Puerto Rico Strong: A Comics Anthology Supporting Puerto Rico Disaster - Softcover

LIBRARY JOURNAL -- When Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico in 2017, the island faced a death toll of nearly 3,000 and billions of dollars in damage. The sluggishness of federal aid efforts and tepid public response revealed that many Americans did not realize that Puerto Ricans are Americans, too-not a “them” but an “us.” While the hurricane is the obvious thread running throughout this benefit anthology, the stories are not necessarily about the disaster; the recurring theme is Puerto Rican pride, a call for solidarity as the island rebuilds. Exploring topics as varied as the zemi god of Taíno lore (Marco Lopez and others' “Of Myth & Monsters”) to the forced sterilization of women in the 1930s-60s (Ally Shwed's “La Operación”) to the experience of contemporary Puerto Ricans living on the U.S. mainland (Tara Martinez and Rod Espinosa's “Breaking Bread”), the writing and art styles are sometimes uneven but always heartfelt.
VERDICT A similar benefit collection, Ricanstruction: Reminiscing & Rebuilding Puerto Rico, features higher-profile comics creators, but one of the strengths of this volume is its inclusion of lesser-known, up-and-comers-a worthy addition to any library.-Ingrid Bohnenkamp, Springfield-Greene Cty. Lib. Dist., MO

Puerto Rico Strong is a comics anthology that explores what it means to be Puerto Rican and the diversity that exists within that concept, from today's most exciting Puerto Rican comics creators. All profits will go to towards disaster relief and recovery programs to support Puerto Rico.

Despite being a US territory, Puerto Rico is often thought of as a foreign land, if it's even a thought in the mind of the average American at all. Its people exist in all corners of America; some of them have parents who immigrated from the home island, others are a part of families that have been on the mainland for generations. Then there are those who have come to the states in search of a dream but struggle to integrate into an unfamiliar culture, while there are those who have lived in the United States all of their lives but still have the same struggle because of the color of their skin or their sexual identity. These stories follow individuals from diverse walks of life but are all part of the culture that is Puerto Rico.

Puerto Rico Strong features art and writing by Rosa Colon, Vita Ayala, Naomi Franquiz, Javier Cruz Winnik, Sabrina Cintron, Ronnie Garcia, Fabian Nicieza, Joamette Gil, and many more!