Paper Girls 29 seems to be trying to advance the narrative with haste — through awkward and unlikely exposition that forces a conclusion. Almost as bad is how this issue compresses what was previously an interesting perspective on culture into trite or superficial phrases. The team has taken their audience for granted, and I think that will lead this series to be quickly forgotten.

Love Paper Girls but I think this was the worst issue of the series.

I didn’t love the art, and was bugged by small inconsistencies throughout. Like when a character is apparently kickflipping down some stairs and ... but then is holding a longboard in the next panel?!

At least the story was properly weird.

The first issue ended with a death of a major character, leaving one wondering how this story is going to sustain itself. But by the end of the second issue it’s clear that this character was a MacGuffin, and Ram V knows exactly what he is doing.

In this issue, tensions mount, local characters are eatablished, and storylines begin to interweave. We still don’t have a clear protagonist — but maybe that’s on purpose. Maybe Ram v wants us guessing who the reader should invest his allegiance in, independent of the author’s intent.

Regardless, this book is worth picking up if only to enjoy Sumit Kumar’s meticulously illustrated environment and people (realized by Vittorio Astone’s evocative coloring). Together, they contribute every bit as much storytelling as the words. more

I can easily imagine a board meting at DC with conversation going more or less like this:
Dan DiDio: You are quite possibly the most hated writer at our house right now. People despised Heroes in Crisis and your Batman run. They accuse you of not telling any stories but some pseudointellectual gibberish, ruining Batman, Harley Quinn, Booster Gold, Poison Ivy, Wally West and Arsenal. And now you want us to publish your Superman story?
Tom King: Yeah.
Dan DiDio: Sure, mate, sign here.

Now, with all seriousness, I know this story was released in Superman Giant books... last year, was it? So mocking DC for allowing King to write about more A-tier characters and pissing even more people off isn't as easy. Still, though, one could assume DC editorial will try to please the currently angry and disappinted fans of Superman, instead of adding more fuel to the fire. Bendis is already doing more than enough harm to the brand, do they really want another hated writer to step in and damage it even more? more

I like doing sound effects when there's a trippy part. It seems like it doesn't add anything, but amuses me. Sweet comic.

Neither the story nor the characters are engaging or believable enough to overcome the ragged, sketchy art.

I’m hooked. If you like smart sci fi that builds on but doesn’t reply uppn classic tropes, you may be, too.

Perhaps the most offensive thing about the 2018 Nancy Drew series is how the cover art advertises intrigue and danger, while the contents are simple art with cartoonish, stereotype characters stumbling through blase challenges.

Coda 6 is much needed jolt forward in a series that had slowed down almost to a crawl. Dialogue in this issue gives a little extra (and needed) depth to our conflicted heroes. Illustrations do much of the heavy lifting as the events set our heroes up for an important battle of wills.