Penny Century #4
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freePenny Century #4 is a pivotal chapter in Jaime Hernandez's long-running Locas continuity, packing several interconnected short stories that advance the soap-opera machinery of the Hoppers ensemble in concentrated fashion. The issue introduces Vivian "Frogmouth" Solis — a volatile, sharply drawn character who would go on to entangle Ray Dominguez, Maggie Chascarrillo, and others across many subsequent stories — making it a genuine character-debut issue within one of alternative comics' most celebrated ongoing sagas. Its interweaving of Ray's melancholic night-crawling, Hopey's bartending humiliation, and Penny's vigil over the dying H.R. Costigan demonstrates Hernandez's mastery of elliptical, multi-threaded storytelling that influenced a generation of cartoonists. Published midway through the seven-issue Penny Century run — Jaime's solo Fantagraphics vehicle after the original Love and Rockets concluded — the issue documents the Locas cast aging in real time, a formal choice that was still rare in American comics.
In "Penny Century," Jaime Hernandez crafts a quiet, resonant moment in the lives of his characters as Ray’s solitary drive through the night leads him to an unexpected encounter with Negra and her friend. The story unfolds in the dim glow of Denny’s All Night, where Ray crosses paths with Hopey and Goforth, stirring memories that linger long after the lights go out. With Hernandez’s signature blend of intimacy and urban detail, this issue captures a fleeting yet deeply felt passage through loneliness and connection.
In "Loser Leave Oxnard," Hopey struggles through a tense night at Norma’s party, where things take a sharp turn when Bolani’s shocking act sends Negra fleeing. Left stranded after being let go from her shift, Hopey reaches out to her dwindling circle—finally resorting to asking Goforth for a ride home.
In "¡Inquiritis!," Penny finds quiet refuge at Isabel's as the two share a tender moment of memory and connection before stepping out for groceries. A news report on the television delivers a jolt—Penny's husband, H.R. Costigan, has slipped into a coma, throwing their fragile peace into sudden, uncertain motion.
In "One More Ladies' Man," Ray’s restless night begins with a quiet visit to a strip club, leaving him adrift in melancholy. A chance encounter with Negra and her friend after their car breaks down offers no relief, and as the hours pass in Denny’s All Night, the familiar faces of Hopey and Goforth stir memories that linger long after the night ends.
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We Buy Collections ▸History
After the original magazine-format Love and Rockets wrapped its 50-issue run, Fantagraphics gave Jaime Hernandez his own solo title, Penny Century, which launched in late 1997 and ran seven issues through mid-2000, bridging the gap before Love and Rockets vol. 2 began in 2001. The series was immediately preceded by the Maggie and Hopey Color Special (1997) and continued the Locas storylines with some non-Locas material interspersed. Issue #4, cover-dated January 1999, was written, drawn, lettered, and cover-illustrated entirely by Jaime Hernandez — the solo creative model he maintained throughout the run. All content from the issue was subsequently collected in the Locas HC vol. 2: Maggie, Hopey & Ray omnibus and in The Complete Love and Rockets Vol. 18: Locas in Love.
Trivia · 7 facts
- Sole creator: Jaime Hernandez served as writer, penciller, inker, and cover artist for the entire issue.
- The story 'One More Ladies' Man' is credited by League of Comic Geeks as introducing Vivian 'Frogmouth' Solis, a strip-club worker who becomes a recurring figure in Ray Dominguez's and Maggie Chascarrillo's later storylines.
- A major plot development runs across the Penny/Izzy vignettes: Penny is hiding out at Isabel Ortiz's home while news breaks that her husband H.R. Costigan has slipped into a coma; in the closing Penny/Izzy segment, Penny departs before learning Costigan has died.
- 'Loser Leave Oxnard' features Hopey Glass working (and losing) a bartending gig at Norma Costigan's party, with Negra fleeing after a guest's misbehavior and Hopey forced to call Guy Goforth for a ride home.
- The issue contains seven distinct short stories interweaving Penny/Izzy, Hopey, Ray, Negra, and the new character Vivian Solis — a structural anthology format typical of the Penny Century series.
- All stories from this issue were reprinted in at least two collected editions: Locas HC vol. 2: Maggie, Hopey & Ray and The Complete Love and Rockets Vol. 18: Locas in Love.
- The Penny Century solo series occupies a transitional editorial moment: it followed the end of Love and Rockets vol. 1 (50 issues) and preceded the launch of Love and Rockets vol. 2 in 2001, keeping the Locas continuity alive during that gap.
Cast · 14 characters
Full credits
Reprints
Reprinted in The Complete Love & Rockets #[18] (2000), Locas #II (2009), Love and Rockets Library #[8] (2010), Penny Century #3
Key issues in Penny Century
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