Review: Unearthed: a Jessica Cruz Story ...

I received a digital and a physical copy of this graphic novel for free from DC Comics to read and review. Opinions are my own.

Unearthed: A Jessica Cruz Story is a super hero story of a different sort. Jessica is not off fighting aliens and super villains in this one. This is a much more grounded story that is so relevant to today. Jessica is finding her life turned upside down and pulled in many directions at once. She is working hard at a special fellowship. she studies hard and gets good grades, she takes care of her parents and her home by cooking and cleaning. She’s even preparing to apply for college. However, forces outside of herself are in motion to turn her world upside-down. I’m not talking Darkseid or Grail here either. These forces are racism, nationalism and fear.

the official description of the comic is this: “Unearthed is the first graphic novel from acclaimed YA author Lilliam Rivera (Never Look Back) and rising illustrator Steph C., featuring a reimagined origin for Jessica Cruz, one of DC’s brightest young stars. As her home of Coast City is plagued by rising xenophobia, Jessica must navigate the challenges of life as a DREAMer in this honest and emotional exploration of the immigrant experience in America. Through Jessica’s bravery and determination, Rivera and C. show readers that even without a power ring, the best among us can be heroes when called upon.”

In this story we see a more grounded conflict, one that cannot be taken on with a power ring. Jessica must use all of her willpower and compassion to work together with friends in order to fight against the growing darkness that is creeping into Jessica’s life. We see how things get worse as she isolates herself from her support system and attempts to do everything herself. It is only with sheading light on the issue through her resolve and with the help of her community that things improve.

while this is overall a story of an immigrant child and her experiences it is also one that speaks to teens all over who don’t feel that they have a voice or power. It was only through tapping into her support network and taking positive action that she saw things improve.

the book was beautifully illustrated by Steph C. Each page looks like a watercolor and the choice of colors is also significant for many parts of the book. there is a whole theme with Jessica’s museum fellowship and how the Aztec gods play a role because of a museum display. Jessica experiences visions or dreams about two of the gods and when she does the pages get the most vibrant.

The story itself was done very well. Lilliam Rivera shows a highly relatable story of child of immigrant parents and the fears, joys, pressures and triumphs that entails. Eva will be reading this comic next and I suspect that she will find it quite compelling.