September Films / películas de setiembre

There is something about art and about beauty that can touch us in ways we cannot predict. True art can shake us, wake us up and force us to see the world in a new way. That is precisely what Italian director Luca Guadagnino accomplishes in Call Me By Your Name (2017), a cinematic masterpiece that confronts us with characters so uniquely human that they become real for us, and what’s more, their feelings become our own. James Ivory’s screeplay adapts André Aciman's novel about Elio a 17-year old teenager who has a special relationship with Oliver his father's research assistant. Timothée Chalamet’s impressive acting skills bring to life the character of Elio, and Armie Hammer (The Man From U.N.C.L.E.) does the same with Oliver. The boy is in a process of self-discovery, he’s trying to figure out who he is and what he wants; Elio spends his summer days swimming in the river or masturbating, but soon he feels captivated by Oliver’s outgoing personality. Together they’re surrounded by an intellectual elite of archaeology professors but also by the indisputable beauty of the Greco-Roman sculptures and pieces of art that highlight the cult of the male body, much in the same way that Oliver finds in the teenager the image of true beauty. Guadagnino extraordinarily recreates the peaceful life in an Italian villa, and slowly but surely, we feel submerged in the narrative, and we also witness the way in which an introvert Elio finally finds the courage to have a romantic relationship with Oliver. Although there is nothing exaggerated or terribly tragic in Guadagnino’s film, the ending is still heartbreaking. Without a doubt, Call Me By Your Name is the best film of 2017. 

Marc Webb’s The Only Living Boy in New York (2017) is an honest and thought-provoking coming of age story that revolves around Callum Turner (Green Room), a young man who is trying to figure out what he wants to do with his life. Constantly pressured by his rigid father, Pierce Brosnan (A Long Way Down), to enter into the family business, the protagonist will soon fall in love with his progenitor’s mistress, Kate Beckinsale (Underworld), while befriending an alcoholic and very charismatic novelist, played by Jeff Bridges. Marc Webb creates characters that are complex, with unique fears and concerns, but also with the kind of sensibility that can turn them into outcasts in the highly competitive world of New York’s intellectual elite. The Only Living Boy in New York won me over not only because of the dubitative behavior of the protagonist but also because of the wonderful portrayal of the power of writing and the unstoppable necessity to elaborate fictional stories, even if we get hurt in the process.
  
Kids in Love (2016), directed by Chris Foggin, is a splendid coming of age tale that focuses on Will Poulter (We’re the Millers), a teenager who is torn aside when he must decide between his predictable and boring life and the excitement and instability that comes with the arrival of a beautiful French girl, Alma Jodorowsky, who steals his heart. Instead of volunteering and doing an internship, as was expected of him, this boy falls head over heels for this girl, and suddenly his life is turned upside down. As he spends more time with the girl and her group of bohemian friends, he becomes seduced by the possibility of a life without structure and free of conventionalisms, only to learn later that the girl’s boyfriend subsidizes this way of living by prostituting young boys. Will Poulter has his first sexual experience and runs away from his home, pursuing the elusive dream of freedom, ignoring that freedom always comes at a cost. 
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Hay algo en el arte y en la belleza que nos conmueve de una manera que no podemos predecir. El verdadero arte puede sacudirnos, despertarnos y obligarnos a ver el mundo de modo distinto. Eso es precisamente lo que el director italiano Luca Guadagnino logra en Call me By Your Name (2017), una obra maestra cinematográfica que nos confronta con personajes tan singularmente humanos que se vuelven reales para nosotros, y lo que es más, sus sentimientos se hacen nuestros. El guión de James Ivory adapta la novela de André Aciman sobre Elio, un adolescente de 17 años que tiene una relación especial con Oliver, el asistente de investigación de su padre. Las impresionantes habilidades de actuación de Timothée Chalamet le dan vida al personaje de Elio, y Armie Hammer (The Man From U.N.C.L.E.) hace lo mismo con Oliver. El adolescente está en un proceso de autodescubrimiento, está tratando de averiguar quién es y qué quiere; Elio pasa sus días de verano nadando en el río o masturbándose, pero pronto se siente cautivado por la personalidad extrovertida de Oliver. Ellos están rodeados por una élite intelectual de profesores de arqueología, pero también por la belleza indiscutible de las esculturas y obras de arte greco-romanas que destacan el culto al cuerpo masculino, y al mismo tiempo Oliver encuentra en el adolescente el signo de la verdadera belleza; Guadagnino recrea extraordinariamente la vida pacífica en una villa italiana, y poco a poco, nos sentimos sumergidos en la narración, y también somos testigos de la forma en que un introvertido Elio finalmente encuentra el valor para tener una relación romántica con Oliver. Aunque no hay nada exagerado o terriblemente trágico en la película de Guadagnino, el final sigue siendo desgarrador. Sin lugar a dudas, Call Me By Your Name es la mejor película del 2017.

The Only Living Boy in New York (2017), de Marc Webb, es una historia de iniciación honesta y estimulante que gira en torno a Callum Turner (Green Room), un joven que intenta descubrir qué quiere hacer con su vida. Constantemente presionado por su rígido padre, Pierce Brosnan (A Long Way Down), para entrar en el negocio familiar, el protagonista pronto se enamorará de la amante de su progenitor, Kate Beckinsale (Underworld), mientras se hace amigo de un novelista alcohólico y muy carismático, interpretado por Jeff Bridges. Marc Webb crea personajes que son complejos, con miedos e inquietudes únicos, pero también con el tipo de sensibilidad que puede convertirlos en marginados en el mundo altamente competitivo de la élite intelectual de New York. The Only Living Boy in New York me llamó la atención no sólo por el comportamiento dubitativo del protagonista, sino también por la maravillosa representación del poder de la escritura y la necesidad imparable de elaborar historias ficticias, incluso si nos lastimamos en el proceso.

Kids in Love (2016), dirigida por Chris Foggin, es un espléndido relato sobre la adolescencia que se centra en Will Poulter (We’re the Millers), un adolescente escindido que debe decidir entre su vida predecible y aburrida y la emoción e inestabilidad que viene con la llegada de una hermosa chica francesa, Alma Jodorowsky, quien le roba el corazón. En lugar de seguir con su voluntariado y hacer una pasantía, como se esperaba de él, este muchacho se enamora perdidamente de la jovencita, y de repente su vida se pone patas arriba. Conforme pasa más tiempo con la chica y su grupo de amigos bohemios, se deja seducir por la posibilidad de una vida sin estructura y libre de convencionalismos, sólo para comprobar después que el novio de la chica subsidia esta forma de vida prostituyendo a chicos menores de edad. Will Poulter tiene su primera experiencia sexual y huye de su casa, persiguiendo el escurridizo sueño de la libertad, ignorando que la libertad siempre tiene un costo.

Rogan Gosh - Peter Milligan & Brendan McCarthy

Rogan Gosh

Rogan Gosh is an overdose of pure surrealism thinly disguised as a story about Indian gods and common Londoners. Everything begins with an alternate version of Rudyard Kipling, the famous British writer. Attracted by his boy servant, he gives into temptation. The scandal of an English man sexually corrupting a child is too hard to handle, and a tragedy occurs. Desperate, Kipling wanders the streets of New Delhi until he arrives to the House of Dreams, a strange parlor in which people smoke opium and lose track of time. 

Kipling dreams of Rogan Gosh, an Indian deity that helps people by absorbing bad karma. But Rogan Gosh is tricked by a powerful enemy and is severely injured. Death is his only alternative… death and reincarnation. And so the soul of Rogan Gosh finds a suitable recipient in the body of a waiter in a Hindu restaurant who is talking with one of his customers. Once this waiter is transformed into the new reincarnation of Rogan Gosh, things start to get really crazy. 

Milligan explained that his inspiration for this series came from his own life. As a British author, he acknowledges the influence India has over England. Besides a strong culinary presence, India’s cultural impact is felt even to this day in every major city in the United Kingdom. Growing up, Milligan remembers the smell of curry and the spicy flavor of Indian food, and he also remembers that there were comics from India, comics about Ganesha, Kali or other divinities that would fight as bravely as American superheroes. 

Mark Kardwell wrote in his introduction that Milligan and McCarthy would surprise everyone with their capacity for empathy. But they never choose the easy way, they never appeal to any sort of sentimentalism. Au contraire, Milligan and McCarthy play a mind game with you, by pulling the carpet under your feet and making the Earth tremble. Rogan Gosh is indeed a telluric hero, not only because he comes from an ancestral culture like India but also because he is like an earthquake that creates chaos and makes old structures crumble. 

Rogan's first gay experience / la primera experiencia gay de Rogan

When this new incarnation of Rogan Gosh starts traveling with his friend through several dimensions and states of mind, a transformation occurs. He finally embraces forms of sexuality that had always been repressed: Rogan Gosh and his colleague –a typically rude bloke that is suddenly smitten with his benefactor– engage into homosexual intercourse. 

Although they are not the only ones seduced by homosexuality... The first victim was Kipling, in the 19th century. In today’s London, however, a young man obsessed with Milligan and McCarthy’s comics buys the newest issue of “Rogan Gosh” and exclaims that “The comic has the subtle scent of Indian food”. This boy suddenly starts wearing women’s lingerie, thus subverting the rules of masculinity.

Like a game of Chinese boxes or Russian dolls, we have one dimension inside the other, and all narrative threads are combined in one sweeping hallucinogenic journey. Rudyard Kipling seduces a boy, Rogan Gosh has sex with another man, and the transvestite practices of the hypothetical reader places him in an in-between, in an undefined region where sexuality does not respond to any of our antiquated classifications. 

The exploration of homosexuality has been fundamental in Peter Milligan’s groundbreaking oeuvre. From Enigma (Vertigo’s first gay superhero for a mature audience) to X-Statix (Marvel’s reinvented X-Force, showcasing gay characters), many of Milligan’s protagonists are awakened at some point, discovering that a man could and should love another man. Here, however, the homosexual impulse is part of the psychedelic proposal, and it is as much an essential part of the protagonist as it is the result of an altered state of mind.

“McCarthy’s art seemed to reach a pinnacle on Rogan Gosh, juggling a thousand different art styles and hitting the storytelling beats in new ways –mind-bending psychedelia collided against jagged punk graphics”, explains Kardwell. Indeed, if Milligan’s imagination is impressive, McCarthy’s art is even more spectacular. The craziness of McCarthy’s composition, his bold and vivid colors, the fluidity of his lines, everything converges into an extraordinary artistic accomplishment. 

the hypothetical reader / el lector hipotético

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subverting the rules of masculinity / subvirtiendo las reglas de lo masculino

Rogan Gosh es una sobredosis de surrealismo puro levemente disfrazada como una historia sobre dioses indios y londinenses comunes. Todo empieza con una versión alternativa de Rudyard Kipling, el famoso escritor británico. Atraído por su joven sirviente, él cede a la tentación. El escándalo de un hombre inglés corrompiendo sexualmente a un niño es demasiado difícil de manejar, y una tragedia ocurre. Desesperado, Kipling vaga por las calles de New Delhi hasta que llega a la Casa de los Sueños, un extraño refugio en el que la gente fuma opio y pierde la noción del tiempo.

Kipling sueña con Rogan Gosh, una deidad india que ayuda a la gente y absorbe el mal karma. Pero Rogan Gosh es engañado por un poderoso enemigo y es severamente herido. La muerte es su única alternativa… la muerte y la reencarnación. Así que el alma de Rogan Gosh encuentra un receptáculo aceptable en el cuerpo de un mesero de un restaurante hindú, quien habla con uno de sus clientes. Cuando este mesero es transformado en una nueva reencarnación de Rogan Gosh, todo realmente empieza a enloquecer.

Milligan explicó que su inspiración para esta serie viene de su propia vida. Al ser un autor británico, él reconoce la influencia que tiene la India en Inglaterra.  Además de una fuerte presencia culinaria, el impacto cultural de la India se siente en todas las grandes ciudades del Reino Unidos. Mientras crecía, Milligan recuerda el olor a curry y el sabor condimentado de la comida de la India, y también recuerda que había cómics sobre Ghanesa, Cali y otras divinidades que peleaban tan valientemente como los superhéroes estadounidenses. 

Mark Kardwell escribió en su introducción que Milligan y McCarthy sorprendieron a todos con su capacidad para la empatía. Pero ellos nunca van por la ruta fácil, nunca apelan a ningún tipo de sentimentalismo. Al contrario, Milligan y McCarthy juegan mentalmente contigo, y jalan la alfombra bajo tus pies, haciendo que la Tierra tiemble. Rogan Gosh es de hecho un héroe telúrico, no sólo porque proviene de una cultura ancestral sino también porque es como un terremoto que provoca el caos y desmorona las antiguas estructuras.

Is suicide the result of sexual confusion? /
¿el suicidio es el resultado de la confusión sexual?

Cuando esta nueva reencarnación de Rogan Gosh empieza a viajar con su amigo a través de varias dimensiones y estados mentales, ocurre una transformación. Él finalmente asume formas de sexualidad que siempre había reprimido: Rogan Gosh y su colega -un sujeto típicamente rudo que repentinamente se siente atraído por su benefactor– tienen un encuentro homosexual.

Aunque ellos no son los únicos seducidos por la homosexualidad... La primera víctima fue Kipling, en el siglo XIX. Sin embargo, en el Londres de hoy, un jovencito obsesionado con los cómics de Milligan y McCarthy compra el número más reciente de “Rogan Gosh” y exclama que “El cómic tiene el sutil aroma de la comida de la India”. Este chico repentinamente empieza a usar lencería femenina, subvirtiendo así las reglas de la masculinidad.

Como un juego de cajas chinas o muñecas rusas, tenemos una dimensión dentro de la otra, y todos los hilos narrativos están combinados en un poderoso viaje alucinógeno. Rudyard Kipling seduce a un muchacho, Rogan Gosh tiene sexo con otro hombre, y las prácticas de travestismo del lector hipotético lo colocan en un entre-dos-mundos, en una región indefinida en la que la sexualidad no responde a ninguna de nuestras anticuadas clasificaciones.

La exploración de la homosexualidad ha sido fundamental en la innovadora obra de  Peter Milligan. Desde "Enigma" (el primer superhéroe gay de Vertigo para una audiencia adulta) hasta "X-Statix" (un "X-Force" reinventado con personajes gays para Marvel Comics), muchos de los protagonistas de Milligan son despertados en algún momento, y descubren que un hombre podría y debería amar a otro hombre. Aquí, sin embargo, el impulso homosexual es parte la propuesta psicodélica, y más que algo esencial es el resultado de un estado alterado de la mente.

“El arte de McCarthy parecía alcanzar un pináculo en Rogan Gosh, balanceando miles de estilos artísticos diferentes y batiendo el ritmo narrativo de nuevas maneras –la psicodelia capaz de retorcer mentes colisionaba contra ásperos gráficos punk”, explica Kardwell. De hecho, si es que la imaginación de Milligan es impresionante, el arte de McCarthy es aún más espectacular. La locura de la composición de McCarthy, sus audaces y vívidos colores, la fluidez de sus líneas, todo converge en un extraordinario logro artístico.

Spider-Man and Power Pack - Jim Salicrup

John Byrne (cover / portada)

Was Peter Parker sexually abused as a young boy? If your answer is a categorical ‘No’ then you haven’t read this one-shot. Certainly, it’s easy to imagine Spider-Man quarreling with the Green Goblin or Doctor Octopus on a daily basis, but it would be hard to visualize him defending himself against sexual offenders. 

In 1984 Marvel Comics produced a free comic book in cooperation with the National Committee for Prevention of Child Abuse. There are two short stories in this comic, the first one titled “Secrets” featured Marvel’s most popular web-slinger, and it starts with a frightened young boy. When Spider-Man asks him what is going on, the kid is afraid to tell him, but eventually shares with him a shocking reveal: his babysitter had tried to undress him and touch him inappropriately.

Immediately Spider-Man remembers a rather unpleasant experience. It all begins in his early teens... as we all know, Peter Parker was always a nerdy, shy and friendless youngster, but a couple of years before he turned into the amazing Spider-Man he was befriended by a slightly older boy named Skip. Tired of being bullied in the school, Peter soon grows fond of Skip, who treats him kindly and amiably, or at least that’s what it seems at first. 

Peter Parker meets the conniving Skip /
Peter Parker conoce al taimado Skip

One afternoon, Skip decides to take young Parker’s mind off science for a change, and he shows him a porno-graphic magazine saying maliciously “Bet you’ve never seen pictures like those in a stuffy text-book!”. Confronted for the first time in his life with porno-graphy, Peter doesn’t know how to react, and as the two boys sit together in the couch, Skip acts even more aggressively: “Let’s conduct a little experiment of our own! Let’s see if we can touch each other like the people in that magazine!”. 

Writers Nancy Allen and Jim Salicrup don’t use thought bubbles, so we can’t really know what Peter Parker is thinking, but we can imagine how traumatic it can be that his one and only friend is demanding sexual favors. Common sense would dictate that even without his powers, Peter would simply leave the room “But the boy was too frightened to leave…”.

Once the flashback is done, Spider-Man tells the young boy he is talking with that he was also a victim of sexual abuse, and he emphasizes the importance of talking about what has happened. Keeping secrets is never good, and so this boy finds the courage to talk about it with his parents. In the final page, Spider-Man admits that having repressed this memory for years has been eating away at him, but now, thanks to this encounter, just like in a psychoanalytic countertransference, he has finally faced the horror of the past and come to terms with it.

Was Peter Parker a victim of sexual abuse? /
¿Fue Peter Parker víctima de abuso sexual?

Surely, the outcome of this story might be a bit too upbeat especially since child moles-tation is a delicate subject, but the thing is that Jim Salicrup did every-thing he could to transmit a clear message: no one has the right to touch your body in a way that makes you feel uncom-fortable and if something like that happens you have the right to talk about it without feeling guilty. As it turns out, many victims of sexual abuse often feel guilty or ashamed about what happened and that’s why they never accuse their aggressors. 

“Runaway”, the second story (scripted by Louise Simonson) revolves around Power Pack, a group of kids that help one of their friends who is being sexually assaulted by her own father. In this case, the situation is even more complicated, as the girl tells her mother what is happening and the woman refuses to believe such an awful thing could happen in her home. The conclusion of Simonson’s story is very similar to the previous one: talk about your experience with your parents, if they don’t believe you, talk about it with other adults until you find someone who does. June Brigman and Bob Wiacek are in charge of the art of “Runaway” while Jim Mooney and Mike Esposito penciled and inked “Secrets”, the cover was done by renowned artist John Byrne.

A few months ago, Jim Salicrup was interviewed in Bleeding Cool. Since this comic book was free, there were hundreds of thousands of copies that were given to children. And what do you think it happened after so many children read “Spider-Man and Power Pack Giveaway”? Personally, I would have thought that just like it happens with anti-tobacco campaigns, this initiative would prove quite futile. And I would have been wrong to think that. As Jim affirms “I had been sent copies of newspaper articles reporting on arrests and such that were made as a direct result of children reporting abuse after reading the comic”. So in other words, this actually worked. Nonetheless, Jim also confirms that “What matters is that the comic was published by Marvel in the first place. Even if they might be embarrassed by it now”.  

Indeed, 28 years after the release of “Spider-Man and Power Pack Giveaway”, Marvel has eliminated this story from a recent ‘social issues’ anthology; back in the day, Marvel used to collaborate with the National Committee for Prevention of Child Abuse and other similar institutions; they are now reprinting stories about drug abuse and other topics but deliberately avoiding the subject of sexual abuse. Has this turned into a dangerous taboo in recent years? Or is it that since Disney owns Marvel now, they’d like to presume that if you don’t talk about sexual molestation then it’s easier to pretend no such thing exists? The truth is that a victim of sexual abuse usually represses the painful memories, and feels ashamed of what has happened. And ironically, when Marvel chose not to reprint this story they failed at burying the truth, because in the end, their silence becomes more eloquent than anything else. So coming back to the initial question, ‘Was Peter Parker sexually abused as a young boy?’ the answer should be a resounding ‘Yes’. 
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¿Fue Peter Parker abusado sexualmente de chico? Si responden con un categórico 'No' es porque no han leído este cómic. Desde luego, es fácil imaginar a Spider-Man luchando contra el Duende Verde o el Doctor Octopus a diario, pero sería difícil visualizarlo defendiéndose de depredadores sexuales.

Power Pack (“Runaway”) / Power Pack (“Fugitiva”)

En 1984, Marvel Comics produjo un cómic gratuito en cooperación con el Comité Nacional de Prevención de Abuso Infantil. Hay dos historias cortas en este cómic, la primera titulada "Secretos" es protagoni-zada por el lanza-redes más popular de Marvel, y empieza con un niño asustado. Cuando Spider-Man le pregunta qué sucede, el infante tiene miedo de hablar, pero al final comparte con él una impactante revelación: su niñera había intentado desvestirlo y tocarlo de manera inapropiada.

De inmediato, Spider-Man recuerda una experiencia bastante deplorable. Todo comienza en los primeros años de adolescencia de Peter Parker, cuando era un nerd tímido y sin amigos... mucho antes de convertirse en el asombroso Spider-Man, Peter trabó amistad con un muchacho llamado Skip. Cansado de ser maltratado en el colegio, Peter siente aprecio por Skip, quien lo trata con amabilidad y camaradería, o al menos así parece.

Una tarde, Skip decide que el jovencito Parker debe dejar de pensar tanto en ciencia, y le muestra una revista pornográfica mientras dice con malicia "Te apuesto que nunca has visto fotos como estas en tus librotes". Confrontado por primera vez en su vida con pornografía, Peter no sabe cómo reaccionar, y cuando los dos chiquillos se sientan juntos en el sofá, Skip actúa con agresividad: "¡Hagamos nuestro propio experimento! ¡Veamos si podemos tocarnos el uno al otro como lo hacen en esta revista!"

Los escritores Nancy Allen y Jim Salicrup no usan burbujas de pensamiento, así que no podemos saber qué es lo que Peter Parker está pensando, pero podemos imaginar lo traumático que sería que su único amigo le exija favores sexuales. El sentido común dictaría que, incluso sin sus poderes, Peter simplemente saldría de la habitación "pero el chico estaba demasiado asustado para irse...".

Cuando el flashback termina, Spider-Man le dice al niñito con el que conversa que él también fue víctima de abuso sexual, y enfatiza la importancia de hablar sobre lo que ha pasado. Guardar secretos nunca es bueno, así que este niño encuentra el valor para hablar con sus padres. En la página final, Spider-Man admite que reprimir este recuerdo por años lo ha estado carcomiendo, pero ahora, gracias a este encuentro, al igual que en una contratransferencia psicoanalítica, finalmente se ha enfrentado al horror del pasado y ha asimilado lo sucedido.

El desenlace de esta historia podría parecer demasiado optimista sobre todo con un tema tan delicado como el abuso infantil, pero lo cierto es que Jim Salicrup hizo todo lo posible para trasmitir con claridad un mensaje: nadie tiene derecho a tocar tu cuerpo si es que eso te hace sentir incómodo y si algo así pasa tienes el derecho de denunciarlo sin sentirte culpable. Como suele suceder, muchas víctimas de abuso sexual a menudo se sienten culpables o avergonzados y por eso nunca acusan a sus agresores.

“Fugitiva”, la segunda historia (escrita por Louise Simonson) gira en torno a Power Pack, un grupo de jovencitos que ayudan a una de sus amigas que está siendo violada por su propio padre. En este caso, la situación es incluso más complicada, ya que la niña le dice a su madre lo que está pasando y la mujer se rehúsa a creer que algo tan horrible sucede en su hogar. La conclusión de la historia de Simonson es similar a la anterior: habla de tu experiencia con tus padres, si no te creen, habla con otros adultos hasta encontrar a alguien que sí te crea. June Brigman y Bob Wiacek están a cargo del arte de “Fugitiva”, mientras que Jim Mooney y Mike Esposito dibujan y entintan "Secretos", la portada fue hecha por el renombrado artista John Byrne.

How to prevent sexual abuse? / ¿Cómo prevenir el abuso sexual?

Hace unos meses, Jim Salicrup fue entrevistado en Bleeding Cool. Al ser un cómic gratuito, cientos de miles de ejemplares fueron repartidos. ¿Y qué creen que ocurrió después de que tantos niños leyeran “Spider-Man y Power Pack"? Hubiera imaginado que, tal como sucede con campañas anti-tabaco, esta iniciativa sería fútil. Y me hubiera equivocado. Como afirma Jim "Me fueron enviadas copias de artículos de periódico reportando arrestos que fueron hechos como resultado directo de niños reportando abusos después de leer el cómic". Así que, en otras palabras, esto realmente funcionó. No obstante, Jim también confirma que "lo que importa es que el cómic fue publicado por Marvel en primer lugar. Incluso si ellos ahora se puedan sentir avergonzados por ello".

De hecho, 28 años después del “Spider-Man and Power Pack Giveaway”, Marvel ha eliminado esta historia de su reciente antología de 'temas sociales'; décadas atrás, Marvel solía colaborar con el Comité Nacional de Prevención de Abuso Infantil y otras instituciones similares; ahora ellos están reimprimiendo historias sobre drogadicción y otros asuntos pero están evitando deliberadamente el tema del abuso sexual. ¿Se ha convertido esto en un peligroso tabú en años recientes? ¿O será que desde que Disney se ha adueñado de Marvel, ellos prefieren suponer que si no hablan del abuso sexual infantil entonces es más fácil fingir que no existe? La verdad es que la víctima de abuso sexual por lo general reprime los dolorosos recuerdos, y siente vergüenza. Irónicamente, cuando Marvel decidió que no reimprimiría esta historia fracasaron en sepultar la verdad, porque al final, su silencio es más elocuente que cualquier otra cosa. Así que regresando a la pregunta inicial, '¿fue Peter Parker abusado sexualmente de chico?' la respuesta sería un resonante 'Sí'.

May Comic Books / Cómics de mayo

Slightly later than usual, here I present you last month’s comics. I still haven’t finished to read all of them, but I’d rather make this post now. America’s Got Powers continues to be amazing, the first issue of Mind the Gap is very promising, plus the art is great. In the Free Comic Book Day front there’s plenty of good stuff: Graphic Elvis with art by the incomparable John Cassaday (I’ll buy anything with his name on it), The Hypernaturals was everything I love about the Legion of Super-Heroes; I truly enjoyed the Archaia graphic novel anthology, not only is it a very nice hardcover edition with lots of interesting stories, but also it’s completely free. But if I had to choose the best book of the month it would be Morning Glories # 18, a powerful and haunting story about the forbidden love of two young boys who meet again years later only to realize that passion can still prevail. As a writer, Nick Spencer surprises us with an unforgettable story about teenagers trapped in a school that keeps murdering its own students. And here are May comics as per solicitations:


AMERICAS GOT POWERS #2 (OF 6)
A generation of super-powered teens battle to be The Hero on the biggest TV event in history but Tommy Watt's dreams of fame and fortune might be over even if he survives The Trials. Someone is coming and he's going to destroy the show and everybody in it!


BOYS #66 (MR)
(W) Garth Ennis (A) Russell Braun (CA) Darick Robertson The last Boys story begins with some very shady goings on in Moscow, as an old friend runs into some unexpected trouble. Butcher announces a promotion that doesn't please everybody, Annie makes a decision that horrified Hughie- and in the aftermath of last issue's super-carnage, Vought-American begin the struggle for survival. Part one of the six-part The Bloody Doors Off.

DOMINIQUE LAVEAU VOODOO CHILD #3 (MR)
(W) Selwyn Sefu Hinds (A) Denys Cowan, John Floyd (CA) Rafael Grampá
Dominique comes face to face with her mysterious pursuers from the Voodoo Court; a deadly enemy takes the first step toward becoming her ally; and she finally learns of the age-old supernatural civil war that's been rippling beneath the fabric of New Orleans... and her place in the middle of the madness. But it may all be too little too late when the Voodoo war god Ogun shows up to put her to the ultimate test.


FAIREST #3 (MR)
(W) Bill Willingham (A) Phil Jimenez, Andy Lanning (CA) Adam Hughes
We want this third issue to be really big, so let's have Briar Rose and Ali Baba captured by the Snow Queen! And let's throw in seven good fairy godmothers and one really, really bad one. Let's have dire curses and desperate fights and comic asides. Let's show the consequences of attempting a second uninvited kiss. Basically let's have everything in this but the kitchen sink. No, wait - let's throw the kitchen sink in too!


FCBD 2012 GRAPHIC ELVIS PREVIEW (Net)
(W) Stan Lee, Various (A) John Cassaday, Various (CA) Mukesh Singh This FCBD Preview of the Graphic Elvis collector's book features selected stories and excerpts from the deluxe hardcover edition! An illustrated homage to Elvis' lifelong appreciation of comic books, Graphic Elvis also commemorates the 35th anniversary of Elvis Presley's death in 2012. In the same way comic books inspired Elvis, this book allowed today's premiere comic book creators to find inspiration from Elvis' treasured archives at Graceland, creating a unique visual experience for his millions of fans. 371947


FCBD 2012 IMAGE 20 (Net)
(W/A) Various Image Comics presents this 20th anniversary anthology packed with all-new stories featuring a mix of Image's best loved characters from the past and present! 371923


FCBD 2012 MOUSE GUARD LABYRINTH & MORE HC (Net)
(W) Jeremy Bastian, Nate Cosby, Royden Lepp, Jim McCann, Ted Naifeh, David Petersen (A) Jeremy Bastian, Chris Eliopoulos, Cory Godbey, Janet Lee, Royden Lepp and David Petersen (C) David Petersen This Free Comic Book Day, Archaia offers readers the chance to experience history in the making with a FREE, gorgeous, 48-page, 6' x 9' full-color original anthology hardcover featuring all-new material! David Petersen returns with an all-new Mouse Guard tale that's guaranteed to tug at your heartstrings! Lose yourself once again in Jim Henson's amazing world of Labyrinth, featuring a fantastical story from Eisner Award-nominee Ted Naifeh (Courtney Crumrin) and Cory Godbey (Fraggle Rock). Get a new perspective on Jet Jones in Royden Lepp's critically acclaimed Rust, with a short story seen through the eyes of younger brother Oswald Taylor. Jeremy Bastian's acclaimed Cursed Pirate Girl hits the high seas in this whimsical, swashbuckling tale of wonderland journeys and unimaginable dangers. Nate Cosby (Pigs) and Chris Eliopoulos (Franklin Richards) present Cow Boy, a comedy/western that tells the tale of a young bounty hunter determined to send his entire outlaw family to jail. And Jim McCann and Janet Lee follow up their Eisner Award-winning Return of the Dapper Men with an all-new short story that leads into the upcoming sequel, Time of the Dapper Men. Witness the origin of a new, major character! And?the return of 41?! 371915


FCBD 2012 THE HYPERNATURALS (Net)
(W) Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning (A) TBD. This Free Comic Book Day... A universe trembles. It is the far future; the human race has finally colonized the galaxy, preserving an era of prosperity that's only possible because of The Hypernaturals. They're a celebrated, galaxy-wide superhero task force that keeps the peace. That is, until they all mysteriously vanish. Now, as the galaxy teeters on the brink of chaos, it's up to a group of retired and long forgotten Hypernaturals - and their novice recruits - to save the galaxy from complete destruction. Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, the superstar writing duo behind Annihilation and The Legion, launch an all-new original series that takes cosmic super-heroes to a new frontier. Experience the special preview issue of The Hypernaturals this May and pick up the #1 issue this July!

FRANKENSTEIN ALIVE ALIVE #1
(W) Steve Niles (A/CA) Bernie Wrightson Few works by comic-book artists have earned the universal acclaim and reverence that Bernie Wrightson's illustrated version of Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley's Frankenstein was met with upon its original release in 1983. Nearly 30 years later, Wrightson returns to his passion project with a comic series that picks up at the end of the classic novel, hailed as one of the greatest horror stories of all time. Frequent Wrightson collaborator Steve Niles provides the script for this epic, decades in the making. While appearing to be in black and white, each page was scanned in color to mimic as closely as possible the experience of viewing the actual original art, showing off the exquisitely detailed brush work of one of the greatest living artists in comics today. Each issue will also include supplemental materials, including interviews, essays and a serialization of the original prose story by Shelley.


HIGHER EARTH #1 MAIN CVRS
(W) Sam Humphries (CA) Phil Noto & Various You Are Illegal On This Earth. Space is dead. Why conquer other planets when there's a perfectly good Earth in the universe next door® Heidi, a girl born in garbage. Rex, a soldier gone rogue. The only thing between them and their destiny is an empire of a hundred different Earths, across a hundred alternate timelines. One majestic planet dominates them all: Higher Earth. Created and written by Sam Humphries (Fanboys Vs. Zombies) Higher Earth is his sci-fi follow up to last year's indie hit Our Love Is Real, a fast-paced epic of infinite possibilities. And don't miss the first of four extremely rare retailer incentive variants by legendary artist Michael Golden, offered with a CGC 9.8 Near Mint grade!


JUDGE DREDD CRUSADE TP (C: 0-1-2)
The Thing meets Where Eagles Dare as two of the world's most popular comic book writers - Grant Morrison and Mark Millar - produce a high-octane thriller! The greatest future lawman of them all, Judge Dredd, joins an international cadre of judges to recover a scientist who claims he has a message from God! And in 'The Frankenstein Division,' Millar creates the ultimate judge - by stitching together pieces of the best!


MIND THE GAP #1 CVR B
(W) Jim McAnn (A/CA) Rodin Esquejo, Sonia Oback After Elle Peterssen is mysteriously attacked on a Manhattan subway platform, she is left in a coma, the only clues to her attacker trapped inside her mind. No one knows the identity of the person behind this brutal beating or where they will strike next. In this ALL-NEW ONGOING series, everyone is suspect, and no one is innocent. USAToday calls it an 'anxiously anticipated modern thriller…Whodunit® McCann's done it again.' Eisner-winning writer JIM McCANN joins RODIN ESQUEJO (MORNING GLORIES) and SONIA OBACK (S.H.I.E.L.D., The Defenders) unite for a psychological thriller that will leave you guessing at every turn!


MORNING GLORIES #18 (MR)
story NICK SPENCER art JOE EISMA cover RODIN ESQUEJO  'P.E. - The Conclusion'


NEW DEADWARDIANS #3 (OF 8) (MR)
(W) Dan Abnett (A/CA) I. N. J. Culbard
Investigating the chilling 'Murder That Should Not Be,' Inspector Suttle is obliged to visit the East End of London's notorious and dangerous Zone-B. It's the last refuge of the living, where the poor, the free-thinking, the artistic, the liberal and the undoubtedly mortal live surrounded by the fenced-off restless horror. What secrets will Suttle learn there about the case and himself?


RICH JOHNSTONS THE AVENGEFULS #1
A fundamentalist Islamic terrorist, the world's leading for-profit deity and a reality TV star thawed out from the 1940s. Can The Hoff assemble this rag tag group together into a team ready to face Earth's greatest threats? Well, he better, because that's why we're making this comic! A hilarious parody of what's sure to be one of the biggest movies of 2012. No, not Step Up 4… Written by Bleeding Cool's Rich Johnston (Watchmensch, Chase Variant).


SAUCER COUNTRY #3 (MR)
(W) Paul Cornell (A/CA) Ryan Kelly
Hypno-regression therapy, cutting edge aviation technology, and an abduction by rabbits! Things are getting really strange on the campaign trail in New Mexico, and Governor Alvarado is beginning to wonder: Has everyone in this state been 'abducted by aliens'® The book we like to call 'The West Wing meets The X-Files' ramps up as we meet the enemy and get a look into their big, black eyes…


SAGA #3 (MR)
(W) Brian K. Vaughan (A/CA) Fiona Staples
BKV's and FIONA STAPLES' controversial epic continues!  Stranded on a mystical alien world, new parents Marko and Alana encounter their greatest fear. 


SECRET SERVICE #2 (OF 7) (MR)
(W) Mark Millar (A/CA) Dave Gibbons
The world's greatest secret agent is on the most exciting case of his career. But will the end of the world as we know it take a back seat to training his street-punk nephew to be the next James Bond® The young man's preparation now begins in earnest, saving him from a life of desperation. Meanwhile, what's the secret link between a series of kidnapped science fiction stars and the murder of an entire town in Middle America?


SUPERCROOKS #3 (OF 4) (MR)
(W) Mark Millar (A/CA) Leinil Francis Yu
Johnny Bolt has gathered a group of super-villain friends from his past to pull off the biggest robbery in history. The real surprise--the victim's identity! But things go horribly wrong and it's too late to turn back. The greatest super-villain of all time might have amassed a billion dollar fortune, but he's not going to be easy to steal from. A massive secret in the American superhero community might just work in their favor…


STAR TREK TNG DOCTOR WHO ASSIMILATION #1
(W) David Tipton & Various (A) J. K. Woodward (CA) J. K. Woodward, David Messina They said it would never happen! Nearly five decades and 1500 episodes in the making! The two greatest science-fiction properties of all time cross over for the first time in history, in STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION/DOCTOR WHO: ASSIMILATION2! When the Federation's most terrifying enemy strikes an unholy alliance with one of the Doctor's most hated antagonists, the result is devastation on a cosmic scale! Spanning the ends of space and time itself, Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew of the USS Enterprise find themselves joining forces with the Doctor and his companions, with the fate of the galaxy hanging in the balance! Written by Scott and David Tipton, the authors of the critically acclaimed Star Trek: Infestaion, and featuring the beautiful painted artwork of J.K. Woodward (Fallen Angel), this is the adventure that both Trekkers and Whovians have waited for all their lives! Geronimo® Make it so!


UNWRITTEN #37 (MR)
(W) Mike Carey (A) Peter Gross (CA) Yuko Shimizu
A year after The War of Words and nearly unbearable tragedy and loss, Tom Taylor's life is finally coming together. But the real world and fictional world are both in turmoil, and the damage seems to be spreading. Before he can hope to heal it, Tom will need to find 'The Wound,' part 1 of 4. It's the start of a brand-new storyline in a psychologically postapocalyptic world disconnected from the power of Leviathan and the manipulation of the Cabal. Fiction is up for grabs and Tom Taylor stands at the center of that battle!


WALKING DEAD #97 (MR)
(W) Robert Kirkman (A/CA) Charlie Adlard, Cliff Rathburn
TWO ISSUES IN ONE MONTH! The start of a new storyline, leading up to our monumental issue 100!  After nearly 100 issues, Rick and the other survivors finally have 'SOMETHING TO FEAR.'


WALKING DEAD #98 (MR)
(W) Robert Kirkman (A/CA) Charlie Adlard, Cliff Rathburn
TWO ISSUES IN ONE MONTH! 'SOMETHING TO FEAR' continues!
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Ligeramente más tarde de lo habitual, aquí les presento los cómics del mes pasado. Todavía no termino de leer todo, pero empecemos de una vez. America’s Got Powers continúa asombrándome, el primer número de Mind the Gap es muy prometedor y tiene un artista de primera. En cuanto a los cómics del Free Comic Book Day hay muchas cosas buenas: Graphic Elvis con arte del incomparable John Cassaday (compro todos los cómics que él dibuja), The Hypernaturals fue todo lo que me gusta de la Legión de Súper-Héroes; realmente disfruté la novela gráfica de Archaia, además de ser una cuidada edición en tapa dura con muchas historias interesantes, también es completamente gratuita. Pero si tuviera que elegir el mejor título del mes sería Morning Glories # 18, una poderosa y evocadora historia sobre el amor prohibido entre dos chiquillos que se reencuentran años después y descubren que la pasión aún puede prevalecer. Como escritor, Nick Spencer nos sorprende con un inolvidable relato sobre adolescentes atrapados en un colegio que asesina a sus propios estudiantes. Y sin más preámbulos, aquí están los cómics de mayo:


AMERICAS GOT POWERS #2 (OF 6)
Una generación de adolescentes con súper-poderes lucha para ser ‘el Héroe’ del más grande evento de la televisión en la historia. Pero los sueños de fama y fortuna de Tommy Watts quizá desfallezcan si es que sobrevive a los juicios. Y alguien destruirá el show y a todos los que participan.

Morning Glories # 18

BOYS #66 (MR)
Algo sucede en Moscú; un viejo amigo está en problemas. Y llega un anuncio que complacerá a pocos.


DOMINIQUE LAVEAU VOODOO CHILD #3 (MR)
Dominique se enfrente a sus misteriosos perseguidores de la Corte Vudú; un enemigo mortal toma el primer paso hacia una alianza. Y ella finalmente descubre la guerra civil sobrenatural en Nueva Orleans.


FAIREST #3 (MR)
RED ROSE y ALI BABA son capturados por la Reina de las Nieves. Además, allí están las siete hadas madrinas buenas, y una mala.


FCBD 2012 GRAPHIC ELVIS PREVIEW (Net)
Incluye trabajos de Stan Lee y John Cassaday.


FCBD 2012 IMAGE 20 (Net)
Antología en homenaje a los 20 años de Image.


FCBD 2012 MOUSE GUARD LABYRINTH & MORE HC (Net)
Escrito por Jeremy Bastian, Nate Cosby, Royden Lepp, Jim McCann, Ted Naifeh, David Petersen y dibujado por Jeremy Bastian, Chris Eliopoulos, Cory Godbey, Janet Lee, Royden Lepp & David Petersen.


FCBD 2012 THE HYPERNATURALS (Net) 
Estamos en un futuro lejano. La raza humana ha colonizado la galaxia, preservando una era de prosperidad posible sólo gracias a los Híper-Naturales, quienes guardan la paz por toda la galaxia. Hasta que todos se desvanecen misteriosamente, y la galaxia está ahora al borde del caos.


FRANKENSTEIN ALIVE ALIVE #1
Adaptación del clásico de terror de Mary W. Shelley.


HIGHER EARTH #1 MAIN CVRS
Eres un ilegal en esta Tierra. El espacio está muerto. ¿Para qué conquistar otros planetas si hay una Tierra perfectamente buena en el universo de al lado? Una chica que nació en la basura, un soldado fugitivo. Lo único que hay entre ellos y su destino es un universo de cientos de Tierras diferentes.


JUDGE DREDD CRUSADE
El más grande juez de todos, Dredd, se une a un grupo internacional de jueces para rescatar a un científico que clama tener un mensaje divino. Mientras, la División FRANKENSTEIN crea al juez definitivo.


MIND THE GAP #1 CVR B
Cuando Elle es misteriosamente atacada en una plataforma del metro de Manhattan, queda en estado de coma, las únicas pistas sobre su atacante están en su mente. Todos son sospechosos, nadie es inocente.


MORNING GLORIES #18 (MR)
Educación física. Conclusión.


NEW DEADWARDIANS #3 (OF 8) (MR)
Al investigar el asesinato que no debió ocurrir, el inspector es obligado a visitar la peligrosa zona pobre de Londres, el último refugio de los vivos, donde los pobres, los libre-pensadores, los artistas, los liberales viven rodeados del terror que no termina. ¿Qué secretos descubrirá el inspector?


RICH JOHNSTONS THE AVENGEFULS #1
Un terrorista islámico fundamentalista, el dios mejor pagado del mundo y la estrella de un programa de televisión congelado desde los años 40. ¿Podrá este patético grupo enfrentar a la más grande amenaza de la Tierra?


SAUCER COUNTRY #3 (MR)
Terapia hipnótica de regresión, tecnología de aviación de primera, y una abducción hecha por conejos. Las cosas se vuelven aún más extrañas a lo largo de la campaña, y la gobernadora Alvarado se pregunta si es que acaso todos han sido abducidos en Nuevo México.


SAGA #3 (MR)
Varados en un mundo extraño y místico, Marko y Alana, padres primerizos, encuentran aquello a lo que más temen.


STAR TREK TNG DOCTOR WHO ASSIMILATION #1
Luego de cinco décadas, las dos más grandes series de ciencia ficción se reúnen. Cuando el más temible enemigo de la Federación forma una alianza con uno de los más odiados antagonistas del Doctor, el resultado es la devastación a escala cósmica. El capitán PICARD y el Doctor unirán fuerzas.


SECRET SERVICE #2 (OF 7) (MR)
El más grande agente secreto del mundo tiene un caso emocionante. Pero el fin del mundo tal como lo conocemos no le impedirá entrenar a su sobrino, un punk callejero, para ser el próximo James Bond.


SUPERCROOKS #3 (OF 4) (MR)
Johnny reúne a un grupo de villanescos amigos de su pasado para lograr el mayor asalto de la historia. El más grande súper-villano del mundo ha amasado una fortuna de billones, pero no será fácil robársela.


UNWRITTEN #37 (MR)
Un año después de la Guerra de las palabras, la vida de Tom por fin se tranquiliza. Pero el mundo real y el mundo ficticio están en caos. Y el daño se extiende, Tom deberá encontrar la herida antes de poder curarla. ¿Qué pasará en un mundo sin un Leviatán o la manipulación de la Cábala?


WALKING DEAD #97 (MR)
Finalmente Rick y los otros tienen algo que temer.


WALKING DEAD #98 (MR)
“Algo que temer” continúa.