M IS FOR MEXICO

I usually pay more attention to the plot than the imagery even when reading graphic novels: as a word person, I find it harder to abstract from the text, unless the pictures are really breathtaking. But as I was reading this one, there was a powerful competition between the two narrative devices. I’m very interested in the subject of Mexican revolution, of which I don’t know enough, and the stark glimpses of Pancho Villa’s life, along with the beautiful wood etchings by Eko, in Posada’s revolutionary tradition, really brought me back. Concise text and the powerful imagery were very successful in portraying the atmosphere of the brave, defining moments of Mexican history. I wish there was a larger body of work by the two authors further exploring the historical events, meanwhile, I will look for more of Taibo’s work on Villa, and admire more of Eko’s visuals. Restless books have published a bunch, and that’s awesome.

Pancho Villa Takes Zacatecas by Paco Ignacio Taibo II & Eko
Translated from Spanish by Nina Arazoza
Published by Restless Books in 2018