Perla La Loca

Perla la Loca by Jaime Hernández
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Perla la Loca collects materials from Love and Rockets #33-50.

After two volumes, I was hooked on the Locas. I thought the last volume would be hard to top but topped it was.

Maggie and Hopey split up again after a spat on tour. Maggie winds up in Texas and Hopey's face winds up on a milk carton. The st0ries within Perla la Loca deal with the fates of Maggie and Hopey and all the friends that come into their orbit, like Ray, Danita, Doyle, El Diablo Blancho, and Penny Century. Since there are a few more volumes after this, I don't think it's a spoiler that the locas eventually get back together.

I didn't think it was possible to improve on something that was already so good but both the artwork and writing are jacked up a notch since the previous volume. I didn't notice Jaime's Charles Schulz influence until I saw a lot of Peanuts looking kids walking around Danita's neighborhood. The looks of the characters continue to evolve but you can still tell who is who. Maggie has put on some weight and Hopey's hair is different but they're still unmistakable. I love that Maggie and Esther actually look like sisters. One thing I thought was hilarious was a dog taking shelter under that piece of machinery Spider-Man lifted off himself in Amazing Spider-Man #33.

Jaime doesn't mind putting his girls through the wringer. The girls go through some physical and emotional trauma on the long winding road back to each other. After the Death of Speedy Ortiz in the last volume, I was sure the book would end with Doyle or Ray dying. Neither of them did but it sure looks like Izzy is heading to the Clearing at the end of the Path.

On one hand, I'm disappointed in myself for only delving into the story of the locas as I cruise into middle age. On the other hand, I probably wouldn't have enjoyed it this much when I was younger. The writing is crisp and the art is a masterpiece of minimalism. Alex Toth would have been proud were he capable of such things.

Perla la Loca is the best Love and Rockets collection so far. Five out of five stars.

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