Dave Ortega’s follow-up to “Días de Consuelo” is “River”.

By Mina Rose Morales

Dave Ortega’s sequel, River, continues the narrative from Días de Consuelo. Ortega narrates his family’s semi-autobiographical immigration story in River, which is set in the region where Texas, New Mexico, and Mexico converge in the United States.

“Can you imagine Mijo? Three places meeting in one spot like that,” Consuelo comments.

His short comic features black and white drawings depicting life across the border. These images vividly portray his great-grandfather’s hardened exterior, their encounters with border patrol, struggles with prohibition, and other challenges, thereby revealing the intricate complexities of their family’s immigration journey in the United States.

Shortly after introducing the setting in River, the first major conflict unfolds. A man who appeared to have been shot dead is found lying on the family’s yard. Consuelo’s father, already callous due to life as an immigrant, is enraged at this incident.

“We escape the butchery of wars in Mexico only to have this poor soul killed on our doorstep?! Madness!” shouted Pedro.

A close-up sketch of the man is shown revealing his boots tied tightly to his legs. Consuelo’s mother, Evarista, explains the reasoning behind this: He tied them tightly so they wouldn’t get wet while he crossed the river.

“Do you know what we had to go through to live here in peace?!” asked Pedro.

The Border Patrol responded, “Señor, we have the authority…”

The river and the bridge play a significant role in the comic. They connect the setting of the story where Texas, New Mexico, and Mexico meet. It was a route for smuggling liquor during prohibition, a path where Ortega’s grandmother walked to her job, and the crossing point for Consuelo and her husband Marcelo’s wedding party under moonlit skies. This place represents an unknown journey that somehow feels like home.

Capturing the essence of a place where cultures merge and stories unfold against the backdrop of shared histories and struggles, Ortega describes it as the humblest corner of the city.