LOVE AND ROCKETS, VOL. II #16

FANTAGRAPHICS BOOKS

CARTOONISTS:   Gilbert Hernandez and Jaime Hernandez

COVER:   Jaime Hernandez

32 pp., B&W, 4.50

With Gilbert Hernandez moving away from stories focusing on his signature character, Luba, and her half-sisters Fritz and Petra, he’s made Luba’s daughter, Guadalupe, or simply, Lupe the focal point.   She comes across as such a sounding board that other characters are totally at ease dumping their complications on her.   Also, as Luba’s daughter, she’s somewhere in the middle of the family dynamic – between the older generation (her mother and her aunts) and her siblings, her own children, her relationships, and other relatives.

In Love and Rockets, Vol. II #16, we get a bit of Lupe’s history – how she and Hector hooked up and conceived their love child, Dora.   This issue, she also gets Hector out of her hair when he experiences one of life’s big occasions.   As a treat for the readers, Hector spends the night with a special person watching eight of Fritz’s low budget films.

The other half of the book belongs to Jaime Hernandez, far and away America’s best at creating black and comic comix.   Jaime gives us another Ray Dominguez short.   Told in first person narration, the story reveals Ray’s gift of gab, his keen eye for characters, and a sharp wit.   The tale, “Fine to Very Fine,” is made all the more delightful by the presence of self-possessed skank, Vivian.   What a great character she is when a story needs a kick in the pants.

We also get the penultimate chapter of Jaime’s current Hopey serial, “Day by Day.”   It’s melancholy and glum.   No doubt about it.   Jaime’s narrative firecracker is officially a confused grownup.   As always with this storyline, Jaime’s closes the chapter and give us just enough to be anxious about the next chapter.   This isn’t one of the best issues of L&R, but it’s in the high percentile.   The cover, which features the characters in color against a white background, is killer, though.

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