Alien Books, the publisher of the Valiant comics line, and writer Mauro Mantella have received widespread criticism for a passage that appeared in Valiant Beyond: Bloodshot #1 that featured “thinly veiled transphobic metaphors,” as one comics creator put it.
The comic’s creative team includes Mantella and artists Fernando Heinz Furukawa and Juan Pablo Massa. It’s part of a line-wide reboot of the Valiant line, called Valiant Beyond, that was set to kick off earlier this year but was delayed due to the bankruptcy of Diamond. Valiant’s comics are now distributed by Penguin Random House via IDW Publishing.
What should have been a big launch for the publisher, as Bloodshot was the first Valiant Beyond title to hit comic shelves, was marred by panels whose words mirrored a false but common refrain by anti-trans bigots. For context, the comic features Bloodshot in a Japan plagued by vampires. “There are kids who want to be bitten to become vampires because their favorite influencer says they are one,” Bloodshot’s interior monologue reads. “And parents who force their children into that irreversible change just to feel modern … and believing that they’ll be thankful for it when they grow up.”
Here’s the page:
Many creators posted their disgust with the passage on social media.
“I pride myself on my professionalism in comics. I don’t talk shit about books I don’t enjoy. I am happy when folks get gigs even if I wish I landed them,” creator Zoe Tunnel posted on BlueSky. “So when I say the transphobic bullshit in the new BLOODSHOT #1 comic is disgusting and should have never made it to print. Shameful shit.”
“This is obscene. Suggesting that trans people are soulless bloodthirsty monsters is one of the most transphobic things I’ve ever seen. This isn’t cute or funny. It’s vile,” said Lilah Sturges.
“It’s absolutely atrocious and disgusting,” said editor Heather Antos, who used to work for Valiant before the line moved to Alien Books. “Also EXTREMELY out of character??? He’d be FIRST in line to protect Trans kids. I’m almost in awe at the blatant audacity.”
“As someone who’s written Bloodshot, this sucks,” said Joshua Dysart.
“Bloodshot would hate transphobes and throw himself in front of a hail of bullets to protect a trans kid without hesitation. Just FYI,” said former Bloodshot writer Deniz Camp.
Alien Books issued an apology yesterday following the backlash, saying they planned to change the dialogue in upcoming collections and in the digital edition. They said that the line was written by an “Argentinian creator and was unfortunately a case of nuance being lost in translation,” although many have noted that Mantella is actually a translator himself:
Here’s the full text:
Alien Books and writer Mauro Mantella sincerely apologize for the harm caused by the phrasing in Bloodshot #1. While the story takes place in a fictional world of vampires and cults, we understand that a specific line of dialogue has been read as alluding to real-world issues, specifically, the discrimination faced by trans people.
That was never the intention. The original line was written by an Argentinian creator and was unfortunately a case of nuance being lost in translation. We fully recognize that intent does not erase impact, especially when dealing with subject matter that affects real lives and communities.
We are taking the following steps immediately:
The dialogue in question will be updated for all digital and collected editions to better reflect the intended fictional context.
Going forward, all scripts will undergo a more intense review by our proof readers as part of our editorial process to ensure clearer, more responsible storytelling.
We appreciate the feedback from readers, creators, and industry peers who brought this to our attention. We take this seriously and are committed to learning from it.
Alien Books values inclusion, empathy, and creative responsibility. We will do better.
Which also brought responses from creators and fans:
Tyler Crook: “I’m glad you are taking steps. But it’s absurd and insulting to claim that it was some sort of accident or mistranslation.”
Vita Ayala: “This isn’t just a word choice thing, you don’t Google Translate your way into thinly veiled transphobic metaphors. Also, isn’t the writer a translator? Yeah, this was not slick nor subtle on the writer’s part.”
Jay Edidin: “The fact that you expect anyone who has ever worked on a comic book to buy this is one of the most astonishing displays of both hubris and failure to read the room that I have seen in 19 years in the industry.”
Camp: “I’m glad valiant/alien apologized and is changing it but there is a 0% chance it was a mistake, I’m sorry. That’s not how translation works.”
The statement is also questionable given the writer’s own social media history, as detailed on Comic Book Club, of posting anti-trans and anti-LGBTQ+ memes and videos — many of which have now been deleted. The writer has not responded to the criticisms directly, and in fact it appears that he deleted his Twitter account today.