Love and Rockets: New Stories #3

Love and Rockets

by Gilbert Hernández, Jaime Hernández

After Jaime's two-part super-hero epic from Love and Rockets: New Stories #1 and #2, we return to the enthralling minutiae of the Locas cast's lives for the first time in three years. In the main story Ray finally gets his date with Maggie: The couple goes to an art opening and to dinner, they discuss the crazy world of dreams, and Maggie asks Ray for a huge favor. Also in this volume, Brown Town, Blue Sun, a new installment in Jaime's beloved little kids flashback series: A ten-year-old Maggie and her family move away from Hoppers to a desert ghost town And on the Gilbert side of the ledger, Scarlet by Starlight is a story starring Fritz (of High Soft Lisp fame) that (in contrast to #2's silent masterpiece Hypnotwist) consists entirely of a 14-page dialogue scene. Killer/Sad Girl/Star picks up the Sad Girl character from LRNS #2, and how no one in her family takes her budding film career seriously.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Fiction, Graphic Novels Comics, Sequential Art, Comix, Romance

104 pages, Paperback

First published September 8, 2010

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]

Gilberto Hernández kicks off with a Fritz driven top class 14 pages of dialogue. Jaime brings the series back to the Locas cast. Ray's still pursuing Maggie and their story is in the first two parts of 'The Love Bunglers'. Killer's back angling for a film career which no one is taking seriously in 'Killer Sad Girl Star'. And wow wow wow, Jaime give us ne'er seen before more Maggie backstory which gets all the stars from me. The series is back to its best again. 9 out of 12.

[Roozbeh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hernandez brothers are the best, however if you are looking for cheerful stories look somewhere else. Their works are dark, sketched with black ink, shattering the shallow colourful picture of stories you can find in mainstream comics.

[Chelsea Martinez · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read these completely out of order because I've checked them out of the library. It seems like reading 1+2 on their own, or skipping them, is ok, but I wish I had managed to read this one earlier. There's a lot of really key character development of Maggie and her family in Browntown, and even though I know there are years of original L&R I haven't read, reading 7/8 of the new stories first means I didn't know the "current day" context of Ray's art career and less about the fictional LA suburbs/outskirts the stories take place in. Anyhow, I checked out the The Love Bunglers collected stories from the library too so I think that will allow me to read that part all together.

[Thurston Hunger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good, and authentically agitated. I'm not one to partake of the "talking cure" and appreciate stuff like this for many reasons, including some kind of catharsis. But did every story in this leave a little taste of therapy in my mental taste buds.

Sex triggers a lot of things, but the Jane Goodall stuff. Yikes? And I want to hug Calvin, but we'd both pretty much hate that.

Might have to try my son's online account to keep up the Rocket racket....library doesn't seem to have vols 4 on up yet.

Others are experts, but I've got to believe no movie could catch all the flavor and shadows that the artwork does. Dig it...

[Ville Verkkapuro · Rating 3 out of 5]

This goes into the category "I have no idea what I just read but I can't wait to read more."
Yes, the category which can also be described as "the weirdest boner" or "I feel horrible for laughing" or maybe "this shouldn't exist yet I'm glad it does."
The same feeling as what the advertisements of Pervitin were promising: "Feel good when you feel bad."
Okay, jokes aside, this was a wonderfully drawn and written yet highly controversial comic which I dipped into the first time and will definitely read more of, yet feeling a bit ashamed of it.
Interesting, to say the least.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

good read even though most of it was in the love bunglers. scarlet by starlight was some good freaky deaky shit too

[emett holloway barfield III · Rating 5 out of 5]

Engrossing

Each issue reveals a bit more. It's hypnotic for pages and then, wham, they hit you over the head and break your heart. So glad they are back.

[Michael Phillips · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Shaun · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy cow! A step up from the first two books. Some devastating stories here. Amazing.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank god for the Hernandez brothers. Anytime I need to convert someone to the medium, I pull out a volume from the longest-running and most successful alternative comic series of all time.

And anytime I want to show someone how much power and potency can live in a single brushstroke, I reference the undisputed master of black-and-white comics art, Jaime Hernandez.

In the third volume of the New Stories series, Jaime takes a break from the Penny Century saga (I admit: it was getting a little wearisome) and creates one of his most chilling and affecting Hoppers stories ever, “Browntown.” It’s a story from Maggie’s past focusing on her little brother Calvin, and, maybe most importantly, a standalone tale of adolescence and tragedy that serves as an introduction to Jaime’s genius. Never read any L&R before? Don’t worry. Start here.

But wait there’s more..! Like any good volume in the series, we get a two-part Gilbert story, a wonderfully bizarre big-boobied bonanza as only Beto can deliver. “Scarlet by Starlight” and “Killer * Sad Girl * Star” is a Life Aquatic in an Andean jungle populated by sex-crazy monkey dwellers woven into the developing story of Killer’s film career. Again, minimal background knowledge required. It really is just as weird as it sounds. And finally, Jaime’s two-part “Love Bunglers” is a modern Hoppers tale that helps pull “Browntown” into focus.

Don’t let the “#3″ dissuade you. If you’re a fan of L&R, you’ve read this book and know what I’m talking about. If not, become one. These two cartoonists embody everything comics fans love about the medium. They are master storytellers first and foremost, and the language of comics is never more beautiful.

[Mel · Rating 5 out of 5]

The latest volume of the Love and Rockets New Stories arrived in the post yesterday and I couldn't wait to read it! I started with Jamie's stories and they were truly fantastic! While there was no Hopey in the story Maggie said she was settled down with a partner and they were wanting to have a baby!!!!! Hopey settling into domestic lesbian bliss? I really hope we see that in volume 4!!! But we got to see Maggie out on a date with Ray, a nice evening in her life. Then there was an absoultely wonderful story about when they were kids in "Browntown". I normally don't like the children stories as they don't see as realistic but this one was totally perfect. Young Maggie in her rainbow t-shirt! Which two years later was swapped for Kiss! The story of her father's affair. But there was also the tragic tale of her young brother being terribly sexually abused by one of the neighbour kids. The ending was so dramatic and sad. And the flashforward to the present day just made it even more so. I have to say it may be one of the best things Jamie's done in ages. I loved it so much and now it's done all I want to do is go back and read the whole thing again. Gilbert I'm afraid still remains a mystery to me. His first story was very odd, sexual and violent. Not having read his earlier stories I feel kinda lost with the children and the quest to be a movie star. I know I should go and read his earlier works, but I fear he just doesn't get to me the way Jamie's stories do. Though I really should give them a go.

[Sam Quixote · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m a fan of Gilbert Hernandez’s recent graphic novels “Sloth”, “Chance in Hell” and “Speak of the Devil” but I haven’t gotten into the series that made Gilbert and his brother Jaime’s names in the 80s – “Love and Rockets”. Maybe this wasn’t the place to start as it’s obviously part of a much larger story with established characters but I thought it’d be interesting to read. And it was interesting for the most part. Strange but interesting.

The book is made up of short stories. There were some sci-fi stories involving alien/human hybrids that bordered on pornographic, another story involving another hugely breasted B-movie actress, and another featuring the Hernandez brothers’ favourite, Maggie the Mechanic, as she starts dating an old friend.

This date story turns out to be the final part of a larger story that closes the book. Going back to her childhood, we get a harrowing story of Maggie and her family as their parents go through divorce and Maggie’s brother endures a painful experience involving an older boy.

While I enjoyed the stories, they didn’t involve me enough to want to seek out other books in the “Love and Rockets” series. The artwork is great and the stories definitely different and unique in the indie field, but they’re either too out there and confusing (the sci-fi stuff) or disturbing to want to revisit anytime soon.

[Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

By far, this is the best Love and Rockets of the bunch. Yeah, I’ve read them out of order and over a long stretch of time. But in terms of the quality of writing, from both Jaime and Gilbert Hernandez, #3 is tops.

It opens with “Scarlet by Starlight”, which is kinda creepy, definitely disturbing (featuring science! and inter-species …togetherness!), and it also manages to be my hands-down favorite from Gilbert. And it’s not just going for some cheap attention-grabbing thrills, either. It’s a great short story, and it’s actually trying to say something. Something about our sexual desires, our nature, and how deep down, we’re just a bunch of dicks … or something like that. I was distracted by all the illustrations (jokes!)

Also in this volume is Jaime’s “Browntown”, which is spectacular. I won’t claim to be a Hernandez Brothers aficionado by any means, and I probably should one day take the time to read all of the volumes IN ORDER, but this story in particular seems to be the crowning achievement and the foundation of what Love and Rockets is.

Welp, I finished #3, I guess that means I’m on to #5! Yay!

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've taken a long break from the worlds of Los Bros Hernandez, so it was good to get back to them.

This is much darker than the first two volumes in the New Stories edition and the quality of the writing and artwork is as great as ever. Gilbert's stories of a scientific expedition on a distant planet which goes horribly wrong, and the sort-of-linked story of b-movie actress, KIller, are visceral and disturbing.

Jaime's stories, The Love Bunglers and Browntown are quite superb. His artwork is fantastic as ever and it was good to catch up with Maggie and Ray and their romantic complications. Browntown is a flashback to the childhood of Maggie and a disturbing incident involving her brother, Calvin (who also pops up in The Love Bunglers.....).

If I could draw like anyone it would be Jaime. Great stuff.

[Rolando · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now that I have a greater knowledge of the trajectories of each of the brothers' careers, I can't help but be impressed with the stories in this volume. Gilbert's zany exploitation romp, "Scarlet by Starlight," is comic where you don't expect it to be, cartoonishly violent, and, as a friend of mine said, "weirdly erotic." It's a larger-than-life story bound to affect you somehow. And then there's Jaime's stories which have thus far been called the best that he's ever written in his career. I agree. To see the two together, challenging themselves by telling different kinds of stories, and see them do it so perfectly--I can't help but recommend this book to anybody who wants a first glimpse at these two geniuses.

[Matt Sabonis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely fantastic, though starkly disturbing throughout. I think The Love Bunglers might have been the only story that wasn't hard for me to read. Browntown's gotten a lot of praise, and justifiably so, though it's incredibly difficult to read, and, when you read it in conjunction with The Love Bunglers, added dimension is created for both stories.

Scarlet by Starlight, the first of Beto's stories, is largely just horrifying, and doesn't really gain a whole lot until his second story, Killer*Sad Girl*Star, rolls around. That story, also, is horrifying, as there's a disturbing callousness to the lead character. However, don't get me wrong, they're both very well-done stories, with gorgeous art.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

If anyone needs a reminder as to what an astonishingly talented and powerful artist and storyteller Jamie Hernandez is, just read his 3 part story, The Love Bunglers Pt. 1, Browntown, and The Love Bunglers Pt. 2 from Love and Rockets #3, Vol. 3. It’s a perfect balance of subtlety, complexity, humor and tragedy. The last third of the story is an emotional powerhouse. It deserves to be held in the same esteem as any other great literature out there, and it’s possibly the greatest thing he’s ever done.

And if you were thinking “What more can Jaime do with these characters after 30 years?”…Bam! This is what he can do- he can knock you on your @#!! ass! That’s what Jaime Hernandez can do.

[Brooke · Rating 3 out of 5]

This should not be your first introduction to the series. It was mine and I regret not starting with volume one. Some of the scenes involving violence against children are definitely a little rough to handle. I also had a little difficulty relating the first story to the rest of the collection. I realize it is a B sci-fi movie, but I wish I better understood it in the context of the series. Again, I am sure it would make a lot more sense if I had started with volume one. I recommend this to anyone who is not easily offended and has enjoyed the previous installments.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went back and reread this recently once the following issue was released and this is Jaime's second best work after volume 4. Browntown is tragic. The Love Bunglers is tragic and I couldn't wait to read what happened next. The Love Bunglers is among the best comics ever created, in my opinion.
I understand that a work takes as long as it takes to complete so it is usually in the readers best interests to reread previous chapters before moving on to the most recent one. The stories in this volume didn't have the mpact on me that they did once I knew I had the next chapter in hand.

[Whatsupchuck · Rating 5 out of 5]

In order to truely appreciate a Love and Rockets book one must fall in love with the characters by getting to know them through several of their stories. Otherwise, as a friend said about not wanting to read them, "Every time I opened one it just seemed like a bunch of drama"

While knowing the characters involved in this particular book will add to the reader's experience it does seem like more of a stand-alone. This was one of the small percentage of reads to leave me in awe, and it continues to haunt me to this day.

[Bonnie G. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Coming late to the Hernandez saga of Love and Rockets...and it def feels like it. Say What? What the hell is going on this book? Sodomy of children are a repeated theme? Adultery? Furry savages? Browntown? Love lost and then lost again. I won't deny the stories are enchanting, I finished the book within an hour, then had to read it again-what the fuck had I just read?!? I have a feeling there are better ways to be introduced to the Hernandez brothers...I just have to find the right entrance....

[Melissa · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wanted to expand my horizons and read a graphic novel or two. I read a blurb online about The Hernandez Brothers and the Love and Rockets series. Well this book just wasn't my cup of tea. I do admit, I probably should have started with an earlier one from the series because I was lost as to who the characters were, etc. but I just didn't like it. ”

[Chris Infanti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lived up to the hype - Browntown and The Love Bunglers are some of the more affecting L&R stories Jaime's ever written, and even Beto's stories (which I usually don't enjoy as much) in this one were a fun read. Nothing makes me happier than the fact that Los Bros are still putting out quality comics, 30 years later.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Needed my Locas fix so have started buying the New Stories books after the disappointing superhero hardback collection that came out recently. The Jaime Hernandez stories in this volume are excellent: human and poignant. It also contains the first Gilbert Hernandez stories I have bought, very odd but I liked them.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's hard to think I'd ever rave about Los Bros again (not that they aren't consistently pretty great) but the newest L&R is banging on all cylinders and shaming 99% of cartoonists who pretend to know anything about the language of comics.

[Karla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Los Hermanos Hernandez have pulled me in, again. Gilbert explores newish territory, while Jaime plumbs deep into the well of Maggie's past--so real it feels more like he is revealing past history than creating it.

[Tim Clary · Rating 5 out of 5]

This just-released volume contains one of Jaime's most powerful and beautifully illustrated stories in his long and profoundly influential career. After 28 years of Love and Rockets it's safe to say the Hernandez Bros. are still at the top of their game.

[Chris Limb · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read these for Jaime's work rather than Gibert's (Maggie and Hopey are old friends I have known since I was 17) and in this volume "Browntown", a tale of Maggie's childhood, is amongst his best ever short stories.

[Brent · Rating 3 out of 5]

I finally read this fine installment courtesy of a fine public library.
Adult material noted: one story by Berto is fairly adult, and one by Jaime features child abuse portrayed with dramatic, if shocking, effect.

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Jaime material in this volume was incredible, but I wasn't moved by the Gilbert stories, which is why I left one star off. Alas.