Three Strikes is the story of Rey Quintana, a hispanic college kid who forgets his girlfriend’s birthday. He’s in a jewelry store and impulsively decides to pocket a pair of earrings that are lying out on the counter. Then he gets caught–and he’s already been in jail twice before, for minor crimes. The district attorney, who’s up for re-election, wants to send him to jail for twenty-two years (for a crime that would typically get him a year in prison) to give the voting public the impression he’s tough on crime. Rey’s out on bail, and when his friend Billy tells him that they should get out of town, he reluctantly agrees. But then, the bail bondsman hires a bounty hunter to get him back. How far will Rey go to avoid getting sent to jail? This graphic novel is an excellent social commentary on the problems of being young, poor, hispanic, and in trouble with the law. Nunzio DeFilippis and Christina Weir do a wonderful job addressing real-world concerns in their graphic novels. The art is rough but striking–it fits well with a story that is, in the end, both educational and entertaining.
Three Strikes
by Nunzio DeFilippis and Christina Weir
ISBN: 9781929998821
Oni Press, 2004
