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Unearthed: A Jessica Cruz Story
Acclaimed author Lilliam Rivera and artist Steph C. reimagine one of DC's greatest Green Lanterns, Jessica Cruz, to tell a story about immigration, family, and overcoming fear to inspire hope.
Jessica Cruz has done everything right. She's a dedicated student, popular among her classmates, and has a loving family that has done everything they can to give her a better life in the United States. While Jessica is a part of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, allowing her to go to school and live in the U.S., her parents are undocumented. Jessica usually worries for her parents, but her fears and anxiety escalate as a mayoral candidate with a strong anti-immigration stance runs for office.
As the xenophobia in Coast City increases, Jessica begins to debate whether it's worth renewing her status to stay in the U.S., or if her family would be safer and better off moving back to Mexico. And despite her attempts to lean on her friends and family, she finds herself constantly visited by visions of Aztec gods, one pulling her towards hope and the other towards anger.
But when her father is detained by I.C.E., Jessica finds herself being pulled into an abyss of fear. With her father gone and feeling helpless, Jessica must find her way out of her fears and ultimately become a voice for her community.
Jessica Cruz has done everything right. She's a dedicated student, popular among her classmates, and has a loving family that has done everything they can to give her a better life in the United States. While Jessica is a part of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, allowing her to go to school and live in the U.S., her parents are undocumented. Jessica usually worries for her parents, but her fears and anxiety escalate as a mayoral candidate with a strong anti-immigration stance runs for office.
As the xenophobia in Coast City increases, Jessica begins to debate whether it's worth renewing her status to stay in the U.S., or if her family would be safer and better off moving back to Mexico. And despite her attempts to lean on her friends and family, she finds herself constantly visited by visions of Aztec gods, one pulling her towards hope and the other towards anger.
But when her father is detained by I.C.E., Jessica finds herself being pulled into an abyss of fear. With her father gone and feeling helpless, Jessica must find her way out of her fears and ultimately become a voice for her community.
187 pages, Paperback
First published September 14, 2021
8 people are currently reading
851 people want to read
About the author
Lilliam Rivera
28Ìýbooks546ÌýfollowersLilliam Rivera is an award-winning author of children’s books including her latest Never Look Back, a retelling of the Greek myth Orpheus and Eurydice set in New York by Bloomsbury Publishing. Her work has appeared in The Washington Post, The New York Times, and Elle, to name a few. Lilliam lives in Los Angeles.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 162 reviews
October 6, 2021
I would not call this a reimagining of Jessica Cruz as DC's book blurb details. The story has nothing to do with Green Lanterns or DC in general. It's a story about DACA and undocumented workers living in America with the main character renamed Jessica Cruz to presumably sell more copies. Yes, John Stewart is also a character and a green ring appears in the story (It's just her father's ring), but they were cursorily thrown in there so there would be some tangential ties to DC. Jessica's character is nothing like the comics. She doesn't suffer from agoraphobia or have any other traits of her character in the DCU.
The story itself is OK. It is certainly written for YA audiences or even younger. The tone and writing are obviously meant to appeal to younger audiences. It's about Jessica living in fear and dealing with her feelings after a family member is detained by I.C.E. She is also undocumented but still in high school.
Steph C.'s art is terrible. Jessica Cruz looks like she has a mullet. She's often drawn with the huge, squared off body of the Hulk with a tiny head. Some people will try and justify it as Steph C. is drawing different body types. I'll say that Steph C. can't draw human anatomy consistently. The art is strange too in that most of each panel is really only thumbnail sketches with Jessica being the only finished part of the panel. It looks like she was running out of time and couldn't meet her deadline.
The story itself is OK. It is certainly written for YA audiences or even younger. The tone and writing are obviously meant to appeal to younger audiences. It's about Jessica living in fear and dealing with her feelings after a family member is detained by I.C.E. She is also undocumented but still in high school.
Steph C.'s art is terrible. Jessica Cruz looks like she has a mullet. She's often drawn with the huge, squared off body of the Hulk with a tiny head. Some people will try and justify it as Steph C. is drawing different body types. I'll say that Steph C. can't draw human anatomy consistently. The art is strange too in that most of each panel is really only thumbnail sketches with Jessica being the only finished part of the panel. It looks like she was running out of time and couldn't meet her deadline.
January 18, 2022
I really wanted to like this more; however, I feel as though this story is misleading by labeling it as a Jessica Cruz story. There really isn't much that connects it back to the comic book character.
Unearthed: A Jessica Cruz Story is another installment in the series that DC is creating for young adult readers. It's their way of making comic characters and their stories more accessible to younger readers. A lot of times these stories don't follow the traditional format of the original comics and often address societal issues. This book was no different. It follows Jessica Cruz as she attempts to work through both the anger and anxiety that she's facing as an undocumented immigrant. ICE is running rampant in her community and with a new politician running for office on a platform of bigotry, Jessica wonders if things will ever change and whether her family will ever be safe. While I loved the story itself and what Rivera does with illustrating the emotions that may be felt by an undocumented immigrant; however, this story does not really connect back to DC and those readers that may be looking for that connection may be disappointed. I also wasn't a huge fan of the art. It felt incomplete in some places and blocky. I did enjoy the connections to the Mayan gods and goddesses; however, I wish that Rivera would have delved into this narrative a little more. Overall, it was a solid read it I didn't think about it in terms of DC.
Unearthed: A Jessica Cruz Story is another installment in the series that DC is creating for young adult readers. It's their way of making comic characters and their stories more accessible to younger readers. A lot of times these stories don't follow the traditional format of the original comics and often address societal issues. This book was no different. It follows Jessica Cruz as she attempts to work through both the anger and anxiety that she's facing as an undocumented immigrant. ICE is running rampant in her community and with a new politician running for office on a platform of bigotry, Jessica wonders if things will ever change and whether her family will ever be safe. While I loved the story itself and what Rivera does with illustrating the emotions that may be felt by an undocumented immigrant; however, this story does not really connect back to DC and those readers that may be looking for that connection may be disappointed. I also wasn't a huge fan of the art. It felt incomplete in some places and blocky. I did enjoy the connections to the Mayan gods and goddesses; however, I wish that Rivera would have delved into this narrative a little more. Overall, it was a solid read it I didn't think about it in terms of DC.
October 19, 2021
What on Earth was this? The most mind-boggling random dumpster heap on fire, that's what! What did this have to do with Jessica Cruz? Or Green Lanterns? Nothing!!
Jessica was a paranoid oddity of a protagonist who repeatedly and infuriatingly defied logic by being unable to understand the benefit of filling out an immigration form. She was mad at things with little logic, repetitive in her nature, and constantly unable to share her feelings with her friends, one of whom was also black and I found it laughable that this graphic novel tried to pass her black friend off as a clueless fool who had no understanding of Jessica's weariness for the police. Jessica's constant pessimistic attitude made me feel as though I should've thrown my hands up and shouted at her to go back to Mexico if she didn't want to stay in America. I get that she felt a level of uncertainty surrounding her future, but portraying her as a teen who no longer wanted to be in America simply due to the treatment of I.C.E. officers or the ordeal of having to fill out immigration forms is disrespectful to the struggling young generation of immigrant children in America who continue to want to be in the US despite the hardships they face.
There was nothing to salvage in this. It was a shipwreck from start to finish. The art was absolutely awful, with every page looking like a 5 minute sketch and every character being drawn with completely black possessed demon eyes. Paired with the completely wooden dialogue there really was nothing of substance in here.
And then in the second half it took a deep swerve into insanity where Jessica went around plotting revenge on a sole I.C.E. agent as if he was some kind of villain simply for doing his job. The way this graphic novel condoned and even supported Jessica unexpectedly attacking an actual I.C.E. agent shook me. How could DC publish this kind of lawless rhetoric? You fight the system peacefully, through protesting and other meaningful actions. But physically attacking a man, a single officer of the law, is abhorrent, regardless of the situation and your stance on immigration. The half-hearted attempt at the end of the graphic novel to portray the true complexity of the incorrect nature of labelling the I.C.E. agent as a bad guy was a gigantic failure and came across as some sad additional afterthought wrangled in there by a DC editor conscious of maintaining some semblance of lawfulness.
This graphic novel left me completely flabbergasted. Where was the quality? Where was the complexity? Nowhere in this 200 pages of rubbish, that's for sure.
Jessica was a paranoid oddity of a protagonist who repeatedly and infuriatingly defied logic by being unable to understand the benefit of filling out an immigration form. She was mad at things with little logic, repetitive in her nature, and constantly unable to share her feelings with her friends, one of whom was also black and I found it laughable that this graphic novel tried to pass her black friend off as a clueless fool who had no understanding of Jessica's weariness for the police. Jessica's constant pessimistic attitude made me feel as though I should've thrown my hands up and shouted at her to go back to Mexico if she didn't want to stay in America. I get that she felt a level of uncertainty surrounding her future, but portraying her as a teen who no longer wanted to be in America simply due to the treatment of I.C.E. officers or the ordeal of having to fill out immigration forms is disrespectful to the struggling young generation of immigrant children in America who continue to want to be in the US despite the hardships they face.
There was nothing to salvage in this. It was a shipwreck from start to finish. The art was absolutely awful, with every page looking like a 5 minute sketch and every character being drawn with completely black possessed demon eyes. Paired with the completely wooden dialogue there really was nothing of substance in here.
And then in the second half it took a deep swerve into insanity where Jessica went around plotting revenge on a sole I.C.E. agent as if he was some kind of villain simply for doing his job. The way this graphic novel condoned and even supported Jessica unexpectedly attacking an actual I.C.E. agent shook me. How could DC publish this kind of lawless rhetoric? You fight the system peacefully, through protesting and other meaningful actions. But physically attacking a man, a single officer of the law, is abhorrent, regardless of the situation and your stance on immigration. The half-hearted attempt at the end of the graphic novel to portray the true complexity of the incorrect nature of labelling the I.C.E. agent as a bad guy was a gigantic failure and came across as some sad additional afterthought wrangled in there by a DC editor conscious of maintaining some semblance of lawfulness.
This graphic novel left me completely flabbergasted. Where was the quality? Where was the complexity? Nowhere in this 200 pages of rubbish, that's for sure.
October 8, 2021
I guess it's on me that I had preconceived notions that a DC graphic novel about Jessica Cruz would involve a Green Lantern ring at some point. And while there is a green ring, it has no powers beyond invoking sentimentality. And some figures from Aztec mythology show up, but only as part of some odd hallucination or dream sequences where they might as well have been a little angel and devil yapping from Cruz's shoulders.
Cruz is rebooted as a high school junior dealing with the stresses of being an undocumented immigrant in the U.S.A. in a city where the frontrunner in the mayoral race is running on a platform of more ICE arrests and deportations. When not hallucinating, Cruz gets increasingly scared, frustrated, and angry, withdrawing from her friends, including a teen boy named John Stewart.
It's an emotional journey, not a plot-driven one, which wasn't of much interest to me. And the art was angular and off-putting with the characters experiencing weird inconsistencies in proportions and height throughout.
Cruz is rebooted as a high school junior dealing with the stresses of being an undocumented immigrant in the U.S.A. in a city where the frontrunner in the mayoral race is running on a platform of more ICE arrests and deportations. When not hallucinating, Cruz gets increasingly scared, frustrated, and angry, withdrawing from her friends, including a teen boy named John Stewart.
It's an emotional journey, not a plot-driven one, which wasn't of much interest to me. And the art was angular and off-putting with the characters experiencing weird inconsistencies in proportions and height throughout.
September 20, 2021
4.0
Thank you to DC Comics for Young Readers for a copy of this book!
I really loved this story full of background for Jessica Cruz, one of the Green Lanterns. This was such an important story about immigration and what it can be like to be an undocumented citizen in America. I think it did a great job hitting these emotional topics and covering them.
I love love love the art style of this one! It is so cool and I love the way the body diversity shows up in this one! Great style.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia
ICE Arrests, Deportation
Thank you to DC Comics for Young Readers for a copy of this book!
I really loved this story full of background for Jessica Cruz, one of the Green Lanterns. This was such an important story about immigration and what it can be like to be an undocumented citizen in America. I think it did a great job hitting these emotional topics and covering them.
I love love love the art style of this one! It is so cool and I love the way the body diversity shows up in this one! Great style.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia
ICE Arrests, Deportation
July 27, 2023
Disclaimer: I am not a Latina living in the U.S., nor am I undocumented in my country.
Unearthed follows the story of an undocumented Latina girl who strives to be perfect. One day, her world collapses and she is consumed by wanting revenge, ignoring everything she worked so hard for. Eventually, she stops wanting revenge, but still attacks a cop to prevent him from taking another undocumented immigrant. There was nothing superhero related so that was disapointing, but the story was boring nonetheless and I’m pretty sure most of it made no sense.
The first thing I didn’t like in this book was how dirty the artwork for the chapter titles was. Besides being ugly, it was conflicting with the rest of the book. I didn’t fancy the overall style of the artwork, but the colors kept me interested. The conclusion to the story left me unsatisfied, as I felt some of the storylines were not finished. Jessica was not likeable nor relatable, and neither was any of the rest of the characters.
I think that maybe this book was for a much younger audience, which would explain why I didn’t enjoy it much. However, being meant for kids� does not mean it has to be a bad book.
Unearthed follows the story of an undocumented Latina girl who strives to be perfect. One day, her world collapses and she is consumed by wanting revenge, ignoring everything she worked so hard for. Eventually, she stops wanting revenge, but still attacks a cop to prevent him from taking another undocumented immigrant. There was nothing superhero related so that was disapointing, but the story was boring nonetheless and I’m pretty sure most of it made no sense.
The first thing I didn’t like in this book was how dirty the artwork for the chapter titles was. Besides being ugly, it was conflicting with the rest of the book. I didn’t fancy the overall style of the artwork, but the colors kept me interested. The conclusion to the story left me unsatisfied, as I felt some of the storylines were not finished. Jessica was not likeable nor relatable, and neither was any of the rest of the characters.
I think that maybe this book was for a much younger audience, which would explain why I didn’t enjoy it much. However, being meant for kids� does not mean it has to be a bad book.
October 6, 2021
3.5 stars.
Though I enjoyed this title quite a bit overall, while it may be a "Jessica Cruz" story, it is defintely NOT a "Green Lantern" story. (In fact this book seems very distanced from the DC Universe and Green Lantern Mythos.)
While that was somewhat jarring (given the importance Jessica Cruz now has to the GL title and mythos), it didn't NECESSARILY detract from the story itself, which is quite timely and touching.
And the art, particularly, really enhanced this title, especially in regards to coloring (which is crucial to the GL Mythos, as reach color represents a different corps of ring-wielders). While it doesn't beat you over the head with it, they certainly use the ROYGBIV spectrum well throughout this book, to represent the emotions being experienced by the cast.
Though I enjoyed this title quite a bit overall, while it may be a "Jessica Cruz" story, it is defintely NOT a "Green Lantern" story. (In fact this book seems very distanced from the DC Universe and Green Lantern Mythos.)
While that was somewhat jarring (given the importance Jessica Cruz now has to the GL title and mythos), it didn't NECESSARILY detract from the story itself, which is quite timely and touching.
And the art, particularly, really enhanced this title, especially in regards to coloring (which is crucial to the GL Mythos, as reach color represents a different corps of ring-wielders). While it doesn't beat you over the head with it, they certainly use the ROYGBIV spectrum well throughout this book, to represent the emotions being experienced by the cast.
September 28, 2021
How to describe Steph C.’s art style, and actually do it justice? This is the dilemma that I’ve been facing as I mulled over how to review this book. Her art style is unique, so very vibrant, and makes the most out of every single page. Jessica’s life is big and bright most times. The love she has for her friends, and her family, radiating off the page. In an instant though, Steph C. is able to take that same art style and show the immense fear that Jessica faces. It shows her anger and hopelessness in bold strokes that are hard to ignore. I loved absolutely everything about the way this graphic novel was illustrated. It was precisely what this story needed to really hit home.
Now that I’ve gushed over the artwork, which if you’d allow me I’d gush over even more, let me focus on the story. Unearthed: A Jessica Cruz Story is so impressive, that it’s hard to put into words. Where Jessica Cruz is normally a DC Universe character who is used to villains and violence, here she is up against something infinitely more frightening. She has to face every day as an undocumented citizen. Her family, even though they do it lovingly, puts pressure on her to be the one who achieves her dreams. Jessica has to balance all the things that every teenager faces, while also facing the very real fact that her parents could be ripped away from her at any moment. I originally thought that I would call this story a timely one, but the fact is that it’s actually a timeless one.
Although this isn’t exactly a superhero story (yet), there is definitely a villain in this story. The frontrunner for mayor is a woman who pushes xenophobia in Jessica’s home of Coast City. We’ve seen her rhetoric before, many a time. Constant calls to “clean up� the city. Crime stats thrown around, all targeted at a single group of people. ICE in the streets, and people carted off with no reason. This story pulls no punches, as it showcases the realities of being an undocumented immigrant in a world that works hard to keep them small and scared. Though Jessica is protected by her DACA status, she lives in constant fear for her community.
Oh, and what a vibrant community it is. I need to pause here and go back to talking about the illustrations for minute, because the way that Jessica’s neighborhood is portrayed is lovely. We see the cart vendors she passes daily, and knows by name. We see children playing games in the streets, and family parties full of loving embraces. We see neighbors who are more like family, taking care of one another whenever they can. As someone who grew up in a place just like this one, I felt the deep love that went into these panels. Sometimes a single neighborhood can feel a world apart from the larger city that it is in.
What really blew me away though, was the thread of Aztec history that spans this book. Jessica grew up hearing stories of the Gods. Her mother used their teachings as a way to impart lessons, and inspire hope. So when Jessica’s world starts to slowly crumble, and it feels like every one is against her, it is so fitting that the Gods would step in. The dichotomy between Chalchiuhtlicue and Tezcatlipoca is a perfect way to highlight the war going on inside our main character. Part of her wanting to protect herself by withdrawing in fear and anger, while the other part of her screams that something needs to be done to protect everyone. I can’t say too much else, or I’ll spoil things. Suffice it to say that this internal battle feels perfect in the context of what Jessica faces. That little nod to the mystical, and the magical, is just the icing on the cake.
I’ll end this review by simply saying that this is an extremely important graphic novel. What was most refreshing was just the fact that there is no sugarcoating of any kind here. Every scar, every hurt, is laid out on the page. I am genuinely impressed at this DC offering. It’s real, it’s poignant, and it provides the kind of hopeful message that I think we all need right now. Seriously, this isn’t a story you should miss out on.
Now that I’ve gushed over the artwork, which if you’d allow me I’d gush over even more, let me focus on the story. Unearthed: A Jessica Cruz Story is so impressive, that it’s hard to put into words. Where Jessica Cruz is normally a DC Universe character who is used to villains and violence, here she is up against something infinitely more frightening. She has to face every day as an undocumented citizen. Her family, even though they do it lovingly, puts pressure on her to be the one who achieves her dreams. Jessica has to balance all the things that every teenager faces, while also facing the very real fact that her parents could be ripped away from her at any moment. I originally thought that I would call this story a timely one, but the fact is that it’s actually a timeless one.
Although this isn’t exactly a superhero story (yet), there is definitely a villain in this story. The frontrunner for mayor is a woman who pushes xenophobia in Jessica’s home of Coast City. We’ve seen her rhetoric before, many a time. Constant calls to “clean up� the city. Crime stats thrown around, all targeted at a single group of people. ICE in the streets, and people carted off with no reason. This story pulls no punches, as it showcases the realities of being an undocumented immigrant in a world that works hard to keep them small and scared. Though Jessica is protected by her DACA status, she lives in constant fear for her community.
Oh, and what a vibrant community it is. I need to pause here and go back to talking about the illustrations for minute, because the way that Jessica’s neighborhood is portrayed is lovely. We see the cart vendors she passes daily, and knows by name. We see children playing games in the streets, and family parties full of loving embraces. We see neighbors who are more like family, taking care of one another whenever they can. As someone who grew up in a place just like this one, I felt the deep love that went into these panels. Sometimes a single neighborhood can feel a world apart from the larger city that it is in.
What really blew me away though, was the thread of Aztec history that spans this book. Jessica grew up hearing stories of the Gods. Her mother used their teachings as a way to impart lessons, and inspire hope. So when Jessica’s world starts to slowly crumble, and it feels like every one is against her, it is so fitting that the Gods would step in. The dichotomy between Chalchiuhtlicue and Tezcatlipoca is a perfect way to highlight the war going on inside our main character. Part of her wanting to protect herself by withdrawing in fear and anger, while the other part of her screams that something needs to be done to protect everyone. I can’t say too much else, or I’ll spoil things. Suffice it to say that this internal battle feels perfect in the context of what Jessica faces. That little nod to the mystical, and the magical, is just the icing on the cake.
I’ll end this review by simply saying that this is an extremely important graphic novel. What was most refreshing was just the fact that there is no sugarcoating of any kind here. Every scar, every hurt, is laid out on the page. I am genuinely impressed at this DC offering. It’s real, it’s poignant, and it provides the kind of hopeful message that I think we all need right now. Seriously, this isn’t a story you should miss out on.
October 22, 2021
Jessica Cruz is terrified that her family will be deported, because they are illegal immigrants in the United States. She doesn't think her friends will understand, and is afraid to tell them that her family is undocumented. When she visits the history museum, she begins to have visions of the ancient Aztec gods who guide her in controlling her fear.
I am so angry at this book! This is some of the worst representation of Hispanics that I have ever seen. I grew up in Mexico as a child, and I am a United States citizen. Many of my friends are legal or illegal immigrants. I have an intimate knowledge of these issues and the people who deal with them. I am appalled at the horrible way the Hispanic culture is represented in this book.
It's like the author created their own version of what they WANT you to think about illegal Hispanic immigrants, instead of the actual reality of the issue. There is a very strong political bias in this book that distorts the facts and presents a picture of immigration that does not match the reality in the US today.
Of course, this is a fictional world, but this book is obviously trying to address real life issues and shape the reader's understanding and opinion of real life politics.
This is propaganda, pure and simple.
I was appalled to see that Jessica is violent and ignorant. She's supposed to be the hero of the story, but she encourages others to violence as well. She doesn't take the time to find out about what is really happening with immigration, but instead lives in ignorant fear, assuming the worst.
At one point, Jessica confronts an ICE agent. The ICE agent is depicted in the art with blank eyes and a permanent scowl, as if this officer is the devil himself. The art and the story depict all ICE agents as evil and soulless, utterly without compassion or integrity. It's sickening to see the way an entire group of people are demonized for simply upholding the law.
As if that wasn't enough, then Jessica actually ASSAULTS the ICE officer! I can't believe I just saw a "hero" assaulting an officer of the law. What kind of sick story is this?
Is this a villain origin story? Because the hero of this story just became a villain.
Jessica becomes a criminal in that moment, a menace to society. And she encourages her friends to do the same. Is this the kind of message that is being sent out to young people? That as long as you don't agree with the laws, you can attack those who enforce them? That is so wrong!
Later on, Jessica and her friends organize a peaceful protest. That is the kind of good message that actually brings change. That is how laws get changed. But assaulting officers who are just trying to uphold the law never did any good in this world.
I don't understand what kind of foolish book this is. It makes me sick.
The story is very obviously encouraging the reader to act in violence, and it makes me afraid that young readers will take these violent messages to heart. I worry that our society will be worse off for the way this issue has been so badly handled in the media, and for the way the facts have been distorted. I worry that this type of political propaganda with no basis in reality is hurting my Hispanic friends instead of helping them.
I am throwing this book in the trash, because that is what it is.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.
I am so angry at this book! This is some of the worst representation of Hispanics that I have ever seen. I grew up in Mexico as a child, and I am a United States citizen. Many of my friends are legal or illegal immigrants. I have an intimate knowledge of these issues and the people who deal with them. I am appalled at the horrible way the Hispanic culture is represented in this book.
It's like the author created their own version of what they WANT you to think about illegal Hispanic immigrants, instead of the actual reality of the issue. There is a very strong political bias in this book that distorts the facts and presents a picture of immigration that does not match the reality in the US today.
Of course, this is a fictional world, but this book is obviously trying to address real life issues and shape the reader's understanding and opinion of real life politics.
This is propaganda, pure and simple.
I was appalled to see that Jessica is violent and ignorant. She's supposed to be the hero of the story, but she encourages others to violence as well. She doesn't take the time to find out about what is really happening with immigration, but instead lives in ignorant fear, assuming the worst.
At one point, Jessica confronts an ICE agent. The ICE agent is depicted in the art with blank eyes and a permanent scowl, as if this officer is the devil himself. The art and the story depict all ICE agents as evil and soulless, utterly without compassion or integrity. It's sickening to see the way an entire group of people are demonized for simply upholding the law.
As if that wasn't enough, then Jessica actually ASSAULTS the ICE officer! I can't believe I just saw a "hero" assaulting an officer of the law. What kind of sick story is this?
Is this a villain origin story? Because the hero of this story just became a villain.
Jessica becomes a criminal in that moment, a menace to society. And she encourages her friends to do the same. Is this the kind of message that is being sent out to young people? That as long as you don't agree with the laws, you can attack those who enforce them? That is so wrong!
Later on, Jessica and her friends organize a peaceful protest. That is the kind of good message that actually brings change. That is how laws get changed. But assaulting officers who are just trying to uphold the law never did any good in this world.
I don't understand what kind of foolish book this is. It makes me sick.
The story is very obviously encouraging the reader to act in violence, and it makes me afraid that young readers will take these violent messages to heart. I worry that our society will be worse off for the way this issue has been so badly handled in the media, and for the way the facts have been distorted. I worry that this type of political propaganda with no basis in reality is hurting my Hispanic friends instead of helping them.
I am throwing this book in the trash, because that is what it is.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.
July 13, 2021
Thankyou to NetGalley for the ARC!
This is an amazing comic with beautiful illustrations representing Latinx communities.
Following Jessica Cruz, a dedicated student who is part of DACA, which allows her to go to school and live in the U.S.
As an only child, she has so much pressure to excel in school, priorities like cooking, cleaning and doing laundry. But what she really fears is her parents being deported and she often wonders if it’ll just be easy to go back to her hometown.
Jessica is also visited by visions of Aztec Gods, one pulling her toward hope, while the other towards anger.
This was very emotional and it showed a great representation of what many Latinx go through living in the United States.
A fast paced comic that everyone needs to read!
This is an amazing comic with beautiful illustrations representing Latinx communities.
Following Jessica Cruz, a dedicated student who is part of DACA, which allows her to go to school and live in the U.S.
As an only child, she has so much pressure to excel in school, priorities like cooking, cleaning and doing laundry. But what she really fears is her parents being deported and she often wonders if it’ll just be easy to go back to her hometown.
Jessica is also visited by visions of Aztec Gods, one pulling her toward hope, while the other towards anger.
This was very emotional and it showed a great representation of what many Latinx go through living in the United States.
A fast paced comic that everyone needs to read!
July 15, 2023
I was thoroughly unimpressed on multiple levels.
There is no DC in this, other than this ostensibly being Jessica Cruz, Jon Stewart being a friend of hers, and this taking place in Coast City. Oh, Jessica gets a green ring at some point but it's just her dad's ring. There's literally NOTHING that ties this to DC otherwise. It's just a story about how anti-immigration policies are blind to the actual harm they cause to people and families who are just trying to live their lives. It's an important story to tell, but to call this a DC tie in is just absurd.
The art was...something. I think I understood what the artist was going for, but it fell flat. The artist can't draw human bodies at all; sometimes Jessica has proper proportions and sometimes she looks like a goomba from the 90s Mario movie. The color work is decent, but it feels muddy and messy at times because the backgrounds feel so unfinished.
Anyway. Overall a simple okay story, but not one that should have been touted as DC anything, and the art wasn't great.
There is no DC in this, other than this ostensibly being Jessica Cruz, Jon Stewart being a friend of hers, and this taking place in Coast City. Oh, Jessica gets a green ring at some point but it's just her dad's ring. There's literally NOTHING that ties this to DC otherwise. It's just a story about how anti-immigration policies are blind to the actual harm they cause to people and families who are just trying to live their lives. It's an important story to tell, but to call this a DC tie in is just absurd.
The art was...something. I think I understood what the artist was going for, but it fell flat. The artist can't draw human bodies at all; sometimes Jessica has proper proportions and sometimes she looks like a goomba from the 90s Mario movie. The color work is decent, but it feels muddy and messy at times because the backgrounds feel so unfinished.
Anyway. Overall a simple okay story, but not one that should have been touted as DC anything, and the art wasn't great.
July 17, 2021
This graphic novel was a hard and easy read at once. The writing was amazing. I was taught to read with comics, DC specifically and I've seen some good and bad writing.
This was great.
If you don't know the story of Green Lantern Jessica Cruz, for a lot of reasons I won't get into here, she suffers from severe, world shattering fear. It is her biggest hurdle.
Green Lanterns are about willpower. You can see how overcoming that fear is integral to her character.
Take all that and set it in modern America. Where xenophobia is everywhere and it's a perfect fit for the character.
It was a hard read because it's prescient.
Jessica Cruz is a DACA recipient who has to make the choice to renew or convince her undocumented parents to go home because the hate surrounding them is too much.
And after a federal ruling July 16th, the day I finished this graphic novel, it makes it even more of the times.
Jessica has the weight of her family on her shoulders. Renew. Get good grades. Go to college. Good job. Clean the house. Cook dinner. Somehow have time to sleep.
She has a small friend circle and works at a museum with an amazing Aztec Gods section and her coworker? None other than John Stewart.
Seeing my two favorite Green Lanterns interact as teenagers made my heart so happy. The moments the two of them are together allow Jessica a reprieve from the stress of her life and he has a first hand appreciation of a lot of what she's going through.
Plus they're cute together. I ship it.
As if all of that wasn't enough, there's a mayoral candidate running on a very anti-immigration campaign and her racism and xenophobia aren't hidden at all.
Jessica sees someone get arrested by ICE while she's on the bus headed home. It amps up her fear an anxiety to new levels. And then her father is taken and it's hell.
She starts having dreams about the Aztec Gods and I won't spoil any of that.
I will say, this graphic novel was amazing. We see Jessica overcome her fear. That's not to say that her fear is gone, that's impossible. But she's got a better handle on what to do to help herself and her community. Even her friends join in and it's the support system she needs.
Now for the art.
At first I found it a little unnerving. Everyone has black eyes and it kind of freaked me out. By the end though it had grown on me and I found myself actually liking it by the end of the story.
I actually can't picture this with any other style of art.
The artist was so skilled at drawing emotion. It was so raw and real, I really loved that.
So, all in all? 5 stars.
Thank you to Netgalley and DC entertainment for this ARC.
This was great.
If you don't know the story of Green Lantern Jessica Cruz, for a lot of reasons I won't get into here, she suffers from severe, world shattering fear. It is her biggest hurdle.
Green Lanterns are about willpower. You can see how overcoming that fear is integral to her character.
Take all that and set it in modern America. Where xenophobia is everywhere and it's a perfect fit for the character.
It was a hard read because it's prescient.
Jessica Cruz is a DACA recipient who has to make the choice to renew or convince her undocumented parents to go home because the hate surrounding them is too much.
And after a federal ruling July 16th, the day I finished this graphic novel, it makes it even more of the times.
Jessica has the weight of her family on her shoulders. Renew. Get good grades. Go to college. Good job. Clean the house. Cook dinner. Somehow have time to sleep.
She has a small friend circle and works at a museum with an amazing Aztec Gods section and her coworker? None other than John Stewart.
Seeing my two favorite Green Lanterns interact as teenagers made my heart so happy. The moments the two of them are together allow Jessica a reprieve from the stress of her life and he has a first hand appreciation of a lot of what she's going through.
Plus they're cute together. I ship it.
As if all of that wasn't enough, there's a mayoral candidate running on a very anti-immigration campaign and her racism and xenophobia aren't hidden at all.
Jessica sees someone get arrested by ICE while she's on the bus headed home. It amps up her fear an anxiety to new levels. And then her father is taken and it's hell.
She starts having dreams about the Aztec Gods and I won't spoil any of that.
I will say, this graphic novel was amazing. We see Jessica overcome her fear. That's not to say that her fear is gone, that's impossible. But she's got a better handle on what to do to help herself and her community. Even her friends join in and it's the support system she needs.
Now for the art.
At first I found it a little unnerving. Everyone has black eyes and it kind of freaked me out. By the end though it had grown on me and I found myself actually liking it by the end of the story.
I actually can't picture this with any other style of art.
The artist was so skilled at drawing emotion. It was so raw and real, I really loved that.
So, all in all? 5 stars.
Thank you to Netgalley and DC entertainment for this ARC.
November 19, 2021
Unearthed: A Jessica Cruz Story is a graphic novel written by Lilliam Rivera and illustrated by Steph C. It centers on a Jessica Cruz � just not the one from DC Comics and her fears about being an undocumented person in the United States.
Jessica Cruz, at least in this iteration of her, is an undocumented Mexican-American teenager, a DACA recipient living in Coast City, with a fascination with indigenous Mexican culture. Cruz is an ambitious student about to graduate, and taking part in an enrichment program at the local museum where she meets John Stewart, a teenage army brat who becomes a good friend.
Her hardworking immigrant parents try to keep her focused, but she spends a lot of time worrying about their uncertain future. That future becomes a lot more uncertain with the possible ascent of a hard-line conservative Mayoral candidate who vows to clean up Coast City by removing the homeless and the undocumented.
As the city becomes a more hostile place and ICE becomes more active in arresting immigrants in everyday activities, Cruz struggles to continue in her everyday life.
Unearthed: A Jessica Cruz Story is written and constructed moderately well. Rivera's narrative is not what I expected � unsure if it is a good thing or not. It is mainly a slice-of-life story with very little to do with the Green Lantern franchise except for a few familiar names. There is nothing wrong with that � if done correctly, but this Jessica Cruz bears little resemblance to superhero counterpart. Gone are her agoraphobia, anxiety, and the little idiosyncrasies that make the character so memorable. It just feels like a different character that shares the same name as the comic book hero. Steph C.'s illustrations are equally moderate � her characters seem a tad too blockish for my taste and a tad inconsistent.
All in all, Unearthed: A Jessica Cruz Story is a wonderful graphic novel about the life of an undocumented teenager and her family � just not maybe a Green Lantern one.
Jessica Cruz, at least in this iteration of her, is an undocumented Mexican-American teenager, a DACA recipient living in Coast City, with a fascination with indigenous Mexican culture. Cruz is an ambitious student about to graduate, and taking part in an enrichment program at the local museum where she meets John Stewart, a teenage army brat who becomes a good friend.
Her hardworking immigrant parents try to keep her focused, but she spends a lot of time worrying about their uncertain future. That future becomes a lot more uncertain with the possible ascent of a hard-line conservative Mayoral candidate who vows to clean up Coast City by removing the homeless and the undocumented.
As the city becomes a more hostile place and ICE becomes more active in arresting immigrants in everyday activities, Cruz struggles to continue in her everyday life.
Unearthed: A Jessica Cruz Story is written and constructed moderately well. Rivera's narrative is not what I expected � unsure if it is a good thing or not. It is mainly a slice-of-life story with very little to do with the Green Lantern franchise except for a few familiar names. There is nothing wrong with that � if done correctly, but this Jessica Cruz bears little resemblance to superhero counterpart. Gone are her agoraphobia, anxiety, and the little idiosyncrasies that make the character so memorable. It just feels like a different character that shares the same name as the comic book hero. Steph C.'s illustrations are equally moderate � her characters seem a tad too blockish for my taste and a tad inconsistent.
All in all, Unearthed: A Jessica Cruz Story is a wonderful graphic novel about the life of an undocumented teenager and her family � just not maybe a Green Lantern one.
September 28, 2021
Going into this story, I knew nothing about Jessica Cruz or who she is in the DC pantheon of superheroes. Let me preface this by saying, this is not a superhero story in the least bit. It is an origin story of a sorts� but it is so much more important.
Unearthed tells the story of what undocumented American immigrants have to deal with in order to survive. The fear that they will be stopped and arrested at any moment� not knowing what their future holds. It’s about finding a way to fight back that is both legal in the eyes of the law, but can also make a huge impact.
And while these stories may be ones we hear daily, it doesn’t change the fact that families are still being separated, undocumented Americans are being mistreated, abused, and sent back to, what for many can be, a deadly situation. What is supposed to be the land of the free is only really the land of the free for some.
If you love graphic novels like me, definitely check out Unearthed! I loved it!
Unearthed tells the story of what undocumented American immigrants have to deal with in order to survive. The fear that they will be stopped and arrested at any moment� not knowing what their future holds. It’s about finding a way to fight back that is both legal in the eyes of the law, but can also make a huge impact.
And while these stories may be ones we hear daily, it doesn’t change the fact that families are still being separated, undocumented Americans are being mistreated, abused, and sent back to, what for many can be, a deadly situation. What is supposed to be the land of the free is only really the land of the free for some.
If you love graphic novels like me, definitely check out Unearthed! I loved it!
June 21, 2022
I wish I liked this more because it looked so promising. I am not familiar with the comic book character so it didn't matter to me how faithful of a retelling this was, but I still didn't care for it.
Jessica was very dislikeable, which made it hard for me to be invested in the story. I tried to empathise with her but she was brash and full of anger. The fantasy/magical realism element was not to my liking either. Mythology and gods just seemed very irrelevant to a story about immigration and deportation. The ending was rushed and abrupt.
I also disliked the washed-out art style. The characters have minimal facial expressions and the art didn't enhance the story at all, which defeats the purpose of a graphic novel.
Even more disappointing is how this is essentially a story about the immigration experience, the struggles that migrants face, and the constant fear they live in. It's an important story but not told well here at all.
Jessica was very dislikeable, which made it hard for me to be invested in the story. I tried to empathise with her but she was brash and full of anger. The fantasy/magical realism element was not to my liking either. Mythology and gods just seemed very irrelevant to a story about immigration and deportation. The ending was rushed and abrupt.
I also disliked the washed-out art style. The characters have minimal facial expressions and the art didn't enhance the story at all, which defeats the purpose of a graphic novel.
Even more disappointing is how this is essentially a story about the immigration experience, the struggles that migrants face, and the constant fear they live in. It's an important story but not told well here at all.
August 4, 2021
*I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
I really really really love Jessica Cruz. She is such a cool character and I'm so glad I'm getting to see more of her in the popular DC world. In this story, she is an undocumented teenager worrying and fighting to keep her family together and safe from the rising xenophobia and ICE deportations in her town. First off, I adored this art. It's much more stylized but it works so well with the story. The depictions of the gods are particularly beautiful scenes. I appreciated seeing Jessica's struggles so clearly represented by these two sides vying for her to join them. I wasn't a huge fan of her friends, with the exception of John, but they were realistically flawed so I can appreciate that. I think this is an excellent example of how superhero stories can tackle timely issues and resonate in any era.
I really really really love Jessica Cruz. She is such a cool character and I'm so glad I'm getting to see more of her in the popular DC world. In this story, she is an undocumented teenager worrying and fighting to keep her family together and safe from the rising xenophobia and ICE deportations in her town. First off, I adored this art. It's much more stylized but it works so well with the story. The depictions of the gods are particularly beautiful scenes. I appreciated seeing Jessica's struggles so clearly represented by these two sides vying for her to join them. I wasn't a huge fan of her friends, with the exception of John, but they were realistically flawed so I can appreciate that. I think this is an excellent example of how superhero stories can tackle timely issues and resonate in any era.
July 6, 2021
Unearthed is not only a story of an everyday teenager doing her best with friends that love her, it’s also a story of immigration and how Jessica will question her role in a sometimes unforgiving and harsh world while trying to keep her family together.
I love how these YA DC books can reimagine the origin story of your favorite superhero or introduce a character to a new reader, while also talking about very important and relevant topics. This one definitely has a powerful message and hopefully will resonate with readers. The art style was really unique and I think it suited the story well. I would like to have a sequel and really see Jessica come into her own.
I love how these YA DC books can reimagine the origin story of your favorite superhero or introduce a character to a new reader, while also talking about very important and relevant topics. This one definitely has a powerful message and hopefully will resonate with readers. The art style was really unique and I think it suited the story well. I would like to have a sequel and really see Jessica come into her own.
September 14, 2021
Rating: 4/5 🌟
__________________________
I want to start by saying a huge thank you to DC Comics for sending me a digital review copy of Unearthed: Jessica Cruz Story. As many of you know I’m a huge comic book nerd , and one of my favorites is Green Lantern! So needless to say I throughly enjoyed this origin story. It wasn’t what I was expecting at all, however that’s what made this story so good! It tackles some very big issues , such as deportation in a realistic and heart breaking way. I look forward to reading more of Jessica’s story in the future!
__________________________
I want to start by saying a huge thank you to DC Comics for sending me a digital review copy of Unearthed: Jessica Cruz Story. As many of you know I’m a huge comic book nerd , and one of my favorites is Green Lantern! So needless to say I throughly enjoyed this origin story. It wasn’t what I was expecting at all, however that’s what made this story so good! It tackles some very big issues , such as deportation in a realistic and heart breaking way. I look forward to reading more of Jessica’s story in the future!
July 12, 2022
uhhh my dumbass didn't realize this was a dc spinoff until like 200 pages in so uhhh
it still made sense though! and the art style was absolutely lovely <3
it still made sense though! and the art style was absolutely lovely <3
November 21, 2021
Although it's got a good heart and great messaging, I hate to say it, but this is fundamentally a bad comic.
The first and biggest problem is that most of it is boring. High school student Jessica Cruz goes about life in high school, and pretty much nothing happens until her dad is taken by ICE.
Even then, she's not really the director of her destiny, but instead a reactive actress.
When she does take what's pretty much her one action in the whole book, to assault an ICE agent, it's pretty unbelievable.
All around, a failure. Really, After School Special level writing, if that.
The second problem is that this character bears zero resemblance to the DC Universe Jessica Cruz. It's not just that she's not a Green Lantern, it's that she doesn't share any of Jessica Cruz's characteristics, except being latina, and even that's never felt like a major element in the real Cruz's character.
Overall, a huge disappointment and a pretty boring read.
Which is awful, because these issues are so important, and we really need great writers speaking out against the bigotry, xenophobia, and hate being espoused by manipulative politicians the world over.
The first and biggest problem is that most of it is boring. High school student Jessica Cruz goes about life in high school, and pretty much nothing happens until her dad is taken by ICE.
Even then, she's not really the director of her destiny, but instead a reactive actress.
When she does take what's pretty much her one action in the whole book, to assault an ICE agent, it's pretty unbelievable.
All around, a failure. Really, After School Special level writing, if that.
The second problem is that this character bears zero resemblance to the DC Universe Jessica Cruz. It's not just that she's not a Green Lantern, it's that she doesn't share any of Jessica Cruz's characteristics, except being latina, and even that's never felt like a major element in the real Cruz's character.
Overall, a huge disappointment and a pretty boring read.
Which is awful, because these issues are so important, and we really need great writers speaking out against the bigotry, xenophobia, and hate being espoused by manipulative politicians the world over.
Read
September 12, 2021“Only through conflict will there be change.�
Jessica Cruz seems like she has it all together on the surface—she’s a good student, well-liked, has a loving family, and is even starting a promising internship at the city museum. But beneath it all, Jessica is plagued with fear for her undocumented family as political unrest and anti-immigrant sentiments build in Coast City. On the edge of renewing her status as part of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, Jessica wonders if her family would just be better off in Mexico after all. Torn between hope and anger in the form of two Aztec gods, Jessica’s mind is plagued with visions about her future. Faced with the nightmare of her father being imprisoned by ICE officers, Jessica must find a way to rise above her circumstances and become a part of something bigger.
This reimagining of Green Lantern is a brilliant reworking of the classic superhero arc. Jessica is not only faced with all the normal challenges of teen life, but also with the struggle of being undocumented in a hostile environment. Though she might have been protected through her DACA status, Jessica had to constantly fear for her family and her community from the book’s beginning. Her internal struggle with these fears was beautifully illustrated in her dreams where she was tempted with opposite advice from two Aztec gods. I loved the way that these vibrantly illustrated figures drew upon her culture and were written to appeal to her varied emotions in a realistic and complex way. The way Jessica organized her community in the face of a particularly xenophobic political candidate was an inspiring mixture of superhero prowess and the fierceness of a determined teenage girl. In short, Unearthed: A Jessica Cruz Story is a stunningly illustrated, fast-paced read that left me desperately wanting to know what Jessica Cruz will do next.
(Pine Reads Review would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing us with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change upon final publication.)
Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @pinereadsreview and check out our website at for reviews, author interviews, blogs, podcast episodes, and more!
Jessica Cruz seems like she has it all together on the surface—she’s a good student, well-liked, has a loving family, and is even starting a promising internship at the city museum. But beneath it all, Jessica is plagued with fear for her undocumented family as political unrest and anti-immigrant sentiments build in Coast City. On the edge of renewing her status as part of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, Jessica wonders if her family would just be better off in Mexico after all. Torn between hope and anger in the form of two Aztec gods, Jessica’s mind is plagued with visions about her future. Faced with the nightmare of her father being imprisoned by ICE officers, Jessica must find a way to rise above her circumstances and become a part of something bigger.
This reimagining of Green Lantern is a brilliant reworking of the classic superhero arc. Jessica is not only faced with all the normal challenges of teen life, but also with the struggle of being undocumented in a hostile environment. Though she might have been protected through her DACA status, Jessica had to constantly fear for her family and her community from the book’s beginning. Her internal struggle with these fears was beautifully illustrated in her dreams where she was tempted with opposite advice from two Aztec gods. I loved the way that these vibrantly illustrated figures drew upon her culture and were written to appeal to her varied emotions in a realistic and complex way. The way Jessica organized her community in the face of a particularly xenophobic political candidate was an inspiring mixture of superhero prowess and the fierceness of a determined teenage girl. In short, Unearthed: A Jessica Cruz Story is a stunningly illustrated, fast-paced read that left me desperately wanting to know what Jessica Cruz will do next.
(Pine Reads Review would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing us with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change upon final publication.)
Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @pinereadsreview and check out our website at for reviews, author interviews, blogs, podcast episodes, and more!
February 17, 2022
I think this is an important story to tell in graphic novel format, I'm just not sure a DC graphic novel was necessarily the best way to go about it. From the summary on the back of the book, it seems like we're going to get a story about how this journey affect Jessica Cruz as a Green Lantern. Putting that in the blurb definitely makes it seem like it will be in the story at some point, even if it's just at the end. However, it never came up at any point and doesn't seem to tie into the comic book character at all (not that I know that much about Jessica Cruz, but still).
The writing wasn't necessarily bad, and the art was different and unique, especially if you've been reading these DC YA graphic novels. On its own as a standalone story, I think it's perfectly fine. There's not a whole lot that stands out about it. I think I just wanted something more to connect it to the overall DC universe, especially since it's published and marketed as that. Definitely mixed feelings about this one!
The writing wasn't necessarily bad, and the art was different and unique, especially if you've been reading these DC YA graphic novels. On its own as a standalone story, I think it's perfectly fine. There's not a whole lot that stands out about it. I think I just wanted something more to connect it to the overall DC universe, especially since it's published and marketed as that. Definitely mixed feelings about this one!
October 15, 2021
*3,5 stars*
I ended up enjoying this, I think it does a great job of discussing the difficulties and fears that undocumented immigrants experience and I think that's the best part of this graphic novel. The portrait of Jessica's emotions was very well done and her anger and despair felt very realistic after everything that she went through.
My main issue with this is that it includes Mayan gods but that element didn't really feel integrated into the story and I wish the gods played a bigger role than simply being angel and devil figures whispering in Jessicas ear in a couple of scenes and that's it.
Two minor things: I didn't like the art style in this, the cover is so pretty but the art inside was not my favorite. The second thing is that this was supposed to be a Green Lantern story but it really wasn't and a part of me wishes that we got to see a Latinx character actually get the "usual" superhero story (getting powers and fighting bad guys and all that)
October 21, 2021
First things first: this book really has nothing to do with the Jessica Cruz who is a Green Lantern. Instead, it's an original story about an undocumented teenage girl. About the only thing this Jessica has in common with the GL Jessica is her anxiety. This isn't the first time that DC's YA comics have departed from their mainstream versions, but I think it's the most radical change. I think if you can approach this as an original creation, you'll enjoy it more. And on that note... It's ok. The plot is mostly about Jessica grappling with her feelings about her undocumented status. An important subject, but I felt like it was more going around in circles than progressing. And I absolutely hated the art. It's fine, some people will probably love it, but I'm not one of those people.
November 10, 2021
As someone who started getting into the green lanterns mythos during the new 52, and who REALLY got into them during DC Rebirth, and the Green Lanterns title, Simon Baz and Jessica Cruz will always be my lanterns. There isn't any actual ringslinging in this one, but its still good! It tells a tale of Jessica Cruz as an undocumented teen who learns to channel her emotions into political work to help her family and her community. Very good stuff.
January 27, 2022
i wish there was more of a ‘green lantern� plot going on within this story, but it was still good and an important story, just didn’t necessarily have to be a DC story because it wasn’t very tired to DC besides the names jessica cruz and john stewart. the coloring was pretty but the art itself wasn’t really my thing.
June 17, 2022
oh no...this isnt it 😩😩😩 for a DC comic, this is v disappointing. even though the art is something new and refreshing, i just felt that it didnt suit the storyline + personally it has lotsa unlikable characters and overall it has a boring storyline. not intrigued to a point where i would be interested to follow up ((if theres any series)).
May 21, 2024
Silly me for expecting a graphic novel about a Green Lantern to actually be about the Green Lanterns.
It really wasn't about Jessica Cruz or the GL at all, just a somewhat interesting story about a girl fearing deportation.
I couldn't get past the creepy void eyes and constantly changing art style...
It really wasn't about Jessica Cruz or the GL at all, just a somewhat interesting story about a girl fearing deportation.
I couldn't get past the creepy void eyes and constantly changing art style...
Want to read
April 19, 2021I'm really looking forward to this one! I adore Jessica Cruz and I've been finding the DC INK (I know they stopped calling them by that imprint name but they will always be DC INK to me) books to be super fun (even if some are pretty bad sometimes).
April 17, 2022
This book has a powerful message about immigration and showing strength with family and friends by your side which I loved. Unfortunately it doesn't really have any sci fi elements to it and I wanted to see that since this is a DC superhero backstory book. Solid 3 stars and I would recommend readers give this one a try.
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