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Hopeless, Maine #1
The Gathering
Welcome to Hopeless, Maine. Meet Salamandra, an ordinary orphan girl, just one of many other orphans on the island (come to think of it, where did all the grown ups go). Sal faces the normal, everyday struggles of being a teenager- avoiding fell creatures of the night, trying not to get eaten by the aquatic fauna and finding something to do on a Saturday night. Tom and Nimue Brown's award winning dark fantasy will be published in its entirety by Sloth Comics. Comprising the first two volumes, this comic is a must for every fantasy fan's bookshelf.
256 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2016
2 people are currently reading
195 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
March 6, 2018
Dark and Gothic, Hopeless, Maine is made all the more beautiful for the rich drawings that accompany the simple tales of island's inhabitants. The series is the perfect allegory of small town life, where knowing your neighbors can sometimes breed more suspicion than love.
It's called Hopeless but in spite of the title, there is an undercurrent of hope that travels through this series. Salamandra and Owen represent two young people, both of whom seem destined to bring changes to themselves and to the world of Hopeless. They are more than willing to push the island's thin boundaries in search of happiness.
The detailed artwork kept drawing me back into the pages. The minimal use of color on the sepia toned pages highlights the story in a way that dialogue never could. I found the whole series to be like a box of chocolates: rich and dark and relaxing. It was just what my tired mind needed.
It's called Hopeless but in spite of the title, there is an undercurrent of hope that travels through this series. Salamandra and Owen represent two young people, both of whom seem destined to bring changes to themselves and to the world of Hopeless. They are more than willing to push the island's thin boundaries in search of happiness.
The detailed artwork kept drawing me back into the pages. The minimal use of color on the sepia toned pages highlights the story in a way that dialogue never could. I found the whole series to be like a box of chocolates: rich and dark and relaxing. It was just what my tired mind needed.
April 12, 2018
Something dark and dangerous lurks in Hopeless Maine. I have always loved graphic novels and this is no disappointment. Beautifully illustrated and wonderfully plotted. I can't recommend it highly enough.
July 18, 2021
Hopeless, Maine is a dark, gothic tale of a young orphaned girl, who is growing up in a strange town:
"Who in Hopeless can remember when they last felt the sun's warmth on their skin? Trapped on an island off the coast of Maine, the people of Hopeless find life a little darker and more dangerous with every day that passes."
Children are losing their parents, but their bodies are sometimes not found. One girl, Salamandra, is found by a witch and taken to a place of relative safety. But, not too long after Salamandra's arrival, she meets another girl. A girl who is not quite what she at first seems to be.
This is a dark tale, and this darkness is reflected by the artwork. It is a dark colour palette, with few shots of bright colour. This helps to make the world of Hopeless, Maine all the more mysterious. Within some scenes, you can also catch glimpses of strange creatures peering out at the characters from trees and nooks in the landscape.
The ending of the book shows us hope, even within this hopeless place, as Salamandra discovers something for herself. There are still questions around Salamandra; who she is, what happened to her parents, and how she has the gifts that she does. This first graphic novel has built enough around her character to make you want to continue finding out about her.
"Who in Hopeless can remember when they last felt the sun's warmth on their skin? Trapped on an island off the coast of Maine, the people of Hopeless find life a little darker and more dangerous with every day that passes."
Children are losing their parents, but their bodies are sometimes not found. One girl, Salamandra, is found by a witch and taken to a place of relative safety. But, not too long after Salamandra's arrival, she meets another girl. A girl who is not quite what she at first seems to be.
This is a dark tale, and this darkness is reflected by the artwork. It is a dark colour palette, with few shots of bright colour. This helps to make the world of Hopeless, Maine all the more mysterious. Within some scenes, you can also catch glimpses of strange creatures peering out at the characters from trees and nooks in the landscape.
The ending of the book shows us hope, even within this hopeless place, as Salamandra discovers something for herself. There are still questions around Salamandra; who she is, what happened to her parents, and how she has the gifts that she does. This first graphic novel has built enough around her character to make you want to continue finding out about her.
June 28, 2017
Awestruck is the first word that comes to mind when describing my reaction to this graphic novel. Tom and Nimue Brown have created quite a masterpiece here, an imaginative gothic tale full of dark magic and suspense with just the right touch of dry humor. The artwork is compelling, as much a "character" in the story as the actual characters themselves; I'd love to step right through the page and onto the island of Hopeless, Maine with all its strange eyeballs and tentacles writhing and squishing in dark corners. The glow-y bits are especially wonderful (how on earth did they do that?) and the characters' facial expressions tell as much of the story as the words do. As I read, I spent a lot of time contemplating the artwork, looking at all the details and feeling the motion within each panel.
Salamandra is a marvelous, spunky heroine with attitude who must find her way in the world against all kinds of odds (and I do mean "odd"s - the people and creatures she meets are strange, unique, creepy, and magical, but then, so is she). I'll be honest, I've gotten really tired of all the books out there that are "same old, same old" and this is nothing like that. The story is dark and a little depressing but Salamandra's persistence in the face of it all keeps the book from being overwhelmingly gloomy, and the deadpan humor (especially in the conversation between Sal and her friend Owen) is spot on.
I have two minor quibbles with this book, and I think here the blame falls to the publisher and not the artist/author(s). First, the whole thing is incredibly dark, visually; the page backgrounds are black around artwork that's already very dark. I realize they printed it that way for effect, but it makes it difficult to really see the art clearly. I have to wonder if perhaps the printing in the book came out darker than the original artwork; at least, the Hopeless, Maine artwork I've seen online looks a tad lighter than the stuff on the page. I recommend reading with very bright lighting so you can properly appreciate the incredible art. Second, the Prelude, which is several pages of lovely poetic verse interspersed with artwork, has print that's so small it's very difficult to read, which is a shame, because what it says is awesome, dark, and touching.
In spite of these drawbacks, I can't help but give this book a strong recommendation. You really should read it. It's a feast for the eyes and the mind. And if you don't end up rooting for Salamandra the way I did, I might have to question your values.
Salamandra is a marvelous, spunky heroine with attitude who must find her way in the world against all kinds of odds (and I do mean "odd"s - the people and creatures she meets are strange, unique, creepy, and magical, but then, so is she). I'll be honest, I've gotten really tired of all the books out there that are "same old, same old" and this is nothing like that. The story is dark and a little depressing but Salamandra's persistence in the face of it all keeps the book from being overwhelmingly gloomy, and the deadpan humor (especially in the conversation between Sal and her friend Owen) is spot on.
I have two minor quibbles with this book, and I think here the blame falls to the publisher and not the artist/author(s). First, the whole thing is incredibly dark, visually; the page backgrounds are black around artwork that's already very dark. I realize they printed it that way for effect, but it makes it difficult to really see the art clearly. I have to wonder if perhaps the printing in the book came out darker than the original artwork; at least, the Hopeless, Maine artwork I've seen online looks a tad lighter than the stuff on the page. I recommend reading with very bright lighting so you can properly appreciate the incredible art. Second, the Prelude, which is several pages of lovely poetic verse interspersed with artwork, has print that's so small it's very difficult to read, which is a shame, because what it says is awesome, dark, and touching.
In spite of these drawbacks, I can't help but give this book a strong recommendation. You really should read it. It's a feast for the eyes and the mind. And if you don't end up rooting for Salamandra the way I did, I might have to question your values.
May 15, 2022
A deliciously decadent collection from the be-tentacled world of Hopeless, Maine. Dark, twisted and slithery.
May 16, 2017
The chronicles of Hopeless, Maine started with a web comic and a weekly newsletter called The Hopeless Vendetta. Recently re-released in a paperback that includes all three of the original graphic novels, these books are a gem for fans of Courtney Crumrin and other Gothic fantasy. While the stories contain only mild violence, they wallow in a world of bleak and overwhelming gloom. The graphic novels read like visual poetry... (in fact, sometimes the chapter titles are the best part!)
May 17, 2017
Most excellent!
November 25, 2018
Very HP Lovecraft!
July 21, 2017
Creepy and beautiful, Hopeless, Maine is a place where mysterious creatures roam and strange occurrences unfold. The graphic novel is amazingly done, the art is inspiring and very unique. The storyline is dark and captivating, and there are mysteries that pop up everywhere. What I especially love about Hopeless, Maine is how each strange event fades into the next, and the graphic novel is not without Easter eggs! The art, story, and characters have captured my heart and are full of endless surprises!
January 17, 2018
I read this because Jason C. Eckhardt (a professional illustrator and coworker at my library) crated the masthead for this volume. I found the story hard to follow and the images are in a muted tones which is meant to contribute to the story but makes the images muddy and muddled when reading. Story was interesting but the point of graphics is the marry story and images and I’m not sure that that happened without a lot of work from the reader. But it was interesting enough and it will certainly be popular with my New England teens looking for something just a little dark/gothic but not scary.
May 16, 2017
Wonderful! The dark and oppressive world of Hopeless Maine is completely different from any other graphic novels I've encountered. Much like real life, solutions are often hard, messy and ambiguous. Even the magic of this island is visceral and dirty. When times get tough there's little chance someone is going to come to your rescue, stubbornness and wit are your weapons of choice here. Don't wear your best shoes.
April 13, 2018
2.5 stars
The creature work in this series is glorious, falling somewhere between Lewis Carroll and H.P Lovecraft. When you can see it anyways: the bilious color they've used to tint *everything* does this book no favors, making the art as blank and murky as the plot.
The creature work in this series is glorious, falling somewhere between Lewis Carroll and H.P Lovecraft. When you can see it anyways: the bilious color they've used to tint *everything* does this book no favors, making the art as blank and murky as the plot.
October 2, 2025
I really enjoyed the book, my only issue with it was that the artwork, which is excellent, is also very dark which makes it quite difficult to see at times. That's why I gave it three rather than four stars.
August 7, 2024
Enjoyed this a lot, had an excellent balance of creep atmosphere, engaging characters and great art. I'll definitely have to get the next volume
January 2, 2020
I loved the story, the art, the atmosphere and the rich world that the Browns have created. I am slowly buying all of the volumes and hoping my goddaughters will also like them so I have an excuse to keep buying more...
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews