FRONTERA

Undocumented and recently deported Mexican national Mateo Renteria sets out on a harrowing journey across the Sonoran Desert to return to the United States for his senior year of high school.

Mateo is shocked to learn that his parents, in order to provide a better life for him, brought him to the U.S. at a young age. But the family can no longer stay. After a judge sends the Renterias back to Guadalajara, Mateo’s parents prepare to reunite him with his grandmother in Phoenix. Too impatient to follow the advice of the coyote his parents hired, Mateo runs headfirst toward the border—and into trouble. He finds help in the unlikeliest of places: Guillermo, the ghost of a queer young man who died nearly 70 years ago. Mateo is equal parts determined and naïve, while Guillermo’s presence and moving backstory provide relevant historical context for the plight of those crossing the border. Warm, vibrant colors deftly wash over the interestingly varied panels, depicting the brutal, inescapable heat and the intensity of being on the move in a geographically and politically hostile environment. There are also scenes of startling natural beauty and emotional vulnerability. A caption notes that the dialogue, presented in English, is assumed to be Spanish unless otherwise noted.

A stirring supernatural framing of an all too common and heartbreaking reality.