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Quince
Lupe is just your average, insecure, well-meaning, occasionally cranky teenage girl whose life is completely turned upside down when she discovers she has superpowers at her quinceañera. Her quince powers only last as long as she's fifteen, so over the course of this rollercoaster year, we follow the adventures of Lupe as she figures out what it really means to be a hero.
Quince is a 15-issue, digital-first comic book series that will be released on the 15th of every month via ComiXology starting on January 15, 2017. Each issue will be released in English and in Spanish.
The English-language series will be collected into a printed trade paperback that will be released on October 23, 2017.
Quince is a 15-issue, digital-first comic book series that will be released on the 15th of every month via ComiXology starting on January 15, 2017. Each issue will be released in English and in Spanish.
The English-language series will be collected into a printed trade paperback that will be released on October 23, 2017.
164 pages, Paperback
First published October 23, 2017
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1146 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 153 reviews
August 7, 2018
Best line: "Jasmine is mean to everyone. She regularly says hurtful things about my body. That doesn't mean you're allowed to murder her at prom."
December 9, 2020
Utterly charming and witty tale with a plus size Latina superhero!!! Since I am not Latinx I won't comment on the representation. (The author/creator is Latino, I believe.)
Having a fierce, sweet, and smart brown teenager like Lupe save the day is a powerful and refreshing sight! Even when her powers left, she still tried to help people by being empathic and showing them resources they might need. While there's some romance it isn't the main focus of the story, which I love. The ending melted my heart, especially the scenes with Lupe and her abuela.
I read The Okay Witch and loved the artwork there. Quince is adorable as well, and it was wonderful to see diversity in the character cast!
I would read 15 more issues of this, not even joking.
Content warning: fatphobia, mean girl trope (it's subverted though), hospitalization of a loved one (brief but I will include it)
Having a fierce, sweet, and smart brown teenager like Lupe save the day is a powerful and refreshing sight! Even when her powers left, she still tried to help people by being empathic and showing them resources they might need. While there's some romance it isn't the main focus of the story, which I love. The ending melted my heart, especially the scenes with Lupe and her abuela.
I read The Okay Witch and loved the artwork there. Quince is adorable as well, and it was wonderful to see diversity in the character cast!
I would read 15 more issues of this, not even joking.
Content warning: fatphobia, mean girl trope (it's subverted though), hospitalization of a loved one (brief but I will include it)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 19, 2020
This was sweet, and drama-filled, and funny, as Lupe gets superpowers on her 15th birthday, and her fabulous abuela helps her train and deal with the emotional aspect of gaining her abilities. The catch is that the superpowers only last a year.
I loved Lupe, and how she dealt with her superpowered year, but more importantly, how she dealt with the loss of her powers on her 16th birthday, and afterwards.
I loved Lupe, and how she dealt with her superpowered year, but more importantly, how she dealt with the loss of her powers on her 16th birthday, and afterwards.
August 9, 2020
Hello! How are you?
Recently, I have been reading like crazy! My new nightstand TBR stack is out of control (but in the best way because it has some amazing books I have really been looking forward to on it). The other night after I had finished a book, I wanted to keep reading but I had not felt reading to pick up a new novel or series yet, so I found myself browsing Hoopla for a graphic novel (I have the next issue of Giant Days already downloaded but I do not know if I am emotionally ready for that). While I was looking around on Hoopla, I came across a graphic novel called Quince, it was a bind-up of all the issues and I still had two borrows left for July (it was like the night before August, so I needed to pick something) so I decided to go ahead and give it a try!
SPOILERS AHEAD
Lupe is about to have her Quinceanera! She is just your average teenage girl, with a normal family but when she celebrates her fifteenth birthday she gains superpowers! Now Lupe is anything but normal, she has tons of superpowers that she has no ideas how to use, luckily her grandmother had the same thing happen to her on her Quinceanera and is able to fill Lupe in on the details but also force her to spend her entire summer training. Once Lupe has her training completed, her grandmother begins to spot crimes everywhere that Lupe can help solve! Lupe is now using her powers to work as an awesome superhero! Everything is going great until the school Lupe attends is vandalized one day. Lupe knows this is the work of a villain but she is not sure what she is going to do. Lupe stakes out the school and catches the villain but things do not go as planned and now Lupe has to decide between dealing with this new villain or going to prom with the guy of her dreams.
I really loved this graphic novel, and I was super glad I was able to get the bind up and read it all at once! I honestly did not know what to expect going into this, I did not read the summary when I was picking things on Hoopla (I was just picking by what looked interesting), and I knew nothing about it in general. The story was great, I love Lupe, her grandmother, her family, and even the villain character. Additionally, I loved the illustration style and the colors used in this graphic novel. Some of my favorite sections were with the villain, the colors popped and were remarkable! If you have the opportunity definitely pick this graphic novel up and give it a try!
Goodreads Rating: 5 Stars
Recently, I have been reading like crazy! My new nightstand TBR stack is out of control (but in the best way because it has some amazing books I have really been looking forward to on it). The other night after I had finished a book, I wanted to keep reading but I had not felt reading to pick up a new novel or series yet, so I found myself browsing Hoopla for a graphic novel (I have the next issue of Giant Days already downloaded but I do not know if I am emotionally ready for that). While I was looking around on Hoopla, I came across a graphic novel called Quince, it was a bind-up of all the issues and I still had two borrows left for July (it was like the night before August, so I needed to pick something) so I decided to go ahead and give it a try!
SPOILERS AHEAD
Lupe is about to have her Quinceanera! She is just your average teenage girl, with a normal family but when she celebrates her fifteenth birthday she gains superpowers! Now Lupe is anything but normal, she has tons of superpowers that she has no ideas how to use, luckily her grandmother had the same thing happen to her on her Quinceanera and is able to fill Lupe in on the details but also force her to spend her entire summer training. Once Lupe has her training completed, her grandmother begins to spot crimes everywhere that Lupe can help solve! Lupe is now using her powers to work as an awesome superhero! Everything is going great until the school Lupe attends is vandalized one day. Lupe knows this is the work of a villain but she is not sure what she is going to do. Lupe stakes out the school and catches the villain but things do not go as planned and now Lupe has to decide between dealing with this new villain or going to prom with the guy of her dreams.
I really loved this graphic novel, and I was super glad I was able to get the bind up and read it all at once! I honestly did not know what to expect going into this, I did not read the summary when I was picking things on Hoopla (I was just picking by what looked interesting), and I knew nothing about it in general. The story was great, I love Lupe, her grandmother, her family, and even the villain character. Additionally, I loved the illustration style and the colors used in this graphic novel. Some of my favorite sections were with the villain, the colors popped and were remarkable! If you have the opportunity definitely pick this graphic novel up and give it a try!
Goodreads Rating: 5 Stars
August 3, 2020
This is it, a graphic novel made for me! I remember my quince with elation and confusion ( bing a Latinx teenager is complicated). I had a MAJOR crush on a Vietnamese boy in 8th grade so yay Devin! Lupe is so real and funny and the unlikely hero of her own story. Her whole family are wonderfully quirky, well developed characters and not Latinx caricatures at all. Lupe refers to Oscar Isaac and Michael B. Jordan as celebrity crushes- same girl, same. I felt Lupe so hard. I have never seen myself represented in a comic series as the heroine. I am a fan!
January 1, 2019
Such a clear, authentic teen voice!
October 21, 2020
first of all so cute and also,,, the representation,,, like the main character is thick and not white??? LOVE TO SEE IT
November 6, 2017
Quince is the seventh graphic novel/trade paperback release, and incidentally the third in a trio of consecutively released youth-oriented superhero stories (after Yehudi Mercado’s Hero Hotel and Stefano Terry’s The Gamma Girls), from Fanbase Press. Created by Sebastian Kadlecik (one of the masterminds behind Fanbase Press’ Penguins vs. Possums), written by Kit Steinkellner with Emma Steinkellner on art duties, Quince was originally being released digitally on the 15th of each month at comiXology. The Quince trade paperback collects all fifteen issues of the series’ run.
The story encompasses the entire year of high school sophomore Lupe, whom on the night of her quinceañera, is bestowed with superhero powers. Over the course of the year, she secretly trains under her grandmother, (who also received quince-super powers while she was fifteen years old), and juggles having a crush on a boy, difficulties with homework, fighting crime and eventually coming head-to-head with a classmate who also stumbles upon superpowers, but elects a darker path on using them.
As with Fanbase Press’ prior releases of The Gamma Gals, Quince focuses on marginalized characters, and in this instance, a Hispanic female teenager. Quince goes a one step further than The Gamma Gals in that is incorporates more cultural depictions. Lupe’s quinceañera and its importance is the obvious cultural depiction, along with the many Spanish-language colloquialisms that pepper the dialog and the various floral patterns on Lupe’s outfits (both her normal clothing and her superhero-garb) which are inspired by designs used on traditional Mexican dresses.
Though Quince is a superhero comic, the quantity of action and fighting sequences is extremely low: the focus is mostly rooted on Lupe and her development as a character. Lupe is a truly standout character and she is exceptionally funny. At times snarky, at times teenage angst, and at times simply going for a joke, Lupe delivers and her facial expressions compliment her (perhaps incidental, but definitely not acknowledged) wit perfectly. The supporting cast, particularly Lupe’s grandmother and little sister, provide many opportunities of great banter and fun dialog, giving everyone tight knit relationships. All the characters are drawn in distinctive and expressive ways, especially in their facial expressions.
While the characters are smartly realized, Quince falters on depicting background and environments. Exterior buildings are often featureless boxes, lacking even windows. Walls are flat and two-dimensional, lacking texture and are often in a singular colour. The world of Quince may be populated with diverse, interesting and nicely-realized characters, but the world itself is bland and uninteresting.
This is perhaps the only fault with Quince, and its truly overshadowed by how lovable the characters are. Though a teen, Lupe has moments of being whiney, but it is never being off putting or annoying to the reader: she is relatable to them. The ending moral of Quince is a variation of “not all superheroes need to wear capes” motif, but its underscored with other elements: bullies that stop being bullies and other folks striking friendships with unlikely people. It’s a positive comic book, and told in a fun fashion with Lupe at the helm.
The story encompasses the entire year of high school sophomore Lupe, whom on the night of her quinceañera, is bestowed with superhero powers. Over the course of the year, she secretly trains under her grandmother, (who also received quince-super powers while she was fifteen years old), and juggles having a crush on a boy, difficulties with homework, fighting crime and eventually coming head-to-head with a classmate who also stumbles upon superpowers, but elects a darker path on using them.
As with Fanbase Press’ prior releases of The Gamma Gals, Quince focuses on marginalized characters, and in this instance, a Hispanic female teenager. Quince goes a one step further than The Gamma Gals in that is incorporates more cultural depictions. Lupe’s quinceañera and its importance is the obvious cultural depiction, along with the many Spanish-language colloquialisms that pepper the dialog and the various floral patterns on Lupe’s outfits (both her normal clothing and her superhero-garb) which are inspired by designs used on traditional Mexican dresses.
Though Quince is a superhero comic, the quantity of action and fighting sequences is extremely low: the focus is mostly rooted on Lupe and her development as a character. Lupe is a truly standout character and she is exceptionally funny. At times snarky, at times teenage angst, and at times simply going for a joke, Lupe delivers and her facial expressions compliment her (perhaps incidental, but definitely not acknowledged) wit perfectly. The supporting cast, particularly Lupe’s grandmother and little sister, provide many opportunities of great banter and fun dialog, giving everyone tight knit relationships. All the characters are drawn in distinctive and expressive ways, especially in their facial expressions.
While the characters are smartly realized, Quince falters on depicting background and environments. Exterior buildings are often featureless boxes, lacking even windows. Walls are flat and two-dimensional, lacking texture and are often in a singular colour. The world of Quince may be populated with diverse, interesting and nicely-realized characters, but the world itself is bland and uninteresting.
This is perhaps the only fault with Quince, and its truly overshadowed by how lovable the characters are. Though a teen, Lupe has moments of being whiney, but it is never being off putting or annoying to the reader: she is relatable to them. The ending moral of Quince is a variation of “not all superheroes need to wear capes” motif, but its underscored with other elements: bullies that stop being bullies and other folks striking friendships with unlikely people. It’s a positive comic book, and told in a fun fashion with Lupe at the helm.
July 26, 2018
Wonderful dialogue and characters. I really liked the relationship between Lupe and her family. The ending was spot-on.
September 12, 2024
I feel like this graphic novel series did not get any hype because it was really good. I think people in middle school, freshman and sophomores would really enjoy this. Even though this was written in 2017, the story line is timeless. And everyone can learn something after reading this.
October 16, 2020
there were so many weird things with this comic. and by weird I mean, things that made me uncomfortable.
August 9, 2020
3.5
Really cute and I loved the art style. I also really like the topics that were low key discussed like body positivity and being a hero means just helping and doing good deeds. I kinda didn’t like that she only had her powers for like a year I think? Also I think this is the first thing I’ve read that had a quince in it.
Really cute and I loved the art style. I also really like the topics that were low key discussed like body positivity and being a hero means just helping and doing good deeds. I kinda didn’t like that she only had her powers for like a year I think? Also I think this is the first thing I’ve read that had a quince in it.
January 2, 2018
I got this at last year's Latino Comics Expo (which was very fun) and finally read it today. It was so lovely!! It also gets all three thumbs up from me for being a self-contained 15 issues. Serialized media is a struggle, y'all.
November 12, 2025
This could be a tv show!!
May 9, 2022
Really cute. A little cheesy but in a good way.
December 20, 2023
Hoopla
Just fantastic! Love familial stories with great characters and teaches important lessons.
Just fantastic! Love familial stories with great characters and teaches important lessons.
July 30, 2020
4.5 - charming.
June 28, 2022
Sweet and fast comic about a teen who gets superpowers. I liked the family dynamics, the Spanish/English blend, and the art.
November 14, 2020
There is so much I loved about this book. Lupe is such a wonderful main character and I loved her family, especially abuela. Her love interest was sweet and the villain not so irredeemable. Overall, a humorous but genuine kind of story.
March 18, 2021
This was a very refreshing take on teenage superhero life – very realistic, practical, and showing that it’s not all glam and glory, that being a superhero is sometimes the very opposite of awesome. It’s not always easy to do the right thing, and more often than not, the right thing is not the easy thing. Lupe is a very relatable 15-year-old, not only in how she reacts to discovering her Quince powers, but also in her relationships with others such as her Abuela (who teaches her and trains her to use her Quince powers), her siblings, parents, friends at school, and even her crush and the bullied kid. This book moves along fast, but I never felt that things were rushed. Lupe is fleshed out, and the various people around her have some dimension to them as well. We get to see mini-arcs of how relationships develop, and see regular teenage problems worked out in plausible ways. I also appreciated the very realistic body types in this book, as in, not everyone (and least of all our heroine!) is stick-thin. And you know what? She embraces her body, and gets others to embrace it too, so yay for body positivity. Considering Lupe’s attitude towards being a superhero (she hates only getting 3 hours of sleep a night, and never getting to finish her lunch! But she also loves being able to help others, and is even a little jealous of her own alter-ego for the positive attention Quince gets), I wouldn’t have even minded if there was no actual antagonist to take the scene. At first I questioned why have a specific antagonist come on page at all, but it really worked well with how the story went, and contributed to some really good scenes and moments.
All in all, I really quite enjoyed Quince and Lupe’s story, and would definitely recommend it for someone looking for stories about Latina superheros, for body positivity, and for teenage slice-of-life-type stories.
Favorite Quotes:
Look, I'm not saying being pure of heart and having the power of love on your side is going to win you every battle. Or even most battles. But it's just more powerful fuel fighting for what's right. – page 131/164
But people in trouble don’t always need a caped crusader. Sometimes, what someone needs most is a friend who will sit with them. – page 151/164
All in all, I really quite enjoyed Quince and Lupe’s story, and would definitely recommend it for someone looking for stories about Latina superheros, for body positivity, and for teenage slice-of-life-type stories.
Favorite Quotes:
Look, I'm not saying being pure of heart and having the power of love on your side is going to win you every battle. Or even most battles. But it's just more powerful fuel fighting for what's right. – page 131/164
But people in trouble don’t always need a caped crusader. Sometimes, what someone needs most is a friend who will sit with them. – page 151/164
January 24, 2019
I realio trulio loved this book so much!
Lupe's quinceañera is special in more ways than she anticipated. Not only is it her coming of age into womanhood, it's the day her super powers manifest. Luckily, her abuela, who's been through it all herself, is there to mentor and guide her. It's a wild and wonderful year for Lupe as she saves her community over and over and experiences fan adoration. It's also hard work and very stressful! It isn't easy living two separate lives. When her grades start slipping she has to work with a tutor. Still, everything seems to be fine until it is discovered that there is another teen at her high school with super powers, and he's full of evil.
While there is some romance in this book, it's nothing that would keep me from handing it off to a ten year old to read. In fact, Lupe is the ideal role model. She's strong, independent, compassionate and kind. Sebastian Kadlecik wanted to create a comic book with a super hero his Latino nieces would want to emulate, and who would be a mirror for them to see themselves and their families. Not only have the creators accomplished it, this trio have created a superhero for all girls (and even boys) to look up to.
Even if the ending almost made me cry, this book still makes me happy!
I appreciated the diverse cast of characters at the school Lupe attends. I love Lupe's Latino family, but most especially her abuela! Their relationship is a highlight of the book for me. I especially love that this book makes pink a power colour!
I had problems with some text being too small to read but because I was reading it on my iPad, I could enlarge it. I'm not sure if that is a problem with me or the book though, since I have trouble with text in graphic novels on a regular basis. The text in the gutters and inside the frames didn't bother me, but it does make the page look busy.
Lupe's quinceañera is special in more ways than she anticipated. Not only is it her coming of age into womanhood, it's the day her super powers manifest. Luckily, her abuela, who's been through it all herself, is there to mentor and guide her. It's a wild and wonderful year for Lupe as she saves her community over and over and experiences fan adoration. It's also hard work and very stressful! It isn't easy living two separate lives. When her grades start slipping she has to work with a tutor. Still, everything seems to be fine until it is discovered that there is another teen at her high school with super powers, and he's full of evil.
While there is some romance in this book, it's nothing that would keep me from handing it off to a ten year old to read. In fact, Lupe is the ideal role model. She's strong, independent, compassionate and kind. Sebastian Kadlecik wanted to create a comic book with a super hero his Latino nieces would want to emulate, and who would be a mirror for them to see themselves and their families. Not only have the creators accomplished it, this trio have created a superhero for all girls (and even boys) to look up to.
Even if the ending almost made me cry, this book still makes me happy!
I appreciated the diverse cast of characters at the school Lupe attends. I love Lupe's Latino family, but most especially her abuela! Their relationship is a highlight of the book for me. I especially love that this book makes pink a power colour!
I had problems with some text being too small to read but because I was reading it on my iPad, I could enlarge it. I'm not sure if that is a problem with me or the book though, since I have trouble with text in graphic novels on a regular basis. The text in the gutters and inside the frames didn't bother me, but it does make the page look busy.
July 26, 2018
So so so good. This book is heartwarming, funny, exciting.
June 20, 2024
Such a fun story about growing pains and doing what's right instead of what is easy. Also, be careful what you wish for on your birthday. Lupe Veracruz has a peculiar gift she receives on her 15th birthday. Her abuela (grandma) tells she has to use it before it's gone and that she must do as much "good" as possible before her next birthday. Abuela totes becomes her drill sergeant. It's definitely filled with those moments as a teen when you realize certain things about yourself and others and move up a level on the maturity scale. Lupe learns that you don't have to be a superhero to do good in the world and help people and her arch nemesis Garrett realizes he just needs to reach back to the extended hand willing to help him get back up. It's full of all the wit, sass and smartass comebacks teenagers thrive on. It's definitely a fun time and if you don't laugh out loud something is wrong with you but you absolutely will love the wonderful family dynamic and support of Lupe's family. A very fun read!
August 13, 2020
This made me so happy. I love that Lupe only had her powers for one year and the way she used her experiences after the fact. It was a nice message to say bescially we can all make a difference/be a hero if we try and it's nice to get that reminder every once in a while. The artwork by Steinkellner was nice and aesthetically pleasing. I really wish there was a continuation or something similar that was out there in the comic world featuring Hispanic superhero leads.
September 16, 2020
Wow, this was a really fun superhero story following a girl whose superpowers appear after her quinceañera. I really enjoyed the family relationships, especially with her abuela and also that is mixed in regular coming of age moments at school with battling criminals at night. A busy life Lupe has! A really wonderful story.
October 22, 2020
Okay, this graphic novel is ADORABLE. Also smart, feminist, and swoony. I am buying this immediately for my YA collection.
October 16, 2020
Super cute, easy, feel good comic! Love the message at the end and how positive this comic was overall. I liked the representation and topics it covered in an easy little package for young readers to cover. Its all about love, people, love 💘
February 13, 2021
I really loved this graphic novel! I loved the story and I found Lupe relatable. I really loved Lupe's relationship with her abuela-The strong connection between the two of them really struck a chord with me<3 It's not a long read, but it is a funny and entertaining story!
October 17, 2020
This was a lot of fun! Lupita and her abuela made a great crime fighting team. The art and color schemes were adorable! I will definitely pick up volume 2 when it comes out.
October 19, 2020
Nice integration of cultural touchstones, common superhero tropes, and story about finding the power within yourself. This could be a great stepping stone for conversation with a middle grade reading audience on multiple levels.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 153 reviews