Palomar: The Heartbreak Soup Stories, Gilbert Hernandez

This massive graphic novel brings to life the inhabitants of a backward Mexican town called Palomar, following many of them from birth to death. Palomar brings into one volume Hernandez' output from 1982 to the present time; there are approximately 25 different stories in the book, some as long as two hundred pages, some as short as two. Hernandez' scope is epic, his storylines clearly developed, and the book itself is produced on high-quality glossy paper. It's weight, however, makes reading it something of a chore -- plan to take breaks! I'm more fascinated by the form of this work than the storylines themselves; it's tough to think of many other graphic novels that can rival Palomar in size. The artwork itself is remarkably consistent, given that Hernandez drew the first of these panels 20 years ago. Unfortunately, however, that span of time is most obvious in his rendering of recurring characters that are often only recognizable through their more bizarre physical characteristics (read: scars and enormous breasts). Palomar is definitely worth a read if you're a fan of comics, graphics novels or epics.
Posted by supersusie at November 29, 2003 10:58 PM