There aren’t many comic series based in Cleveland. Even fewer that start out in the late 1980s and involve alien beings and traveling through time. Well, actually, there’s just one and if you went by titles you wouldn’t think any of that was involved at all. In late 2015, Image Comics released the first issue of the monthly Paper Girls. 

Written by Brian K. Vaughn, known for the critically acclaimed Saga, with art by Cliff Chang and Matt Wilson, the protagonists are literal paper girls, having taken over routes from paper boys who outgrew the job. As a basic premise, there are a lot of ways the plot could go. Perhaps the most unexpected direction is the one it takes – aliens and time travel.

Described as Stand By Me meets War of the Worlds, the series is considered young adult but definitely has wider appeal. The story develops quickly, but relatively logically considering the circumstances. And there are enough plot points and twists to keep readers interested. The art is cool too, with good detail and embodying the atmosphere of the “what the hell is going on” situations. It obviously all works, considering the series is still going and there are already four collected volumes available.

If you want a deeper dive into the first couple of volumes, check out the Best Geeky Finds post from 2017.