"Girls" All Four Books and this is how it ends? - SPOILERS

[suttercain]

I picked up the first trade about a month ago and really enjoyed it. I knew the series was already over so I decided to pick up the second, third and fourth trade.

Wow, what started off as an excellent idea fizzled in the third and by the fourth I could care less about the people or the story.

Did anyone actually like this series past the second trade? If so, why?

I found all of the towns people, male and female to be the dumbest group of people I have ever seen. Every single mistake they could make, they did. It felt to surreal, there was no one to identify with.

The only reason I stuck with this series is because in the third trade we are told "All will be explained. It will be beautiful." Well.... nothing was explained. After dragging on with nothing but filler for two trades, the end of the fourth quickly tried to wrap everything up with no explanation for any of the events that up to this point.

Seriously, stay away from this series. I only bought it based on reviews, and will admit Volume 1 was great, but the series as a whole, was really, really bad. The story arc was poorly planned/executed and I literally, hated it.

What did everyone else think? Can someone explain that stupid 2001 rip-off end? So freaking lame!

SC

[James 'Logan' Howlett]

When this was out back in the day, the guy who works at my LCS said that this book was "Very graphic and had a great story behind it". This was probably about the time when half the issues were out.

The shop didn't have any back issues (and I'm not a trade person), so I quickly forgot about the title.

Roughly one month ago, I downloaded this mini with the intention of buying it if I was satisfied. Sadly, I was not.

The first 6 issues were great. The next 6 were only good. Then the 6 after that were just plain bad, and the final 6 were a total joke.

After the story was complete, I was upset at how some females managed to live through the whole thing, or had a quick death (can't think of the woman, but she was SUPER ANNOYING!). The men at that town were a bunch of wimps! Oh, and what about that one emo kid? Kicks a bear in the nuts, then talks crap to a looney kid with a gun?! Yet he can't stand up for himself against a bunch of nagging females?

The idea behind "Girls" was good, but was quickly destroyed. I feel for anyone who spent money on this. I'm lucky to have only wasted time reading it, and some bandwidth...no money though. :cool:

[Arvandor]

Well. I couldn't disagree more if I tried. I loved every damn issue, from start to finish.

[mgs]

The first 6 issues were great. The next 6 were only good. Then the 6 after that were just plain bad, and the final 6 were a total joke.

honestly, I don't think I ever got an issue, but this is basically what I heard/read about it.

[suttercain]

Well. I couldn't disagree more if I tried. I loved every damn issue, from start to finish.

Care to elaborate what qualities you liked about it? It's one think to say you loved it, but I am very curious to hear from the people who thought this was a great story past the first (or second) trade.

Did you like the characters even though everyone in this town were wimpy, spineless, annoying, or jerks?

Did you like the fact that no explanation of who, why or what these women were was ever given?

Did you like the fact that the story just continued with no actual substance or reason?

Did you like the final issue?

Thanks

[jobies201]

Care to elaborate what qualities you liked about it? It's one think to say you loved it, but I am very curious to hear from the people who thought this was a great story past the first (or second) trade.

Did you like the characters even though everyone in this town were wimpy, spineless, annoying, or jerks?

Did you like the fact that no explanation of who, why or what these women were was ever given?

Did you like the fact that the story just continued with no actual substance or reason?

Did you like the final issue?

Thanks

You know, you guys don't have to cut everyone down when they like something you don't.

I didn't like this title either though, I thought up until halfway through the third trade it was good, but then it declined rapidly

[suttercain]

You know, you guys don't have to cut everyone down when they like something you don't.

I didn't like this title either though, I thought up until halfway through the third trade it was good, but then it declined rapidly

Ben,

No one is cutting anyone down. I was just asking why he/she did like the title.

[jobies201]

Ben,

No one is cutting anyone down. I was just asking why he/she did like the title.

Dude, come on don't lie. Those were sarcastic questions, all you did was bash the comic more with them.

[sgt pepper]

I thought it was a really fun and clever series, and a great spin on the classic zombie/monster story. And it has excellent pacing and does a great job of building suspense and ending each issue with a nice cliffhanger (I think the cliffhangers are Lost or BKV good).

I thought the characters were all unlikeable in a very believable way--stressful life and death situations like this would bring out the worst in anyone. For me it's refreshing to see people portrayed as they really are. The fact that the men can't resist these nubile young monsters is hilarious.

For me, there's plenty of explanation as to who the monsters are and what their goals are. So it's not spelled out completely. It doesn't need to be. That's not the point. Who, what , or why are the zombies or monsters in The Walking Dead or any story? There isn't one. They're a plot device.

The substance or reason of the story was to tell a crazy, suspenseful story and to show how people interact and react to horrible circumstances. Why does there need to be more than that? And the creators say a lot about people and the world in this series. Explaining the invasion isn't the point and wouldn't have added anything to the meaning.

[suttercain]

Dude, come on don't lie. Those were sarcastic questions, all you did was bash the comic more with them.

I truly meant nothing disparaging by those questions. I am truly interested in hearing WHY people liked this series and not just "I loved it".

It's all good.

[Weapon Ick]

I read this series monthly and I loved it. I can see why people who read it in trades do not like it. I don't think it would work as well in trades.

Every issue ended with an OMG cliffhanger. It was slowly paced and intimate. It really captured the sense of survivalism. It explored our societie's concepts of gender roles and sexuality.

No I don't care about the origin of the canablistic clone women. This book had a lot of similarities to zombie movies and books and not every zombie story gives an explanation as to why zombies are occurring. The Walking Dead is on what, like issue 60-something now and it hasn't even touched on an origin for the zombies. It's not necessarily important.

I was reading Girls when I could only afford 3 comics a month. Every issue was worth it because it was creepy and suspensful. I couldn't wait until the next issue came out.

Oh yeah, and by the way the antagonists were hot naked girls!! How can you go wrong with that? What would you rather have the bad guys who look like Dr. Doom or Mars Attacks-type aliens?

[suttercain]

Well I respect all your opinions, but I see a huge difference between Girls and the Walking Dead.

To me, the walking dead has both "Good" and "Bad" people. Characters you can relate to. We all know jerks, but we also all know people with good hearts, even facing stressful situations. In Girls, everyone was a "Bad" person. They all did something so unbelievably bad, it made me cringe.

The women cut a guys penis off... people just let it happen. The women take the men hostage... people just let it happen. The guys put the women in the basement to die... people just let it happen. Even the cop was a total prick at times. To me, none of the characters were realistic any anyway.

Also, when speaking of a zombie genre, I don't care where the zombies came from... unless the zombies were taking their victims to a giant sperm that exploded the corpses and that giant sperm created an invisible border around a town. Also, if the zombies shot up into the air and then ended up in a sperm like cocoon hovering over earth, I would care about the origin.

Walking Dead, in my opinion, is a grade A comic, Girls could have been up there, but it really went down hill with no direction of how to get back up. I think maybe the Luna Brother had a great concept but never had an ending planned.

I also think the part where the reader is told that everything will be explained and when it is it will be beautiful is very misleading.

[James 'Logan' Howlett]

Well I respect all your opinions, but I see a huge difference between Girls and the Walking Dead.

To me, the walking dead has both "Good" and "Bad" people. Characters you can relate to. We all know jerks, but we also all know people with good hearts, even facing stressful situations. In Girls, everyone was a "Bad" person. They all did something so unbelievably bad, it made me cringe.

The women cut a guys penis off... people just let it happen. The women take the men hostage... people just let it happen. The guys put the women in the basement to die... people just let it happen. Even the cop was a total prick at times. To me, none of the characters were realistic any anyway.

Also, when speaking of a zombie genre, I don't care where the zombies came from... unless the zombies were taking their victims to a giant sperm that exploded the corpses and that giant sperm created an invisible border around a town. Also, if the zombies shot up into the air and then ended up in a sperm like cocoon hovering over earth, I would care about the origin.

Walking Dead, in my opinion, is a grade A comic, Girls could have been up there, but it really went down hill with no direction of how to get back up. I think maybe the Luna Brother had a great concept but never had an ending planned.

I also think the part where the reader is told that everything will be explained and when it is it will be beautiful is very misleading.

Just wanted to say that I agree with this 100%. :cool:

[tumfp]

Girls is actually one of my favorite stories ever. The Luna brothers did a wonderful job creating individuals, while playing off of social topics such as small town citizens, etc. And yes, the characters were incredibly real. If it boiled down to good guy versus bad guy, there absolutely was a distinction in the town's women and the men. The allegations of idiocy within the characters is understandable, but at the same time not truly a fault. I always had the idea in mind that an event like this, though comparable in scale, was the opposite of a tragedy like 9-11, where heroes arose and a society versus society conflict began. The alien invasion here was a personal tale of evil. You had individual after individual giving into their evils and creating an even greater terrifying situation. When each man slept with another girl, there was the opportunity for all the others to point their fingers and identify a bad guy.

As far as the origin of the invasion, the final issue did explain it all quite nicely. At the same time, it was left for the reader to strongly interpret. It's a story telling practice that, though taking a lot of criticism, is quickly gaining prominence in today's literature. Larger examples of this technique would be "I Am Legend" and "Cloverfield;" both were extremely well written, but were abandoned by the moronic democratic of the public.

I am sympathetic to the fact many of you are reading this in trades though. It truly does not engage you in the story properly. Waiting out month after month worked hand in hand with the pacing of the story wonderfully.

Beyond the storytelling though, I am a great fan of the art style. It is a great example of the "less-is-more" belief.

[suttercain]

Girls is actually one of my favorite stories ever. The Luna brothers did a wonderful job creating individuals, while playing off of social topics such as small town citizens, etc. And yes, the characters were incredibly real. If it boiled down to good guy versus bad guy, there absolutely was a distinction in the town's women and the men. The allegations of idiocy within the characters is understandable, but at the same time not truly a fault. I always had the idea in mind that an event like this, though comparable in scale, was the opposite of a tragedy like 9-11, where heroes arose and a society versus society conflict began. The alien invasion here was a personal tale of evil. You had individual after individual giving into their evils and creating an even greater terrifying situation. When each man slept with another girl, there was the opportunity for all the others to point their fingers and identify a bad guy.

As far as the origin of the invasion, the final issue did explain it all quite nicely. At the same time, it was left for the reader to strongly interpret. It's a story telling practice that, though taking a lot of criticism, is quickly gaining prominence in today's literature. Larger examples of this technique would be "I Am Legend" and "Cloverfield;" both were extremely well written, but were abandoned by the moronic democratic of the public.

I am sympathetic to the fact many of you are reading this in trades though. It truly does not engage you in the story properly. Waiting out month after month worked hand in hand with the pacing of the story wonderfully.

Beyond the storytelling though, I am a great fan of the art style. It is a great example of the "less-is-more" belief.

"final issue did explain it all" + "it was left for the reader to strongly interpret" = conundrum

[tumfp]

"final issue did explain it all" + "it was left for the reader to strongly interpret" = conundrum

No, what it equals is a belief that the audience can read beyond the words and grasp the answers for themselves.

[suttercain]

With all due respect and not to get off topic, but if I was to write a story you can do it in one of two ways. You could either "explain it all" or "strongly interpret". Sadly, you cannot have both. A perfect example of a story being explained would be "Six Feet Under". There was an ending and we know what happens in the end. The opposite side of that spectrum would be the "Sopranos". A show which leaves it up the viewer to "interpret" what has happened.

Same goes for logic. If I was to tell you North is North, there is nothing to interpret. I have explained the direction, however if I say "North is somewhere in that direction" you then have to come to your own conclusion to the best of you ability.

With all that aside. I am happy some people liked "Girls". I just wasn't one of them.

[suttercain]

I ended up GIVING all four books away today for free. That's how much they sucked.

[Lester C.]

"final issue did explain it all" + "it was left for the reader to strongly interpret" = conundrum

Final issue didn't explain a thing. Other than the threat being resolved every question brought up in all the issues went unanswered.

[suttercain]

Final issue didn't explain a thing. Other than the threat being resolved every question brought up in all the issues went unanswered.

Exactly and that was one of the two major problems that lead me to hate this series. The other problem, IMO, was that ALL of the characters were the dumbest people who made mistake after mistake after mistake. It lead me rooting for none of them.