It’s fantastic when a comic gives you a jolt. Beast of Borikén, written by Julio Anta and illustrated by Daniel Irizarri, delivers a great prod, stimulating your brain to run numerous scenarios on and off the page. It’s the story of a people who’ve witnessed so much monstrosity at the hands of invaders. It’s a story of people finding strength in their neighbors, ancestors, and legends. The first issue is out now, from Dark Horse Comics and Tiny Onion, and we investigate it meaningfully with both storytellers.

Set in Puerto Rico, the main character is Loli, an activist protesting an incoming resort, the face of which is yuppy CEO Simon Hunt, who is using every slippery trick in the book to break ground despite opposition. Loli is incensed and focused on stopping the overdevelopment of her ancestral lands, but is her fixation in part because she is avoiding processing a horrendous grief, since her father died alone in a hospital during Hurricane Maria?

This week on the podcast, we speak with Julio Anta and Daniel Irizarri about Beast of Borikén, witnessing endless horror, and hope through collective action. We discuss the influence of The Creature from the Black Lagoon and the appeal of monsters. Also, what does it all have to do with Robocop 2? You’ll have to make your way through the intro to understand all that.

Beast of Borikén #1 is out now from Dark Horse Comics and Tiny Onion. It’s written by Julio Anta, illustrated by Daniel Irizarri, colored by Patricio Delpeche, and lettered by Lucas Gattoni. Follow Julio Anta on Instagram and Bluesky. Follow Daniel IriZarri on Instagram and Bluesky.

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