Writer: AJ Mendez and Aimee Garcia
Artist: Belen Culebras
Colorist: Dearbhla Kelly
Letterer: Shawn Lee
Editor: Bobby Curnow
Thanks to Magma Comix for the review copy!
A new series from Magma Comix, written and created by former WWE wrestler and writer AJ Mendez and actress and writer Aimee Garcia. A supernatural thriller exploring the rich heritage and magical origins of Latino culture amongst the backdrop of the Day of the Dead festival. When a young woman moves back to her native home in Mexico to help her mother pay the bills, she’s pulled into investigating a string of ritualistic murders that may force her to both face and embrace her family’s spiritual beliefs.
I have to admit, initially, I wasn’t sure if this new offering from Magma would be my cup of tea but I was hooked almost from the start. The creative team, as a whole, really knocked this one out of the park! It’s witty, dark, scary, emotional, funny, educational and just a beautiful book to look at! You can tell this is a story that AJ and Aimee were born to tell and it’s clear they invested a lot of time and effort to get it right. They’ve taken something I think a lot of us have often been curious about and/or been exposed to in pop culture and created a personal and effective story to which many of us can relate. I think people in general, mostly through ignorance, have always assumed many of the things touched upon in this story were just made up of malarkey or were evil by nature. Brujah’s and spirits, El Dia de los Muertos, painted skull faces and lavish altars setup for the dead! Sure, it’s a little spooky but there is so much more to it than that once you get to see what it’s all about. I think the root of this story is really about dispelling those myths and opening up the culture and history to all of us readers. They kind of touch on that themselves in the issue. Sure, It’s likely to resonate even more if you’re of Latino descent but that’s just a bonus. The story gives us all a chance to live inside that space and see through their eyes. Turns out, it’s pretty damn cool! Anyways, It’s about as delightful and intriguing a story as anyone will find at the comic store today! Rituals, ghosts, murder, autopsies, what more could you ask for??!!
Overall, Day Of The Dead Girl is a wonderfully imaginative and colorful debut that will resonate with fans interested in both the supernatural and historical fiction while also fulfilling any curiosity about the mystique that surrounds the Latino culture and the rich tapestry of spirituality it weaves. This new series would be a great addition to your pull list this October so add it today!
My rating – 9 out of 10 – Great!!
Day Of The Dead Girl #1 is now available.
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