Posted in: Comics, Comics Publishers, Current News, IDW, Valiant | Tagged: bloodshot, transphobia

Valiant Comics Responds To Accusations Of Transphobia In Bloodshot #1

Valiant Comics responds to accusations of Transphobia in this week's Valiant Beyond: Bloodshot #1

One panel from this week's Valiant Beyond: Bloodshot #1 relaunch by Mauro Mantella and Fernando Heinz Furukawa has caused considerable concern online. The panel in question, featuring the assassin Bloodshot dealing with vampire communities and their spread in society, and reads as follows;

It was read by many Valiant fans, and basically pretty much everyone, as being rather transphobic, referring to certain tropes regarding children and transgender issues. Not least on this Reddit thread on r/comicbooks , on /TwoBestFriendsPlay and r/Valiant

Comic creators weighed in as well. Former Bloodshot writer, now better known for Ultimates and Absolute Martian Manhunter, Deniz Camp posted on X, "Bloodshot would hate transphobes and throw himself in front of a hail of bullets to protect a trans kid without hesitation. Just FYI." And comic creator Zoe Tunnell stated on BlueSky, "I pride myself on my professionalism in comics. I don't talk sh-t about books I don't enjoy. I am happy when folks get gigs, even if I wish I had landed them. So when I say the transphobic bullsh-t in the new BLOODSHOT #1 comic is disgusting and should have never made it to print. Shameful sh-t. Aside from the writer and editorial team on this book, I don't blame any freelancers working at Valiant. You take gigs where you can, and you certainly have no idea what's going on in a book you aren't working on. But if Valiant is okay with this? I have no interest in working with them, period. And I actually WOULD have loved writing for them someday. Faith? Archer and Armstrong? LOVE those characters, would have had a blast. But as long as anyone involved in getting this to print is working there, I ain't interested." And comic creator Zac Thompson added, "‪That transphobic bullsh-t in the pages of the new Bloodshot cannot be tolerated."

In response, Valiant Comics, via its publisher Alien Books, has issued the following statement, saying it is all something that got lost in translation.

"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."

Vampires in fiction are usually used as analogies to modern-day concerns, and it's quite natural to look for parallels in vampire fiction. In this case, Valiant is saying it is about cults. Complete and utter ones.

Valiant Beyond: Bloodshot #1 by Mauro Mantella, Fernando Heinz Furukawa
A NEW ERA OF SUPERHERO STORYTELLING BEGINS HERE! Designed as the ULTIMATE jumping-on point, the Valiant Beyond line of comics are ABSOLUTE must-reads that will ENERGIZE your love for superheroes! A powerful new drug is unleashed on Japan and has set the underworld ablaze! There's only one force strong enough to stop the B-S… and he's not looking for an invitation to start kicking butt! It's Bloodshot like you've never seen him before in this all-new cutting-edge series from writer Mauro Mantella (BLOODSHOT UNLEASHED: RELOADED) and artist Fernando Heinz Furukawa (Dragon Age, Starcraft: Ghost Academy)!

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