Lúz La Luminosa #1
Written and created by Edgardo Miranda-Rodríguez
Illustrated by Elkys Díaz Nova
Edited by Eliana Falcón
Colored by Andrew Crossley
Edgardo Miranda-Rodríguez’s La Borinqueña has been expanding its universe with an intensity that matches the culture it represents. A convention favorite and a multimedia phenomenon in its own right, it’s only logical the Puerto Rican superhero adds to her roster with a series of metahuman characters, known as potentes in the story, that further enrich the vast Caribbean and Diaspora heritage on display. In comes Lúz La Luminosa, a Dominican and Chinese heritage hero that has bioluminescent energy and can create force fields.
Lúz also has endometriosis, a condition 1 in 10 women struggle with. A condition Lúz fights through even when in the middle of chasing down armed henchmen and misguided potentes. Endometriosis is the result of tissue growing outside the uterus in places it doesn’t belong. This can lead to lesions during menstruation which cause considerable pain.
Lúz carries this battle along with her regardless of whether she’s patrolling the streets or just going through daily life, like Superman being forced to carry a piece of Kryptonite in his back pocket and still be expected to function at full capacity. The fact she still goes out to defend those in need with the constant risk of flare ups front and center speaks to her resiliency and sense of duty. Unlike Superman, Lúz has decided that her Kryptonite won’t force her to the sidelines.
Miranda-Rodríguez does an excellent job in making the condition come off as a real worry for Lúz in the heat of battle. It isn’t something that merely gets mentioned for representation’s sake. It figures into her identity in all its dimensions, and it leads to some uniquely tense situations that create an exciting sense of unpredictability.
In doing so, Lúz La Luminosa #1 is as much about heroics as it is about pain and pain management. Readers are invited to question how much physical discomfort one should realistically fight through and how much of it is just too much. It’s about being fair in terms of what’s asked of our heroes, and to reflect on the reasonable limits that come with enacting justice while also dealing with a chronic condition.
Artist Elkys Díaz Nova makes it his mission to capture the full spectrum of Lúz’s emotional arc in regard to her condition. There’s care to not portray her pain as a weakness, nor as something that detracts from her superhero abilities. Her condition is a part of her, and it goes along for the ride all the time. It changes the dynamics of her behavior to an extent, but never in an exclusionary way. Díaz Nova’s art steals the show here and we’d do well to keep an eye on his upcoming work.
A final note, Miranda-Rodríguez includes an informative and accessible essay on endometriosis by Dr. Idhaliz Flores, a professor from Ponce Health Sciences University, in the backmatter. It speaks to his intention of creating a character that respects the condition and is considerate in its portrayal of it. It’s an example of putting your money where your mouth is when it comes to representation.
Lúz La Luminosa #1 is a beautiful comic book that signals the growth of a universe that lets social justice and education lead the way when it comes to populating it with wonderous characters. Fans of La Borinqueña will be happy to get more from her supporting cast here, especially when it’s so enthusiastic in making readers of all walks find versions of themselves in the story.
where does one obtain a copy of said book…
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