Araceli Victoria Isabela Melendez

Stepping into the sun-drenched, emotionally rich world of Jaime Hernandez's Love and Rockets, Araceli Victoria Isabela Melendez made her debut in 2001 — right as the legendary Fantagraphics series entered a bold new chapter of the Modern Age. With a name as full and resonant as the characters Hernandez is celebrated for crafting, she moves through a world populated by beloved figures like Maggie Chascarillo, Hopey Glass, and Ray Dominguez, which is about as distinguished a comics neighborhood as it gets. Her appearances are select rather than sprawling, lending her the quality of someone whose presence carries genuine weight whenever Hernandez chooses to bring her forward.