Strangers in Paradise, vol. 14: David's Story

Writer(s): Terry Moore
Artist(s): Terry Moore
Publisher: Abstract Studio
ISBN: 978-1892597250
Price: $8.95
Page count: 88
Year Released: 2004
Status: in print
Original Source: Strangers in Paradise (vol. 3) 61-63
Other Collected Edition(s): Strangers in Paradise Pocket Book, vol. 5
Genres: mystery/crime; romance/relationships
Recommended for Fans Of:
Possible Objectionable Material: violence; adult situations; brief nudity
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Also in This Series: preceded by Strangers in Paradise, vol. 13: Flower to Flame; followed by Strangers in Paradise, vol. 15: Tomorrow Now

Plot Summary
This volume tells the story of Yousaka, a conflicted teenage gang member in Los Angeles whose father runs the West Coast Yakuza. One night, as a matter of so-called honor, Yousaka nearly beats to death a 15-year-old boy whose own father was killed in a drive-by shooting a few months before. He had to quit school to get a job so that he could support his mother and four sisters, and he has resisted joining the local gang despite enormous pressure. His name is David Qin, but he's not the David Qin we have followed through the last 13 volumes of Strangers in Paradise. How Yousaka comes to adopt this boy's name as his own is a story of true honor, remorse, and atonement.

My Own 2 Cents
Long overdue, David's Story shows us how David came to be the man he is today. As with the High School! volume, this one is far too short, and rushes through David's earlier life at a breakneck pace, but it nonetheless contains some excellent material. It's also useful for the further insight it provides into David and Katchoo's initial meetings (first in L.A. and later in Houston).