“The Beast of Borikén #1” Review – A Truly Promising Start

If you’re like me and you’re heavy into monsters, the supernatural, and folklore, you know the story of El Chupacabra. With everything going on in the world today, it’s a perfect time to bring it to modern day, and co-creators Julio Anta and Daniel Irizarri were more than up for the task. If you want a monster tale that blends lore with reality, then join me as I take a look at “The Beast of Borikén #1”!

Writer: Julio Anta
Artist: Daniel Irizarri
Colorist: Patricio Delpeche

‘Beast of Boriken #1′ was so loved by our team, that once you finish this review, make sure to check out Yancy‘s review HERE where he added some history to the story as well.

The Writing

Right off the bat, writer Julio Anta makes clear what this is truly about in a very creative way. Using the setting of a radio talk show, we see our two main characters arguing over land development in the city of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. Set in the years following Hurricanes Maria and Irma, Anta uses the story to convey themes of colonization, exploitation, and gentrification. If you don’t know anything about the hurricanes and why they’re so integral to this story and those themes, allow me to give you a bit of history!

Back in 2017, Puerto Rico was hit by its biggest storm in over 80 years, including the aforementioned hurricanes. The storms caused roughly $90 billion in damages, leading Puerto Rico to suffer a major humanitarian crisis. Due to policies, Puerto Rico often goes overlooked or forgotten, leaving them to essentially fend for themselves when it’s been made hard to. Then, in the wake of disaster, come people who swoop in to develop the land, pushing its people out as they can no longer afford to live there.

This is the perfect story to tell when it comes to el Chupacabra, a monster that, in some tales, symbolizes anxieties over invasiveness that upsets local ecosystems. All great monster and horror stories have deep meaning, and this is no different. I’m already hooked enough to want to know what comes next!

The Art

With as much as I love the writing, the art from Irizarri falls a tad short for me. It’s still really good, but just personally isn’t my style. I do have to give massive props in two aspects, though: capturing a wide range of both emotion and representation! When the emotional beats hit, they really hit because of how Irizarri captured the emotions from happiness all the way to confusion, anger, and sadness. As for the representation, every character has their own unique body shape, hairstyle, and accessories that make them uniquely themselves.

The representation is further boosted by the colors of Patricio Delpeche. His use of color here was truly amazing. He managed to create this multi-page piece of eye candy, portraying the vibrancy of Puerto Rico and its people in a magnificent way.

Final Thoughts

Anta and Irizarri crafted a truly strong start to a modern monster tale. From using real-world influence comes a product of the times that can only be delivered truthfully by those who know the struggle. “The Beast of Borikén #1” is one you need to add to your collection.

Overall Grade: 9.5/10

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Comments

Do you plan on picking up “The Beast of Borikén #1”? Have you read anything else from Julio Anta? Let’s discuss in the comments below!