Paper Girls #10 Review — When Will Then be Now?
Brian K. Vaughan’s Paper Girls remains one of the best series of 2016, for a variety of reasons, but if I had to point to one thing that makes it so amazing, it’s the sense of confusion Vaughan’s managing to maintain. Generally, that might sound like a bad thing, but for Paper Girls, it works amazingly well, as we follow our fish-out-of-water heroines. Paper Girls #10 continues the saga (heh) of the three Erins trying to figure up from down, but from the ending, it’s not clear whether or not they have taken a step forward, or backward. Literally.
In some respects, my trust in Old Erin was rewarded, as she takes control of the situation in an adult fashion. It certainly seems bad that Evil Sci-Fi Erin shoots her, and it’s almost impossible to not cheer when Tiffany bowls her through her own portal, but so very little is at it seems in this comic. I want to feel as though the girls have scored a major victory, but I can’t help but feel it’s possible they made the wrong choice. I don’t feel as though Old Erin is untrustworthy, but it’s possible that she just made a bad choice out of fear.
On one hand, the girls have finally reunited with KJ, but even that feels somewhat hollow. The first thing we notice about KJ is that she is carrying her field hockey stick. You know, the stick we assumed she sent through the ether to warn her friends? Fortunately, the girls correctly notice this, but, given the past 24 hours they’ve experienced, they willingly dismiss it as no big deal. I have a feeling it’s going to be a much bigger deal than they expected. So far, Vaughan’s use of time and time portals is pretty fast and loose, but I continue to read, confident that all will make sense soon enough. 
The heart of Paper Girls #10 is the heart of the series in general: this is, above all else, a buddy story. Best friends thrown into an incredible circumstance, trying to sort out their lives, while also sticking together. Part of what sells the series isn’t just its hardcore ’80s nostalgia vibe, but it’s particular vein of ’80s nostalgia. This is the classic coming-of-age story, featuring real kids. It’s not the perfect stereotype kids with perfect lives and sassy one-liners that Hollywood and so many book series cram at us today. These are kids who don’t always have the right answer, they like to cuss and act older than they are, and they don’t fit into perfect little molds. Erin, for instance, isn’t “the brainiac,” Tiffany isn’t the “jock,” and Mac isn’t just the “rebel.” They’re just Erin, Tiffany and Mac.
Which is a long way of saying Old Erin’s reminder to Prime Erin to stay friends with KJ, Tiffany and Mac is one of the most emotional parts of the story thus far. Because of all the time travel/portals/what-have-you, it’s unclear what has happened to Erin between her 12-year old self and her 40-year old self. In fact, it seems to be largely mysterious to her, too. What is clear is that hers is a life filled with regret and loneliness. So many coming-of-age stories revolve around the main characters vowing, at some point, to remain friends forever. In one moment, Old Erin has the chance to tell — or plead with — her younger self to remember this vow.
As an aside, I’ve longed to mention, throughout reviewing this series, that I love what Vaughan has done with the future language. Reading the panels of the future characters, their language is such a clear evolution of our current terms and style. It’s both wholly familiar and decipherable, while still being foreign and strange. Also, probably way more prophetic than we can imagine.
Paper Girls #10 finally rewards us with Prime Erin seemingly achieving their initial goal. The last panel, though, hints to me that maybe this wasn’t the best decision the girls have made, but it remains to be seen. All I know is that Paper Girls continues to be both one of the best feminist comics on the market, and one of the best hard Sci-Fi comics. But the biggest claim to fame is how utterly disoriented Vaughan manages to keep both his characters and us, as readers, on this wild ride.
Paper Girls 10
Author: Brian K. Vaughan
Artist: Cliff Chiang
Publisher: Image Comics
Series: Paper Girls
Acquired via Purchase
Publish date: 10/05/2016
