Loverboys Hardcover – October 14, 2014

ok

Never a disappointment, GH is fantastic!

When young Daniela starts having trouble at school, it leads to an encounter between her older brother Rocky and her new teacher, Mrs. Paz, that quickly blossoms into a tender May-December romance for the handsome couple, who prove surprisingly well-matched. But Rocky's female boss has also been making plays for him… An out-of-town business trip that turns into an extended vacation will become a catalyst for change affecting all their lives.Fans of ‘Love & Rockets’ will recognize Fritz in the role of Mrs. Paz but aged quite a bit from her appearances in the Luba trilogy (and speaking without a lisp). The title and cover of this book make it look like a tawdry, sensationalistic B-film, but it's much closer in spirit to a European or independent arthouse release. Hernandez's writing is emotionally involving without being overwrought; there's a wonderful range of ideas, feelings, and characters all handled with a very light touch—sometimes humorously but always carefully observed—yet the overall feeling winds up being melancholic. If there's a message to the story, it's that the pursuit of love has the potential to cause hurt as much as happiness.As in some of his Luba stories, Beto effectively introduces us to a younger character to provide pitch against the adult storylines, helping to drive and inform a larger perspective. There are some very nice portrayals of intimacy through progressions and mild transgressions—like the way in which Mrs. Paz is first shown gardening alone and then with Rocky, or sharing a smoke with Daniela. It's also notable that we're introduced to her first as a friendly neighbor and teacher before being made aware of her physical attractiveness. The sexual themes in the book—occasionally quite bawdy—are handled very discreetly, as in an R-rated film.A note to Mr. Hernandez: I loved the Lee character. Give us a book about her next!

Set in the town of 'Lagrimas' (loosely translated as 'the creeps') "Loverboys" is the latest in Gilbert Hernandez's life-long story arc set in graphic novel form. Some characters will look familiar if you've read other works by Beto (variations of Fritz, Venus possibly others). We see all the things we love to see in Hernandez's stories: love, romance, sex, jealousy, the angst of childhood, family, the surreal, the unexplained, a tree that maybe looks like a vagina, kids plotting terrorism. All this as usual drawn in his distinctive yet economical style.

Excellent, thanks.