Witches, according to Palomar folklore, have duck feet. Whether the bruja who comes tapping her way into town has webs or toes is never resolved, but it seems fairly certain that she has some kind of power over the superstitious community.

A man kills his grandfather and dies while fleeing Chelo, Palomar's sheriff. The dead man's cousin comes seeking revenge against the sheriff. Bathhouse owner Luba falls down a deep hole and vainly refuses help. And a gang of kids, curious about the alleged witch in their midst, steal a pouch containing a baby's skull -- and the bruja curses the town with a bloody plague. The upside of all this is that, with Chelo downed by the sickness, the young and beautiful Tonantzin breaks the town's modesty laws and wears short-shorts.

The "Duck Feet" storyline might seem neatly resolved by the end, but one tiny thread will have a dramatic effect in future tales of Palomar.

Other high points in this volume are Gilbert's "The Mystery Wen," focusing on a bump on the noggin of Palomar music teacher Heraclio; "For the Love of Carmen," describing Heraclio's courtship of his fiery wife; "The Way Things're Going," a tale of hard times and good friends; and "Bullnecks and Bracelets," the life, times and sexual adventures of Israel; plus a pair of "Rocket Rhodes" tales from Jaime describing pre-space adventures of the young explorer; a handful of "Locas" stories of Maggie and Hopey, including a post-breakup meeting between Maggie and mechanic Rand Race, and a long search for a new place to live; and "Locas vs Locos," a quest for a missing record which touches on just about every character in Hoppers.

Duck Feet is another excellent collection of tales focusing on real people in the Hernandez Brothers' unreal world.

[ by Tom Knapp ]