Rating: 
Summary: an imaginary town as real as my own, beautiful and tragic
Review: I didn't read these tales in order, and it didn't really matter. I came to know Palomar as one comes to know any community: through rumour and gossip, little stories told in whispers that slowly piece themselves together. Gilberts' ruggedly elegant linework doesn't get him the same kind of attention that Jaimes' masterly draughtmanship attracts, but to my mind the better writer of the two is Beto, hands down. 'Human Diastrophism', included in this volume, about a serial killer who wreaks havoc on the hearts and minds of the residents of Palomar, is by far the best story published under the 'Love and Rockets' banner, a 120+ page yarn that represents one of the high points in comic art. And that's just one of the many, MANY brilliant moments in this massive 512 page volume. Personally, I wish 'Palomar' had of included 'Poison River', the collection chronicling the early life of Luba, the central character in the Palomar oeuvre, and one of the most complex and ambiguous women in modern fiction... but thats a minor quibble. This album is a masterpiece of labyrinthine plotting and loving character development. It is so rare to find an artist patient enough to spend over twenty years on a story, mapping out the soul of a town and its' people; that kind of passion and integrity deserves to be rewarded with your attention. An incredible work.
Rating:
Summary: an imaginary town as real as my own, beautiful and tragic
Review: I didn't read these tales in order, and it didn't really matter. I came to know Palomar as anyone comes to know any community: through rumour and gossip, little stories told in whispers that slowly piece themselves together. Gilberts' ruggedly elegant linework doesn't get him the same kind of attention that Jaimes' masterly draughtmanship attracts, but to my mind the better writer of the two is Beto, hands down. 'Human Diastrophism', included in this volume, about a serial killer who wreaks havoc on the hearts and minds of the residents of Palomar, is by far the best story published under the 'Love and Rockets' banner, a 120+ page yarn that represents one of the high points in comic art. And thats just one of the many, MANY brilliant moments in this massive 512 page volume. Personally, I wish Palomar had of included 'Poison River', the collection chronicling the the early life of Luba, the central character in the Palomar oeuvre, and one of the most complex and ambiguous women in modern fiction... but thats a minor quibble. This album is brilliant.
Rating:
Summary: At Last!
Review: I have been reading Love and Rockets for nearly 20 years and have always been rather partial to Beto's Palomar stories - although I do enjoy Jaime's stories as well. I have always hoped that all the Palomar stories would eventually be compiled into one volume, and here at last they are - and in this beautiful hardcover edition no less. Even though these are comics, the quality of the writing (including the artwork)is as strong as some of the best latino Literature (Beto's work is often compared to Gabriel Garcia Marquez). As such, I always felt that without the benefit of having the entire series contained in one volume much was lost in general continuity - and as a result the weight and depth of the work not entirely accessible or apparent. Now, the full depth and outstanding quality of Beto's masterwork is all contained in a single volume for anyone who might appreciates a quality piece of literature in a completely different way (with pictures).
Rating:
Summary: comic book work of highest magnitude
Review: I started reading Love & Rockets when I was in college in the mid 80s. It blew me away in terms of writing, style, layout. Gilbert is not the best technically, but he more than makes up for it in his storytelling and pacing. I continued reading the stories of Palomar until the mid 90s when other life issues took up most of my time. It was wonderful rediscovering this magnificent work in a single volume. Likewise, Locas by Gilbert's brother Jaime is a superlative body of work (700 pages!). Both volumes should take their deserved place on any comic book lovers shelf.
Rating: 
Summary: Isn't it a bit over-rated?
Review: I'm this Latin American guy that decided to take a look at these Palomar stories...
*
I don't know if being brazilian makes me see Latin American by another perspective, and look at these crude stories without great amazement!!
*
What to say about Palomar? Well, it's some matter of taste. You can like it! Maybe you can hate too... Maybe, like in my case, you can just say: "it's an ok book, couldn't be better? Sure the art isn't that attractive...". Or, perhaps, "is this supposed to be a great achievement in the medium?!!".
*
I really don't think these stories are great or exact the comic books I would give to a non-comic book fun (actually, if the guy is a non-comic book fun, it doesn't matter the book you give to him, he will continue to not like comic books! Isn't he a non-comic book fun? :) I hope you get my point).
*
Indeed, I think that the comics are a powerful medium, where you can (and maybe must) use elements that are not easy to made in the cinema without expending millions and millions with especial effects, and are quite impossible to be achieved with the same impact in written books.
*
I mean, just for an example, in comics, you can afford to have, like in Cerebus, a main character that is not an human, he lives normally with other people, and even manages to be a leader. People would say, "but why couldn't Cerebus be just a normal guy like all the others?". Maybe this is explained by Scott Mccloud in "Understanding Comics". The fact of having a caricature inside of a representation of a "real world" makes people get identified with the caricature, and produces a rich tool to express ideas.
*
A Cerebus movie would be very expensive to do, and since its public wouldn't be children (like a Scooby-doo, or a disney movie) maybe it wouldn't pay itself. On the other hand, a written book about Cerebus would never get the same effect than the comic version.
*
I think that as a comic fan I have the right to make this critique to guys that make a comic book and don't use the resources of the medium! I think this makes Palomar a bit poor!
*
Outside of this point, I really don't think this is an enjoyable experience. Palomar makes me remember of that tradition of some (mexican?) melodramatic stories... People here is always enduring a lot of difficulties, people suffer a lot, people is always ugly, they seem to be cursed by god, etc... Man, why can't these guys make something happy just to change a bit?
*That's it folks. What I recomend to you is that you visit a comic shop near you (or a book store), take a glance at this book, read some parts and see if it is in your taste... For me, as I said, it quite was, there was a lot of good reviews, then I decided to buy... but I really don't know if it was a good idea... Just take care when you see things that are super-positive-rated, pseudo-intellectuals love to rate well what is in intellectual-vogue, even when they didn't really bother to read the material.
Rating:
Summary: A Visit to Palomar
Review: I've loved the Palomar stories ever since a friend handed me "Heartbreak Soup" (an earlier compilation of a few of the stories). The characters are wonderfully real, the art is expressive, and the strange, strange stories are always entertaining. What a treat to have all of the Palomar stories in one (huge) volume! I totally agree with the reviewer who said that now Jaime Hernandez should follow suit, and release "Locas: The Maggie and Hopey Stories" (or whatever title he likes, as long as it's the complete Maggie and Hopey).
Rating:
Summary: A Visit to Palomar
Review: I've loved the Palomar stories ever since a friend handed me "Heartbreak Soup" (an earlier compilation of a few of the stories). The characters are wonderfully real, the art is expressive, and the strange, strange stories are always entertaining. What a treat to have all of the Palomar stories in one (huge) volume! I totally agree with the reviewer who said that now Jaime Hernandez should follow suit, and release "Locas: The Maggie and Hopey Stories" (or whatever title he likes, as long as it's the complete Maggie and Hopey).
Rating:
Summary: The Comic Book to throw at "I don't read comics" people
Review: I've read Love & Rockets since about 1984. When a new issue of L&R comes out, I always read the Jaime Hernandez half first. I admit it, his art is much more atttractive to me than Gilbert's, and I identify with his characters a lot more, too. But then I settle down and dig into the Beto half. Whereas Jaime's Hoppers sagas could be described as Latino-punk soap operas, it is Beto that is creating new folklore. As much as I love Jaime's clean lines and cute-as-hell females, it is obvious whose craft shows the most depth, the most texture, and the most care, not only between Los Bros Hernandez, but between them and nearly every other comics creator ever. Earthy, sublime, funny, absurd, horrific, romantic, pornographic (in a good way), and honest are only a handful of inadequate adjectives to describe aspects Gilbert's work. This volume represents a large portion of his life, both in terms of time spent creating the contents, and what I'm sure is inside him. To read this is to see a competely new world, one that is the pure encapsulation of one part of the real world. Now, when is the Complete Maggie & Hopey coming out?
Rating:
Summary: A Patchwork Masterpiece
Review: PALOMAR collects many, many stories by Gilbert Hernandez, one of the most ambitious and exciting comics authors of the past twenty years. This book puts between two covers a wonderful series titled "Heartbreak Soup," set in the mythical Central American village of Palomar, stuffed full of unforgettable characters, tough-minded stories, startling narrative technique, crackerjack cartooning, and far-reaching, sometimes alarming, social commentary. Smart, funny, the kind of thing that will turn you on your ear if you give it enough time to sink in. Comprised of short stories, vignettes, longer tales, even one novel-length tale, PALOMAR is a gift, a hefty, breathtaking chunk of American comic art. Lovely, and a long overdue collection.
Rating:
Summary: A living, breathing town...
Review: Palomar is just shy of being an offbeat spot on your tourist map. Gilbert Hernandez, who created the Love & Rockets universe with brother Jaime, has focused much of his attention on this small Latin American town and its people, and over the years it has grown into a living, breathing town. Now, the many tales of Palomar have been collected by Fantagraphics in a new hardback edition that brings its simple joys and tragedies together. The stories aren't always linear, and characters gain solidity as Gilbert leaps back and forth in the timeline, introducing some as children, some as adults, and filling in various romances, breakups and acts of violence along the way. Key friendships hold firm from start to finish, and it's fascinating to watch them evolve as some characters go their separate ways and others grow closer than ever. Gilbert's black-and-white art is crisp, clean and realistic. His people are believable; some are beautiful, some ugly, others average -- like those you'd find in any town. Their personalities are also highly defined, and it's fun to see them change as the years roll along.
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