SAN DIEGO — As Comic-Con International hits San Diego for the first time since the pandemic began, one artist is working to bring diversity to the convention.

Kayden Phoenix is the author who created the first Latina superhero universe in comic book history. She created these superheroes from her experiences as a Chicana woman.

In this superhero universe, Latinas of different upbringings fight against female injustices. Each book tells their origin story and social cause. In the end, the Latina superheroes form a team called “a la brava.”

“So ‘a la brava’ means ‘without hesitation.’ In boxing is where I learned the term,” Phoenix said. “If you go ‘a la brava,’ like a boxer is going ‘a la brava,’ it means you go without hesitation until somebody falls. You as a female, you as a Latina, you’re going ‘a la brava’ because you have no choice.”

Her superheroes are Jalisco, Santa, Loquita, Ruca and Bandita. Her newest book, “A la Brava,” is debuting at Comic-Con and fans are excited about the release.

“I am a super ‘A la Brava’ fan!” fan Joey Byrnes laughed.

Byrnes fell in love with the characters after first reading Jalisco, and can’t wait to see them all work together in “A la Brava.'“

“You don’t see this on the screen, you don’t see this in movies, you don’t see this in books, and so to come across this is wonderful and just being able to be represented, it makes you feel good, it gives you like a good feeling,” Byrnes said.

“I’m very, very proud that I can be here, that I can represent,” Phoenix said.