In conjunction with Prism Comics, the preeminent website for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered (LGBT) comics and creators, every day this month I will be detailing one good comic book/graphic novel with LGBT themes.



Here's an archive of the featured works so far!

Today we look at a love story that took more than a decade to tell!



Strangers in Paradise is the offbeat love story of Francine and Katchoo, two best friends where one of the friends (Katchoo) had slightly less platonic feelings for the other (Francine).

The story, as it was printed in the first three-issue mini-series by Terry Moore at Antarctic Press, was a pretty straightforward story of a woman, her best friend (who is secretly in love with her) and her jerk of a (soon to be ex-)boyfriend.

In the second volume, done through his own Abstract Studio, Moore added some intrigue in the form of David, the third angle of the love triangle of Strangers in Paradise.

Katchoo loved Francine. David loved Katchoo. Francine...well, okay, I guess it is not exactly a love triangle, because Francine loved neither of them.

In addition, an action and adventure storyline was added in the second volume involving a secret group of lady spies who were out to get Katchoo.



The book eventually moved to Image for the third volume.



But Moore decided to take it back to his own publishing company...



And he eventually ended it just last year with the 90th issue of the third volume.



As you might imagine, with over 90 issues to tell a love story, things are likely to slow to a crawl at times, and Strangers in Paradise definitely had some "treading water" moments in the third volume, but eventually, Moore found a groove which he rode all the way to the book's climax.

The artwork by Moore is nice and smooth - he tells a story well, and each issue is packed with story. This is a hefty read, and an entertaining and endearing one with lots of great characters that you will soon grow to love.

Well worth reading!

Here's the website for Strangers in Paradise.