Hopeless Savages: Ground Zero

    (Oni, 2002)

In last year’s Hopeless Savages mini-series, the parents of the Savage family were kidnapped, and it was up to their children to find them. All turned out well, but now this rock ’n’ roll celebrity family faces a new challenge: a Behind the Music-type documentary is being filmed onsite, right in their home.

And young Zero Savage faces her own challenge, as well, trying to at least pretend she has a normal social life in a school that has a rock star in its midst. Writer Jen Van Meter has again crafted an enticing introduction for the sequel, and artist Bryan O’Malley competently handles the art, except for the flashback sequences, which are drawn by Slow News Day artist Andi Watson.

And, as with the previous series, this is the biggest drawback of the comic book. O’Malley and Watson are both decent artists, but their radically contrasting styles make the transition between past and present day a bit bumpy.

This is a small obstacle, though. Van Meter’s chronicles of this unusual family are captivating, as they simultaneously try to balance business and family matters, all amid the invasiveness of this unfolding documentary. This is a natural pick for fans of the previous series, and viewers of MTV’s The Osbournes might even want to give it a try.

— Jim Johnson
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  NotesWriterArtist
Hopeless Savages: Ground Zero #1

July, 2002
Cover Price: $2.95
1 copy available for $1.99 		Jen Van Meter 
Hopeless Savages: Ground Zero #3

September, 2002
Cover Price: $2.95
1 copy available for $1.99 		Jen Van MeterBryan Lee O’Malley, Chynna Clugston Flores
Hopeless Savages: Ground Zero #4

October, 2002
Cover Price: $2.95
1 copy available for $3.99 		Jen Van MeterBryan Lee O’Malley, Christine Norrie