A Vida Fluminense #57

"Capítulo I" from A Vida Fluminense #57 (1869) introduces Nhô-Quim, a 20-year-old from Minas Gerais, as he grapples with his feelings for Sinhá Rosa while his wealthy parents send him to Rio de Janeiro to forget her. Accompanied by his enslaved friend Benedito, the journey takes a tense turn when the train enters a dark tunnel—leaving the frame entirely black—sparking a moment of panic and haunting thoughts of being buried alive. At the first stop, Nhô-Quim steps off to drink coffee, marking a quiet yet pivotal moment in a story unfolding through the lens of early Brazilian social tensions. Written, drawn, and inked by Angelo Agostini, this issue captures a fragile, introspective moment in a young man’s life, rendered with striking visual storytelling.