Love and Rockets: New Stories #2

Love and Rockets

by Jaime Hernández, Gilbert Hernández, Mario Hernández

In the concluding 50-page half of Jaime's outrageous, acclaimed, full-on superhero mash-up "Ti-Girls Adventures," our protagonist, rookie do-gooder Boot Angel, learns more hard lessons about becoming a superheroine. Featuring wall-to-wall action ending in a big superhero family reunion that unexpectedly takes place in Maggie's tiny, messy one-bedroom apartment. Meanwhile, Gilbert turns in two mind-benders of his own. "Hypnotwist" is Gilbert's 39-page epic story of a beautiful, leggy redhead's surreal journey into a night filled with mysterious shady characters, dreamlike violence, and sparkling retro spike heels. But is it real, or something else? For readers trying to parse the truth, Gilbert ups the ante by telling the whole story without using a single word. And "Sad Girl" is the tale of a disaffected young bombshell actress nicknamed "Killer" and the web of jealousy, gossip, notoriety and mystery that surrounds her.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Fiction, Comix, Graphic Novels Comics, Fantasy, Sequential Art

100 pages, Paperback

First published August 30, 2009

About the author

Jaime and his brother Gilbert Hernández mostly publish their separate storylines together in Love And Rockets and are often referred to as 'Los Bros Hernandez'.

Reviews

[Andrew Horton · Rating 2 out of 5]

Man, I hope that Ti-Girls is done after this. Jaime continues on with even more of that nonsense; it makes up over half of this issue. It's not funny, it's not interesting, and I frankly fail to understand why more people don't have this reaction to the material. Ti-Girls is a major step backwards from Jaime's work over the past decade - if it's a pastiche of traditional superhero books, it doesn't work, and if it's meant to be a throwback to L&R's sci-fi roots, it completely fails to capture that vibe. Unlike many Maggie and Hopey shippers, I actually really love the early "Maggie the Mechanic" stories, but this just isn't that...at all. Instead, it's a bizarrely complicated side story about Angel and Alarma as superheroes that's overlong (100 pages counting L&R NS #1) and overcomplicated for how completely unrewarding and uninteresting it is.

Gilbert's "Sad Girl" is the best thing here, but then "Hynotwist" is a bit of a mess. I'm never a big fan of Gilbert's psychedelic freakouts - let Mario make an ass of himself if an issue requires some of that (does it ever, really?) - and this one's pretty par for the course.

Too bad it's another year until #3, and a chance to get things back on track.

[Baba · Rating 3 out of 5]

More superhero mash-up from Jaime Hernández, and Gilbert Hernández lays down his epic 'Hypnotwist', which to be honest, with its lack of words, I found thought provoking, but felt it left an unclear narrative. Introducing 'Killer', a sad girl, a possible descendent of Luba? 6 out of 12.

[Tommy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like always, the art is magnificent. Those Hernandez Bros really know how to do it. Jaime's artwork is so precise and his figure drawing so nuanced and confident that I end up just staring at certain frames. I love the variety of body types and ages. It's so great that one of the superhuman women looks like a grandmother, and she kicks ass.
The stories confuse me a lot of the time, but the dialogue is quirky and funny. There are always some great WTF moments in Love & Rockets. This volume's "Hypnotwist" story was one long WTF?! in sort of a David Lynch vein. I think I must have said WTF at least once every time I turned the page through that story. And it's over 40 pages long, so that's a LOT of WTF-ing.
Now on to the next volume! :)

[Thurston Hunger · Rating 3 out of 5]

Two shots of Jaime's superheroine stupefaction, rival gangs must unite. Are the Zolars connected to Zolar-X in any way, shape or musical form. Always love his drawing of suprise/shock, can't say I could pass a wikipedia quick on the characters and story now a month or so after reading this. But I do recall enjoying the story while in it, even if some references got lost in the capes.

The comic books as action texts inside the comic, kinda what the Bible wants to be for some? I dunno...

As for the Beto pair, man one is like a word-less David Lynch comic. Sex/magic/trouble - cute/happy/frightening large baby and a balloon moon?!? I don't know. Naked bodies abound, and Beto-con-tetas (someone must have given him those racy mudflaps for his truck for his 16th birthday or something). She's a killer, queeeeen and yes dynamite with a laser beam.

Hmmm, this review has too many glam rock refs and not enough punk rock. Lo siento.

[Jasmine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Penny Century & Ti-Girls forever.

I felt like this was a departure from Jaime’s early work - which focused largely on Maggie (who I adore), instead sidelining her to focus on a story of Penny’s grief and rage, and the all female bunch of (aging) misfit super heroes who are brought back together to stop her.

I love all of these characters so much. Super hero stuff usually isn’t my vibe (not the DC + Marvel stuff, anyway - with rare exceptions), but it worked for me here in a big way. I love seeing women written not only as heroes (and villains), but as fully fleshed out, flawed, strong, incredible human beings.

I loved it.
(4 stars instead of 5 despite the rave review because I didn’t vibe with Gilbert’s part in this and it can’t be ignored)

[Tom Hill · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the second story here, "Hypnotwist" which follows the teenage character "Killer" through a surreal world. The other stories focused on a group of superhero characters, the Ti-Girls including Maggie and Angel, who are also non-superhero characters in other Hernandez stories. Perhaps all the other members of the superhero team are as well, I am admittedly new to Hernandez's work. But I just didn't quite understand what was going on in the Ti-Girl stories, and couldn't quite muster much interest in them.

[Chelsea Martinez · Rating 3 out of 5]

This deserves a second reading. I realized I blaze through the superhero parts and linger over the everyday life parts, so Hernandez got me with a story that blends both... I need to go back and read at the slower speed. Hypnotwist was my favorite part though.

[Mickey Bits · Rating 5 out of 5]

Growing up as a teen in the 90s I though Love and Rockets was one-hit emo music group. Then I discovered this weird comic. It's so funny, so weird, so well done. I'm slowly making my way through the entire series.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like it and although I like the characters I find the way the storyline and dialogue flows choppy. Also I wasn't into the style of drawing.

[Monica Casanova · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beto never disappoints. I love the Hernandez bros.

[Shaun · Rating 4 out of 5]

A tighter read than #1.

[Al McCarty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jaime reveals some cosmic secrets regarding the super girl teams and Gilbert’s story is just plain weird. Jaime’s art is a joy to behold.

[John · Rating 2 out of 5]

Slightly better tha vol 1 because if how good the "Hyponotwist" segment was. It seems I like Gilbert much more than Jamie.

[Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have no fear! The Ti-Girls are here!

They’re returned with a vengeance to conclude their story from Love and Rockets: Volume 1, and are once again the staple that bookends this next collection from the Hernandez Brothers together. These women superheroes are either young, old, slender, heavy-set, attractive, reckless, wise, a divorcee or some combination of sorts, but what they have in common is kick-assery skills, whether it’s used for good or evil. Jaime’s narrative is fast, with action that flies off the pages, and packs a might punch to the mouth. He continues his impressive work as a writer and illustrator, spinning a tale about caped-crusaders that’s different than the rest --as this is to empower women, and are not shown simply as damsels in distress, needing saving-- and at the same time is smart, supremely entertaining, and still doesn’t lose its geek-cred.

Gilbert’s two middle stories are also, I believe, an improvement from his installments in Volume 1. He still keeps his experimental, arty integrity with his surreal, mysterious, and word-less story, “Hypnotwist”, where we follow a woman with shiny shoes wander into seedy-looking locations, encounter creepy-looking men, which for her, is a fucked-up and nightmarish grouping of situations that places her dignity on a slippery slope. And we are introduced to “Sad Girl”, which centers itself on an extremely busty teenager that’s nicknamed Killer. Here, Gilbert gives us a character-driven story about a girl that wants to get back at her ex-boyfriend by being featured in a film that is mistakenly accepted around town as porn. At its core, Killer’s insecurity and having the desire to get back at him for dumping her is genuine, so I look forward to following her story in more of Gilbert’s work. She’s just very relatable, the person you know that’s hidden beneath the surface of all put-together women, and that makes her real …except, I guess, maybe her very large boobs and Barbie-like figure ..?

[Mel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I must admit I did not understand the Gilbert Stories in here at all! I think it'd help if I'd read his previous works but as a standalone they meant nothing to me. I also am afriad I really don't care all that much for his artwork, especially compared with Jamie. The end of the Penny Century Superhero story was actually really good though. I loved how things worked out, the explanations for the alternate world, the uber-text about comics. How all women have "the gift". It was still light, and very much a "comic book" but I enjoyed it a great deal. Now this story has been completed I wonder what he's going to do in vol. 3.

[Phil · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hmmmm - a big disappointment. I adored the Maggie and Hopie stories from the 80s, but this new(ish) collection is a huge comedown. Stick with those "Maggie the Mechanics", "Ape Sex" and "Locas" Love and Rockets compilations I think. I sincerely hope that this is just a temporary blip. The Jaime story was perfunctory, conisting of one long comedy fight, and the Gilbert story was "surrealism by numbers". Pretty bad, all told and shouldn't have passed the Brothers' quality control.

[Joe · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not a big fan of the Ti-Girls Adventures (just about the only aspect of Jaime's work that has lost it's shine for me). Gilbert's work never really speaks to me either. This book just wasn't great. I'm not giving up on the series and will continue to catch up and read them, but this one was a dud for me.

[Matt Sabonis · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great addition to L&R. The end of the Ti-Girls adventure is a hoot, and Beto's story, Sad Girl, is great. I loved the art used in Hypno-Twist, and I continue to absolutely adore Jaime's art throughout.

[Allie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm really addicted to the ongoing soap opera of Love and Rockets. The characters are drawn so believably, even when they are super heroes.

[Leah Webber · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finishes up the superhero storyline. Very nicely done. I can see why this series is considered classic.

[Naomi]

should say Gilbert and Jaime Hernandez

[Corey Regalado · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm really digging this cult comic series. The Ti-Girls are officially among my favorite superheroes. They're just too awesome. Every feminist should read this. I am too excited to read some more.

[Rain · Rating 3 out of 5]

Want. More. Maggie.

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

the hypnotist was a great wordless lynchian nightmare but ti girls really ain't my thang

[Anthony Faber · Rating 5 out of 5]

More Ti Girls, plus a story of Guadalupe's daughter Killer as a teen & a movie she's the star of.