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LUBA #6
Mildly Recommended (6/10)
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Fantagraphics Books
Writer/Artist: Gilbert Hernandez
Editor: Gary Groth
Price: $3.50 US/$5.25 CAN |
Here's some territory into which I don't often venture: a title from Fantagraphics Books. Eric Reynolds was kind enough to send along some comics for review, and with my passign familiarity with Love and Rockets and Birdland, Luba made it to the top of the pile. Hernandez's quirky but honest sense of the everyday in his human drama remains as interesting and even enticing as I remember it. However, his penchant for the surreal remains a strong element as well, and it doesn't always work for me, as is the case here.
As Luba's daughter Socorro prepares to go away to school, her eeriely quiet husband, while eliciting weird reactions from those around him with his scarred appearance, takes on a rough job. Meanwhile, Fritz decides to set up her sister Petra with Hector, a young comic-book enthusiast. What Petra doesn't know -- and Hector struggles with -- is that he is one of Fritz's many sexual conquests.
Hernandez's simple style is an appealing one. The women who populate his worlds are exotic and sexy, but more importantly, they're real. Luba shows her age, and there's no hiding the effects of motherhood. But she remains exotic and appealing. Hector is unlike Fritz's usual boytoy type; he's skinny and his lack of confidence shows in the way he carries himself. Hernandez's designs are clear and distinct as well... a welcome sight, given the expansive nature of the dramatis personae.
Since this was my first issue of Luba, Hector was served as my gateway into the lives of Hernandez's characters. He seems like a new element, and I latched onto him immediately, as it was easy to relate to him. Petra is a delightful character as well, far more grounded than her sister. Fritz, despite her seemingly shallow lifestyle, is intriguing as well. She carries herself with a grace, charm and style that makes it easy to believe that men would fall over themselves to be near her, and not just because she's shapely and puts out.
The other appealing quality in these characters is that just about everyone in the story is something of a screw-up. Nobody's perfect in Luba's world, and therein lies the real honesty of the book.
For all those strengths, though, there are aspects of the book I find confusing. Though the running karma gag was cute, the weird tone of the character and his gangland involvement added a quality to the story that was alienating. Furthermore, Hernandez's tendency to jump from scene to scene more than a couple of times on just about every page made for a jarring, dizzying read.
Note: This comic book was not among this week's new releases.
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