Amor Y Cohetes (Love & Rockets) [Paperback]

Jaime Gilbert Mari Hernandez (Author)

Book Description

Series: Love & Rockets | Publication Date: May 21, 2008

The Love & Rockets library continues with this special volume.

To a very great extent, Love & Rockets is synonymous with Hoppers' Maggie & Hopey and Palomar's Luba & Carmen & Heraclio & Tonantzin... but there was always more to L&R than that. Amor y Cohetes finally collects together in one convenient package all the non-Maggie and non-Palomar stories by all three Hernandez Brothers from that classic first, 50-issue Love and Rockets series—a dizzying array of styles and approaches that re-confirms these groundbreaking cartoonists' place in the history of comics.

The book leads off with Gilbert's original 40-page sci-fi epic "BEM" from 1981's very first issue of Love & Rockets, featuring a very different Luba and a much looser, Heavy Metal and Marvel Comics-inspired way of storytelling.

Other stories include Jaime's charming "Rocky and Fumble" series starring a planet-hopping girl and her robot; stunning one-shots such as Gilbert's Frida Kahlo biography "Frida" and his shocking autobiographical fantasia "My Love Book"; Mario's genre thrillers which take place "Somewhere in California"; Gilbert's brutally dystopian "Errata Stigmata" stories; the playful "Hernandez Satyricon," with Gilbert drawing Jaime's characters, and "War Paint," with Jaime trying out Palomar; Gilbert's light-hearted "Music for Monsters" starring Bang and Inez; and even a fantastical "non-continuity" Maggie and Hopey story "Easter Hunt" by Jaime that didn't fit into the other books.

Amor y Cohetes, the seventh (and concluding, for now) volume in the new "Complete Love & Rockets" series of compact, affordable paperbacks, shows a very different side of Los Bros Hernandez.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. This collection of the first run of Love & Rockets comes to a fitting conclusion with this swoon-worthy B sides and rarities compilation of all Los Bros Hernandez's non-Palomar, non–Maggie and Hopey stories. Most in keeping with those more familiar story lines is the wonderful Rocky and Fumble, about a rebellious, statuesque teenage girl who explores outer space with her adorable little robot pal, where Jaime mines his particular mix of romantic hijinks in fantastic settings. Gilbert's pocket-sized bio-comic of Frida Kahlo may be one of his most well-known works, but it's still a welcome addition. The less-published third brother, Mario, also pops up, with his pulp fiction Somewhere in California pieces, which are engaging enough, but lack the punch of Gilbert and Jaime's material. There is plenty to keep the Love and Rockets completist amused, like the stand-alone Mojado Power! a story about a couple of migrant workers' night out that features brief cameos from Maggie and Speedy. One of the highlights of Amor y Cohetes is Gilbert's daffy Bem series, an early sci-fi effort that reads like a comic blender of a dozen low-budget '50s B movies. A sublimely satisfying finish to one of the great American comics. (July)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author

Gilbert Hernandez lives in Las Vegas, NV with his wife and daughter. Jaime Hernandez lives in Pasadena, CA with his wife and daughter. Mario Hernandez lives in San Francisco, CA with his wife and children. They continue to create Love & Rockets.

Product Details

• Paperback: 280 pages
• Publisher: Fantagraphics Books (May 21, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1560979267
• ISBN-13: 978-1560979265
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #554,733 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars And that's it for now..., June 12, 2008

By 

Babytoxie (Dallas, TX USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Amor Y Cohetes (Love & Rockets) (Paperback)

At long last, Fantagraphics has released the 7th and final Love and Rockets reprint volume: AMOR Y COHETES. Collecting all the "extras" from Los Bros Hernandez' pioneering independent comic series, this volume contains anything that didn't fit with the regular Locas or Palomar stories. In addition to Jaime and Gilbert, there are a few contributions from Mario Hernandez, who helped to get the series off the ground in the '80s, but eventually moved on to other things while his brothers' more refined and increasingly complex work grew to dominate the title.

The majority of the early stories in this volume are obvious nods to the sci-fi/fantasy adventures that populate Heavy Metal magazine. Some are one-pagers, while others are longer, multi-part affairs. Then there's the occasional political thriller or Errata Stigmata story. Further on, we are treated to a beautifully surreal biography of Frida Kahlo, the Hernandez Satyricon, and the familiar faces of Maggie, Hopey, & Ray D, plus Luba and other residents of Palomar.

The early stories are rough, meandering, and amateurish at times, but paired with the later works, this is a fascinating look at the evolution of Jaime and Gilbert's skills as storytellers. As for Mario - well, his creative skills certainly weren't up to the level of his brothers, and I feel that his lengthy and confusing contributions are the drawbacks of this collection. Still, it's worth the expense to complete the set.

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Nice stuff for a nice price, August 22, 2009

By 

Adriano N. Borges "Nunes" (Sao Paulo, Brazil) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Amor Y Cohetes (Love & Rockets) (Paperback)

I really think the classic Love & Rockets is one of the best comics in the late 80s (that's when I first saw then here in Brazil). Unfortunately, I never had a chance to read the complete stuff because it was never issued in Brazil. So, when I knew about this collection (with its very attractive price) I just HAD to buy it.

1 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Love and Rockets Forever, December 13, 2009

By 

Keith Christian (Oklahoma) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Amor Y Cohetes (Love & Rockets) (Paperback)

PRO: fast response, quick delivery

CON: none, 'cause it's Love and Rockets