Cover: Jaime Hernandez

Love and Rockets #44

Mar 1994 · Fantagraphics · 2.95 USD; 3.95 CAD

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In "It's Not That Big a Deal," Gilbert Hernandez weaves a haunting, dreamlike narrative where Casimira flees into the night after her friend Bruno is attacked by a mysterious black bird that steals his eye. As she searches for answers, she stumbles into a cemetery where future versions of Joselito, Concepcion, and Socorro attend a wake—possibly her own—while 14-year-old Doralis endures a marriage marked by abuse. Meanwhile, Socorro grapples with a shocking revelation about her father, and Sergio, Jesus, and Gato navigate life in Los Angeles. The story unfolds with quiet dread and surreal turns, all rendered in Gilbert Hernandez’s distinctive, emotionally charged style. The cover by Jaime Hernandez captures the mood with a striking, melancholic image.

Contains 2 stories

It's Not That Big a Deal

14 pp · Drama

Bo Bunyan (two-panels)EmeEme and Enero's unnamed friendPenny's MomTito Sr.

In "It's Not That Big a Deal," Jo and her circle navigate the quiet tensions of Chester Square, where a night at a Tex-Mex club sparks a chain of small but sharp confrontations. When Maggie’s impulsive act leads to a fight and a trip to jail, the fragile dynamics among the women—especially between Esther and Maggie—begin to strain under the weight of old grievances.

A Trick of the Unconscious

18 pp · Drama

ChesterBruno GoyasWinonaHeraclio and Carmen's unnamed twinsGabyLeonorAlphonsoGregory (Diana's husband, 1st appearance)Tina (Diana's daughter, 1st appearance)

In "A Trick of the Unconscious," Casimira flees into the night after her friend Bruno is attacked by a black bird that steals his eye, driven by a desperate need to confront the creature. As her journey blurs the line between waking and dream, she stumbles upon a cemetery where adult versions of Joselito, Concepcion, and Socorro gather at a wake—possibly her own—while a younger Doralis endures the cruelty of her new husband. Meanwhile, Sergio, Jesus, and Gato have moved to Los Angeles, and Socorro learns a shocking truth about her father, Tomaso, that her family refuses to acknowledge.