Sci-fi and salsa from Los Bros Hernandez

For 25 years, Gilbert and Jaime Hernandez's Love and Rockets series has been the jewel in the crown of alternative comics. Now two chronological collections of Gilbert's early magical-realist vignettes about the inhabitants of a small central-American town (Heartbreak Soup) and Jaime's punky, sci-fi-tinted stories of bisexual Maggie and her assorted Gen-X friends (Maggie The Mechanic) are being published. Full ofhumour, heart and resonant characters, the series hums with the tenderness that has become its hallmark. And whether it be Gilbert's more cartoon-like style or Jaime's detailed compositions, the black-and-white artwork of 'Los Bros Hernandez' is virtuoso stuff.

Danny Graydon