José Smith Vargas - Vale dos Vencidos

VALE DOS VENCIDOS marks the book debut of José Smith Vargas. This volume, the result of a decade of research, includes several comics about the rise and fall of the city of Lisbon, all feeding into a sweeping graphic novel focused on a specific neighborhood — where any resemblance to real names, people, events, or situations is anything but coincidental.

Social struggles, the false promises of urban renewal and cultural associations, political games, and street-level deals are all brilliantly laid bare in a cacophony of voices and on-the-ground perspectives. A documentary-style approach that feels like a mountain about to give birth to a store-brand version of reality in yet another European capital.

Bravo!

— Binocle Magazine, Issue 167 (Oct 2023)