As Latino heritage month comes to an end, I want to talk about my favorite comic book series called “A La Brava” written by Kayden Phoenix. “A La Brava” is the first comic book featuring a team of Latina superheroes who fight to counter the civil unrest in parts of their various home countries.

While they come from different backgrounds, the hero that I will focus on is Bandita. Bandita is a Dominican cowgirl who lives in New York City and works as a custodian at a Broadway Theater. As she works at the theater, she starts to get close with Chyanne, the lead of a show,  and discovers some hidden trouble going on beneath the surface.

Behind the scenes, she not only discovers that the owner is abusive towards the lead but that they are also the leader of a criminal gang called the Cientificos. After Bandita discovers the truth about the leader called Luna Loca, she must develop a plan to stop them before it’s too late.

The issue focusing on Bandita does such a good job of not only showing that you can be a superhero no matter what you look like, but also that you can make friends in the most unexpected places. Bandita rises up to the challenges she faces and also isn’t afraid to help those in need. As she rescues Cheyanne, she learns about what it means to be a friend because no matter what, they can always change you for the better. 

Overall, if you like stories that focus on the power of friendship and awesome female lead characters, then “A La Brava” and specifically, “Bandita” is the right choice for you.

As a fellow comic book nerd, I want to give my appreciation to Kayden Phoenix who wrote “Bandita” because not only is Phoenix a wonderful writer of the comic book. But she also proves why representation matters. Phoenix’s writing style is stellar because not only does she write from the heart on the character of “Bandita”. But she also makes me hopeful that there can be more Latina superheroes in the comic book industry who can be the lead characters that save the day and fight bad guys.

If there is one comic book writer that people should look out for, it is the immensely talented Kayden Phoenix who is a master at being a writer. One of the many things that I love about Kayden Phoenix is that she shows how her characters evolve in the story of “Bandita” and how they can conquer any obstacle with their tight bond while never backing down from a fight.