The Troublemakers

The Fritz B-Movie Books

by Gilbert Hernández

"Low-life drug dealer Dewey Booth has $200,000 that even-lower-lifes want. BLING! Wes is a rock and roll loser that only wants to buy a club where nobody can tell him he can't sing or perform. WAILIN'! He's known Dewey for years, but that isn't enough to get his dough. Wes needs help. Nala is an uber-stacked bombshell whose pleasure in life is to seduce and then humiliate men dumb enough to fall for her. HUSH HUSH! For half the dough, she agrees to help Wes get Dewey's ill-gotten goods. Things don't go so well when a wily grifter from Wes's past shows up to complicate things. GULP! Vincene is another troublemaker who enjoys wrecking people's plans and wants the Dewey dough, too. In the end, deadly fires ignite, heads literally roll, eyes are shot out ― and all Wes wants to do is sing in a rock and roll club. The Troublemakers is the second volume in a series of original graphic novels in which Gilbert Hernandez creates comics adaptations of movies starring or co-starring Luba's half-sister Rosalba ""Fritz"" Martinez from Love and Rockets."

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Crime, Graphic Novels Comics, Fiction, Comix

130 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Gilbert and his brother Jaime Hernández mostly publish their separate storylines together in Love And Rockets and are often referred to as 'Los Bros Hernandez'.

Gilbert Hernandez is an American cartoonist best known for the Palomar and Heartbreak Soup stories in Love and Rockets, the groundbreaking alternative comic series he created with his brothers Jaime and Mario. Raised in Oxnard, California in a lively household shaped by comics, rock music and a strong creative streak, he developed an early fascination with graphic storytelling. His influences ranged from Marvel legends Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko to the humor and clarity of Hank Ketcham and the Archie line, as well as the raw energy of the underground comix that entered his life through his brother Mario.
In 1981 the brothers self-published the first issue of Love and Rockets, which quickly drew the attention of Fantagraphics Books. The series became a defining work of the independent comics movement, notable for its punk spirit, emotional depth and multiracial cast. Gilbert's Palomar stories, centered on the residents of a fictional Latin American village, combined magic realism with soap-opera intimacy and grew into an ambitious narrative cycle admired for its complex characters and bold storytelling. Works like Human Diastrophism helped solidify his reputation as one of the medium's most inventive voices.
Across periods when Love and Rockets was on hiatus, Hernandez built out a parallel body of work, creating titles such as New Love, Luba, and Luba's Comics and Stories, as well as later graphic novels including Sloth and The Troublemakers. He also collaborated with Peter Bagge on the short-lived series Yeah! and continued to explore new directions in Love and Rockets: New Stories.
Celebrated for his portrayal of independent women and for his distinctive blend of realism and myth, Hernandez remains a major figure in contemporary comics and a lasting influence on generations of artists.

Reviews

[Baba · Rating 4 out of 5]

A one-off graphic novel, with a 'Love & Rockets book' sub title. This is the story of a group of four drifters who don't really know who to trust within their group and beyond. There are some great magical realist touches as ever by 'Beto (Gilbert Hernández)! 8 out of 12 Four Star read.

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this in 2012 and didn't like it, didn't understand it. But in 2015 I had just read Fritz's story, High Soft Lisp, which I liked, and thought I should rerate the book and briefly review it. Now, in 2020 i read it again in 2020 after I have read others in the series and I really, really like it. Shouid it take seven years to understand a comic book?! What is this, Crime and Punishment?

This is a one of the several volumes Beto has now done based on the trashy pulpy, noirish films Fritz starred in. I couldn't get the tone at first, but this is like an homage to sixties B movies, this one especially a kind of grifter film tribute starring Fritz as Nala, who has the kind of body that can distract easy rich losers. Her sidekick is Wes, a failed rock singer, and then there is Vincene, a magician. These are the principal "troublemakers" who aim to get Dewey Booth's 200K. Vincene has a security guard who helps her that slo figures in. The plot is all back stabbing and double and triple crosses, so that it is not until the end that you see who is aligned with whom. And there's like a grindhouse level bloodbath. Involving an amulet or good luck charm which could possibly be cursed, could possibly be some indigenous magic or just some cheap fakery.

It's funnier than I initially thought of it, because now I better realize that ALL the films Fritz were in were trash. It's a terrible story. And yet. . . Beto LIKES pulpy, trashy stories. He both finds them ridiculously funny AND he also enjoys them. He has that kind of appreciation for those kinds of books and films, like any comics and popular culture fan, as he is. I mean, it's a B movie made into a comic book. Relax!

So this is funnier than I originally thought, and so deliberately bad it's good, that kind of story. Because I am also reading Criminal by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips, I appreciate this is a funny, Archie comics-style yet R-rated companion to the Criminal series.

[Drew Canole · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second graphic novel adaptation of a fictional B-Movie starring the Love+Rockets character Fritz. Here Fritz has a much larger part than in Chance in Hell.

This is a story of con men all trying to con each other and having zero clue who to trust. It's a pretty wild ride that ends in disaster for basically everyone.

I'm really enjoying these stories that seem like an excuse for Gilbert to just let loose and do whatever the hell he wants.

[Brent · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slight work from Mario: this series of "movies" with Fritz is ok, but only recommended for Los Bros. Hernandez completists. I am such a completist, but these are still slight. I do like the four-panel per page layout grid, which moves storytelling along.

[Salty Swift · Rating 2 out of 5]

Why does Gilbert Hernandez feel big-breasted heros or villans are the means to build an empire in graphic novel form? It's becoming rather boring at this point, especially since the plotline is so thin and uninspiring...

[Norman · Rating 4 out of 5]

If it were any other author, this one would come off as hokey and unrefined. The dialogue’s so one-dimensional, and the narrative lacks cohesion, yet I couldn’t look away. The art doesn’t even show that much emotion, and the characters are so hard to follow let alone connect with (purposefully done), but I really liked it. Whacky surreal nonsense that comes off as being fueled by Beto’s passion for the shitty. Also Fritz lol.

[Komuniststar · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nedostaje mi tu malo magije, ono nesto ca i obicnu pricu i obicne ljude pretvara u nesto drugo. Mozda je to bila prednost velikih integrala di su price povezane u vecu cjelinu pa dobiju na punoći.

[Jay Daze · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a double cross! No a triple -- no a quadruple.... ah, you get the idea. Nobody is telling the truth as far as I can tell. Another of in Gilbert's series of the movies made by the ubber busty Fritz. This is a hard-core-nasty noir tale of con-artists who are only in it for themselves. I actually preferred the surrealistic bits in his first outing Chance in Hell - equally dark in outlook. There is the slippery fun mystery of how Fritz (Nala in the 'movie') keeps escaping. Love the idea of how these stories are movies inside the greater Love and Rockets universe. Up until now I had to be satisfied with the lurid movie posters - which Fritz is indeed perfect for! I'm surprised how big her part is, the poster girl usually only show up for a minute or two in those type of movies.

"Saw this in a movie once."

[Alex E · Rating 2 out of 5]

This volume covers the second movie that Fritz was in called "the troublemakers". Its the story of three... not really friends, but more coworkers of sorts, who don't trust each other or anyone else for that matter. They're trying to get 200k from a guy, and everyone is confused as to who is telling the truth and who is lying.

I get that this story is a throw back to those cheesy pulp movies from the 70's but this wasn't my cup of tea to be honest. The double crosses and triple crosses get to be tedious, to the point of just being kind of confusing. It seems that Hernandez would write himself into a sort of corner, then get himself out by having a double cross happen or a magic amulet do its thing, or just magic in general... ugh.

After the last volume, which I found to be a bit more refreshing - with Fritz being a side character - I was hoping for these stories to be a bit more rounded out. But with Fritz being one of the main characters, you can see Hernandez once again focusing on her almost too much - to the point where the story suffers for it.

Hopefully the next one of Fritz' movies will have a more legible plot.

[Rick Ray · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gilbert's metaseries spinning out of his Luba/Palomar stories continues to deliver some fairly entertaining action in the form of Fritz Martinez's many B movies. "The Troublemakers" has Fritz in the starring role of Nala, an attractive woman who uses her looks to distract wealthy marks, while her partner Wes helps with completing the grift. Their current target is Dewey, a drug peddling pal of Wes' who is known to have stashed 200K somewhere. Complicating their grift is Vincene, who makes Dewey suspicious of Nala and Wes. The story is delightfully pulpy and trashy in the way Beto excels in doing, though it does lack the charm of his more whimsical and surreal offerings. The twists are pretty well developed though, and Beto's juvenile humor does translate into some pretty funny moments throughout.

[Celtic · Rating 4 out of 5]

Less surreal than Beto's previous 'z film' book (Chance in Hell) and with Fritz in a starring role, this is a sexploitation story driven by greed and lust, with confused motives and everyone out to screw over everyone else. Unlike his more recent stories in L&R this story stays fully 'on the screen' with no intrusions of/crossovers to reality - you need to have read L&R to understand the context. And, in turn, this provides some context for those more recent L&R stories, which I look forward to re-reading once I've read the third of these 'film adaptations' (the fourth 'Maria M' is still waiting for volume 2 to appear).

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beto does his riff on a grift movie, with multiple characters attempting to swindle each other out of $200,000. A touch surreal, a little confusing as to where exactly the money was, but smartly paced, well drawn and eerily dark. Not one of Beto's best books, but it's better than anything out of the Vertigo Crime line by a mile.

[Alex Sarll]

With all the damaged people running scams within scams, this could easily have been a Criminal story if it weren't for the stage magic. OK, and the sapphic wrestling scenes. And the poisoned nipple. Sometimes I wonder whether latter-day Love & Rockets entirely lives up to its rep as a classic of the comics form.

[Rohan · Rating 2 out of 5]

In the latter half the pacing is a little rushed, which has two consequences - first, there's no time to empathize with or care about the characters, and second, it's hard to follow the action. Finished the book and felt a vague distaste rather than the "shit, that was crazy!" feeling that a good pulp comic might evoke.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wes, Nala, Vincene, Dewey. Who, exactly, is grifting who. A far more comprehensive story than the first volume of the Fritz B movies and ends on a dramatic Dun dun duuuuuun. Enjoyable.

[Jessica Wheeler · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a ride!

[Michael Allan Leonard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Somehow I've never managed to get into Love and Rockets, aside from a single issue I picked up somewhere along the way a year or two ago, despite always having a deep admiration for Jamie and Gilbert's art any time I came across it. After reading this book, I'm going to have to rectify that as soon as my budget allows.

I completely missed the meta-concept of the book as being a comic adaptation of a fictional movie until I read that on the back flap of the dust jacket after finishing it (despite immediately noticing the fact that the entire story is done in widescreen panels and thinking, hey, this is has a really cinematic vibe going) which made me dig this even more. I thought it was a weird, fun read but then realizing what he was *really* doing with it, it's pretty brilliant.

Gilbert really nailed the feel of a Tarantino-esque indie film that takes a few liberties with plot and logic in the name of serving up a hip, stylish noir. Gorgeous cartooning and solid storytelling chops from front cover to finish.

[Iain · Rating 4 out of 5]

As ever with Gilbert Hernandez, this is deft, intelligent, sexy, bold and beautifully drawn. The conceit of writing an 'adaptation' of a film made by one of Hernandez' own characters is a clever one, allowing him to explore an standalone story without ever leaving the L&R 'universe'. The plot here is slightly faster-paced than some of the more thoughtful L&R stories, but the characterisation is still strong and many of the beats are familiar. Love, loyalty, dreamers, femmes fatale, brushes with the wrong side of the law, the odd touch of the supernatural (or at least unexplained), sex, drugs and rock'n'roll, all present and accounted for. Great stuff.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of a trilogy of comics adaptations of fictional b-movies staring Fritz from Love and Rockets. It's a grifter tale, with lots of double crossing. As is often the case with Beto, there is a lot of great high-brow and low-brow cartooning going on. Certainly better than my idea for a comics novelization of the movie adaptation of Young MC's Bust a Move.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

More fine work by Gilbert Hernandez.
Complex narrative, great characters and keeps you guessing who is in on the con and who is left out in the dark.
Continue to be a huge fan of his style of drawing and how he gets such incredible depth in each frame.
Includes some sex and violence, so mature audiences only, k?

[scarlettraces · Rating 4 out of 5]

utterly pitch perfect (although i think readers need to know the conceit before reading, to avoid confusion - i did, otherwise i think i would have been), right down to the plot-holes and general all-round diceyness. and beto's art complements the idea brilliantly, although i've always been more of a jaime fan. time to reread the luba stories!

[Will · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this one better than the first of Gilbert's latest. A cool idea to make a b-movie grahic novel. Great pulp action with double-crosses, double double-crosses love affairs, magic tricks and small-time hustling.

[Matt Sabonis · Rating 4 out of 5]

A better story than Chance in Hell, for sure. The craft is on display here, but so is the story. It's a tight little crime story, one that's twisty beyond belief, and Beto's characters are at least a little sympathetic this time.

[Tasara · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think I'm reading Gilbert Hernandez in the wrong order....

[Fugo Feedback · Rating 3 out of 5]

Linda película. Lástima que se desinfla al final y que mueran quienes mueren.

[Anthony Faber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another comic based on one of the fictional movies Fritz made. Lots of violence, but it's actually an interesting mystery.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

cinematic hernandez bros and had me turned on my the cartoonishly big tits

[Juan Fuentes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enrevesada historia sobre personas que se timan entre sí. Excelentes dibujos, como siempre.

[Mejix · Rating 1 out of 5]

A lot of nonsense plot twists that don't add up to much.

[Variaciones Enrojo]

Edición española de The Troublemakers.