Feeding Ground

One small, powerless but stubborn Mexican family is pitted against the agro-industrial juggernaut Blackwell and all of its enablers in Mexico in this passionate, political graphic novel. While Diego Busqueda seeks relief in America from the deprivations inflicted on his Mexican hometown by the rapacious Blackwell, his family struggles to withstand poverty and harassment from local authority figures. When oppression erupts into violent conflict, Diego’s family is forced to flee. Unfortunately for the Busquedas, young daughter Flaca already carries within her the seeds of a terrible transformation, the legacy of Blackwell’s true purpose. Often gory and eschewing an easy happy ending, Lang and Lapinski have created an allegory for the sometimes predatory relationship American companies have with Mexico. While Diego and the rest of his family are portrayed sympathetically, even when committing terrible acts in their desperation, the corporate antagonists are motivated by simple greed and unbound lust for power; no plea of necessity excuses their actions. Lapinski’s art does a fine job capturing the emotions of the story without getting melodramatic. (Sept.)