A brilliant mind can be both: a gift and a curse.  A superior intellect can never be a guarantee of a happier or better life.  It all depends on the decisions we make with the resources available to us.  Even a genius can turn his life into hell. “ It’s a Strange World” (published in November 1999) introduces the Four into the world of the Archeologists of the Impossible. The Four are a group of space explorers led by Randall Dowling, arguably Earth’s brightest scientific mind.  Of course, this man shares many similitudes with Reed Richards (Mr. Fantastic), the leader of the Fantastic Four; then there is Jacob Greene, a pilot slightly reminiscent of Ben Grimm, AKA the Thing; William Leather, the youngest in the team, would be the equivalent of Johnny Storm, best known as the Human Torch; finally, Kim Süskind, the only woman, would be Susan Storm, AKA the Invisible Woman. As part of a secret space rocket program developed by Nazi scientists employed by the US Government, the mission of this team is to land on the Moon.  And so they leave Earth on 1961, except they never make it to the Moon.  Instead, they collide against an impossible energy emanation, a fractal explosion similar to the one witnessed by the agonizing heroes from “All Over the World”. 
Subterrans: a hunting trophy / Subterráneos: un trofeo de caza
The origin of the Four / el origen de los CuatroIrradiated by this energy, the explorers gain extraordinary abilities.  They are no longer human.  But unlike the Fantastic Four, they are not here to make the world a better place.  If Reed Richards had the generosity and kindness to share his discoveries and scientific breakthroughs, it was because he considered his brain to be a gift.  Randall Dowling, on the other hand, is cursed with this superior intelligence, and so he refuses to spend his time saving lives or improving the world.  Warren Ellis proves that being a genius is one thing, and being a hero is something else entirely.  If the Fantastic Four are Marvel’s premiere superhero family, and the most noble heroes one could think of, the Four are the most dangerous and lethal villains in the history of mankind.  Just like William Leather explains to Elijah Snow: “We are optimal humans.  We are explorers, scientist gods, the secret heroes of a world that doesn’t deserve us”.  Wrapped up in arrogance and deliriums of grandeur, the Four have poisoned the lives of the people around them, halting progress and sabotaging scientific innovations. Elijah Snow and Jakita Wagner make a mistake.  They try to attack Four Voyagers Plaza, the building owned by the Four.  The attack is quite unsuccessful, and in the end Elijah Snow is shocked by the fact that William Leather knows a lot more than he should about his past. As usual, I would like to take a moment to talk about John Cassaday’s amazing art.  One of his best pages here is the one that shows the “Subterrans”, an underworld race similar to the “Moloids” from the Fantastic Four.  The desiccated corpses of three murdered Subterrans is evidence enough of the cruelty of the Four.  The fighting sequence between Jakita and Leather is quite impressive, as well as the confrontation between Leather and Snow. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 
Jakita Wagner versus William LeatherUna mente brillante puede ser un don o una maldición.  Un intelecto superior nunca garantiza una vida mejor o más feliz.  Todo depende de las decisiones que tomemos con los recursos a nuestra disposición.  Incluso un genio puede convertir su vida en un infierno. “ Es un mundo extraño” (publicado en noviembre de 1999) introduce a los Cuatro en el mundo de los Arqueólogos de lo Imposible. Los Cuatro son un grupo de exploradores espaciales liderados por Randall Dowling, probablemente la mente científica más brillante de la Tierra.  Por supuesto, este hombre comparte muchas similitudes con Reed Richards (el Sr.  Fantástico), líder de los Cuatro Fantásticos; luego está Jacob Greene, un piloto ligeramente parecido a Ben Grimm, también conocido como la Cosa; William Leather, el más joven del equipo, sería el equivalente a Johnny Storm, mejor conocido como la Antorcha Humana; finalmente, Kim Süskind, la única mujer, sería Susan Storm, también conocida como la Mujer Invisible. Como parte de un programa secreto de cohetes espaciales desarrollado por científicos nazis empleados por el gobierno de Estados Unidos, la misión de este equipo es aterrizar en la Luna.  Así que dejan la Tierra en 1961, pero nunca llegan hasta la Luna.  En lugar de ello, colisionan contra una imposible emanación de energía, una explosión fractal similar a la atestiguada por los héroes agonizantes de “Por todo el mundo”. 
Elijah Snow & William LeatherIrradiados por esta energía, los exploradores ganan habilidades extraordinarias.  Ya no son humanos.  Pero a diferencia de los Cuatro Fantásticos, ellos no están aquí para hacer del mundo un lugar mejor.  Si es que Reed Richards tenía la generosidad y la amabilidad de compartir sus descubrimientos y avances científicos, era porque consideraba que su cerebro era un don.  Randall Dowling, por otro lado, tiene la maldición de una inteligencia superior, así que se rehúsa a perder el tiempo en salvar vidas o mejorar el mundo.  Warren Ellis demuestra que ser un genio es una cosa, y ser un héroe es algo totalmente distinto. Si los Cuatro Fantásticos son la primera familia superheroica de Marvel, y los más nobles héroes que uno podría imaginar, los Cuatro son los más peligrosos y letales villanos en la historia de la humanidad.  Tal como William Leather le explica a Elijah Snow: “Somos humanos óptimos.  Somos exploradores, dioses científicos, los héroes secretos de un mundo que no nos merece”.  Envueltos en arrogancia y delirios de grandeza, los Cuatro han envenenado las vidas de la gente que los rodea, deteniendo el progreso y saboteando las innovaciones científicas. Elijah Snow y Jakita Wagner cometen un error.  Intentan atacar la Plaza de los Cuatro Viajeros, el edificio propiedad de los Cuatro.  El ataque no tiene éxito, y al final Elijah Snow queda impactado por el hecho de William Leather conoce mucho más sobre su pasado de lo que debería. Como siempre, me gustaría hablar un momento sobre el asombroso arte de John Cassaday.  Una de sus mejores páginas es la que muestra a los “Subterráneos”, una raza del inframundo similar a los “Moloids” de los Cuatro Fantásticos.  Los cuerpos disecados de tres Subterráneos asesinados es evidencia suficiente de la crueldad de los Cuatro.  La secuencia de pelea entre Jakita y Leather es bastante impresionante, así como la confrontación entre Leather y Snow.  Originally Published at http://artbyarion.blogspot.com/2014/09/planetary-6-warren-ellis-john-cassaday.html

Overtaken #2OVERTAKEN #2
Frank Mastromauro – Story / Marco Lorenzana – Art / Wes Hartman - ColorsPrepare yourself for the return of - OVERTAKEN!Picking up from the shocking events of issue #1… after months of dead ends and uncooperative authorities, Will Harden focuses his desperation to find his missing wife and turns to an unlikely source to help locate her…but is it already too late??  As he begins to unravel the truth, Harden will discover that the answers he seeks are far out of this world!Written and created by Frank Mastromauro, featuring artwork by the talented newcomer Marco Lorenzana, OVERTAKEN is going to take your breath away and leave you gasping for more!OVERTAKEN #2 is in stores December 17th, 2014!FC 32 pages $3.99
Fathom #1FATHOM: SOURCEBOOK #1
Michael Turner ; various – Art / Peter Steigerwald ; various – ColorsYour journey into the FATHOM Universe begins here!Michael Turner's best-selling Fathom series has celebrated over 15 years of thrilling adventures, and now fans and new readers alike can dive even deeper into the depths of the Fathom Universe with Aspen's first-ever FATHOM: SOURCEBOOK!  Jam-packed from cover to cover with detailed character profiles, in-depth power charts, revealing story elements and so much more--this is the definitive source to learn about all things Fathom!FATHOM: SOURCEBOOK #1 is in stores December 10th, 2014!FC 32 pages $4.99
Follow Reading Graphic Novels on Facebook and Twitter. 
Originally Published at Reading Graphic Novels http://readinggraphicnovels.blogspot.com/2014/09/aspen-comics-solicitations-for-december.html

À toute vitesse (1996) Directed by Gaël Morel
Can homosexuality be successfully articulated in society?  According to some, homosexuals are doomed to be secluded and restricted to marginalized worlds.  As filmmaker, Gaël Morel has often chosen to portray such worlds, enquiring deeply below the surface of what actually means to be an outcast. In "Le Clan", for example, Morel digs into the lives of outcast youngsters, which share an obvious resemblance to some of the protagonists of "À toute vitesse".  There is, however, a much subtler approach of such topics in this film, perhaps as part of André Téchiné's influence (who appears listed in the credits).Spivak's book "Can the Subaltern Speak?"  explains that authority is built upon a specific loci of enunciation.  In this film, traditional society has already attributed a certain loci or place to those who dare to defy the heterosexual normative. Nonetheless, Morel goes much deeper than that.  Handsome and talented Quentin is a young writer that has just won an award and is on his way to success.  He does have quite an ambivalent position about marginalization.  For example, he accuses the French bourgeois of misunderstanding his novel, as he has no intentions of depicting outcasts because for him they are normal people; he affirms that it is the bourgeois who constantly ostracize and discriminate others.  Clearly, some of that is truth, as the mesocratic class tends to judge harshly those who do not fit into the symbolic order. As the film goes on, Quentin starts spending time with Samir, an Algerian boy that is still grieving the loss of his boyfriend; Quentin's tantalizing physic presence serves as cannon fodder for Samir's masturbatory urges as can be explicitly seen in one scene.  Will the two boys consummate their passion or is only one of them interested in such consummation?  Quentin apparently defends the rights of the Algerians as he publicly accuses acts of racism and violence, but at the same time he despises Samir just as much as he spurns Julie, his girlfriend or Jimmy, his best friend (interpreted by Stéphane Rideau, an actor extremely familiarized with gay productions).  Over and over again, Quentin is seen as someone who takes advantage of social unfairness in order to gain publicity for himself, and certainly once he starts making his way in the publishing world he decides to move to Paris, quickly discarding friends and love interests. 
Dare DovidjenkoJimmy is a jobless guy, with no real prospects of a 'decent' future.  And Samir is a boy who barely has enough money to pay the rent.  Except for Julie, all other characters are on the edge of poverty or delinquency.  They are, however, strong and coherent.  Julie trusts in the possibility to have a good relationship whether with Quentin or someone else, Samir decides to defend himself against French fascists that brutally assault him while Jimmy bravely defends Samir even if that means risking his physical integrity.  Quentin, on the contrary, is unable to find coherence, his loci of enunciation becomes so firmly inserted in the symbolic order that he loses all true authority.  That's how we can understand the lack of commitment in his acts: he has a relationship with Julie but seems willing to let her go as he sees fit; he starts a sentimental relationship with Samir only until he completes enough research for his next book; he supports gays or Algerians only as a marketing strategy, but he is never there when his friends need him.  Despise all that, Morel manages to create a fascinating, talented, smart young man that carries the traits of a hero although none of the true virtues. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 
Dare DovidjenkoEl miércoles de esta semana, en la Galería Lucía de la Puente, se inauguró la muestra “Interrogantes” de Dare Dovidjenko Bozanik, artista croata de amplia trayectoria en el escenario nacional.  Dare Dovidjenko eligió el Perú quizás en su época más convulsa, en los años del terrorismo y la súper inflación; en ese entonces, sus innovadores y curiosos dibujos eran publicados en el suplemento “No”, de la revista “Sí”; a menudo colaboró con cómics de temática experimental, en donde la narrativa visual prevalecía por encima de lo convencional. Han pasado ya varias décadas desde aquellas épocas, pero Dare continúa experimentando.  Su búsqueda, sus interrogantes, ya no se limitan a la expresión plástica ni a la técnica del pincel, sino al mensaje oculto, al contenido de las imágenes que comparte con nosotros.  De manera sutil pero no por ello menos reveladora, los cuadros de Dare nos interrogan también a nosotros, los espectadores, y nos obligan a detenernos, a tomarnos una pausa, y a reflexionar.  Con trazos depurados, precisos y de gran realismo, Dare delinea para nosotros el símbolo de pregunta.  A mí particularmente me han encantado la imagen surrealista del caballo reflejado sobre el charco de agua, en un pueblo de la serranía peruana, la bolsa de pan que luce tan amenazante como un cráneo, y el extraordinario juego entre luces y sombras entre dos cuadros que, vistos por separado, parecieran no tener nada en común, pero que juntos sorprenden por su fuerza y cohesión. 
Originally Published at http://artbyarion.blogspot.com/2014/09/interrogantes-dare-dovidjenko-galeria.html

Cover
I have a strange relationship with Judge Dredd.  I love the concept and the characters.  More often than not I love the stories.  I really enjoy the tone and overall theme, political and social commentary, and the badassery that is Dredd.  But (there's always a but) I own (and read) very few Dredd stories. Why?!  Don't know.  Probably its a marketing thing (or lack thereof).  When I buy a Judge Dredd book I can't put it down until the very last page (usually this is true), but after that I never hear any new news form 2000AD publicizing the next book.  This turned into a (first world) problem when I stopped shopping at traditional brick and mortar stores. The point here is, going into this book, I had no idea what Day of Chaos was.  But this books does a good job summering it up for me.  An enemy Mega-City (East-Sov) made a (successful) biological attack on Mega-City One.  The majority of the population died and Mega-City One is in ruins.  And everyone blames Dredd.  This is the story of what happens next. Actually its the stories of what happens next.  Each chapter is a different story, with a different creative team.  This could be the recipe for disaster, but it works here.  2000AD is used to manage several creative teams for their periodic format, and it shows.  Sure there are a few fluctuation both in quality of the art and style of writing, but overall it works well. In this book you'll get everything from whole blocks declaring independence, rouge judges, deserting cadets, jealousy driven murder, xenophobia, and much more.  Of course all this is seasoned with a (un)healthy dose of the old British ultra-violence we all love so much. 
Do it
Dredd and his colleagues face-off against Mega-City One's most foul creeps.  What most characterizes Dredd is his unshaken confidence and unbreakable morals.  Well, both are put to the test several times, when he is faced with the ruination of his beloved Mega-City One and the degradation of its citizens. Art wise this book is all over the place.  Its easier to set a guideline for the writers to follow than it is to get artistic uniformity.  There is one or two chapters where the art is bad(ish), the others is mostly about personal taste.  Not much else to say, your eyes won't bleed out, but it could hurt to get a bit more consistency. 
The smirk talks volumes
I've yet to buy a book from 2000AD that I didn't though I was getting my money's worth.  Sure not all are master pieces, but all (thus far) have been ranging form entertaining to absolute awesome.  This one is not on top end, but is almost there.  Even if, like me, you haven't read Day of Chaos, this is be one of the most entertaining comics you'll read this year. Publisher: 2000ADYear: 2014Pages: 240Authors: John Wagner, Rob Williams, Michael Carrol, Robert Williams, Laurence Campbell , PJ Holden, James HarrenISBN: 1781082715Follow Reading Graphic Novels on Facebook and Twitter. 
Originally Published at Reading Graphic Novels http://readinggraphicnovels.blogspot.com/2014/09/review-judge-dredd-day-of-chaos-fallout.html