HOPE

My daughter's taken after her dad in becoming a comic book fan. She's been looking forward each month to picking up the newest issue of HOPE released by Source Point Press. The comic began a monthly distribution this summer after its first issue debuted on FREE COMIC BOOK DAY. It made for some nice reading time while school was out for summer break and she has enjoyed the story so much that I added HOPE to my pull list to buy for her at my favorite comic book shop.

The book's cover art and female heroine caught my daughter's attention while she was perusing the Free Comic Book Day selections back in May. Then she got really excited when we had a chance to meet the co-creator and artist for HOPE at our local comic shop. K. Lynn Smith illustrates and letters HOPE. We had her autograph a comic book and took a picture with the artist. My daughter was excited to see a woman playing a prominent role in the comic book industry which has also made reading HOPE special for her.

K. Lynn Smith told us when we met up with her that "HOPE is about a superhero who finds herself in a situation she can’t punch her way out." Smith pointed out this story "blurs the line between good and evil and takes a look at the human side of what happens to a super hero when their personal world falls apart around them." This comic book is full of social commentary using a super hero adventure as a way to delve into real issues impacting society today. Issues involving privacy, government authority and female equality are some of the topics woven into the story.

In the world of HOPE, people with super powers known as "Ultras" must identify themselves and enroll in a government registry. Their actions and whereabouts are strictly monitored and regulated. Seemingly average housewife Julie Lavelle has kept her super powers secret from the world, including her husband and daughter, even though she secretly been moonlighting as a costumed super hero using her abilities to help others. The public has begun to call her Hope while her real identity has remained a mystery. While she is beloved by the residents of her city, Lavelle has also caught the attention of the government which is concerned about an unregistered Ultra lurking about town.

When a family outing takes an unexpected turn, suddenly Julie Lavelle discovers how quickly life can change once the world knows she is Hope. She discovers that bad guys may not necessarily be her foes and who se thought was the good side may not be her friends. Life is already complicated before people know you are a super hero. Now family and friends may not see you the same way and there are people always trying to manipulate you for their own purposes. Plus doing good and being a hero may not be as cut and dry as it seems.

HOPE has become my daughter's comic book of choice to read because she has taking a liking to the artwork and appreciates the story is more focused on drama than fighting. Though she also does appreciate that there is some action with a female leading the storyline. While there are some mature themes, as a parent I appreciate that the book is age rated Teen so there isn't much more to being exposed to than would be seen in a PG-13 movie which we regularly let our tween see. Still just to be safe, I peruse through each of these comic books myself before letting my daughter read a new issue.

Scripted by co-creator Dirk Manning, you can find out more about his and K. Lynn Smith's HOPE at sourcepointpress.com