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| The Complete Series |
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Dirk Hopeless and Nikki Savage were the king and queen of punk rock. They lived fast, broke all the rules, and incited youthful rebellion. Then they cleaned up, got married, and had kids. Now, the Hopeless-Savages are a loving family of five-- well, six if you count Rat Hopeless-Savage, the eldest, who rebelled in the only way he could: by changing his name and becoming a yuppie executive. His desertion still upsets teenage Skank Zero Hopeless-Savage, the baby of the family and a would-be rock star herself. Zero is our narrator in Hopeless Savages, a story of crooked record producers, skinheads, fistfights, and other facts of family life. When enemies from the past kidnap Dirk and Nikki, the remaining Hopeless-Savage family must re-unite with their older brother to save the day. Can Zero, Twitch, and Arsenal deprogram Rat? Can they save their parents and make it back to Zero's first gig without committing vehicular homicide? And can the world survive a new release of "I'm Your Cuddlebug," a horrible pop tune written by a young and desperate Dirk? Hopeless Savages is great entertainment: funny, hip, and wonderfully drawn with contributions from Chynna Clugston-Major of Blue Monday. I especially love the sixteen pages of short, full-color stories at the back that offer a glimpse into the past of the Hopeless-Savage family. Note to young punks: you'll look cool carrying this book around, and no one need know that it's secretly-- gasp!-- heartwarming. review by Jen |
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Hopeless Savages remains one of my favorite books simply for its exuberant punk family dynamics, youngest daughter's Zero's creative (non)swear words, and tribute to the power of music. In this second volume, it also made me get all mushy. This time around, instead of the wacky hijinks involving the rescuing of kidnapped parents and the return of one brother from the yuppie dark side, the focus is on romance and relationships. Zero, usually so unflappable, is zinged by cupid in the form of a bespectacled Ginger, a boy who refreshingly doesn't think Zero's a freak or a celebrity notch on his belt. Unfortunately for Zero, she's also being followed by a TV camera crew, part of a reality show filming her entire family (sound familiar?), as if high school wasn't enough of a mine field all on its own. On top of all of that, Zero's mom, Nikki, is inexplicably sniping at everything Zero does, her motherly instincts suddenly in overdrive. After numerous embarrassing incidents and a few acts of vandalism, can Ginger and Zero still find love? As members of the family weigh in on the perils and joys of love, from family bonds to romantic thunderbolts, the artwork shifts from O'Malley's simple but endearingly angled lines to flashbacks from guest artists Watson, Clugston-Major, Norrie, and Dodson. The overall style of O'Malley's work too me a while to get used to, though in the end I loved it and was impressed by the economy of line to create such a variety of expression. The writing, always with Van Meter, was note perfect. review by robin |
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Hopeless Savage maintains its excellent, entertaining reputation in the third volume in the series. Each trade paperback storyline focuses on one of the Hopeless-Savage children, though their family is never exactly absent from their lives. In Too Much Hopeless Savages, we zero in on Arsenal, eldest daughter and martial arts prize-winner. Arsenal has always been able to kick butt, but she's never quite been able to figure out how to protect her own heart, and as she heads abroad to China for a competition, a myriad of problems interrupt well-laid plans. Arsenal's fellow travelers include Arsenal's longtime boyfriend Claude, Arsenal's brother Twitch and his own faithful boyfriend, Claude's brother Henry. (I'll wait while you map out the family relationships) Though all are looking forward to a bit of a break from insanity back home, where their own grandmother has pitched a protest for decency outside the Hopeless-Savage house, upon landing a shady character plants a mysterious package in Arsenal's bag. Intelligence officers and thugs alike are suddenly trailing the Hopeless Savage contingent all over the city. On top of that, the quartet visit the Lee brothers' famous fortuneteller grandmother, hoping for blessings and good fortune but instead winding up with predictions of desertion and disaster. Add to all that a potential pregnancy, knife-wielding martial arts competitors, and the rest of the Hopeless-Savages clan's surprise arrival in town, and you've got an action-packed, giggle-inducing comic that always shows it's tender side. Intelligence stake-outs, bar fights in tuxedos, and romantic entanglements ¸ was there ever really any doubt the Hopeless-Savages could handle it? Christine Norrie's wonderfully expressive art is back in this volume, with inserts and a final chapter by Ross Campbell ¸ I'm still biased to Norrie's interpretation of the characters, but as usual Oni artists are a good lot. I can't wait to see where the series will go from here. review by robin |
Hopeless
Savages
Hopeless
Savages: Ground Zero
Hopeless
Savages: Too Much Hopeless Savages (Volume 3)
copyright Robin Brenner 2002-2004