September comic books / cómics de setiembre

September has been a very good month for me. I’m so excited to read Steranko’s SHIELD and the Best of Milligan and McCarthy (I took a quick look and they look absolutely awesome). I enjoyed X-Men Battle of the Atom and Young Avengers. I was sad to see Peter David’s X-Factor coming to an end, for almost a decade Peter David did his best to turn this title into something extraordinary, and he was successful. X-Factor has been consistently good since the first issues and although many readers think that the level of quality somehow got diminished since 2010 I still think this was one of Marvel’s most solid ongoing titles. Matt Kindt wrote a very exciting first issue with Infinity Hunt, and another great first issue was Avengers, Hickman and Opeña are a great creative team, I wish I had bought this a year ago, when it was originally released. Sidekick and Kick-Ass continue to be top notch, and the Unwritten graphic novel was wonderful. And now, without further ado, here are September comics as per solicitations.

AGE OF ULTRON #9 (OF 10)
(W) Brian Michael Bendis (A/CA) Brandon Peterson, Carlos Pacheco To save the planet Earth - and maybe the entire galaxy! - the heroes of the Marvel Universe made the most controversial decision of their lives. The results have brought disaster the likes of which they have never seen before. And now, with one final chance…can they make it right? 

AVENGERS #1 NOW
(W) Jonathan Hickman & Jerome Opeña (A). 

BEST OF MILLIGAN & MCCARTHY HC (C: 0-1-2) 
(W) Peter Milligan, Brendan McCarthy (A) Brendan McCarthy One of comics' most fruitful collaborations gets its due in this deluxe collection of hard-to-find gems from Peter Milligan (Hellblazer, X-Statix) and Brendan McCarthy (Judge Dredd, The Zaucer of Zilk There is still nothing else like Freakwave, Paradax!, Skin, and Rogan Gosh, and this volume is the ideal starting place for new readers! Collecting twenty years' worth of the pair's finest work from Vanguard Illustrated, Strange Days, 2000 AD, and Vertigo. 

CABLE AND X-FORCE #10
(W) Dennis Hopeless (A/CA) Salvador Larroca Guest starring the Uncanny Avengers! • Hope goes on the run, determined to help Cable whether he wants it or not… …but the Uncanny Avengers have been keeping tabs on Hope and they're not about to let her get tangled up with Cable's band of fugitives! 

IMAGE FIRSTS CHEW CURR PTG #1 (MR)
(W) John Layman (A/CA) Rob Guillory. Tony Chu is a cop with a secret. A weird secret. Tony Chu is Cibopathic, which means he gets psychic impressions from whatever he eats. It also means he's a hell of a detective, as long as he doesn't mind nibbling on the corpse of a murder victim to figure out whodunit, and why. It's a dirty job, and Tony has to eat terrible things in the name of justice. And if that wasn't bad enough, the government has figured out Tony Chu's secret. They have plans for him… whether he likes it or not. 

INFINITY HUNT #1 (OF 4) 
(W) Matt Kindt (A) Steven Sanders (CA) Slava Pasarin INFINITY TIE-IN! • Hank Pym, Wolverine, and She-Hulk bring the students of the Marvel Universe together to announce a new CONTEST OF CHAMPIONS! • This CONTEST OF CHAMPIONS pits the super students of schools all over the Marvel U (including some you've never seen before) against each other. • However, the Contest is interrupted when Thanos' forces descend on Earth. What do they have to do with the young heroes? 

JUDGE DREDD CLASSICS #2 
(W) John Wagner, Alan Grant (A) Ron Smith & Various (CA) Jim Fern. 'Block Mania' continues here! Mega-City One is in the grips of Block Madness, and Dredd must track down the villain who poisoned his city and turned everyone against each other. Close calls and espionage abound in this re-colored collection of Judge Dredd classics. 

KICK-ASS 3 #3 (OF 8) (MR)
(W) Mark Millar (A/CA) John Romita. What's a tween girl assassin to do once she's locked up? Start running all the gangs in the joint, of course! After the surviving the brutal pecking order of middle school, Hit-Girl finds jail just might be a little more up her alley. Meanwhile, Kick-Ass starts learning there's more to life than just superhero work. 

NG EVANGELION SHINJI DETECTIVE DIARY TP VOL 01
(W/A/CA) Takumi Yoshimura When even a tough dude like his school pal Toji is getting menaced by gangsters, a nice guy like Shinji Ikari feels obliged to seek out the local private eye, Ryoji Kaji, and his striking young assistant, Kaworu Nagisa. Somehow, though, Shinji gets drafted into solving the case himself, with Kaworu's help-although Kaworu quickly proves to be a mystery of his own . . . 

SHIELD BY STERANKO TP COMPLETE COLLECTION 
(W) Steranko & Various (A) Steranko, Jack Kirby (CA) Steranko. Rarely before and rarely since has comics seen a talent as innovative as Steranko. Blending together influences from Pop art to Salvador Dali and Will Eisner to Wally Wood, Steranko's boundary-breaking style is an incomparable visual language that continues to influence and inspire storytellers decades later. Now, for the first time ever, Marvel is proud to offer the complete Steranko NICK FURY, AGENT OF S.H.I.E.L.D. in one volume! Collecting NICK FURY, AGENT OF S.H.I.E.L.D. (1968) #1-3 and #5, and material from STRANGE TALES (1951) #151-168. 

SIDEKICK #2 (MR) 
(W) J. Michael Straczynski (A) Tom Mandrake, Brian Miller (CA) Brian Miller, Tom Mandrake. The Moonglow Twins were two of the Red Cowl and Flyboy's greatest enemies.  Now that the Red Cowl is dead, one of them has returned with a vengeance. But whose vengeance, and why, and what is the reason for her sudden interest in Flyboy® Is Flyboy about to find a reason to live and repair his life, or is he about to hurtle down into even greater depths of madness and depravity® It's a monthly book, what the heck do you think is going to happen® The fun is in seeing just how far he spirals downward and what's waiting for him when he hits bottom....  

UNWRITTEN HC TOMMY TAYLOR & THE SHIP THAT SANK TWICE (MR) 
(W) Mike Carey (A) Peter Gross & Various (CA) Yuko Shimizu. This exciting, original graphic novel explores the world of the Tommy Taylor novels in a visceral and direct way and is a great entry point for new readers. Twenty-five years ago Tom's father, Wilson Taylor, devised his subversive literary masterpiece. Now the blueprint of how a father gave his son vast power in order to accomplish a greater scheme is revealed. Partly told through Wilson's own journal entries, juxtaposed with Tommy's swashbuckling deep sea adventures with his trusty companions Peter and Sue, the story is at once a prequel and a parallel story to the ongoing series. 

UNWRITTEN #52 (MR) 
(W) Mike Carey, Bill Willingham (A) Peter Gross, Mark Buckingham (CA) Yuko Shimizu. In 'The Unwritten Fables,' part 3 of 5, Mister Dark finds an ally-someone who hates Tom Taylor more than he ever could, and knows where to hit him so it hurts the most. But as Mister Dark realizes the opportunity he's been offered, the stakes go from high to terrifying for Tom and the Fables refugees.

WALKING DEAD #114 (MR) 
(W) Robert Kirkman (A/CA) Charlie Adlard, Cliff Rathburn. What would Jesus do? 

WOLVERINE #3 NOW 
(W) Paul Cornell (A/CA) Alan Davis • Guest-starring Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.! • How will Logan take down a foe with no permanent body to slash and claw? • And what does the Watcher have to do with all of this? 

WOLVERINE AND X-MEN #9 AVX 
Avengers Art Appreciation Variant By Alex Maleev • Avx Tie-In! • Wolverine, Torn Between Two Teams! • Will The Jean Grey School Follow Its Leader? 

X-FACTOR #262 
(W) Peter David (A) Neil Edwards (CA) David Yardin. The end of X-Factor! 

X-MEN BATTLE OF ATOM #1 
(W) Brian Michael Bendis (A) Frank Cho (CA) Arthur Adams • The past, present and future of the X-Men collide in this 50th Anniversary event crossover! When investigating a new mutant, something truly horrible happens to the All-New X-Men that shakes time and space to its core. This is so dire that X-Men come from THE FUTURE with a message: THE ALL-NEW X-MEN MUST RETURN TO THE PAST! • The ten-part crossover starts here with superstars BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS and FRANK CHO! 

YOUNG AVENGERS #9 NOW 
(W) Kieron Gillen (A/CA) Jamie McKelvie • We wanted to just write 'Screaming! Screaming! Screaming!' for this solicit, but we're told we need boring old facts. :( • Anyway! The Young Avengers road trip across the multiverse goes proper crazy as it reaches it's destination. It's destination is mainly EXCITEMENT and HEARTBREAK. • Several Young Avengers decide what to do next. The question is, whether what they do next is to be Young Avengers... • Honestly, screaming. 
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Setiembre ha sido un buen mes para mí. Estoy emocionado por leer SHIELD de Steranko y lo mejor de Milligan y McCarthy (dando un simple vistazo puedo decir que se ven estupendos). Disfruté con X-Men Battle of the Atom y Young Avengers. Fue triste ver que X-Factor de Peter David llegara a su fin, por casi una década, Peter David hizo lo posible para convertir este título en algo extraordinario, y tuvo éxito. X-Factor ha sido consistentemente bueno desde los primeros números y aunque muchos fans piensan que el nivel de calidad disminuyó desde el 2010, igual creo que este era uno de los títulos más sólidos de Marvel. Matt Kindt escribió un gran primer número con Infinity Hunt, y otro muy buen primer número fue Avengers, Hickman y Opeña son un grandioso equipo creativo, desearía haber comprado esto hace un año, cuando fue publicado originalmente. Sidekick y Kick-Ass continúan siendo de primer nivel, y la novela gráfica de Unwritten fue maravillosa. Y ahora, sin más preámbulos, aquí están los cómics de setiembre. 

AGE OF ULTRON #9 (OF 10)
Comentario: Para salvar al planeta Tierra –y a la galaxia entera– los héroes tomaron una polémica decisión. Y resultado ha sido desastroso. Y ahora, con una última oportunidad, ¿podrán enmendar las cosas?

AVENGERS #1
Jonathan Hickman & Jerome Opeña.

BEST OF MILLIGAN & MCCARTHY HC (C: 0-1-2)
Lo mejor de Peter Milligan y Brendan McCarthy.

CABLE AND X-FORCE #10
Hope huye, determinada a ayudar a Cable. Pero los Vengadores han estado vigilando a Hope y no permitirán que se enrede con Cable.

IMAGE FIRSTS CHEW CURR PTG #1 (MR)
Tony es un policía con un secreto. Un extraño secreto. Él obtiene impresiones psíquicas de aquello que come. Eso también significa que es un detective endemoniadamente eficaz, siempre y cuando no le moleste mordisquear el cadáver de una víctima de asesinato para averiguar quién es el culpable. Es un sucio trabajo y Tony tendrá que comer las más terribles cosas.

INFINITY HUNT #1 (OF 4)
HANK PYM, WOLVERINE y SHE-HULK reúnen a los estudiantes para anunciar un nuevo torneo de campeones. Pero todo será interrumpido cuando las fuerzas de THANOS lleguen a la Tierra. ¿Qué pasará con estos jóvenes?

JUDGE DREDD CLASSICS #2
Historias clásicas de John Wagner, Alan Grant y Ron Smith.

KICK-ASS 3 #3 (OF 8) (MR)
¿Qué puede hacer una niña asesina en prisión? Liderar a todas las pandillas del lugar, desde luego. Luego de sobrevivir el brutal orden social del colegio, Mindy descubre que la cárcel es algo que sí comprende. 

NG EVANGELION SHINJI DETECTIVE DIARY TP VOL 01
Detectives privados y un caso que debe resolverse.

SHIELD BY STERANKO TP COMPLETE COLLECTION
La clásica etapa de Jim Steranko en SHIELD.

my drawing / mi dibujo

SIDEKICK #2 (MR)
Los gemelos Brillo de Luna fueron dos de los mayores enemigos de RED COWL y FLYBOY. Ahora que RED COWL ha muerto, uno de ellos ha regresado para vengarse. Pero ¿por qué? ¿Y cuál es su interés en FLYBOY? ¿Encontrará FLYBOY un motivo para reparar su vida o está a punto de caer aún más profundamente en la locura y la depravación?

UNWRITTEN HC TOMMY TAYLOR & THE SHIP THAT SANK TWICE (MR)
Hace 25 años, Wilson Taylor, el padre de Tommy, desarrolló su obra maestra de subversión literaria. Ahora se revela cómo el padre confirió poderes a su hijo. Contada desde los viejos diarios de Wilson, y yuxtapuesta al viaje que realiza Tommy con sus amigos, esta novela gráfica traerá sorpresas.

UNWRITTEN #52 (MR)
El Señor Oscuro encuentra un aliado, alguien que odia a Tommy incluso más que él mismo, alguien que sabe cuáles son sus puntos débiles.

WALKING DEAD #114 (MR)
¿Qué haría Jesús?

WOLVERINE #3 NOW
¿Cómo se enfrentará Logan a un enemigo incorpóreo?

WOLVERINE AND X-MEN #9 AVX
¿Seguirá la escuela a WOLVERINE, su líder?

X-FACTOR #262
¡El fin de X-Factor!

X-MEN BATTLE OF ATOM #1
El pasado, presente y futuro de los X-MEN está aquí. Al investigar a un nuevo mutante, algo terrible sucede, algo que alterará el tiempo. 

YOUNG AVENGERS #9 
Solamente queríamos escribir ¡Gritos, gritos, gritos! pero nos dicen que mejor es poner algunos hechos. En fin, el viaje de los Jóvenes Vengadores por el universo se vuelve una locura cuando llegan a su destino. Su destino es sobre todo excitación y desconsuelo. Ahora deberán decidir qué hacer. ¡Gritos!

Madrox - Peter David & Pablo Raimondi

Covers by David Lloyd

In the Marvel Universe there are thousands of fictional characters, most of them with quite reiterative powers (flight, super-strength, energy rays, etc.), and it couldn’t be any other way, after all, there can only be so many superpowers a writer can imagine. Sometimes, however, we come across unique creations that have not only endured throughout the decades but that have evolved too. One of them is Madrox, the Multiple Man, a character of infinite possibilities.

When he was first created, Multiple Man was presented as a mutant with the ability to create duplicates of himself (dupes). Certainly, a guy with the ability to clone himself at will could surely come in handy in any battle (he would be, after all, a one man army in the most literal term). Nevertheless, some fans didn’t take this kind of power seriously, and due to the negligence of some writers the character stayed in limbo for some time until Peter David rescued him during his first X-Factor run in the 90s.

In 2004, under the Marvel Knights banner, Peter David once again returned to Madrox in this 5-issue miniseries that at last turned the Multiple Man into one of Marvel’s most complex and fascinating heroes. Combining references of the noir cinema genre and a very refined sense of humor, Peter David reminded us why in a world populated by countless superheroes Madrox was, indeed, an exceptional creation. 

Before 2004, Madrox had been portrayed as a competent combatant (obviously, his ability to turn into 10 or 100 replicas of himself always gave him a numerical and tactical advantage) and that was it. Peter David goes further and makes us realize that every one of these ‘dupes’ has a well-defined personality and can exist by itself for an undetermined amount of time. Now, who wouldn’t want the ability to be everywhere at once? For over a year, Madrox has been sending countless duplicates around the world. Some have trained with the shaolin masters, others have attended med school, others have infiltrated the underworld, etc. The experience of hundreds of individuals as well as their knowledge is at Madrox’s fingertips. And as he summons all of his dupes into New York, more accurately, into Mutant Town, he absorbs them and absorbs all they’ve done.

Of course, being ubiquitous doesn’t guarantee one’s safety. And when the Multiple Man finds one of his dupes stabbed, he absorbs him and his memories only to find out that someone is after him. His life is in danger and he can either stay put in New York or leave the city and investigate why he is being targeted for extermination. He must travel to Chicago, leaving one dupe behind to help Strong Guy and Wolfsbane (his former X-Factor colleagues).

Wolfsbane and Strong Guy investigate the case of a woman who thinks her husband is cheating on her by means of astral projection. Since they are in Mutant Town, even the weirdest things are possible. And so Wolfsbane confirms the woman’s suspicions and finds out that the man’s astral projection is engaging in sexual activities with another man.

Meanwhile, in Chicago, Madrox runs into one of his old acquaintances, Stringer, a respected journalist. Accompanied by two dupes, one of them starts touching Stringer’s face in an unabashedly flirtatious manner. Quickly, Madrox reabsorbs his dupes explaining that they are all different aspects of his personality, and that according to Sigmund Freud, we all have an innate bisexuality (Freudian theory tells us that “every person has the ability to become bisexual at some time in his or her life” so it’s perfectly logical for Madrox to have a bisexual dupe).

Straight, bisexual, shaolin monk, small time crook, altruist, selfish, Madrox is all of these things and at the same time none of them. His elucidation is very eloquent: “I can live any life I want. Go in any direction, follow all potential fates simultaneously. But if everything’s possible… then what’s the point of anything”. To some degree, we all experience similar existential doubts. Sometimes our actions depend on the circumstances, and sometimes we obsess about ‘what ifs’… (What if I win the lottery? What if I still had a steady relationship? What if I lose my job?) and that doubt can render us immobile. For Madrox is even worse, because he can indeed try all these multiple combinations, all the ‘what ifs’. But because he can do all of it he also feels he can’t do anything at all.

Peter David has written a comic book highly entertaining and deeply philosophical. There is a reason why Madrox has never been a part of the X-Men. He doesn’t fit in. He’s not the typical hero, he can’t live his life as easily and as automatically as most people can. Jacques Lacan reinterpreted Freudian theory affirming that a discontent individual (such as Madrox) reveals a psychic structure that is constituently exscinded by language. And it’s also through the particular language of each of Madrox’s dupes that we learn the myriad of possibilities and aspects that are buried deep down in the protagonist’s mind. When Madrox creates five dupes to break into a house all of them react and talk differently. One of them accuses Madrox of “illegal trespassing” and threatens to call the police, other considers that if a Madrox dupe was killed he had it coming, other, on the contrary, seeks revenge, other is a pacifist who wants to stay out of the situation, other simply wants to go home and watch TV.  The exscinded mind, in Madrox’s case, is also the exscinded duplicate. He can create identical copies of himself but none of them act even remotely as the original would expect.

uncontrollable duplicates / duplicados incontrolables

When you can go in all directions at once, suddenly you can’t prioritize one over the other. They are all equally important, they are all equally meaningless. After Madrox breaks into a mysterious mansion, he finds a mobster, his hot girlfriend and his dangerous henchmen (one of them was, in fact, responsible for killing Madrox’s dupe). Captured and locked down, Madrox creates a dupe to break free. However, his duplicate is a manic-depressive who doesn’t care about getting free because in the end to be alive or to be dead it’s all the same to him. 

Time and time again, Madrox has a hard time dealing with his uncontrollable duplicates. When there’s a fire and he needs to be rescued, the dupe he creates simply runs for his life (“I must’ve made a dupe who’s the incarnation of my sense of self-preservation”); later on, one of his dupes points a gun to his head after trying to drown him (which would be an incarnation of the self-destructive aspect we all carry within ourselves). It’s fascinating to observe a character fighting not only against his rivals but also against himself, like any real human being, Madrox has doubts and questions, harbors love and hate, and under stress he can react in a very unpredictable way. In the end, he doesn’t know if he manages to survive the attack of the gangster’s woman thanks to his special abilities or to his sheer dumb luck. And that’s what’s so great about Madrox, he’s unpredictable, and his adventures have nothing in common with the boring and average “good guys versus bad guys” stories that are so common in most of DC or Marvel’s titles.

Wolfsbane, Strong Guy & Madrox

Without a doubt, Peter David is one of my favorite American writers, and Madrox is one of his greatest works. However, it would be very unfair of me not to mention the magnificent artistic team of this miniseries: David Lloyd (the artist of “V for Vendetta”) excelled himself illustrating the covers. And penciler Pablo Raimondi and inker Drew Hennessy also did a great work. Pablo is an Argentinian artist that has mastered a very expressive style that oozes realism and also sensuality. Guys or girls, Pablo sure knows how to make them all look attractive. His action scenes are vibrant and his calm moments are a perfect invitation for us to take a deep breath and admire his art. With clean lines, an excellent balance between light and shadows and an enormous visual creativity (made evident, for instance, in the design of the monstrous woman that turns into a spider), Pablo is the ideal artist for this miniseries that is, definitely, a must read.  
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The depressive side of Madrox / el lado lado depresivo de Madrox

En el universo Marvel hay miles de personajes ficticios, muchos de ellos con poderes bastante reiterativos (vuelo, súper-fuerza, rayos energéticos, etc.), y no podría ser de otro modo, después de todo, un escritor sólo puede imaginar una cantidad limitada de súper-poderes. A veces, sin embargo, nos encontramos con creaciones únicas que no sólo han resistido el paso de las décadas sino que también han evolucionado. Uno de ellos es Madrox, el Hombre Múltiple, un personaje con posibilidades infinitas.

Cuando fue creado, el Hombre Múltiple fue presentado como un mutante con la habilidad de crear duplicados de sí mismo (duplis). Por cierto, un sujeto con la habilidad de clonarse a voluntad sería útil en cualquier batalla (él podría ser, después de todo, un ejército de un sólo hombre en el sentido más literal). No obstante, algunos fans no se tomaron este tipo de poder en serio, y a causa de la negligencia de algunos escritores el personaje se quedó en el limbo hasta que Peter David lo rescató para su primera etapa en X-Factor en los 90.

En el 2004, bajo el sello "Marvel Knights", Peter David regresó una vez más a Madrox en esta miniserie de 5 capítulos que por fin convirtió al Hombre Múltiple en uno de los héroes más fascinantes y complejos de Marvel. Al combinar referencias del género del cine noir y un muy refinado sentido del humor, Peter David nos recordó por qué en un mundo habitado por incontables súper-héroes Madrox era, de hecho, una creación excepcional.

Antes del 2004, Madrox había sido retratado como un combatiente eficiente (obviamente, su habilidad de convertirse en 10 o 100 réplicas de sí mismo siempre le daba una ventaja táctica y numérica) y nada más. Peter David va más allá y hace que nos demos cuenta de que cada uno de estos 'duplis' tiene una personalidad bien definida y puede existir por sí mismo por una cantidad indeterminada de tiempo. ¿Quién no quisiera la habilidad de estar en todas partes al mismo tiempo? Por más de un año, Madrox ha estado enviando incontables duplicados por todo el mundo. Algunos se han entrenado con maestros shaolin, otros han llevado cursos de medicina, otros se han infiltrado en el bajo mundo, etc. La experiencia de cientos de individuos, así como sus conocimientos, está a disposición de Madrox. Y cuando convoca a todos sus duplis a New York, o con más exactitud, a Pueblo Mutante, los absorbe y absorbe todo lo que han hecho.

Weird sexual encounter / extraño encuentro sexual

Por supuesto, ser ubicuo no garantiza la seguridad. Y cuando el Hombre Múltiple encuentra a uno de sus duplis apuñalado, lo absorbe junto con sus recuerdos sólo para descubrir que alguien lo persigue. Su vida está en peligro y él puede quedarse en New York o salir de la ciudad e investigar por qué es el blanco de un exterminador. Debe viajar a Chicago, dejar atrás a un dupli para que ayude Strong Guy y Wolfsbane (sus antiguos colegas de X-Factor).

Wolfsbane y Strong Guy investigan el caso de una mujer que cree que su marido le es infiel en forma astral. Como están en Pueblo Mutante, incluso las cosas más raras son posibles. Y así Wolfsbane confirma las sospechas de la mujer y descubre que la proyección astral del esposo realiza actividades sexuales con otro hombre.

Mientras tanto, en Chicago, Madrox se encuentro con un viejo conocido, Stringer, un respetado periodista. Acompañados por dos duplis, uno de ellos empieza a tocar el rostro de Stringer con descarada coquetería. Rápidamente, Madrox reabsorbe a sus duplis y explica que ellos son diferentes aspectos de su personalidad, y que de acuerdo a Sigmund Freud, todos tenemos una bisexualidad innata (la teoría freudiana nos dice que "toda persona tiene la habilidad de ser bisexual en algún momento de su vida" así que es del todo lógico que Madrox tenga un dupli bisexual).

Heterosexual, bisexual, monje shaolin, bandido, altruista, egoísta, Madrox es todas estas cosas y a la vez ninguna. Su reflexión es muy elocuente: "Puedo vivir todas las vidas que quiera. Ir en cualquier dirección, seguir todos los destinos potenciales simultáneamente. Pero si todo es posible... entonces nada tiene sentido". En cierto nivel, todos experimentamos dudas existenciales similares. A veces nuestras acciones dependen de las circunstancias, y a veces nos obsesionamos con los "¿qué pasaría si es que...?"... (¿qué pasaría si es que gano la lotería? ¿qué pasaría si tuviera una relación estable con alguien? ¿qué pasaría si pierdo mi trabajo?) y esa duda nos puede inmovilizar. Para Madrox es incluso peor, porque él puede, de hecho, intentar todas estas combinaciones  múltiples, todos estos "¿qué pasaría si es que...?". Pero como puede hacer todas estas cosas también siente que no puede hacer ninguna de ellas.

Peter David ha escrito un cómic muy entretenido y de gran profundidad filosófica. Hay una razón por la que Madrox nunca ha sido parte de los X-Men. Él no encaja. No es el típico héroe, no puede vivir su vida tan automática ni tan fácilmente como la mayoría de la gente. Jacques Lacan reinterpretó la teoría freudiana afirmando que un individuo descontento (como Madrox) revela una estructura psíquica que es constitutivamente escindida por el lenguaje. Y es también a través del lenguaje particular de cada uno de los duplis de Madrox que nosotros intuimos la miríada de posibilidades y aspectos que están enterrados muy profundamente en la mente del protagonista. Cuando Madrox crea cinco duplis para entrar en una casa todos ellos reaccionan y hablan de modo distinto. Uno de ellos acusa a Madrox de "allanamiento de morada" y amenaza con llamar a la policía, otra considera que si un dupli de Madrox fue asesinado entonces se lo merecía, otro, al contrario, busca venganza, otro es un pacifista que quiere mantenerse fuera de la situación, otro simplemente quiere irse a su casa a ver televisión. La mente escindida, en el caso de Madrox, es también el duplicado escindido. Él puede crear copias idénticas a sí mismo pero ninguna de ellas actúa de acuerdo a lo que el original esperaría.

The monster within... / el monstruo interno...

Cuando puedes ir en todas las direcciones a la vez, de repente no puedes darle prioridad a ninguna. Todas tienen igual importancia, todas carecen de importancia. Luego de irrumpir en una misteriosa mansión, Madrox encuentra a un mafioso, a su sensual enamorada y a sus peligrosos secuaces (uno de ellos es, de hecho, responsable por haber matado al dupli de Madrox). Capturado y encerrado, Madrox crea un dupli para liberarse. Sin embargo, su duplicado es un maníaco depresivo al que no le importa salir libre porque, a fin de cuentas, vivir o morir le da igual.

Una y otra vez, a Madrox se le hace difícil lidiar con sus incontrolables duplicados. Cuando hay un incendio y necesita ser rescatado, el dupli que crea simplemente corre por su vida ("Debo haber hecho un dupli que es la encarnación de mi sentido de auto-preservación"); después, uno de sus duplis amenaza con dispararle luego de haber intentado ahogarlo (es decir, la encarnación del aspecto auto-destructivo que todos tenemos dentro). Es fascinante observar un personaje que lucha no sólo contra sus rivales sino también contra sí mismo, como cualquier ser humano real, Madrox tiene dudas y preguntas, alberga el amor y el odio, y bajo presión puede reaccionar del modo más impredecible. Al final, él no sabe si logra sobrevivir el ataque de la mujer del gánster gracias a sus habilidades especiales o por pura suerte. Y eso es lo genial en Madrox, es impredecible, y sus aventuras no tienen nada en común con las aburridas y típicas historias de "buenos contra malos" que son tan comunes en la mayoría de títulos de DC o Marvel.

Sin duda alguna, Peter David es uno de mis escritores norteamericanos favoritos, y Madrox es uno de sus mejores trabajos. Sin embargo, sería muy injusto no mencionar el magnífico equipo creativo de esta miniserie: David Lloyd (el artista de “V de Vendetta”) se supera a sí mismo ilustrando las portadas. Y los lápices de Pablo Raimondi y las tintas de Drew Hennessy producen una gran obra. Pablo es un artista argentino que domina un estilo muy expresivo que exuda realismo y también sensualidad. Chicos o chicas, Pablo sabe cómo hacer que todos se vean atractivos. Sus escenas de acción son vibrantes y sus momentos de calma son una invitación perfecta para que tomemos aliento y admiremos su arte. Con líneas limpias, un excelente balance entre la luz y las sombras y una enorme creatividad visual (que se hace evidente, por ejemplo, en el diseño de la mujer monstruosa que se convierte en una araña), Pablo es el artista ideal para este miniserie que es, definitivamente, de lectura obligatoria.

October comics / Cómics de octubre

Rodin Esquejo

I had more comics in October than in previous months, and I must say that this is the best equation. More comics = more reading pleasure. This month I received the excellent second volume of Alan Moore’s Swamp Thing, which I’ll review properly in future posts. I also enjoyed both Millarworld series, Secret Service and Hit-Girl. And I was very impressed with the first issue of Uncanny Avengers (and it was such a thrill to see Cassaday doing interior art again!). There are only 3 issues left until the end of the first season of Morning Glories, and I’m still very much intrigued. Happy # 1 was so great that I’ll probably review it tomorrow (or the day after that). But if I had to choose the best book of the month then the award would go to The Boys # 71, I can’t really say anything about it without spoiling it, but the final confrontation between the two protagonists of this title is an anthological tour de force through the center of the human condition. Death has never been so poignant and so deliciously controversial as it’s here on Garth Ennis penultimate chapter of Dynamite’s best series. And now, without further ado, here are October comics as per solicitations.

BOYS #71 (MR) 
(W) Garth Ennis (A) Russell Braun (CA) Darick Robertson. High above the streets of New York City, Hughie and Butcher reach the end of the line. There's blood to be spilled and truth to be heard. The last Boys storyline reaches its conclusion, in the sixth and final part  of The Bloody Doors Off. 1 issue till the end!!!

BPRD HELL ON EARTH PICKENS COUNTY HORROR #1 (OF 2) 
As the world goes to hell, a backwoods vampire clan shelters themselves in their Gothic southern home, covered in fog and fungal horror, ready to create havoc for a trespassing B.P.R.D. crew.

CYBER FORCE #1 
(W) Marc Silvestri, Matt Hawkins (A) Khoi Pham, Sunny Gho (CA) Marc Silvestri TOP COW'S TOP-SELLING SERIES RETURNS IN A GROUND-BREAKING WAY! Top Cow celebrates its 20th anniversary with the return of the series that started it all: CYBER FORCE! Top Cow founder MARC SILVESTRI (THE DARKNESS, Incredible Hulk) returns to his first Image series as co-writer, art director and cover artist! Co-writer MATT HAWKINS (THINK TANK, LADY PENDRAGON) and artist KHOI PHAM (Mighty Avengers, Daredevil) join SILVESTRI to bring you a contemporary re-imagining rooted in cutting edge, real world technology. Carin Taylor, codenamed Velocity, has escaped from the CDI controlled Millennium City and is desperately trying to find the one man she believes can help her prevent the end of the world. When she runs a group of other CDI escapees, will they help her… or turn their backs® Not content in pushing the envelope just in terms of story and art, Top Cow will be the first major US comic publisher to launch one of their biggest properties with top tier creators concurrently for both the traditional print market and exploding worldwide digital market for FREE. That's right: Thanks to the support of fans through Kickstarter and participating comic shops, you can get the first FIVE issues of CYBER FORCE at no cost.

DOCTOR WHO #1 
(W) Andy Diggle (A/CA) Mark Buckingham The Doctor is back! Welcome to a new, exciting era for everyone's favorite Time Lord, as New York Times bestselling writer Andy Diggle (The Losers) pilots the TARDIS as the ongoing series architect. Joining him for this first arc is Eisner Award-winning artist Mark Buckingham (Fables), who also will provide covers for the series. Geronimo!

FASHION BEAST #2 
Alan Moore and Malcolm McLaren's historic re-imaging of Beauty and the Beast continues! Doll doesn't fit in anywhere.  And when fate seems to wash her in the direction of the mysterious unseen benefactor, Celestine, she discovers that the all-too glitzy fashion world with its glamour and excess is home to a brand of horror that the self-obsessed ignore until it is too late. Stunningly illustrated by Facundo Percio and scripted by long-time Moore collaborator, Antony Johnston, this series delivers Alan Moore's vision down to the letter and will change the way you look at fables for the rest of your life!  Available with a Regular or Wraparound Cover by series artist Facundo Percio or Haute Couture Incentive (by Percio) or the very rare Tarot (by Paul Duffield) Incentive cover. 

HAPPY#1 (of 4) 
(W) Grant Morrison (A/CA) Darick Robertson story GRANT MORRISON art / cover DARICK ROBERTSON Meet NICK SAX - a corrupt, intoxicated ex-cop turned hit-man, adrift in a stinking twilight world of casual murder, soulless sex, eczema and betrayal. With a hit gone wrong, a bullet in his side, the cops and the mob on his tail, and a monstrous child killer in a Santa suit on the loose, Nick and his world will be changed forever this Christmas. By a tiny blue horse called Happy… 

HIT-GIRL #3 (MR) 
(W) Mark Millar (A/CA) John Romita. So many goons, so little time. Hit-Girl's got both hands full when her sidekick Kick-Ass gets benched, leaving her to take the mafia on  solo. But when her secret crime-fighting binge brings heat to the wrong guy, even Hit-Girl may be in over her head. Meanwhile, Red Mist gets sent where all rich kids go to do penance ! 

MIND THE GAP #2 CVR A 
(W) Jim McAnn (A/CA) Rodin Esquejo, Sonia Oback story JIM McCANN? art / cover RODIN ESQUEJO & SONIA OBACK 

MONOCYTE #1 (OF 4) 
Menton3 & Kasra Ghanbari (w) Menton J. Matthews III (a & c) Two warring immortal races rule a scarred world where time has no meaning. Death (Azrael) sits impotent, quietly planning his restoration. He summons Monocyte, a forgotten immortal necromancer who long ago chose sleep in his failed quest to die. With a fatal pact sealed, Monoctye strikes out as Azrael's vicious proxy. Art by menton3 (ZvR: Aventure, Silent Hill) and co-written by Kasra Ghanbari.

MORNING GLORIES #22 (MR)
(W) Nick Spencer (A) Joe Eisma (CA) Rodin Esquejo. Story NICK SPENCER art JOE EISMA cover RODIN ESQUEJO  'The Ceremony.' 

NON-HUMANS #1 (of 4) 
(W) Glen Brunswick (A/CA) Whilce Portacio Los Angeles, 2041 - it's twenty-six years after a NASA probe brought back a strange disease causing many of our familiar toy-like objects to come to life. This is a new world order where cute and fearsome creatures fight for their right to exist in a world that fears them - Blade Runner meets Toy Story.

SAGA OF THE SWAMP THING TP BOOK 02 (MR)
(W) Alan Moore (A) Stephen R. Bissette & Various (CA) Stephen R. Bissette, John Totleben. Collecting SAGA OF THE SWAMP THING #28-34 and SWAMP THING ANNUAL #2, the Earth Elemental says goodbye to the illusion of his own humanity after learning that he is 100 percent plant, meets a crew of benevolent alien invaders and consummates his relationship with Abigail Arcane as only he could.

SECRET SERVICE #4 (OF 7) (MR)
(W) Mark Millar (A/CA) Dave Gibbons
Gary's experience at spy school has gone south after too much teasing, so his Uncle Jack is taking matters into his own hands. Under Jack's supervision, Gary begins to show his true colors and receives a great honor--going on a real mission with his uncle.Meanwhile, more secrets come to light about the worldwide disappearances of actors, writers and TV personalities.

UNCANNY AVENGERS #1 
(W) Rick Remender (A/CA) John Cassaday • THIS IS IT! The greatest era of the Marvel Universe starts here! From the ashes of AvX an all-new, all-different Avengers assemble! • Dive headfirst into Marvel NOW! as the superstar dream team of Rick Remender (Uncanny X-Force, Venom) and John Cassaday (Astonishing X-Men, Captain America) deliver high stakes action in UNCANNY AVENGERS #1 - sporting a jaw-dropping cover by Cassaday! • No fan can miss the blockbuster debut of an all-new Avengers team featuring members from all across the Marvel Universe...a team uniting Avenger and X-Man alike! • Captain America begins his quest to create a sanctioned Avengers unit comprised of Avengers and X-Men, humans and mutants working together - so why is Professor Xavier's dream more at risk than ever? • The funeral of one of Marvel's greatest heroes! • The first attack of the most loathsome villain in history will quake the Marvel Universe forever! • But following the devastating events of Avengers VS X-Men, can Captain America pull together a team that can get along for its first mission? 

UNCANNY X-FORCE #24 
• Aoa Wolverine, Deadpool And Nightcrawler Go On Mission To Kill Aoa Iceman! • What's Left Of X-Force Returns From Otherworld! 

WALKING DEAD #103 
(W) Robert Kirkman (A) Charlie Adlard, Cliff Rathburn (CA) Charlie Adlard. It is a new beginning for THE WALKING DEAD.  Rick Grimes is no longer in charge, and nothing will ever be the same again. It's such a perfect jumping on point, it could easily have been a new first issue - but instead, the world's best selling creator-owned comic just keeps moving forward, with #103 and counting! 

WALKING DEAD: MICHONNE SPECIAL 
(W) Robert Kirkman (A) Charlie Adlard, Cliff Rathburn (CA) Charlie Adlard. This special issue of THE WALKING DEAD represents THE WALKING DEAD #19, featuring the first appearance of Michonne as well as the Michonne origin story that first appeared in Playboy Magazine.  Just in time for Michonne's appearance in THE WALKING DEAD  SEASON 3! 

X-FACTOR #238
PETER DAVID (w) LEONARD KIRK (a) Cover by DAVID YARDIN. Madrox investigates a suicide case that isn’t what it initially seems.

X-FACTOR #239
PETER DAVID (w) PAUL DAVIDSON (a) Cover by DAVID YARDIN. Banshee versus…an actual banshee?! Strong Guy asks M out on a date. (Yikes!)

X-FACTOR #240
PETER DAVID (w) LEONARD KIRK (a) Cover by DAVID YARDIN. “RUN LAYLA RUN”. A one-off issue featuring Layla Miller racing the clock.

X-FACTOR #241
Peter David (w) Leonard Kirk (A) Cover by DAVID YARDIN. The first of five issues that will CHANGE THE FACE OF X-FACTOR FOREVER. A rejected Strong Guy does the unthinkable!
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Tuve más cómics en octubre que en meses previos, y debo decir que esa es la mejor ecuación. Más cómics = más lecturas placenteras. Este mes recibí el excelente segundo volumen de Swamp Thing de Alan Moore que reseñará como corresponde en futuros posts. También disfruté con las dos series de Millarworld Secret Service y Hit-Girl. Y el primer número de Uncanny Avengers me impresionó (¡y fue emocionante ver a Cassaday a cargo de todos los dibujos nuevamente!). Sólo faltan tres números para final de la primera temporada de Morning Glories y todavía sigo bastante intrigado. Happy # 1 fue tremendo, y probablemente lo comentaré mañana (o pasado mañana). Pero si tuviera que elegir lo mejor del mes el premio iría para The Boys # 71, no puedo decir nada sin arruinar las sorpresas, pero la confrontación final entre los dos protagonistas de este título es un antológico tour de fuerza al centro de la condición humana. La muerte nunca ha sido tan significativa ni tan deliciosamente controversial como lo es que aquí, en el penúltimo capítulo de Garth Ennis de la mejor serie de Dynamite. Y ahora, sin mayores preámbulos, aquí van los cómics de octubre.

BOYS #71 (MR)
En las calles de la ciudad de New York, el equipo llega al final de la línea. La sangre es derramada y la verdad es revelada. El fin se acerca.

BPRD HELL ON EARTH PICKENS COUNTY HORROR #1 (OF 2) 
Truhanes.

CYBER FORCE #1
Una nueva historia enraizada en la tecnología de punta del mundo actual. Taylor, alias Velocidad, intenta encontrar desesperadamente al hombre que ella cree que puede prevenir el fin del mundo.

DOCTOR WHO #1
El doctor ha regresado. Él es… el último de los amos del tiempo. 

FASHION BEAST #2
DOLL no encaja en ningún lado. Y cuando el destino parece llevarla en dirección de una misteriosa benefactora, Celestina, descubre que el reluciente mundo del glamur y la moda es el hogar de un horror inédito.

HAPPY#1 (of 4)
Nick es un ex policía intoxicado y corrupto a la deriva en un apestoso mundo crepuscular de asesinatos casuales, sexo sin alma, eccema y traición. Allí, un asesino de niños vestido de Papa Noel arruinará la navidad.

HIT-GIRL #3 (MR)
HIT-GIRL se queda sin su aliado KICK-ASS y ahora deberá enfrentarse a la mafia sin ayuda. Mientras tanto, RED MIST va al lugar al que todos los niños ricos son enviados para ser castigados.

MIND THE GAP #2 CVR A 
La intriga continúa.

MONOCYTE #1 (OF 4) 
Dos razas inmortales asolan un mundo devastado en el que el tiempo no tiene significado. Muerte se sienta imponente e invoca a un nigromante olvidado e inmortal quien fracasó en su intento de morir.

MORNING GLORIES #22 (MR)
La ceremonia.

NON-HUMANS #1 (of 4)
Los Ángeles, 2041. Hace 26 años una sonda de la Nasa trajo consigo algo extraño: ahora muchos objetos inanimados tienen vida. Este es un nuevo mundo en el que criaturas tan adorables como juguetes luchan a muerte.

SAGA OF THE SWAMP THING TP BOOK 02 (MR)
Alan Moore, Stephen R. Bissette & John Totleben. SWAMP THING #28-34 y SWAMP THING ANNUAL #2

SECRET SERVICE #4 (OF 7) (MR)
La experiencia de Gary en la escuela de espías no va del todo bien, así que el tío Jack decide intervenir. Bajo la tutela de Jack, Gary demuestra todo su potencial y finalmente es asignado a una misión de verdad.

UNCANNY AVENGERS #1
Un nuevo equipo de Vengadores reunirá a AVENGERS y X-MEN por igual. El Capitán América quiere que los humanos y los mutantes trabajen juntos. Pero ¿por qué esto pondría en riesgo el sueño del Profesor X?

UNCANNY X-FORCE #24 
Lo que queda de X-FORCE regresa de Otro Mundo.

WALKING DEAD #103
Rick ya no está a cargo, y nada volverá a ser igual.

WALKING DEAD: MICHONNE SPECIAL
La primera aparición de MICHONNE y su origen.

X-FACTOR #238
MADROX investiga un caso extraño caso de suicidio.

X-FACTOR #239
BANSHEE contra ¿un BANSHEE de verdad?

X-FACTOR #240
Corre LAYLA, corre. Empieza la carrera contra el reloj.

X-FACTOR #241
Un STRONG GUY rechazado hará lo impensable.

February comic books/ Cómics de febrero

February was the shortest month on the year (yes, even on a leap year); fortunately a dozen of comic books arrived to my doorstep just in the nick of time. I really enjoyed Avengers Academy and the first issue of Winter Soldier. The new Conan from Dark Horse was quite a disappointment, though; I usually like Brian Wood’s writing but seems to me like he hasn’t been able to find Conan’s true voice as a character. And Becky Cloonan’s style was simply not the right fit for the Cimmerian. Once again, the classic comic books are much better than the current versions. Again Morning Glories and Unwritten continue to deliver the goods. And Severed ends on a high note. Strange Talent of Luther Strode was very violent and, of course, very entertaining.

And now, without further ado, here you go: February comics as per solicitations.

AVENGERS 1959 #1 (OF 5)
Written and Penciled by HOWARD CHAYKIN Cover by HOWARD CHAYKIN EXPLODING FROM THE PAGES OF NEW AVENGERS? It's the tail end of the fabulous fifties. NICK FURY and his AVENGERS roar into their secret mission, hunting down NAZI SUPER VILLAINS?men and women relentlessly preparing to unleash hell on a troubled world barely holding onto peace?only to find the Avengers have what appears to be serious competition in their manhunt for these escaped ubermenschen?when their mission is suddenly compromised by interference from an unlikely source. 32 PGS. (each)/Rated T+

AVENGERS ACADEMY #6
Written by CHRISTOS GAGE Pencils & Cover by MIKE McKONE Variant Cover by MIKE McKONE Reptil goes Jurassic on Tigra! When Humberto is elected class leader of Avengers Academy, it should be a dream come true…but instead it's a nightmare! As he struggles with the weight of his repressed grief and anger, added to the responsibility he feels to keep his teammates on the heroic path, something's got to give...and it might just be Reptil's humanity! Plus: more on Quicksilver and Finesse, the villainy of Mentallo, and another Avengers guest appearance in the series that Comic Book Club Live hails as 'All of the fun of '90s New Warriors with a dark side.' 32 PGS./Rated A

CONAN THE BARBARIAN #1 CARNEVALE CVR
In this sweeping adaptation of Robert E. Howard's fan-favorite 'Queen of the Black Coast,' Conan turns his back on the civilized world and takes to the high seas alongside the pirate queen B?lit, setting the stage for an epic of romance, terror, and swashbuckling. This is Conan as you've never seen him, with the combination of one of Robert E. Howard's greatest tales and the most dynamic creative team in comics!

MORNING GLORIES #16 (MR)
'P.E.,' Part Four

NO PLACE LIKE HOME #1 JORDAN CVR (MR)
story ANGELO TIROTTO art / cover RICHARD JORDAN 'HOME AGAIN' Dee's life is in turmoil when her parents are killed in a freak tornado. Returning to Kansas for the funeral after five years in LA, Dee discovers Emeraldsville is the same unexciting place it was when she left - until the bizarre unexplained murders begin. With an unknown killer closing in, the events of one night in 1959 begin to unravel as a portal to a world of horror opens, a portal paved with yellow bricks...

SEVERED #7 (OF 7) (MR)
story SCOTT SNYDER & SCOTT TUFT art / cover ATTILA FUTAKI  'HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS' In 1916, a boy runs away from home in search of his father. But along the way he meets a salesman with sharp teeth and a hunger for flesh. SCOTT SNYDER (AMERICAN VAMPIRE, BATMAN, SWAMP THING), SCOTT TUFT and ATTILA FUTAKI (NYT Best-Selling-Artist: PERCY JACKSON) comes the most terrifying horror series of the year. Be there for the thrilling conclusion.

STRANGE TALENT OF LUTHER STRODE #5 (OF 6) (MR)
story JUSTIN JORDAN art / cover TRADD MOORE  Luther tries to rescue Petra, and things end bloody. Meanwhile, Pete and Luther's Mom are left alone to face something unimaginably worse. Not everyone gets out of this issue alive. The penultimate issue of the hit series.

THIEF OF THIEVES #1
story ROBERT KIRKMAN & NICK SPENCER art / cover SHAWN MARTINBROUGH Conrad Paulson lives a secret double life as master thief Redmond. There is nothing he can't steal, nothing he can't have... except for the life he left behind. Now, with a grown son he hardly knows, and an ex-wife he never stopped loving, Conrad must try to piece together what's left of his life, before the FBI finally catch up to him... but it appears they are the least of his worries.

UNWRITTEN #34 (MR)
Tom has fought his way through to the holy of holies, where the Cabal's high council sits in judgment over the world. But stripped of his magical powers, he's just one man against a vast machine - and against the even more sinister power that lurks behind it.

WALKING DEAD #94 (MR)
story ROBERT KIRKMAN art / cover CHARLIE ADLARD & CLIFF RATHBURN  They are unprepared for this

WINTER SOLDIER #1
Winter Soldier and Black Widow are the super-spies of the Marvel U! • Ex-Russian Sleeper Agents awaken, but under who's control? • Is that Dr. Doom? Uh oh. 32 PGS./Rated T+
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Rodin Esquejo

Febrero es el mes más corto del año (incluso en un año bisiesto), de todos modos, una docena de cómics llegaron a mi casa justo a tiempo. Realmente disfruté leyendo Avengers Academy y el primer número de Winter Soldier. El nuevo Conan de Dark Horse fue bastante decepcionante, usualmente me gustan los guiones de Brian Wood, pero me parece que no ha sido capaz de encontrar la verdadera voz de Conan como personaje. Y el estilo de Becky Cloonan simplemente no encaja con el cimerio. Nuevamente, los cómics clásicos son muchísimo mejores que las versiones actuales. Nuevamente Morning Glories y Unwritten llegan con buenos momentos. Y Severed tiene un final tremendo. Strange Talent of Luther Strode fue muy violento y, por supuesto, muy entretenido.

Y sin más que decir, aquí está la lista de los cómics de febrero.

AVENGERS 1959 #1 (OF 5)
Estamos en los fabulosos cincuentas. NICK FURY y su grupo de Vengadores cazarán a villanos nazis, capaces de abrir las puertas del averno.

AVENGERS ACADEMY #6
Reptil se vuelve Jurásico. Cuando Humberto es elegido líder de la clase en la Academia de los Vengadores, debería ser como un sueño… pero en lugar de eso es una pesadilla. Ahora, deberá lidiar con su ira reprimida.

CONAN THE BARBARIAN #1
Una nueva adaptación de “La Reina de la Costa Negra”. Conan le da la espalda al mundo civilizado y llega al mar, al lado de la pirata BELIT.

MORNING GLORIES #16 (MR)
Educación física, cuarta parte.

NO PLACE LIKE HOME #1 JORDAN CVR (MR)
Su vida se tambalea luego de que sus padres murieron a causa de un tornado. De vuelta en Kansas para el funeral, luego de 5 años en Los Ángeles, su pueblo sigue siendo tan aburrido como siempre. Hasta que bizarros e inexplicables asesinatos empiezan a suceder.

SEVERED #7 (OF 7) (MR)
El hogar está donde está el corazón. Aquí concluye todo.

signed edition / edición autografiada

STRANGE TALENT OF LUTHER STRODE #5 (OF 6) (MR)
Luther intenta rescatar a Petra, y las cosas salen mal. Mientras tanto, la madre de Luther y Pete deben enfrentarse a algo inimaginable.

THIEF OF THIEVES #1
Él vive una vida secreta como un ladrón experto. No hay nada que no pueda robar, nada que no pueda tener, excepto el tiempo perdido. Ahora, con un hijo grande que apenas conoce, y una ex esposa a la que sigue queriendo, debe solucionar su vida antes que el FBI lo alcance.

UNWRITTEN #34
Tom se ha abierto paso a través del santuario, donde está el alto concilio de la Cábala. Pero sin sus poderes mágicos, él es solamente un hombre en contra de la máquina y de los poderes siniestros que lo acechan.

WALKING DEAD #94
No están preparados para esto.

WINTER SOLDIER #1
WINTER SOLDIER y BLACK WIDOW son espías infalibles. ¿Pero qué pasa cuando el ex agente ruso despierta bajo el control de DOOM?

USURPATION: Le Folklore Pier Stockholm / un Tour Lucia Koch. Galería Lucía de la Puente

Peter David's X-Factor is a great title. Perhaps the most independent title of the x-world, it can be read without buying anything else (which is a huge merit in itself). This new series started after House of M, which I still haven’t read. But that didn’t prevent me from picking it up. After the Decimation saga a lot of mutants were depowered by the Scarlet Witch. This new X-Factor doesn’t really have much to do with previous incarnations of the team (I would only recommend reading the Madrox miniseries also written by Peter David), not only because of the noir approach but also because it focuses more on Madrox's detective agency and the relationship X-Factor has with the mutant community.



Seems like House of M and Decimation was a long time ago, but right now Allan Heinberg’s Avengers the Children’s Crusade deals with Scarlet Witch’s final destiny (my favorite Marvel miniseries at the moment). I’d love to see some sort of crossover between these two titles. If I could only see Hulkling and Wiccan having a chat with Shatterstar and Rictor... I mean who wouldn’t love to see that?


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Ayer pasé la mitad de la noche en Dédalo y la otra mitad en la galería Lucía de la Puente. Como ha sucedido en otras ocasiones, este jueves coincidieron diversas inauguraciones: Galería Cecilia González, Sala Luis Miró Quesada Garland, ICPNA, etc. Frente a tantas opciones decidí asistir solamente a Mamamia en Dédalo, una exposición colectiva de carteras, con trabajos de Meche Correa, Maricruz Arribas, Vacide Erda, Titi Guiulfo, Susan Wagner, Puro Corazón, MBU, Tipki, Cápsula, Karen Arbulú, Kartuchos, Kuscaya, Baranda, Kareen Nishimura, Ana María, Herrera, Nani Córdova. Además de saludar a María Elena Fernández, y a Eduardo Lores, también le comenté a Nani Córdova lo mucho que me había gustado el diseño de su cartera. Mientras aceptaba los Häagen-Dazs que regalaba una simpática anfitriona, Sofía Lores me comentó que le había gustado mi cómic. Otra sorpresa fue encontrarme con Sebastián Kouri, amigo del colegio.


En la galería Lucía de la Puente hubo dos muestras. Las salas I y II (y de hecho también la puerta principal de la galería) habían sido invadidas por instalaciones de Lucia Koch, juegos de volúmenes especialmente llamativos y uso de figuras cilíndricas reconfiguraron totalmente el espacio de las salas. En el segundo piso tuvo lugar USURPATION: Le Folklore de Pier Stockholm; en los cuadros de Stockholm la imagen está al servicio de una geometría idealizada, cada cuadrícula y cada línea parece encerrar teoremas y demostraciones prácticas; las ciudades flotantes o nubes bien proporcionadas nos recuerdan una y otra vez por qué sabios como Euclides sentían tal fascinación por las formas perfectas. Disfruté con calma la media docena de vasos de Johnnie Walker Black Label que tomé, mientras conversaba con diversos amigos y conocidos, incluyendo artistas como Jorge Cabieses.


A inicios de la semana aproveché mi tiempo libre y visité la muestra “Los caminos del deseo” de Marco Pando, en la recientemente reinaugurada Galería 80m2. La primera imagen corresponde a una ilustración de Pando que, junto con las demás, dan ciertas pistas sobre la gestación de la filmación que también se puede apreciar en una de las salas de la galería.


Paralelamente continúa la muestra colectiva de 80m2 en el malecón Pazos, en Barranco. Participan artistas como José Luis Carranza, con ese estilo particular en donde la carne pareciera estar fermentando algún tipo de sustancia impensable, en esta ocasión, no obstante, su personaje tiene los ojos cerrados. Hay una enorme cantidad de trabajos destacables pero no he tenido tiempo ni para fotografiarlos todos ni para reseñarlos uno por uno. Aunque en estas fotos he alternado también imágenes de la casona en sí, para que se hagan una idea de lo que significan los “techos altos” que mencionaba en un post anterior.