Latinx comics and graphic novels are important because they provide authentic representations of diverse Latinx identities, cultures, and experiences often overlooked in mainstream media. They challenge stereotypes and amplify voices that address issues like immigration, identity, and social justice. Through powerful storytelling and visual art, these works empower communities and foster empathy across cultural lines.
You can find all of these titles and more in the Free Library's catalog:
Daytripper by Fábio Moon
Daytripper presents key moments in the life of Brás de Oliva Domingos, a Brazilian writer and sometime journalist, and the son of a prominent author, as if each episode would turn out to be the day on which he was about to die.
America Vol. 1: The Life and Times of America Chavez by Gabby Rivera
At last! Everyone's favorite no-nonsense powerhouse, America Chavez, gets her own series! Critically acclaimed young-adult novelist Gabby Rivera and all-star artist Joe Quinones unite to shine a solo spotlight on America's high-octane and hard-hitting adventures! She was a Young Avenger. She leads the Ultimates. And now she officially claims her place as the preeminent butt-kicker of the entire Marvel Universe! But what's a super-powered teenager to do when she's looking for a little personal fulfillment? She goes to college! America just has to stop an interdimensional monster or two first and shut down a pesky alien cult that's begun worshipping her exploits before work can begin. Then she can get on with her first assignment: a field trip to the front lines of World War II — with Captain America as her wingman!
Maggie the Mechanic by Jaime Hernandez
Maggie the Mechanic collects the first five years of Locas stories, about Maggie and Hopey and the ups and downs of their lives and relationships. Includes "Mechan-X," the first Maggie and Hopey story, as well as the graphic novel "Las Mujeres Perdidas."
Tales From la Vida: A Latinx Comics Anthology
In the Latinx comics community, there is much to celebrate today, with more Latinx comic book artists than ever before. The resplendent visual-verbal storyworlds of these artists reach into and radically transform so many visual and storytelling genres. Tales From la Vida celebrates this space by bringing together more than 80 contributions by extraordinary Latinx creators. Their short visual-verbal narratives spring from autobiographical experience as situated within the language, culture, and history that inform Latinx identity and life. Tales From la Vida showcases the huge variety of styles and worldviews of today's Latinx comic book and visual creators.
Home Vol. 1 by Julio Anta
After being separated from his mother at the US border, a young Guatemalan immigrant must learn to harness his emerging super-human abilities while being hunted by the federal government. Julio Anta and Anna Wieszczyk debut with a deeply grounded and heartfelt graphic novel that explores the real-world implications of a migrant with extraordinary powers.
La Voz de M.A.Y.O Rambo: Volume 1 by Henry Barajas
La Voz De M.A.Y.O: Tata Rambo is based on the oral history of Ramon Jaurigue, an orphan and WWII veteran who co-founded the Mexican, American, Yaqui, and Others (M.A.Y.O.) organization, which successfully lobbied the Tucson City Council to improve living and working conditions for members of the Pascua Yaqui tribe. Thanks to this period of activism, the Yaquis were federally recognized as one of the remaining Native American tribes. Meanwhile, Ramon's home life suffered as his focus was pulled from family to wider community, and from domesticity to the adrenaline of the campaign.
Memories From Limón by Edo Brenes
Struggle in paradise; welcome to love and life in Limón. Ramiro leaves the British drizzle and his beloved fiancée, Yoss, to uncover his family history back home in Costa Rica. Looking through a stack of family albums and interviewing the older generations, he begins to unravel the fascinating stories behind the faded photographs. However, this treasure trove of old family portraits leads Ramiro down a winding path of revelations, superstitions, and hidden truths. Some will make him laugh, and some will change his life forever. Set in one of the most beautiful countries in Latin America, author Edo Brenes weaves together the heartbreaking and humbling stories of three generations of the same family. Love and life are a struggle in paradise. Welcome to Limón.
La Borinqueña by Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez
La Borinqueña is an original character and patriotic symbol presented in a classic superhero story created and written by graphic novelist Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez. Her powers are drawn from history and mysticism found on the island of Puerto Rico. The fictional character, Marisol Rios De La Luz, is a Columbia University Earth and Environmental Sciences undergraduate student living with her parents in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. She takes a semester of study abroad in collaboration with the University of Puerto Rico. There she explores the caves of Puerto Rico and finds five similarly sized crystals. Atabex, the Taino mother goddess, appears before Marisol once the crystals are united and summons her sons Y͠cahu, spirit of the seas and mountains, and Juracan, spirit of the hurricanes. They give Marisol superhuman strength, the power of flight, and control of the storms.
Perramus: The City and Oblivion by Juan Sasturain
This graphic novel follows the existential odyssey of a political dissident. When he voluntarily loses his memory, he's dubbed "Perramus" from the brand of his raincoat. During his absurdist travels, he teams up with the gruff Cannelloni; a foreign aviator dubbed "The Enemy" by despot Mr. Whitesnow; and the blind author "Borges" (based on the real-life literary figure), who comes to be a guide. This motley crew journeys to outlandish locales where they encounter a variety of eccentric characters — including a director of trailers for films that will never exist; a guerilla force of circus folk, clowns, and puppeteers; a tin-pot dictator with a vast fortune built on an empire of excrement; and Ronald Reagan. This highly anticipated collection is an act of resistance in and of itself — it was created while Argentina's military dictatorship was still in power. Perramus is a cartooning tour de force, with a revolutionary message that remains vital to this day.
Love and Rockets - New Stories: No. 1 by Jaime Hernandez
This is a collection of new stories from the alternative comic series created by three Mexican-American brothers from Southern California. It was the first comic series to give a voice to minorities and women in the medium's then 50-year history. This collection features all-new stories.
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