What does the Mexican Revolution mean to you? It began in 1910 and raged for well over a decade. In the end, the great social experiment of the 20th Century wrought very mixed results. But it clearly had its heroes and at the top was Pancho Villa.
Here in the United States, we have gotten a lot of American Civil War books, graphic novels, movies, television programs, and re-enactments, observing the 150th anniversary of various milestones. Mexico is doing the same with milestones related to the 100th anniversary of the Mexican Revolution. One distinguished graphic novel you will want to consider is “Pancho Villa Toma Zacatecas,” written by Paco Ignacio Taibo II, drawn by Héctor de la Garza “Eko,” and published by Sexto Piso. This will appeal to readers interested in graphic and fine arts, history, and Mexican history in particular.
On June 23, 1914, the Battle of Zacatecas, the bloodiest battle of the Mexican Revolution, saw Mexico’s most iconic hero, Pancho Villa, and his rebel forces, defeat the Federalist General Barron. This graphic novel provides an inside look at Villa and his men. It is a story told in stark black and white which is becoming of the dark and gritty theme. The dialogue sounds authentic and is peppered with salty language which would not make it suitable for younger readers. This is something more appropriate for young adults and up. The artwork and the narrative are what adults would expect from any high quality graphic novel.
Eko’s woodcut style evokes a feeling of blunt urgency. Taibo breaks up the narrative with informative passages alternating with extended scenes such as Pancho Villa with his men on the battlefield. If you don’t happen to speak Spanish, don’t let that stop you. It never stopped me from buying comics by Tardi before Fantagraphics Books translated the French. There’s an idea. Perhaps Fantagraphics would be interested in translating this book. It would definitely be well worth it.
For the convenience of some our readers, you can purchase “Pancho Villa Toma Zacatecas” through Amazon here.
Comics Grinder welcomes all our Hispanic readers to provide any feedback, if you’ve already had a chance to read this book, or anticipate reading this book. You can learn more at the Sexto Piso website here.
