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Unfabulous Five
Lucha Libre, the Mexican art of wrestling, has made its way to Southern California in the form of the Luchadores Five, a gang unlike any other. Their mission is to clean up the East Los Angeles community they live in. But despite their best attempts to get rid of crime in their hometown, "The Unfabulous 5," as they are sometimes known, are regularly arrested by the police, roughed up by a myriad of other gangs, including Werewolves and angry Frenchmen, and ridiculed by the public and their loved ones. It is within this rich Lucha Libre universe, with all its eccentric yet lovable characters, that the social issues of today are addressed in imaginative and hysterical ways.
Omnibus edition includes all 3 volumes of the series. Available in the UK in July 2014.
Omnibus edition includes all 3 volumes of the series. Available in the UK in July 2014.
152 pages, Hardcover
First published July 1, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
September 5, 2021
You know, I think this is one of those books that I really like despite its flaws, but man, this was a really fun, chaotic read.
Unfabulous Five is a fast-paced look into the lives of five luchadores. The story wastes no time setting up conflicts. There's a kind of frenetic pace that will likely be make-or-break for a lot of readers. For me, I don't mind just kind of jumping in for the ride as long as I can stick to some central tenants. We're just given characters, gangs, and groups, and we're just expected to go for it.
The three chapters almost feel like chapters 4-6 of a series instead of the actual first three chapters. In a way, I'm not sure I mind. It's not like the story is so complex that we need a bunch of exposition.
The character dynamics were kind of great. The banter between the five had this kind of caustic, but that kind of caustic where you understood that they cared about each other. It's like that friend group that has devolved into insulting each other out of love, and you're just like "???" That's certainly not going to be sitting well with everyone, but I liked it. I think the last chapter outlined it the best here.
The art was actually pretty great. The muted, bright color scheme and character designs were pretty well done. The action was also really well done. There is this fight in the last chapter where the moves were exceedingly well rendered.
In all, I did end up liking Unfabulous Five. The pacing and gruffness won't draw everyone, but I certainly liked it. Go check it out if you want. I would have definitely followed the work if there were any more volumes.
Unfabulous Five is a fast-paced look into the lives of five luchadores. The story wastes no time setting up conflicts. There's a kind of frenetic pace that will likely be make-or-break for a lot of readers. For me, I don't mind just kind of jumping in for the ride as long as I can stick to some central tenants. We're just given characters, gangs, and groups, and we're just expected to go for it.
The three chapters almost feel like chapters 4-6 of a series instead of the actual first three chapters. In a way, I'm not sure I mind. It's not like the story is so complex that we need a bunch of exposition.
The character dynamics were kind of great. The banter between the five had this kind of caustic, but that kind of caustic where you understood that they cared about each other. It's like that friend group that has devolved into insulting each other out of love, and you're just like "???" That's certainly not going to be sitting well with everyone, but I liked it. I think the last chapter outlined it the best here.
The art was actually pretty great. The muted, bright color scheme and character designs were pretty well done. The action was also really well done. There is this fight in the last chapter where the moves were exceedingly well rendered.
In all, I did end up liking Unfabulous Five. The pacing and gruffness won't draw everyone, but I certainly liked it. Go check it out if you want. I would have definitely followed the work if there were any more volumes.
April 2, 2018
I was really excited about the premise for this graphic novel, but it did not deliver. Here are 4 reasons (stars) I did not enjoy this read:
1. I went into this expected a tight group of Luchadore bros. I did not get that at all. I'm honestly not even sure these guys cared about each other.
2. No clear plot/goals. There are small goals throughout, and a few major villains set up. I wasn't invested enough in the characters to take an interest in their struggles.
3. The rules of the world were non-existent. I know some people enjoy absurdist reads so if you do, maybe give this a chance! I am not one of those people, so I wanted answers to a few things. for instance were the werewolves actually werewolves or just people in wolf masks? Did any of the Luchadores have powers, or were they just saying they were related to devils, etc.
4. Mysogony, rampant racism/xenophobia/just downright meanness. I guess some readers won't be bothered by these things either, but it just seemed like an exercise in insulting various groups of people including Mexicans which was really confusing.
I didn't want to keep reading after the first 30 pages or so, but I continued because I'm reading it for a book club.
1. I went into this expected a tight group of Luchadore bros. I did not get that at all. I'm honestly not even sure these guys cared about each other.
2. No clear plot/goals. There are small goals throughout, and a few major villains set up. I wasn't invested enough in the characters to take an interest in their struggles.
3. The rules of the world were non-existent. I know some people enjoy absurdist reads so if you do, maybe give this a chance! I am not one of those people, so I wanted answers to a few things. for instance were the werewolves actually werewolves or just people in wolf masks? Did any of the Luchadores have powers, or were they just saying they were related to devils, etc.
4. Mysogony, rampant racism/xenophobia/just downright meanness. I guess some readers won't be bothered by these things either, but it just seemed like an exercise in insulting various groups of people including Mexicans which was really confusing.
I didn't want to keep reading after the first 30 pages or so, but I continued because I'm reading it for a book club.
July 6, 2018
Luchadores, Frenchies, Werewolves, Astronauts, Creatures of the Black Leather Lagoon, Elvis wannabe, Clint Eastwood doppleganger, etc ..... Slightly amusing along vein of The Goon though bit too self aware at throwing in oddball quirks. Similar to Adult Swim. Appreciated that the Unfabulous Five had their problems and conflicts. See Powers for reference.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews