"Latino USA," Response (8)

This excerpt from Ilan Stavans' graphic novel "Latino USA," could quite possibly be the best text that I've read in class this term. Beginning with the introduction, Stavans writes in such a manner that is both highly complex in nature yet simplistic and easily accessible to the reader. By using this method, he is able to garner the audiences attention before he even truly begins, a tactic that I would definitely like to have in my own papers. I found the fact that the majority of citizens in Mexico actively purchasing and reading comic books to be every interesting, as here in America it is a largely unpopular feat compared to that of novels and magazines. Also, I completely agree with Stavans' reaction to the vast majority of American people looking down on comics, as I also feel that it is a more accurate reflection of our culture and society than certain works of nonfiction/fiction currently on the market now. As for the actual graphic novel portion of the excerpt, I feel that Stavans again made a deep topic like countries' histories and transformed it into something easy to understand, this time by adding pictures to accompany his words. It was a very enjoyable read, and after reading this I found myself wanting to get my hands on the actual work and finish it.