Jen Van Meter

I was at the library with Solomon, mostly just to return all our library books and pick up a hold before we went on vacation, when I saw the danger sign: The Book Burrow was open. New plan: load up on cheap library discards to keep the kids entertained in the car. We ended up buying eight books. Clearly, this was one. I snatched it off the shelf, delighted. It had been years and years and years since I had read Hopeless Savages. I couldn't remember where I had left off or had any idea where show more in relation to this story that might be, but I figured it would be a diverting vacation read in any case.

Somehow, this book is exactly where I left off. In fact, the last issue I read was the first one included in this collection. Perfect!

This volume is mostly about Arsenal Fierce. If you're not already familiar with the Hopeless-Savage clan, Arsenal is the oldest daughter of retired punk rockers Dirk Hopeless & Nikki Savage. She runs a martial arts dojo, and the story of this volume takes place on a trip to Hong Kong for a match.

This series is fun. It features many girls and women who kick ass in all kinds of ways, a fierce punk rock ethos, a functional and relatable gay couple (ten years later, that's still hard to find in comics -- what's up with that?), spies, chase scenes, some great reversals, and, can I say it one more time? Strong women.

Recommended to fans of punk and girls who take names. Also, if you like Scott Pilgrim, read this! show less

Make no mistake: even though this is a star lower than the first Doctor Mirage story, "Second Lives" still contains much of the magic that enchanted me the first time around. I would compare this to Ghostbusters 2, not in terms of disappointing in any way, but just not being as novel. The first Mirage story used each chapter to extend suspension of disbelief a little more and build toward a fantastic climax. This story, just as beautifully rendered by its team as before, plays within those show more rules and therefore does not deliver the same ecstasy. Still a great read, though, and a top-shelf Valiant series. show less

At the center of this story is a proudly anachronistic family of punks in modern-day England. They are generally-happy people with common problems who find themselves mixed up in an implausible madcap adventure. It's a soap-opera, comedy, and children's cartoon in one, and it is written with a level of wit and compassion uncommon in graphic novels.

Note: The sequel to this book (Ground Zero) proves that the written word carries the story even in a graphic novel, because the artwork was awful show more and I still got misty-eyed towards the end. show less

I was flipping through this to see if it was a good graphic novel for a display about music. And then I started reading it. And then I couldn't put it down.

Hopeless Savages is about an unusual family. Mom and dad are both infamous punk rock musicians and youngest daughter Skank Zero Hopeless-Savage has her own band as well. A TV network like VH1 is in the process of filming a Behind-the-Music-like show about the family and it has everyone on their last nerve.

This volume centers around show more 16-year old Zero and her suprisingly sweet romance with an MIT-bound gamer geek boy named Ginger. So I'm kind of a sucker for a nice, non-crappy, non-traditional romance. Sue me.

They "meet cute" at age 7 outside a comic book store after some older kids harass Ginger and throw his glasses in the dumpster. Zero, who was shopping with her family, sends her older siblings after the thugs, roots through the garbage to find his glasses, and walks him home. This part was heart-meltingly adorable. Ginger, of course, is in love with her from this point on but is completely off her radar until high school.

There is another very sweet subplot involving Zero's gay older brother Twitch and his beloved Henry, who are apart while Henry studies at Julliard.

All in all, this was a very good comic with attractive art and an engaging plot. Zero is a cute and spunky heroine with her punky style and creative vocabulary, and everyone gets more or less what they want in the end. I'm glad I read this and will be reading the other volumes in this series soon. show less