Desiree RodriguezCritiques

Some of these vignettes made me weepy, many were enlightening, and only one I found a little boring and skimmed through it. I love the diversity of storytelling here--fiction and nonfiction, science fiction and fantasy, history and politics. Starting a new feature was always an adventure. I don't know what it is--perhaps I get too many ARCs with unfinished coloring (not a big deal, obvs, since they're ARCs)--but the COLORS here just blew my mind. Just about every feature gets an A in my book for that. I am so glad Lion Forge is bringing this to the public; it's an incredibly important message about a US colony (yeah, that's what it is. don't care who wants to spin it anyway else) and an incredibly resilient nation in desperate need of our support.

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Many thanks to Lion Forge and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book.

An anthology means something for everyone, and that's especially true of a comics anthology, because in addition to the different subject matter each story tackles, there are different artistic styles as well. Most of the stories are personal to some degree or another, delving into family history and heritage and the ways that Puerto Ricans remain connected to the island even when they aren't living there.

The topics in this anthology range from Taino mythology to the brutal history of the Spanish conquistadors, who largely wiped out the Taino people on Boriken and then replaced the Taino population with enslaved West Africans. Poor treatment of Puerto Rico continues through to the present day, as is evident by the U.S. response to the destruction of Hurricane Maria (especially compared to the U.S. response to the Hurricane Harvey, which hit Texas). Puerto Rico Strong also includes family histories - many Puerto Ricans have worked on the mainland, served in the military, and many women were the subjects of early birth control tests (unknown to them, a major violation of informed consent).

One hopes that this collection will do at least a small part to inform readers of the strength of Puerto Rico and its people - these unique Americans - despite the ways they've been taken taken advantage of and mistreated for centuries.

Quotes

What unites us as a people isn't just the culture we come from, but the one we carry with us. (Alan Medina, 18)

"I'm learning that they tell us a lot of stuff...For real, there's a lot of stuff that's not in our books..." (Javier Cruz Winnick, 146)

There's nothing you can do about the past. You can only remember it and use it to shape your tomorrows. (Amparo Ortiz,198, inspired by the poetry of Julia de Burgos)

An excellent example of what an anthology can and should be. With a powerful unifying message, each story adds a unique flavor of art and narrative, paying homage to a vital and vibrant part of our world.

A good cause is supported by a fairly consistent anthology that offers a good balance between being educational and entertaining. My one gripe is that most of the strips had an inspirational or hope-filled bent that seem sort of passive in the big picture. I would have liked to see a little more outrage like in Tom Beland's entry or some concrete proposals for next steps in the recovery of the island.

If this is to be our lives, we must live them, with compassion and pride
- Desiree Rodriguez, co-editor

Puerto Rico Strong: A Comics Anthology Supporting Puerto Rico Disaster brings together many of Puerto Rico’s best comics creators in response to the devastation wrought by Hurricanes Irma and Maria last year. As in any anthology, I liked some of the stories better than others and that is also true of the art. Some of the stories are personal, even romantic but the majority and the ones I most appreciated highlight the culture, the history, and the diversity of the Puerto Rican people. And, of course, the beauty of the island that is reflected in the colouring that is vibrant throughout.

There are also stories about the effects of the hurricanes and the dismal response of the American government as well as many in the US population who seem to be unaware that Puerto Rico is a part of the US. Sadly, as some of the stories about the history of the island show, this response was not an aberration limited only to this time period or this Administration perhaps because Puerto Rico, as an unincorporated territory can't vote. One story especially, The Puerto Rican Birth Control Trials by Ally Schwed was particularly shocking as well as poignant; I was previously aware of coerced sterilization not only of Puerto Rican women but of African American, First Nations, and even poor whites but I was completely unaware of these tests.

For anyone interested in the culture and/or the history of Puerto Rico as well the government”s response to the disaster last year, this is a must-read. And to make it even better, the monies earned from the sale of this graphic novel will go to UNIDOS Disaster Relief & Recovery Program to Support Puerto Rico.

Thanks to Netgalley and Diamond Distributors/Lion Forge for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review

Wonderful idea, so-so execution.

(Full disclosure: I received a free e-ARC for review through Netgalley/Edelweiss.)

Spurred by the Drumpf administration's shameful response to Hurricanes Irma and Maria, not to mention the misinformed and callous attitudes of so many mainland American citizens, writers, editors, and artists came together to create a comics anthology to support disaster relief on the island. The proceeds from Puerto Rico Strong will benefit UNIDOS Disaster Relief & Recovery Program to Support Puerto Rico - and the many #ownvoices contributions will hopefully combat the dangerous and often racist beliefs about PR and those who call the island home.

http://www.easyvegan.info/img/puerto-rico-strong-01.jpg

I wanted to love this collection more than I did. It's a great idea to support an admirable cause, and I love that so many of the artists are of Puerto Rican descent. Yet, as is the case with many anthologies, the comics are uneven, both in terms of the storytelling as well as the artwork. I have no desire to single anyone out, but some of the art is simply terrible; in one particular strip, the humans resemble lumpy potatoes with misshapen biceps the size of their equally misshapen heads. Many of the comics feel short; too short to cover any given topic in anything but the most shallow and perfunctory way. More often than not I came away from a piece feeling as though there was so much more to be said.

I feel like I learned quite a bit from Puerto Rico Strong, yet considering my starting point this isn't a huge compliment. Like many white readers (probably), I don't remember learning much, if anything, about Puerto Rico in my high school American History class. (For shame!)

My favorite comics were those that explored Puerto Rican history, from coercive sterilization ("La Operación" and "The Puerto Rican Birth Control Trials," both by Ally Schwed), to the institution of the Jones Act of 1917 and the racist military drafting policies that soon followed ("Macondo, Puerto Rico" by Javier Morillo and Dan Méndez Moore), and the history and religion of the Taíno Indians (the island's native Arawak inhabitants). There's also some pretty neat sci-fi that imagines the place Puerto Rico might occupy in humanity's future, fifty or more years down the road (see, e.g. "Pasitos Grandes," by Tristan J. Tarwater and Cynthia Santos).

http://www.easyvegan.info/2018/04/27/puerto-rico-strong-edited-by-hazel-newlevan...