Land of mirror
cartoonist: Maria
Translator: Aleshia Jens and Daniel Ortiz
Publisher: Draw and quarterly
Publication date: February 2025
Do you remember when you were a child, you opened a new pack of construction paper? You can flip through it and see a rainbow of very specific familiar colors that seem specific to architectural paper. Doing this is common to me, but I didn’t think of memories or feelings for many years – until I read the new English translation of Spanish artists Maria Mend Graphic novels, Land of mirrors, Bright artwork that will attract you with the sheer gorgeousness of its design. 
Yes, eye-catching book design is the first thing you might want to pay attention to Land of mirror. Actually, before you open the book, it’s obvious. You can see the constructed paper-like shadows, and the book is just lying on one side of it. What’s more, once you open it, most pages take the same color and mix it in the story itself. The final effect is a physical object with a bright appearance that can laugh at the journey you are about to go. I’m not sure if it was intentional or if it was just something unintentional, as most pages have colorful frames around the way they are laid out. But it makes me appreciate that this book is a work of art that is deeper than most of my graphic novels, and I tend to value it based on my experience of reading stories.
Be clear, Land of mirror It’s also very interesting. The basic concept is that the protagonist Antonia is the sole occupant of a deserted town as a caretaker. The shape of life that gives her is the flower she must visit, raise and protect every day. Our plot conflict – as much as possible – Antonia fears spending a day will die. To borrow an overused, usually silent phrase: Land of mirror It’s mood.
I really like this mood, especially during the dark times of the year, where the weather has been cold and the news is turbulent. This is a book that exudes loneliness in the way I need now.
However, I will point out that while I’m happy to have the book just washed off on me, readers who like a structured, concrete narrative will leave what they want. Land of mirror It is closer to the environmental prose poem than this is a story with a three-act structure. If the book was a song, it would be Shoegaze Dream Pop with many guitar vortexes and unlikely to get a lot of radio. Therefore, it may frustrate some readers and immediately catch a glimpse of the mind after it is over. But if you are a story with a lower structure, then this is a very good story.
If you want a wonderful aesthetic experience – that’s one that you don’t fully understand, Land of mirror Absolutely adorable, full of stunning visual concepts, and essays that have been translated into English. This book is a wonderful way to spend an evening alone, curl crouching in a chair, a happy night.
Maria Medem’s Mirror Land is now available
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