So I’m not an avid reader of comics by any means and don’t purport to be an expert on reviewing comics … but I really wanted to share a few thoughts on these two exceptional comics (in my opinion).
Comics are constantly flying through this house due to my daughter’s and husband’s passion for them. So while I am exposed to them, I don’t necessarily read them myself. Except for a select few … such as Nightlights and Hicotea.
Firstly, the color. The creativity. The imagination. These pages explode with dynamic, high color images that simply take my breath away (lame, I know). But truly, I can stare at these incredible pages and always find something new. They just come alive to me.
But beyond Lorena Alvarez’s talent as an artist, I really feel the story has exceptional merit.
This spooky and often unsettling (in a good way) story explores insecurities (as a preteen, as an artist, as a human being), creativity, imagination and intelligence. Specifically, the juxtaposition of creative intelligence versus the standardized vision of intelligence. How we value one highly over the other.
What really spoke to me was her message about how hard it is, how vital it is, to fight for yourself, your passions, ideas and opinions, in a society that demands conformity.
“Sometimes it’s easier to stay quiet. People get tired of questions they can’t answer.”
… “or scared of the answers they may find.”
