I appreciate the good intentions on display here, but inserting the DC superheroes and some speculative fiction into a very real disaster just sort of clunked for me. I recommend readers try Puerto Rico Strongfor a more down-to-earth take. ( )

Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez’s Ricanstruction: Reminiscing & Rebuilding Puerto Rico pairs his original character, La Borinqueña, with several DC Comics characters in an anthology of vignettes to benefit relief efforts in Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria. The vignettes feature work from Gail Simone, Greg Pak, Bill Sienkiewicz, Gabby Rivera, Mike Allred, and more and explore themes of the lingering effects of colonialism. Among these are an economic depression stemming from Puerto Rico’s status as an unincorporated U.S. territory and military bombing as part of the Naval Training Range in Vieques. Furthermore, the writers and artists explore the meaning of Puerto Rican identity both for the different groups on the island itself and among its diaspora, primarily in the United States. Miranda-Rodriguez’s La Borinqueña recalls the patriotic Golden Age comic book heroes with her straightforward mission and sleek costume and her interactions with the other Justice League characters allow for some good character exploration despite the brevity of the vignettes. This book succeeds in offering a variety of entertaining and thought-provoking stories all while going to help the over 3 million Americans still suffering from the effects of Hurricane Maria. ( )