Maria M.

If Maria M. were a movie, it'd be more than three hours long and with an ending that would put Scarface's to shame.

You know what's crazy? How fast time goes by. The first half of this book was published in 2013, and I wrote a review of it here. I have to say that looking back at my past reviews often makes me cringe a bit, but I think that one is pretty well composed and captures what I still think about this book. So go check it out. The only thing I could not say then but can now: Gilbert sticks the landing, and there is a lot of blood along the way. Whereas the first half of the book is a story of an immigrant trying to find her way in a sleazy world, the second half is more a concentrated crime drama with lots of intrigue and double-crossing.

Also, abdominal walnut cracking!

This book is an excellent one, showcasing an accomplished creator's range of skills in fine fashion. There is so much plot packed in the visuals, it's a testament to economical storytelling. It's a good read for those unfamiliar with his work or his Palomar tales, but it's also highly rewarding for readers who have been enjoying those comics over the years as well. The only people I cannot recommend this book for are younger ones, as it features sex, violence, and profanity. But if you are mature enough to handle those things and enjoy a gruesome crime tale that pays tribute to classic exploitation/B-films, this book is right up your alley.

This book's author is Gilbert Hernandez. He has been creating comics for about four decades now, most notably the Love and Rockets series with his brothers. He is prolific and considered one of the great American comics creators of all time. He talks extensively about his life and works in this interview.

All of the reviews I have read of this book have been positive. Publishers Weekly wrote that "the pulp plot is executed with style, strong and sensitive character development, practiced casual linework, and the kind of gonzo weirdness—such as Maria’s talent for cracking walnuts with her abs—that defines the Hernandez ethos." Andy Shaw opined that "anyone else with an interest in sharp, sexy, violent but sophisticated stories can still enjoy it for what it is: a B-movie homage that takes the genre above and beyond our expectations." Robert Rea summed up, "Every writer should be so lucky to have the imaginative chops that Hernandez shows in Maria M."

Maria M. was published by Fantagraphics, and they offer a preview and much more here. Also, the publisher is having their big annual Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales soon, so check those out. They publish lots of excellent books!

Maria M. Book One

Maria M. may be the most metatextual graphic novel ever. It is an adaptation of a movie written by a grandaughter about her grandmother, starring her aunt as the main character. And all of this is set in the fictional Palomar-universe Gilbert Hernandez has carefully and fulsomely developed over the past three decades. Also, the events recounted in the movie have were the topic of one of Beto's densest, most complicated narratives, Poison River.

The good news is that a new reader would have to know none of that, because this a lean, mean killing machine of a book. The story follows one Maria Martinez, immigrant in the USA trying to make her way. This opening illustration should tell you how the story is going to go.

She tries to find success in beauty contests, acting (in legitimate and stag films), dancing, wearing costumes at business conventions, and working in restaurants. Add to these struggles that she witnesses some very criminal business, she begins to attract attention from some very shady characters.

Through the course of events, Maria becomes many things, a bauble to be possessed, an object of desire, and a player in the world of organized crime and drugs. And that is only half the tale, as there will be a sequel.

This book is beautifully prurient. Gone here are the grotesque characters of Poison River, their parts played by the more traditionally attractive Hollywood actor types. Sex, violence, and all the hallmarks of exploitation cinema drip from these gorgeously rendered pages. Beto seems to be reveling in and through the artwork. Maybe the book is too beautiful, but it is interesting to see how the "cleaned up" version compares with the more literal one.

A master of graphic storytelling, Gilbert Hernandez has received many positive reviews. Tom Murphy wrote that even though he "can’t hold Maria M in the same affection as Beto’s more ‘human’ material," the book is "held in place by an almost mind-bogglingly complex cat’s cradle of metatextual references and correspondences." This book is both simple and complex, depending on how much of Beto's work the reader knows. That he is able to create work that can straddle such territory is amazing.

Maria M. Book One is published by Fantagraphics, who provide previews and much more here.