustrated. I like the variety in stylistic tones, which set a very nice mood. I'm not sure I totally understood what the final result was and I'm not sure it was entirely successful getting its point across. That could just be that I have a migraine headache though...
December 5, 2007
Kind of weird. Not part of the normal story line, but interesting. Hard time trying to understand.
June 30, 2013
Molly and Poo was by far the worst part of the Strangers in Paradise series - like Terry just churned out some American psycho crap, while thinking up the next plot arc for Katchoo and Francine.
February 27, 2014
This side story is awful.
March 17, 2010
the one let down in this series
September 12, 2015
This book is a wonder and ties in perfectly with SiP.
I can't say more.
I can't say more.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews