''Palomar'' (subtitled ''The Heartbreak Soup Stories'') is the title of a

graphic novel A graphic novel is a self-contained, book-length form of sequential art. The term ''graphic novel'' is often applied broadly, including fiction, non-fiction, and Anthology, anthologized work, though this practice is highly contested by comics sc ...

written and drawn by

Gilbert Hernandez Gilberto Hernández (born February 1, 1957), usually credited as Gilbert Hernandez and also by the nickname Beto (), is an American cartoonist. He is best known for his ''Palomar''/''Heartbreak Soup'' stories in ''Love and Rockets (comics), Love ...

and published in 2003 by

Fantagraphics Books Fantagraphics (previously Fantagraphics Books) is an American publisher of alternative comics, classic comic strip anthologies, manga, magazines, graphic novels, and (formerly) the Erotic comics, erotic Eros Comix imprint. They have managed sev ...

(). It collects work previously published within the pages of '' Love and Rockets'' (volume one). Palomar is the fictional town in

Latin America Latin America is the cultural region of the Americas where Romance languages are predominantly spoken, primarily Spanish language, Spanish and Portuguese language, Portuguese. Latin America is defined according to cultural identity, not geogr ...

where all the stories presented are set. ''Palomar'' was included in ''

Time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...

'' magazine's Best Comics of 2003 list.

Plot

Set in the titular fictional town in an unnamed Central American nation, ''Palomar'' follows Luba, a businesswoman who works at the town's movie theater in order to care for her seven illegitimate children. The comic has drawn praise for its portrayal of female characters and Latin American culture within the often-misogynistic comics industry.Brett Burns, Love in the Time of Comics: The Intersection of Gender and Latino Culture in Gilbert Hernandez's Palomar, Diss., (University of Georgia, 2005), accessed December 20th, 2022, https://getd.libs.uga.edu/pdfs/burns_brett_t_200508_ma.pdf The comic notably defies stereotypes about Latin Americans, with the titular town and its residents rarely conforming to stereotypical perceptions and not being treated as "foreign."Poblete, J. (2023). Los cómics en un país tropical: Palomar de Gilbert Hernández. ''Revista Iberoamericana'', ''77''(234), 177-193.

References

{{2000s-graphic-novel-stub 2003 graphic novels Comics publications Graphic novel stubs Fantagraphics titles Graphic novels set in North America