Paper Girls, Vol. 1 Review: Stranger Things Meets Time Travel
Brian K. Vaughan's 80s time-travel adventure, beautifully drawn by Cliff Chiang.
By Web Admin
Four twelve-year-old newspaper delivery girls, one very strange morning in the suburbs of 1988, and a time-travel conspiracy that spirals wildly out of control. If that logline makes you think of a certain Netflix hit, you are not alone — but Paper Girls got there with its own voice, its own gorgeous look, and one of the most exciting creative teams in comics. Written by Brian K. Vaughan (Saga, Y: The Last Man), drawn by Cliff Chiang, and colored by Matt Wilson, this Image Comics series launched in 2015 and ran for a complete thirty issues. This is our review of Volume 1 — the perfect, cheap, self-contained on-ramp.
What is Paper Girls?
Paper Girls is a completed, thirty-issue creator-owned series from Image Comics. It opens in the pre-dawn hours of November 1, 1988 — the morning after Halloween — in the fictional suburb of Stony Stream, Ohio. Four twelve-year-old girls are out delivering newspapers: Erin, the anxious newcomer; Mac, the tough-talking first girl in town to have a paper route; KJ, the confident field-hockey player; and Tiffany, the level-headed one. What should be an ordinary, slightly rough morning turns into something else entirely when they stumble into a conflict between warring time travelers, and the sky starts doing things skies should not do.
Volume 1 collects the first five issues, roughly 130 pages, and typically sells for around US$10. Like the best first volumes, it hands you a complete, thrilling chunk of story that works on its own while making you desperate for more.
The story: nostalgia with real teeth
It is easy to slap “Stranger Things meets time travel” on the cover and move on, but Paper Girls is doing something more interesting than nostalgia. Yes, the 1988 setting is lovingly rendered — the Walkmans, the crank calls, the specific texture of being a kid on the edge of the adult world. But Vaughan uses the time-travel plot to literalize a theme: what it feels like to confront who you will become. Over the series, the girls come face to face with older versions of themselves and futures they did not expect, and the book quietly becomes a story about growing up, identity, and the gap between the person you are and the person you fear becoming.
Volume 1 is mostly setup, and gloriously so. Vaughan is a master of the hook, and each issue ends on a turn that makes the next one mandatory. The mystery is dense and deliberately disorienting early on — you are meant to be as confused as the girls are — but the four leads are so distinct and well-drawn that you are always anchored, even when the plot is throwing giant robots and future-slang at you.
The art: Cliff Chiang and Matt Wilson
If Saga is Fiona Staples’ showcase, Paper Girls is Cliff Chiang’s. His clean, confident line work gives the four girls instantly readable body language and personality — no small feat with a cast of same-age kids. But the secret weapon is colorist Matt Wilson, whose palette turns the book into something genuinely unusual to look at: cool pre-dawn pinks and purples, electric neons, and bold flat color that makes every page pop. Wilson won the Eisner Award for Best Coloring for his work here, and it is easy to see why. Together, Chiang and Wilson give the series a look you will not mistake for anything else on the shelf.
Meet the paper girls
The series lives or dies on its four leads, and Vaughan makes each of them a fully realized person rather than a type.
- Erin Tieng — the anxious new girl in the neighborhood, and the closest thing the book has to a point-of-view character. Her nervousness masks real courage.
- Mac Coyle — foul-mouthed, tough, and fearless; the first girl in Stony Stream to take a paper route, and the group’s reckless engine.
- KJ Brandman — confident, athletic, and principled, from the most well-off family of the four.
- Tiffany Quilkin — thoughtful and level-headed, the one most likely to stop and ask what is actually happening.
Watching these four bicker, protect each other, and slowly become real friends under impossible pressure is the emotional glue that holds the wild plot together.
Content notes
Paper Girls is more accessible than Vaughan’s adult work like Saga or Y: The Last Man, but it is still pitched at teens and up rather than young children. Expect some strong language, moments of real peril and violence, and mature themes handled with care. It is a great fit for older teens and adults; younger kids are better served elsewhere.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Four distinct, genuinely likable young leads
- Eisner-winning colors from Matt Wilson
- A complete 30-issue series with an ending
- Outstanding value (~US$10 for Vol. 1)
Cons
- The time-travel plot is deliberately confusing early
- Vol. 1 is mostly setup; you’ll want to keep going
- Some language and peril — not for young kids
Which edition should you buy?
Because the series is finished, you can plan your reading around whichever format suits you. Here is how the main options compare.
| Edition | Format | Collects | Approx. price | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vol. 1 trade paperback | Softcover | Issues #1–5 | ~US$10 | Trying the series |
| Standard trades (6 vols) | Softcover | 5 issues each | ~US$13 each | Reading on a budget |
| Deluxe Edition hardcovers | Oversized hardcover | ~15 issues each | ~US$30 | Showcasing the art |
| Complete Edition | Single hardcover | All 30 issues | ~US$50–60 | Owning the whole run |
Start with the cheap Volume 1 paperback to see if the vibe grabs you. If it does — and it probably will — the oversized Deluxe hardcovers are the best way to enjoy Chiang and Wilson’s artwork at scale.
AmazonCheck price on AmazonIf you like Paper Girls, read these next
The most natural next step is Vaughan’s flagship — our Saga, Vol. 1 review covers the ongoing space opera that made him a superstar. For more in the same publisher’s stable, our roundup of the best Image Comics is packed with creator-owned gems, and the time-bending, high-concept crowd will find plenty to love in our guide to the best sci-fi graphic novels. You can also browse everything creator-owned in our Indie & Image hub.
The verdict
Paper Girls is a joy: a smart, beautiful, genuinely thrilling adventure that uses its retro trappings to say something real about growing up. Volume 1 is one of the best-value first volumes in comics, and because the full series is complete, it is a safe, satisfying binge from start to finish. Whether you came for the Stranger Things comparison or Vaughan’s name on the cover, this one earns the hype.
Frequently asked questions
Is Paper Girls finished?
Yes. The series ran for a complete thirty issues from 2015 to 2019 and has a definitive ending, collected across six trade paperbacks, two deluxe hardcovers, or a single complete edition.
Is Paper Girls just like Stranger Things?
They share an 80s setting and a group of kids facing something strange, but Paper Girls is its own thing — a time-travel mystery about identity and growing up, with a distinctive look and a female cast.
Is it appropriate for kids?
It is best for teens and adults. There is some strong language, real peril, and mature themes, so younger children are better served by gentler picks in our beginners guides.
Should I read Saga or Paper Girls first?
Either works, but Paper Girls is a slightly cheaper, more contained commitment. If you love it, Saga is the natural next step and shares the same big-hearted, high-concept sensibility.
Keep going with our best Image Comics guide, or dive into Vaughan’s other work via our Saga review.
