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HOPELESS SAVAGES: GROUND ZERO #3
Highly Recommended (9/10)
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Oni Press
Writer: Jen Van Meter
Pencils/Letters: Bryan O'Malley
Inks: Christine & Catherine Norrie
Flashback artist: Chynna Clugston-Major
Editor: Jamie S. Rich
Price: $2.95 US/$4.50 CAN |
Van Meter delves into love, relationships and what separates the two in another touching issue. This may also be the most accessible single issue of any Hopeless Savages yet. But while the characters and plot are clearly defined, it's the universal tone of first love that really makes it so easy to step into the world of the Hopeless Savages. In Skank Zero, we can see a part of ourselves, and we might also see qualities we lack that we long to share with the lead character.
Skank Zero is grounded for her last run-in with Ginger, the bookish but clever young boy with whom she is infatuated. Her parents decide, however, that they should let her continue to practise with her band, opening the door for Skankabelle and her bandmates to put on a show at a school assembly... a show no one will soon forget. Meanwhile, Skank's brother, Twitch, shares his insight on relationships with his little sister, warning her that the only pitfalls she should avoid are silence and inaction.
O'Malley continues to impress with his portrayal of Skank Zero. She's clearly still decpited as a child, but the artists manage to show that she carries herself with a sense of awareness and intelligence as well. O'Malley's figures are thoroughly emotive, as are Clugston-Major's in the quiet but clear flashback sequence. The art throughout this issue matches the strong level of personality that the script injects into the characters.
Van Meter uses the Behind the Music-esque plot element to great effect here, using the show to structure the opening pages as a seamless reintroduction of the main characters and the plot behind this particular limited series. Though this issue still boasts the customary flashback in the middle of the issue, there's a stronger sense of structure overall here. The pacing flows smoothly, and there's a methodical, effective quality in how the script is structured.
It was a treat to get to know one of the Hopeless Savages -- Twitch -- so much better in this issue. Van Meter offers up a balanced array of relationships in his past, and it grants his story a genuine air. Of course, the same believable quality can be found in Skank Zero's conflict. It's easy to understand how she feels, and it's heartening to see her take the chances that we all wish we had at one time or another.
This issue also boasts a brief preview of the upcoming Three Days in Europe by Antony Johnston and Mike Hawthorne. It's a fitting addition to this issue, as it also explores relationships and the awkward moments that go along with the magical ones. These pages, along with some of the online Sunday comic strips on the onipress.com website, have certainly piqued my curiosity.
Email Don MacPherson comments about this review, or discuss it on the Fourth Rail message board.
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