By Zack Quaintance — I had an absolute blast reading Onion Skin by Edgar Camacho, a newly published in the U.S. graphic novel that won prestigious accolades after it was first published in Mexico in 2016 (namely, it was the winner of Mexico’s first ever Young Graphic Novel Award). On the surface, this is the story of a pair of unlikely business partners who run a food truck, coming into conflict with established forces once they gain success. Below the surface, as it were, this is a story about pursuing self-actualization and empowerment, regardless of how absurd others deem it, or even your own lack of qualifications. It’s also a story that features characters making, consuming, and selling delicious food throughout.

And friends? I think it’s that last point that really makes this book an excellent read. This is essentially a book about a pair of protagonists who more than anything are looking for a fulfilling and viable way to spend their lives. Which, aren’t we all? Within that, the book rightly understands that sometimes the challenge and intimidation of those big questions can and should be tapered by a truly righteous, absolutely perfect meal. It’s a tricky thing to convey in the graphic novel medium — deprived of it is of sounds like sizzling, or biting, as well as more dynamic visuals of food actually cooking — but Camacho’s artwork throughout Onion Skin accomplishes it well, often making the food the focus of not just panels but entire pages.

So, delicious food that puts enjoying a good meal within its rightful context as one of the true joys of life is the thing I liked most about Onion Skin, conveyed as it is by YA-skewing art that looks unique among a crowded YA-skewing art graphic novel market. The creative work in this book I enjoyed second most was the highly skilled degree of characterization. Onion Skin is powered by a pair of characters, an odd couple of sorts, both of whom are incredibly distinct. The duo is Rolando and Nera, and readers should absolutely expect to fall in love with them both, although they don’t fall in love with each other, not romantically anyway.

Rolando is a corporate job type when we first meet him, although he’s not enjoying it, not even a little bit. But he is risk adverse so he keeps on…until one wild drunken night he meets Nera, the exact opposite of a corporate job type. Their ensuing entanglement pulls Rolando out of his conservative shell, to a place where his tendencies give Nera’s own more flighty lifestyle just a little bit of ambition and form — and the result is a successful traveling food truck.

That’s really the central conflict of this story — can the protagonists compliment each other well enough to obtain success. There is, of course, a simpler more tangible conflict as well. A rival food truck will go to any lengths to hold them down and keep them off their turf, and you know what? I enjoyed that as well. I enjoyed that this was a story set in Mexico that didn’t connect its central villain to some kind of shadowy drug cartel, as basically any and all American stories about Mexico tend to do. The story feels so much more relatable and real for it.

Overall, Onion Skin is a great book for readers about 13 on up through adults. It has a deceptively simple recipe, yet its different ingredients are treated so well, that what emerges is a tremendously varied and satisfying dish. Apologies for all the food references, but the book with its great focus on cooking gave me no choice.

GRAPHIC NOVEL REVIEW: Onion Skin by Edgar Camacho

Onion Skin
Writer/Artist: Edgar Camacho
Publisher: IDW Publishing - Top Shelf Productions
Discover a bright new star of Mexican comics in this romantic and thrilling tale, stuffed with adventure and delicious food. Rolando’s job was crushing him… and then it literally crushed his hand. Now he can barely get out of the house, binging TV and struggling to find meaning. On a rare night out with friends, he meets Nera, a woman who lives only in the moment. Dazzled by her hedonistic attitude, Rolando sees a new life opening before him. Together, these restless youths fix up an old food truck and hit the road for a wild journey. But have they truly found the spice of life? Or has Rolando bitten off more than he can chew? Onion Skin, winner of Mexico’s first ever National Young Graphic Novel Award, became a sensation in its native land for its rich narrative, captivating characters, thrilling action, and positively delicious artwork. It’s a feast that will leave readers eager for a second course.
Price: $14.99
Release Date: May 25, 2021
More Info: Onion Skin by Edgar Camacho

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Zack Quaintance is a tech reporter by day and freelance writer by night/weekend. He Tweets compulsively about storytelling and comics as Comics Bookcase.