The Lights of Niterói

In 1950s Brazil, somewhere by the beach, not far from Rio, Hélcio, a young and promising soccer player, and his friend Noël, spot someone fishing with dynamite. They decide to take a boat and steal some of the dead fish to make some money. The boat trip turns into a perilous journey as the two thieves embark on an adventure that will challenge their friendship. Inspired by the life of Marcello Quintanilha's father, Hélcio Quintanilha, this graphic novel is both a suspenseful thriller and a breathtaking story about friendship.

In The Lights of Niterói, internationally acclaimed graphic novelist Marcello Quintanilha returns to the city where he was born and raised. He dives into the waters of Guanabara Bay and crafts a plot based on real events that took place in the 1950s. It's an adventure full of suspense, involving fishermen, soccer, the Brazilian feminist and striptease artist Luz del Fuego, and the first naturist camp in Brazil. Translated by the author with Bruna Dantas Lobato.

Author: Marcello Quintanilha
Publisher: Fantagraphics Books
Published: 03/31/2026
Pages: 232
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 1.35lbs
Size: 9.40h x 6.60w x 0.80d
ISBN: 9798875001772


Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 01/26/2026
Booklist 03/01/2026

About the Author
Quintanilha, Marcello: - Marcello Quintanilha was born in 1971 outside Rio de Janeiro. His first graphic novel, Tungsteno, published in 2015, was adapted for film by director Heitor Dhalia. He has lived in Barcelona since 2002.