September
12 Comicbook sightseeing in Mexico

Nothing reminds you how global comics have become more than a visit to another country. Here are some of my comics-related sights from a recent trip to Mexico:

* In additon to the usual movie billboards for The Dark Knight (as "Cabellero de la Noche"), T-shirts and cheap toys, a small bar called Tierra de Nadie turned out to be  haven for fans of Frank Miller's "Sin City." The bar featured on its interior a massive reproduction on one wall of the "Blue Eyes" sequence from the comics that was adapted into the opener of the 2005 film. The one small table insde was draped with a plastic banner featuring the Sin City logo and images of Marv and Dwight from "A Dame to Kill For." The name of the bar, located in the Zona Rosa in Mexico City, translates as "No Man's Land."

* Imported American comics featuring fairly recent Spanish-language reprints from Marvel and DC were readily available at newsstands. Newsstands were quite a common site in and around the public squares and the streets of Cuernavaca and in Mexico City. I bought a couple of X-Men comics at one stand near the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City, nabbing three issues from Peter Milligan and Salvador Larocca's run on Uncanny X-Men an d one issue of Wolverine from Mark Millar and John Romita Jr.'s "Agent of SHIELD" story. The comics were comparable in quality and format to American editions, but were much cheaper. The 19 pesos I paid for the most recent X-Men comes to less than $2 American. Other titles, such as DC's World War III series that tied into the end of 52, were closer in cost at about $3 USD, but seemed to include more content than a normal U.S. comic.

* Having heard bits about "Memin Pinguin" — an popular but old character criticized frequently for perpetuating racist images — I had to buy a copy at the local convenience store for 7 pesos (about 70 cents U.S.). I was in Mexico to learn Spanish, but haven't learned enough to completely understand what looks like an extremely bizarre story and imagery artwork that is disturbing to see published and presented as children's entertainment in the 21st century.