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

Shan Fong, la doctora Mirage, es una detective de lo paranormal, capaz de comunicarse con los muertos, excepto con su difunto marido. Cuando el millonario March le propone que le libere de ciertas presencias, Shan acepta al darse cuenta que dicho trabajo le podría permitir la recuperación de su esposo. Shan está preparada para viajar al Otro Mundo, pero lo que no sabe es que hay enemigos a ambos lados con sus propios planes.

Este primer tomo recopilatorio de la Doctora Mirage me ha show more parecido un tanto flojo, tanto el guión como el arte. Me esperaba algo más. No pasa de interesante, y no me ha atrapado lo suficiente como para continuar con el personaje. 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