The Girl From H.O.P.P.E.R.S.

The Girl from H.O.P.P.E.R.S. by Jaime Hernández
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Girl from H.O.P.P.E.R.S. collects material from Love and Rockets #13-32 and The Complete Love and Rockets Volume 5.

I had such a great experience with Maggie the Mechanic that I had to pick this one up. As good as Maggie the Mechanic was, this was even better.

I thought Jaime Hernandez must have emerged from the womb being a master storyteller but the art is even better in this volume than the previous one, a little more polished, a little more confident. The writing is better too. With the science fiction elements almost completely swept away, the humanity of the characters shines even more brightly.

Rena Titanon takes center stage in the first few tales, the aging luchadora fighting to regain her lost glory and avoiding some family secrets that aren't quite dragged out into the sunlight. The rest of the story is about Maggie, Hopey, and the gang. The Death of Speedy Ortiz was brilliant and Hopey going on tour with her band, leaving Maggie behind, made for an interesting set of tales. With the fantasy stripped away, the tales in this volume feel a lot more real, a lot more personal, as Maggie and company navigate emotional jeopardy instead of running from dinosaurs and repairing rockets.

As great as Maggie the Mechanic was, The Girl from H.O.P.P.E.R.S. is event better. Five out of five stars.

View all my reviews