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Season of the Bruja #1-5
Season of the Bruja Vol. 1
The conquest of the Americas by European colonizers was more than just a theft of resources and land. With the physical dominance came an attack upon the very culture and spiritual way of life for the people of Mesoamerica. The traditions of the old gods usurped by the conquistadors and their holy empire brought the heathens into the fold. But woven within the bright festivals of modern Mexican traditions, the old gods wait for their chance to return. From a young age, Althalia knew she would someday be the last of her kind—a bruja, tasked with keeping the power and stories of the ancient ways from fading fully into history. Never alone, Althalia works in a paranormal museum with her friends, a real-life Chupacabra and a were-coyote, while living with and caring for her beloved abuela. Through these powerful connections, her skills and knowledge grow. But the prejudice her people have always faced continues, and after a seemingly random encounter with a priest, Althalia feels the weight of hundreds of years of religious oppression coming down upon her and her abuela. She must realize her destiny and grow into it quickly if she is to prevent the church from achieving its ultimate goal—destroying the last bruja.
136 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 24, 2023
6 people are currently reading
1154 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 381 reviews
February 25, 2023
I feel like I just accidentally watched the eleventh episode from season three of an ongoing drama that I have never watched before, and it didn't include a "previously on" recap, the English subtitles aren't working, and it turns out to be the first half of a two-part season finale, and it's the last day of the month and the whole series is leaving the streaming service at midnight so I'm just SOL.
Utterly lost and discouraged.
Utterly lost and discouraged.
October 8, 2022
This graphic novel reads like one of Rick Riordan's books (whose writing I adore to pieces). It is perfect for the Halloween season, with its magic, ambiance and witchcraft, and gods of death, and everything in between!
So, we start off with a bang - a dark artefact and a possession by an evil god. Then we meet Althalia (our main heroine), her granny (she is by far one of my favourite personages from now on) and her friends (totally share their love for good food).
This story has pretty much everything you can possibly want - a smart protagonist, supportive friends and family, a little impossible quest, a set of compelling villains and the best part - it is all based on lore and stories, and myths from Latin America.
What I particularly like, is that authors make a gentle introduction to the history behind the discovery of America, which later on may engage younger audience to look deeper into that. Topics that are brought up here are important to be explored and explained.
As to the plot, even though I find it well-paced and engaging overall, the ending feels a little too rushed, too hard to believe in. It would be absolutely stellar, if the writers elaborated and refined the aftermath of the main intrigue here.
I really do hope that this graphic novel will get its continuation, the authors will keep creating and we will keep reading and enjoying.
So, we start off with a bang - a dark artefact and a possession by an evil god. Then we meet Althalia (our main heroine), her granny (she is by far one of my favourite personages from now on) and her friends (totally share their love for good food).
This story has pretty much everything you can possibly want - a smart protagonist, supportive friends and family, a little impossible quest, a set of compelling villains and the best part - it is all based on lore and stories, and myths from Latin America.
What I particularly like, is that authors make a gentle introduction to the history behind the discovery of America, which later on may engage younger audience to look deeper into that. Topics that are brought up here are important to be explored and explained.
As to the plot, even though I find it well-paced and engaging overall, the ending feels a little too rushed, too hard to believe in. It would be absolutely stellar, if the writers elaborated and refined the aftermath of the main intrigue here.
I really do hope that this graphic novel will get its continuation, the authors will keep creating and we will keep reading and enjoying.
September 16, 2023
Okay so this wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t great either. I thought the art was great and the story kind of middling. I also finished it ages ago so I won’t get too into details. Basically Althalia works with her friends to save bruja history and tradition.
Like I said, it’s okay, could have been a bit more clearly written. I don’t really recommend this because it wasn’t stellar.
Thanks so much to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this for my honest and unbiased opinion.
Like I said, it’s okay, could have been a bit more clearly written. I don’t really recommend this because it wasn’t stellar.
Thanks so much to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this for my honest and unbiased opinion.
October 10, 2022
I was so confused at the beginning of this story that I honestly thought I was reading volume 2 instead of 1. It literally dropped you into the middle of a fight and that was that, which I guess is ultimately not a bad thing, but also kind of immediately threw me right out of the story. From the description "...paranormal museum with her friends, a real-life Chupacabra and a were-coyote." 1: I didn't know the museum was paranormal, and 2: I thought her friends were a dragon and a wolf. So now I feel even more confused.
As for the story itself, I enjoyed it; I enjoyed seeing Lia grow in power, but to what end? I do love me some morally gray characters :) Also, I liked the artwork, and the covers are beautiful.
In the end, I'm thankful to NetGalley and Oni Press for the chance to read this arc, but I don't think I will continue with the series past this point.
As for the story itself, I enjoyed it; I enjoyed seeing Lia grow in power, but to what end? I do love me some morally gray characters :) Also, I liked the artwork, and the covers are beautiful.
In the end, I'm thankful to NetGalley and Oni Press for the chance to read this arc, but I don't think I will continue with the series past this point.
December 3, 2023
First: the art and color work is beautiful. Nice character designs, and a gorgeous full color palette to bring them to life.
Sadly, the story felt like a jumbled, rushed mess. The pacing was way too fast, jumping leaps and bounds ahead, stuffing way too many plot beats into one single volume. We barely got enough time to truly understand all the character relationships before the plot kicked off, and it felt like reading 4 volumes of story and character work packed into one. It was confusing and not fun.
Sadly, the story felt like a jumbled, rushed mess. The pacing was way too fast, jumping leaps and bounds ahead, stuffing way too many plot beats into one single volume. We barely got enough time to truly understand all the character relationships before the plot kicked off, and it felt like reading 4 volumes of story and character work packed into one. It was confusing and not fun.
October 19, 2022
Thank you NetGalley and Oni Press for a copy of the graphic novel.
Season of the Bruja is an amazing graphic novel. The art work is really good.
It’s full of magic and action. At first, we are into the story without an introduction, but luckily it becomes clearer forward.
The protagonist, Althalia, is a Buja apprentice and she is learning magic from her grandmother.
I loved the mix with different cultures: the use of Spanish and incorporation of Hispanic culture and Aztec mythology.
I absolutely recommend it
Season of the Bruja is an amazing graphic novel. The art work is really good.
It’s full of magic and action. At first, we are into the story without an introduction, but luckily it becomes clearer forward.
The protagonist, Althalia, is a Buja apprentice and she is learning magic from her grandmother.
I loved the mix with different cultures: the use of Spanish and incorporation of Hispanic culture and Aztec mythology.
I absolutely recommend it
June 19, 2023
Just what I wanted from the last one I read! A really fascinating and believable magic system, scary enemy, great illustrations! I also like that the magic wasn't necessarily the same for everyone. Ancestry, cultural traditions, spiritual beliefs, and more played a role in the magic system used by each person, but it was very well done. Curious to keep reading this series if it continues!
June 29, 2023
The cultural significance and artwork was well executed. Overall a great read! However, the volume contained too much content that felt rushed
November 12, 2022
Season of the Bruja is a story following a young woman as she comes into her power. Athalia knew she would one day be the last bruja, the last one to keep the knowledge and power passed down for generations. For now, she is living with her abuela and working with her friends in a paranormal museum, and all is well. However, an odd encounter with a priest makes her see firsthand just how intent the church is on destroying the last bruja, how the years of oppression have culminated to this moment, and how fast she needs to come into her power and her role.
I really loved this graphic novel, I thought it was absolutely amazing. The story was very interesting, I was engaged from the very beginning and I read this in one sitting. The main character, Lia, was a really great character to follow, and there's plenty of character development for her in store. The series of events that happen in this book shows her going through some really tough stuff, grief and hardships, and she comes out of it stronger and more determined.
The book deals with family, both blood and found, and that was one of my favorite elements of the story. Lia's abuela is an awesome character, and I loved their relationship so much, it was really sweet. Lia's friends (who are a real-life Chupacabra and a were-coyote), her found family, were amazing as well. The all-around love and care shown by the characters in this novel were like a warm hug while reading this, and I was entirely there for it. The book also deals with topics such as grief and loss, and it was done very well and it felt real.
The villains of the story were also interesting, especially with the added religious background. I thought it was done great, the motives of misguided faith are always really interesting to me. The concept of thinking you're doing the "right" thing and becoming the monster you fear is spot on here, I think. There are also discussions on colonialism, stolen and erased cultures which I found interesting, and I think would be good starting points for younger readers in understanding this.
The art was gorgeous, and the color palette vivid and amazing. I really loved how bright and colorful everything was, the vivid pinks and blues complimented each other beautifully. The characters were lovely, their faces were really expressive. The little familiars in Athalia's house were too adorable. The characters all seemed alive and vibrant, both in appearance and personality. I highly enjoyed the illustrations of this graphic novel.
My only slight issue was the pacing, specifically toward the end. I felt like it quickened a bit more than it should have and then the ending seemed a bit abrupt, with some things a bit rushed. However I really enjoyed the pacing for the majority of the book, and I am excited about the sequel, so I'm not too upset about it. I would highly recommend this graphic novel if it sounds like something it would interest you!
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review!
I really loved this graphic novel, I thought it was absolutely amazing. The story was very interesting, I was engaged from the very beginning and I read this in one sitting. The main character, Lia, was a really great character to follow, and there's plenty of character development for her in store. The series of events that happen in this book shows her going through some really tough stuff, grief and hardships, and she comes out of it stronger and more determined.
The book deals with family, both blood and found, and that was one of my favorite elements of the story. Lia's abuela is an awesome character, and I loved their relationship so much, it was really sweet. Lia's friends (who are a real-life Chupacabra and a were-coyote), her found family, were amazing as well. The all-around love and care shown by the characters in this novel were like a warm hug while reading this, and I was entirely there for it. The book also deals with topics such as grief and loss, and it was done very well and it felt real.
The villains of the story were also interesting, especially with the added religious background. I thought it was done great, the motives of misguided faith are always really interesting to me. The concept of thinking you're doing the "right" thing and becoming the monster you fear is spot on here, I think. There are also discussions on colonialism, stolen and erased cultures which I found interesting, and I think would be good starting points for younger readers in understanding this.
The art was gorgeous, and the color palette vivid and amazing. I really loved how bright and colorful everything was, the vivid pinks and blues complimented each other beautifully. The characters were lovely, their faces were really expressive. The little familiars in Athalia's house were too adorable. The characters all seemed alive and vibrant, both in appearance and personality. I highly enjoyed the illustrations of this graphic novel.
My only slight issue was the pacing, specifically toward the end. I felt like it quickened a bit more than it should have and then the ending seemed a bit abrupt, with some things a bit rushed. However I really enjoyed the pacing for the majority of the book, and I am excited about the sequel, so I'm not too upset about it. I would highly recommend this graphic novel if it sounds like something it would interest you!
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review!
October 2, 2022
Season of the Bruja is stunningly drawn comic book about young girl with magic powers. We jump straight into action, but then the plot gets slowed and kinda messy. There's some spanish phrases and my big flex is that I could understand it with my school level spanish. Overall it was pretty, colorful and entertaining. 4/5⭐
Thank you NetGalley for providing digital advanced copy in exchange for honest review.
Thank you NetGalley for providing digital advanced copy in exchange for honest review.
October 1, 2022
Thank you NetGalley and Oni Press for a copy of the graphic novel in exchange for an honest review!
Season of the Bruja is an amazing graphic novel. The art work is incredible, full of bright and vivid colours.
I liked the story, it’s full of magic, twists and action. At first, we are catapulted into the story without an introduction, but luckily it becomes clearer as we move forward.
Our protagonist, Althalia, is a Buja apprentice and she is learning magic from her grandmother.
She is strong and funny, I really loved her.
My favorite thing was the development of the protagonist which has changed a lot due to a loss. The author has managed flawlessly to deal with such a delicate subject.
I also loved the mix with different cultures, including the Mexican one, in fact some parts are in Spanish language.
I absolutely recommend it but you have to know that afterwards you will want to read the following immediately!
Season of the Bruja is an amazing graphic novel. The art work is incredible, full of bright and vivid colours.
I liked the story, it’s full of magic, twists and action. At first, we are catapulted into the story without an introduction, but luckily it becomes clearer as we move forward.
Our protagonist, Althalia, is a Buja apprentice and she is learning magic from her grandmother.
She is strong and funny, I really loved her.
My favorite thing was the development of the protagonist which has changed a lot due to a loss. The author has managed flawlessly to deal with such a delicate subject.
I also loved the mix with different cultures, including the Mexican one, in fact some parts are in Spanish language.
I absolutely recommend it but you have to know that afterwards you will want to read the following immediately!
November 9, 2022
I received an arc for this book from NetGalley.
The art of this comic is really beautiful. My problems lie with the story itself, and then mostly with the characterbuilding and the pacing.
I learned more about the characters from reading the description on goodreads than from reading this first volume. Should have read that first, I guess. Cupacabra and were-coyote? Never once mentioned in volume. Sure we see animal people, which confused me, and even more when it was never even mentioned at all. So I figured that maybe that's just the normal of that world, like in books such as The Tea Dragon Society, but all other characters seem human like and they do pretend to be/look like humans, so I guess not?
This whole volume feels a bit rushed and the story jumps forward, without providing the much needed background information. Scenes that should be impactful are not because we just don't know these characters, nor do we know/understand the world they are in. Is it our word, but with hidden magic? Is it completely different? I'm not sure.
This made it hard to really get into the story and I ended up not really caring about it much. It definitely has potential, but it just didn't work for me.
The art of this comic is really beautiful. My problems lie with the story itself, and then mostly with the characterbuilding and the pacing.
I learned more about the characters from reading the description on goodreads than from reading this first volume. Should have read that first, I guess. Cupacabra and were-coyote? Never once mentioned in volume. Sure we see animal people, which confused me, and even more when it was never even mentioned at all. So I figured that maybe that's just the normal of that world, like in books such as The Tea Dragon Society, but all other characters seem human like and they do pretend to be/look like humans, so I guess not?
This whole volume feels a bit rushed and the story jumps forward, without providing the much needed background information. Scenes that should be impactful are not because we just don't know these characters, nor do we know/understand the world they are in. Is it our word, but with hidden magic? Is it completely different? I'm not sure.
This made it hard to really get into the story and I ended up not really caring about it much. It definitely has potential, but it just didn't work for me.
January 2, 2023
Season of the Bruja is the story of Althalia, a very talented witch. Destined to be the last of her kind, she's tasked with keeping the power and stories of the ancient ways from fading fully into history.
Althalia works in a paranormal museum with her friends, a real-life Chupacabra and a were-coyote. First of all, Althalia's work sounds so fun and interesting, where do I sign?? Althalia lives with her abuela and she is super cute and kind and good. Her friends are also very nice and they care for her very much. Althalia is a very chaotic person and does not really think before acting, which is why her friends are in a constant state of worry for her.
I really liked the style of this graphic novel. The illustrations were very pretty and the colours too! This is a lovely way to start the Halloween season.
I know some people have complained about the Spanish of this book, but I am from Spain, so it was fine for me, but keep it mind and don't be surprised!
Althalia works in a paranormal museum with her friends, a real-life Chupacabra and a were-coyote. First of all, Althalia's work sounds so fun and interesting, where do I sign?? Althalia lives with her abuela and she is super cute and kind and good. Her friends are also very nice and they care for her very much. Althalia is a very chaotic person and does not really think before acting, which is why her friends are in a constant state of worry for her.
I really liked the style of this graphic novel. The illustrations were very pretty and the colours too! This is a lovely way to start the Halloween season.
I know some people have complained about the Spanish of this book, but I am from Spain, so it was fine for me, but keep it mind and don't be surprised!
October 23, 2023
One thing I've noticed about comics compared to mangas is that they just jump to the main plot without much buildup or continuity, so the pacing feels really all over the place, and its just bad.
FRTC
FRTC
October 2, 2022
lthaia’s abuela has been trying to teach her about her heritage and her powers, but she hasn’t been paying much attention. Then her grandmother is killed, and the powers flow into her, and she must figure out what to do about them, and see if she can bring her abuela back to life.
She is helped by two friends a chupacabra and a were-coyote.
And in the meantime, the catholic church doesn’t want her to exisit, any more than they did when they first invaded the new world.
Amazing illustrations. And there are hints of more to the story to come, but this first volume does wrap up well.
Recommended. Great fun. Hoping the story stays as high energy.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
She is helped by two friends a chupacabra and a were-coyote.
And in the meantime, the catholic church doesn’t want her to exisit, any more than they did when they first invaded the new world.
Amazing illustrations. And there are hints of more to the story to come, but this first volume does wrap up well.
Recommended. Great fun. Hoping the story stays as high energy.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
January 3, 2023
Writing ****
Art ***
Colors ****
Lettering *****
Cover ****
The story was alright. I'm not likely to remember it.
The artist did a good job, making good use of space and panel placement. She could of used more gutter placement but she had several full frame drawings. my favorite two full panel artwork, being pages 87 and 98.
Dialog and thought balloons, good lettering, easy to see and read. There was some spanish with no translation. We needed captions for that information.
Art ***
Colors ****
Lettering *****
Cover ****
The story was alright. I'm not likely to remember it.
The artist did a good job, making good use of space and panel placement. She could of used more gutter placement but she had several full frame drawings. my favorite two full panel artwork, being pages 87 and 98.
Dialog and thought balloons, good lettering, easy to see and read. There was some spanish with no translation. We needed captions for that information.
July 7, 2023
OMG I loved Season of the Bruja soooooo much! This is the first time I have teared up at a graphic novel. It wasn't a full blown cry, but still. This one touched my heart. I could relate to Althalia and her feelings about her culture. My favorite line- "Ay, mijita. Do not feel bad. Your ancestors, the ones I tell you stories of... they did not speak Spanish either." 😭❤️
March 12, 2022
Review to come!
April 5, 2023
3'75 estrellas
Me ha gustado la historia y me ha gustado el dibujo, pero me ha faltado algo más.
Me ha gustado la historia y me ha gustado el dibujo, pero me ha faltado algo más.
September 30, 2022
Season of the Bruja started like it was the second in the series, straight into the action (love to start off running) but then we never did pause for long. With the right skill, constant action and a twisty plot is great, it keeps you reading, and I finished this in a heartbeat, but I lacked a connection with the characters.
It was frustrating because Althalia had so much potential, I wanted to love her and throughout all her trials I wanted to be more emotionally engaged with her character. Yet we sort of followed a consistent action then revelation pattern without any downtime to really get to know Althalia and her friends and then be able to feel for them. Her friends were so cool as well, I would have loved to see more of them than watching them chase Althalia about. There were little details I enjoyed though, noticing their favourite foods and abuela’s love of cola. I just wanted more.
However, the illustrations are stunning and brought the different characters and creatures to life. And the world-building was amazing! The discussion of history and heritage, including a well-examined look at colonialism, gave a real depth to that part of the story. I’m less familiar with South American history compared to other parts of the world but I plan to learn more. There was also some interesting conflict with the involvement of the Christian Church I’m looking forward to seeing develop.
On that note, I’m definitely interested in reading the sequel, I’m just hoping we have more of an opportunity to become closer to all the characters.
Thank you NetGalley, Oni Press and Aaron Durán, Sara Soler for the opportunity to read this ARC.
It was frustrating because Althalia had so much potential, I wanted to love her and throughout all her trials I wanted to be more emotionally engaged with her character. Yet we sort of followed a consistent action then revelation pattern without any downtime to really get to know Althalia and her friends and then be able to feel for them. Her friends were so cool as well, I would have loved to see more of them than watching them chase Althalia about. There were little details I enjoyed though, noticing their favourite foods and abuela’s love of cola. I just wanted more.
However, the illustrations are stunning and brought the different characters and creatures to life. And the world-building was amazing! The discussion of history and heritage, including a well-examined look at colonialism, gave a real depth to that part of the story. I’m less familiar with South American history compared to other parts of the world but I plan to learn more. There was also some interesting conflict with the involvement of the Christian Church I’m looking forward to seeing develop.
On that note, I’m definitely interested in reading the sequel, I’m just hoping we have more of an opportunity to become closer to all the characters.
Thank you NetGalley, Oni Press and Aaron Durán, Sara Soler for the opportunity to read this ARC.
November 16, 2022
We dive right into the story without much explanation and see our protagonist Althalia in action right from the start. As the story progresses, we learn that Althalia is her grandmother's apprentice and is in the midst of her Buja training.
Season of the Bruja Vol. 1 is a beautifully illustrated graphic novel with lots of whimsical fun, magic and action on (almost) every page. The pace of the story is kept fairly quick and goes along swiftly.
Thank you Netgalley, Oni Press, the author Aaron Duran and the illustrator Sara Soler for the opportunity to read this graphic novel as an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Season of the Bruja Vol. 1 is a beautifully illustrated graphic novel with lots of whimsical fun, magic and action on (almost) every page. The pace of the story is kept fairly quick and goes along swiftly.
Thank you Netgalley, Oni Press, the author Aaron Duran and the illustrator Sara Soler for the opportunity to read this graphic novel as an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
September 30, 2022
The pros:
- the art style is really pretty and colourful.
The cons:
- the plot got a bit too messy and confusing for me at points.
- a bunch of Spanish panels. I don’t speak Spanish so I didn’t understand anything.
[I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.]
- the art style is really pretty and colourful.
The cons:
- the plot got a bit too messy and confusing for me at points.
- a bunch of Spanish panels. I don’t speak Spanish so I didn’t understand anything.
[I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.]
October 8, 2023
It’s such a shame that I didn’t like this more. The art is magnificent, stunning, gorgeous, literally every word to describe how amazing it is. The plot? I have no idea what happened. It was jarring and it felt like it was missing and actual introduction to the characters and story but you just get pushed right in with no explanation and that hindered it for me.
January 6, 2024
The artwork is beautiful, and the incorporation of historical and spiritual connections is well done. However, the plot is too fast-paced and confusing for a true connection to be made with the characters. When the main character feels like she is reaching an important milestone, it rushes through the development to end in a resolution.
October 24, 2022
the illustrations are beautiful but the story has made me boring
August 13, 2023
I WANT MORE IMMEDITALEY. LIKE WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN??
January 16, 2024
This was so good! TW for grief, loss of a loved one. I love Loquita, she's so stinking cute. I also love when books include a recipe for something they mentioned at the end of the book.
December 9, 2025
2 stars
Someone else reviewed this saying they felt like they got plopped into season 3 of a show with no context and that pretty much sums up how I felt about this book.
Someone else reviewed this saying they felt like they got plopped into season 3 of a show with no context and that pretty much sums up how I felt about this book.
March 25, 2023
The artwork is beautiful! The story is amazing and timely.
October 12, 2022
I read this comic book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review
I must admit that Sara Soler is my absolute comic heroine and with “Season of the Bruja” I feel validated in my love for her. Her slightly cartoonish characters and the colors are incredible, vibrant, alive. The way she draws each scene makes you believe that they’re actually moving, not images in 2D, there’s motion and a very fast tempo that make you read carefully not to miss anything. In my opinion she’s the best and I’ve loved every work of hers I’ve read. In “Season of the Bruja” she gives life to fascinating creatures and she depicts cultural differences that can be spotted in no time.
Having said that I felt a little confused at the beginning. The scrip starts with a bang, right in the middle of a fight that must come from before the comic actually starts. So I wondered if there is a prequel that explains why or against whom these kids are fighting. However I must say that I wasn’t sure that the fight was just that and not a game that the kids took too seriously.
.
The kids are multiracial, there are human beings of different backgrounds and creatures like a dragon or a small dinosaur who also is one of the kids in the bunch of friends. They work at a museum and they fight demons from alternate realities that may be hidden in exotic objects they keep at the museum. Our main protagonist, Althalia, can move through the barriers in order to fight these demons, and her friends are incredibly supportive of her, she’s a witch, a bruja and her friends are also magical creatures even if they’re human. There’s the dragon who is the boss, a girl who is a shapeshifter and who turns into a red fox and there’s an abuela. A Hispanic/Spanish grandma is a magical creature without real magic. They can make you do whatever they want with the threat of showing you the flip-flop and let me tell you, that is a threat that Hispanic kids take very very seriously. Because our protagonist is Hispanic and she lives with her very extravagant abuela who is also a bruja. It usually runs in the family.
As for depicting the personalities of the characters, the representation of Mexican latinas both young and all is on point without falling in the usual cringe-y stereotypes. That is both due to the art and the script, the communication between the two (image and word) is neat and perfect and the pace although it might shock at the beginning slows down once the battle is over. It is the moment when the reader finds their footing and starts understanding who these characters are, what they do and why.
My favorite character is the abuela. Maybe because she reminds me of my own abuela and thus I have a soft spot for grannies. Althalia’s abuela is magnificent, it’s understandable that she goes berserk when she can’t protect the old witch. It is at that turning point that the real story of this comic begins.
As for the themes hidden behind a story of fighting demons and old museums, there are discussion matters such as heritage, colonialism/post colonialism and the erasure of cultures and peoples, celebrating culture and identity as well as mingling with other cultures like the American, in this case. It is ironic that I read this on a day that celebrates the arrival of the Spanish in America. All in all this is only volume 1, 133 pages of pure fun, magic and Mexican folklore
Ps. “Con la iglesia hemos topado”
I must admit that Sara Soler is my absolute comic heroine and with “Season of the Bruja” I feel validated in my love for her. Her slightly cartoonish characters and the colors are incredible, vibrant, alive. The way she draws each scene makes you believe that they’re actually moving, not images in 2D, there’s motion and a very fast tempo that make you read carefully not to miss anything. In my opinion she’s the best and I’ve loved every work of hers I’ve read. In “Season of the Bruja” she gives life to fascinating creatures and she depicts cultural differences that can be spotted in no time.
Having said that I felt a little confused at the beginning. The scrip starts with a bang, right in the middle of a fight that must come from before the comic actually starts. So I wondered if there is a prequel that explains why or against whom these kids are fighting. However I must say that I wasn’t sure that the fight was just that and not a game that the kids took too seriously.
.
The kids are multiracial, there are human beings of different backgrounds and creatures like a dragon or a small dinosaur who also is one of the kids in the bunch of friends. They work at a museum and they fight demons from alternate realities that may be hidden in exotic objects they keep at the museum. Our main protagonist, Althalia, can move through the barriers in order to fight these demons, and her friends are incredibly supportive of her, she’s a witch, a bruja and her friends are also magical creatures even if they’re human. There’s the dragon who is the boss, a girl who is a shapeshifter and who turns into a red fox and there’s an abuela. A Hispanic/Spanish grandma is a magical creature without real magic. They can make you do whatever they want with the threat of showing you the flip-flop and let me tell you, that is a threat that Hispanic kids take very very seriously. Because our protagonist is Hispanic and she lives with her very extravagant abuela who is also a bruja. It usually runs in the family.
As for depicting the personalities of the characters, the representation of Mexican latinas both young and all is on point without falling in the usual cringe-y stereotypes. That is both due to the art and the script, the communication between the two (image and word) is neat and perfect and the pace although it might shock at the beginning slows down once the battle is over. It is the moment when the reader finds their footing and starts understanding who these characters are, what they do and why.
My favorite character is the abuela. Maybe because she reminds me of my own abuela and thus I have a soft spot for grannies. Althalia’s abuela is magnificent, it’s understandable that she goes berserk when she can’t protect the old witch. It is at that turning point that the real story of this comic begins.
As for the themes hidden behind a story of fighting demons and old museums, there are discussion matters such as heritage, colonialism/post colonialism and the erasure of cultures and peoples, celebrating culture and identity as well as mingling with other cultures like the American, in this case. It is ironic that I read this on a day that celebrates the arrival of the Spanish in America. All in all this is only volume 1, 133 pages of pure fun, magic and Mexican folklore
Ps. “Con la iglesia hemos topado”
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