Tales from La Vida: A Latinx Comics Anthology

The 70 stories in this heartfelt but uneven comics anthology explore the myriad ways of identifying with Latin-American heritage. The pieces often take the repetitive form of two-page personal reflections, almost like a collection of college admission essay outlines. The resulting staccato reading experience and lack of a sustained narrative offer the reader too many moments to bow out. Novices’ relatively unpolished work appears alongside that of masters of the form such as Gilbert and Jaime Hernandez (who contribute previously published work). The standout stories liberally interpret the theme with more developed narratives. “California Girl” by Roberta Gregory gives a rich picture of a diverse neighborhood in mid-century Southern California. “A Nomad’s Heart” by Zeke Peña is a powerful one-page encapsulation of growing up Latin while feeling the weighty history of heritage. But the admirable effort doesn’t make up for the editorial problems, and readers keen to learn more about the experiences of Latin Americans will be disappointed with the lack of depth. (Final book will be published in color; finished black-and-white art reviewed by PW.) [em](Sept.) [/em]