Hopeless Savages Volume 3: Too Much Hopeless Savages

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 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 show more 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

The Hopeless Savages series takes an interesting twist in the third and final (?) volume, which finds Twitch and Arsenal taking their respective boyfriends (who happen to be brothers) with them to Hong Kong so that Arsenal can take part in a martial arts tournament. Once there, however, they get involved in a plot straight out of a Jackie Chan movie, with items being surreptitiously placed in people's belongings for safekeeping, leading to action-packed chase scenes and fights between members of MI6, gangsters, and Our Heroes.
While not as character-based as the last installment, this one still gets top marks from me. The characters are all still written as well-rounded, 3-dimensional, non-stereotypical individuals. The art was really show more good, as well - Christine Norrie does a great job of drawing characters that are obviously related to each other, while at the same time retaining individual characteristics. show less

Incidentally (I acquired this book at the Emerald City ComiCon), it turns out that this author is a woman. And not a Dutchman.