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Indian Summer
Indian Summer
Siamo nel XVII secolo, ai tempi e nei pressi delle prime colonie americane, e i giorni sono quelli dell'estate 'indiana', quando l'autunno finisce e l'inverno deve ancora arrivare. L'apparente serenità del piccolo villaggio in cui la storia è ambientata è a un tratto interrotta da un tragico evento, lo stupro di una ragazza, che scatenerà una terribile lotta tra indiani e coloni. Ma dietro tutto quest'odio c'è molto di più di un singolo episodio di grande ruolo giocheranno anche i morbosi legami, le relazioni incestuose, le ipocrisie nascoste di una piccola comunità in cui non è facile distinguere fra buoni e cattivi, onesti e corrotti. Il primo frutto della collaborazione tra il genio narrativo di Hugo Pratt e il talento inconfondibile di Milo Manara.
152 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1983
About the author
Hugo Pratt
764 books432 followersHugo Pratt, born Ugo Eugenio Prat (1927–1995), was an Italian comic book writer and artist. Internationally known for Corto Maltese, a series of adventure comics first published in Italy and France between 1967 and 1991, Pratt is regarded as a pioneer of the literary graphic novel.
Born in Rimini, Italy, Pratt spent his childhood in Venice in a cosmopolitan family environment. In 1937, ten-years old Hugo moved with his parents to Ethiopia, East Africa, following the Italian occupation of the country. Pratt's father eventually died as a prisoner of war in 1942. Hugo himself and his mother spent some time in a British prison camp in Africa, before being sent back to Venice. This childhood experiences shaped Pratt's fascination with military uniforms, machineries and settings, a visual constant in most of his adult works.
As a young artist in post-war Italy, Pratt was part of the so-called 'Venice Group', which also included cartoonists Alberto Ongaro, Mario Faustinelli. Their magazine Asso di Picche, launched in 1945, mostly featured adventure comics.
In 1949 Pratt moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he worked for various local publishers and interacted with well-known Argentine cartoonists, most notably Alberto Breccia and Solano López, while also teaching at the Escuela Panamericana de Arte. During this period he produced his first notable comic books: Sgt. Kirk and Ernie Pike, written by Héctor Germán Oesterheld; Anna nella jungla, Capitan Cormorant and Wheeling, as a complete author.
From the summer of 1959 to the summer of 1960, Pratt lived in London drawing war comics by British scriptwriters for Fleetway Publications. He returned to Argentina for a couple more years, then moved back to Italy in 1962. Here he started collaborating with the comics magazine Il Corriere dei Piccoli, for which he adapted several classics, including works by Robert Louis Stevenson.
In 1967, Hugo Pratt and entrepreneur Florenzo Ivaldi created the comics magazine Il Sergente Kirk, named after one of Pratt's original characters. Pratt's most famous work, Una ballata del mare salato (1967, The Ballad of the Salty Sea) was serialised in the pages of this magazine. The story can be seen as one of the first modern graphic novels. It also introduced Pratt's best known character, mariner and adventurer Corto Maltese. Corto became the protagonist of its own series three years later in the French comics magazine Pif gadget. Pratt would continue releasing new Corto Maltese books every few years until 1991. Corto's stories are set in various parts of the world, in a given moment in the first three decades of the 20th century. They often tangently deal with real historical events or real historical figures. The series gave Pratt international notoriety, being eventually translated into fifteen languages.
Pratt's other works include Gli scorpioni del deserto (1969-1992), a series of military adventures set in East Africa during WWII, and a few one-shots published for Bonelli's comic magazine Un Uomo Un'Avventura ('One Man One Adventure'), most notably the short story Jesuit Joe (1980, The Man from the Great North). He also scripted a couple of stories for his pupil Milo Manara.
Pratt lived in France from 1970 to 1984, then in Switzerland till his death from bowel cancer in 1995.
Born in Rimini, Italy, Pratt spent his childhood in Venice in a cosmopolitan family environment. In 1937, ten-years old Hugo moved with his parents to Ethiopia, East Africa, following the Italian occupation of the country. Pratt's father eventually died as a prisoner of war in 1942. Hugo himself and his mother spent some time in a British prison camp in Africa, before being sent back to Venice. This childhood experiences shaped Pratt's fascination with military uniforms, machineries and settings, a visual constant in most of his adult works.
As a young artist in post-war Italy, Pratt was part of the so-called 'Venice Group', which also included cartoonists Alberto Ongaro, Mario Faustinelli. Their magazine Asso di Picche, launched in 1945, mostly featured adventure comics.
In 1949 Pratt moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he worked for various local publishers and interacted with well-known Argentine cartoonists, most notably Alberto Breccia and Solano López, while also teaching at the Escuela Panamericana de Arte. During this period he produced his first notable comic books: Sgt. Kirk and Ernie Pike, written by Héctor Germán Oesterheld; Anna nella jungla, Capitan Cormorant and Wheeling, as a complete author.
From the summer of 1959 to the summer of 1960, Pratt lived in London drawing war comics by British scriptwriters for Fleetway Publications. He returned to Argentina for a couple more years, then moved back to Italy in 1962. Here he started collaborating with the comics magazine Il Corriere dei Piccoli, for which he adapted several classics, including works by Robert Louis Stevenson.
In 1967, Hugo Pratt and entrepreneur Florenzo Ivaldi created the comics magazine Il Sergente Kirk, named after one of Pratt's original characters. Pratt's most famous work, Una ballata del mare salato (1967, The Ballad of the Salty Sea) was serialised in the pages of this magazine. The story can be seen as one of the first modern graphic novels. It also introduced Pratt's best known character, mariner and adventurer Corto Maltese. Corto became the protagonist of its own series three years later in the French comics magazine Pif gadget. Pratt would continue releasing new Corto Maltese books every few years until 1991. Corto's stories are set in various parts of the world, in a given moment in the first three decades of the 20th century. They often tangently deal with real historical events or real historical figures. The series gave Pratt international notoriety, being eventually translated into fifteen languages.
Pratt's other works include Gli scorpioni del deserto (1969-1992), a series of military adventures set in East Africa during WWII, and a few one-shots published for Bonelli's comic magazine Un Uomo Un'Avventura ('One Man One Adventure'), most notably the short story Jesuit Joe (1980, The Man from the Great North). He also scripted a couple of stories for his pupil Milo Manara.
Pratt lived in France from 1970 to 1984, then in Switzerland till his death from bowel cancer in 1995.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
April 6, 2025
PT De volta às leituras desenhadas por Manara, desta vez com argumento de Hugo Pratt, o lendário criador de Corto Maltese.
Um acontecimento logo no início da história serve de rastilho para um grande conflito entre colonizadores americanos e nativos americanos (índios).
Uma trama que prende do princípio ao fim, ilustrada com a sensualidade a que Manara já nos habituou, e escrita com a mestria narrativa de Pratt, que nos mergulha completamente na história.
Uma leitura obrigatória para os fãs de ambos os autores.
--
EN Back to Manara’s illustrated stories, this time with a script by Hugo Pratt, the legendary creator of Corto Maltese.
An event early in the story sets off a major conflict between American colonizers and Native Americans (Indians).
A plot that grips you from beginning to end, illustrated with the sensuality we've come to expect from Manara, and written with Pratt’s narrative mastery that fully immerses us in the story.
A must-read for fans of both authors.
Um acontecimento logo no início da história serve de rastilho para um grande conflito entre colonizadores americanos e nativos americanos (índios).
Uma trama que prende do princípio ao fim, ilustrada com a sensualidade a que Manara já nos habituou, e escrita com a mestria narrativa de Pratt, que nos mergulha completamente na história.
Uma leitura obrigatória para os fãs de ambos os autores.
--
EN Back to Manara’s illustrated stories, this time with a script by Hugo Pratt, the legendary creator of Corto Maltese.
An event early in the story sets off a major conflict between American colonizers and Native Americans (Indians).
A plot that grips you from beginning to end, illustrated with the sensuality we've come to expect from Manara, and written with Pratt’s narrative mastery that fully immerses us in the story.
A must-read for fans of both authors.
June 29, 2025
Takiego obleśnego komiksu to chyba w życiu nie czytałam. 1,5⭐ za Eliasza
April 26, 2023
Manara's art has never looked better. I love all the panels with long grass and forested areas. He of course draws figures very well, but tends to have all his characters look the same especially women. Tall, slender, very attractive.
Hugo Pratt is telling the story. It starts off strong with a rape, some killings, a conflict between natives and a family of mostly white people. All during the American Frontier. But it sort of fizzles out and Pratt just finds a lot of excuses for Manara to draw naked women. There is a cool battle scene between the natives and the local European settlement.
The art and color is great. But there's a few scenes that are happening at night that you can only tell are at night because the moon is visible, people have torches, and characters say it's night time - other than that the color is as bright as day time!
Hugo Pratt is telling the story. It starts off strong with a rape, some killings, a conflict between natives and a family of mostly white people. All during the American Frontier. But it sort of fizzles out and Pratt just finds a lot of excuses for Manara to draw naked women. There is a cool battle scene between the natives and the local European settlement.
The art and color is great. But there's a few scenes that are happening at night that you can only tell are at night because the moon is visible, people have torches, and characters say it's night time - other than that the color is as bright as day time!
May 20, 2012
IDEK, gorgeous art except apparently Manara deliberately draws one identical 'cock goes where?' face for ALL of the female characters and the male gaze is so overwhelming that I kinda wanted to go and take a shower after every few panels. Decent story though.
June 13, 2013
My second historical stand-alone comic from Hugo Pratt (a hefty one at 150+ pages), drawn by Milo Manara. They play to each other's strengths, as Pratt is a thorough researcher and a great plotter for dark tales but a more modest draughtsman, and Manara is a very good artist when he is held in check and not going overboard with nudity and with being provocative. I liked the colour palette in particular in this issue, a lot of yellow and orange and ochre and desaturated greens and blues.
And I should mention from the start that this story is also adult oriented material, like my previous El Gaucho experience, dealing with rape, incest, murder, witch hunting, war.
I'll let the images talk, and limit my synopsis at mentioning it is a tale set in New England in the seventenn century, in a Puritan settlement next to an Indian village. Some connections could be made to The Last of the Mohicans, but the focus is more on the lack of communication between the natives and the settlers and on the hypocrisy of the moralists who hate women ( references to Salem events)
And I should mention from the start that this story is also adult oriented material, like my previous El Gaucho experience, dealing with rape, incest, murder, witch hunting, war.
I'll let the images talk, and limit my synopsis at mentioning it is a tale set in New England in the seventenn century, in a Puritan settlement next to an Indian village. Some connections could be made to The Last of the Mohicans, but the focus is more on the lack of communication between the natives and the settlers and on the hypocrisy of the moralists who hate women ( references to Salem events)
October 6, 2019
It's Puritans vs Native Americans in this story of incest, violence, and dark secrets.
Along with an interesting story, this was a quick and easy read because of minimalistic dialog and gorgeous art.
Along with an interesting story, this was a quick and easy read because of minimalistic dialog and gorgeous art.
December 20, 2018
Καλό κόμικ και προφανώς πολύ σκληρό όπως αναμενόταν. Πιο πολύ Μανάρα παρά Πρατ κατ'εμε. Πολύ πιο πολύ. Στο σενάριο σαφώς μιας και το σκίτσο είναι εξ'ολοκλήρου. Να πω την αμαρτία μου όμως; Πιο πολύ ευχαριστήθηκα τα μικρά κειμενάκια στο τέλος της ιστορίας γραμμένα αποκλειστικά από τον Πρατ παρά όλο το υπόλοιπο, και αυτό γιατί ενώ γουστάρω τον Μανάρα αρκετά ώστε να ευχαριστηθώ το στιλ του, όταν οι λέξεις έχουν αέρα Πρατ και το σχέδιο όχι, μου φαντάζει ημιτελές. Σαφώς όχι κακό, αλλά με Πρατ-ικό σκίτσο θα απογειωνόταν. :) Τώρα έχει μπει απλά στον αεροδιάδρομο, οι επιβάτες έχουν βάλει τις ζώνες τους και οι αεροσυνοδοί δείχνουν τα σωσίβια και τις εξόδους κινδύνου. :) Αλλά δεν απογειώνεται. :)
Τώρα για την Ελληνική έκδοση που είχα και τόσο κάψα να βρω, τι να σχολιάσω ακριβώς; Τα είδωλα στην εκτύπωση στο τελευταίο 1/3 του κόμικ; Την μετάφραση που ακούγεται λες και την έκανε κανένας δωδεκάχρονος με τις πρώτες κάψες να βαράνε την πόρτα και αυτός να ντρέπεται γι'αυτές; Ρε αγγλικές εκδόσεις ξανά και ξανά, το μόνο που καταφέρνουν αυτές οι απόπειρες των 90's είναι να καταστρέφουν την αίγλη και να κλέβουν λίγο (έως πολύ) από την ευχαρίστηση που προσφέρει το original υλικό. Οκ, για τον αντίστοιχο Αλέξανδρο του 1990 η δυνατότητα να το διαβάσει στα Ελληνικά θα ήταν επαρκής για την προσπέραση ακόμα και των πιο χτυπητών και ερασιτεχνικών λαθών. Για του 2018 όμως, κερδίζουν απλά ένα μειδίαμα που ξεπερνά το μόνιμο "ε και πάλι καλά να λέγαμε που βγήκε έστω και έτσι..".
Τώρα για την Ελληνική έκδοση που είχα και τόσο κάψα να βρω, τι να σχολιάσω ακριβώς; Τα είδωλα στην εκτύπωση στο τελευταίο 1/3 του κόμικ; Την μετάφραση που ακούγεται λες και την έκανε κανένας δωδεκάχρονος με τις πρώτες κάψες να βαράνε την πόρτα και αυτός να ντρέπεται γι'αυτές; Ρε αγγλικές εκδόσεις ξανά και ξανά, το μόνο που καταφέρνουν αυτές οι απόπειρες των 90's είναι να καταστρέφουν την αίγλη και να κλέβουν λίγο (έως πολύ) από την ευχαρίστηση που προσφέρει το original υλικό. Οκ, για τον αντίστοιχο Αλέξανδρο του 1990 η δυνατότητα να το διαβάσει στα Ελληνικά θα ήταν επαρκής για την προσπέραση ακόμα και των πιο χτυπητών και ερασιτεχνικών λαθών. Για του 2018 όμως, κερδίζουν απλά ένα μειδίαμα που ξεπερνά το μόνιμο "ε και πάλι καλά να λέγαμε που βγήκε έστω και έτσι..".
September 30, 2026
”Indian Summer” was the first of Italian comic book legends Hugo Pratt and Milo Manara's collaborations. I ended up enjoying this significantly more than their later team-up ”El Gaucho”, even if I didn't learn as much from it, on account of ”Indian Summer” taking place in Massachusetts and ”El Gaucho” taking place in Argentina which is much less overexposed in international popular culture than the United States are.
Like ”El Gaucho”, ”Indian Summer” is a combination of erotica with serious character-driven historical drama, this time centered around a conflict between English colonists and a local Native American tribe in Massachusetts during the 17th century. The plot begins when a woman named Sheva from the colony New Canaan is raped on the beach by 2 of the Native Americans - one of whom is actually a Dutchman who went native. A young man from the village named Abner then kills both of the assailants, despite being one of the few members of the colony who are on more or less positive terms with the tribe, which ends up triggering a full-scale war. This turns of events gives artist Milo Manara the opportunity to draw lots of epic and intricately choreographed battle scenes later on. The only person capable of defusing the conflict is Abner's mother, a hermit witch known only as ”the Devil Woman”. She used to be the servant of Pastor Black, the late father of New Canaan's resident Solomon Kane-style Puritan witchhunter Pellegrino Black, before being branded with an L in the face (after Adam's renegade first wife Lilith) and expelled from New Canaan after having an affair with Squando, the tribesman who happens to be Abner's best friend. However, Pellegrino Black then does everything in his power to prevent any truce between the settlers and the natives, as that would require him to face responsibility for his own bad decisions in the past... which still end up coming back to haunt him throughout the story.
The overall impression of ”Indian Summer” is something like a cross between ”The Scarlet Letter” and ”The Last of the Mohicans” filtered through a sensibility halfways between the better Spaghetti Westerns of the 1960's and the more ambitious Italian exploitation films of the late 1970's and early 1980's. Throw in an attractive Native American woman into the cast of characters, get Laura Gemser in the role, and I can 100% imagine Joe D'Amato directing a film adaptation of this during that era. The art is absolutely gorgeous with an impressive attention to capturing picturesque New England landscapes, looking positively psychedelic during scenes set at the twilight of either dawn or dusk, in large part thanks to Milo Manara's influence from early 20th century Art Nouveau style. Both Manara's artwork and Pratt's script also show an extraordinary level of attention to historical accuracy and period detail. However, Milo Manara's one weak point remains: All the women in a story who are meant to be considered attractive by the reader, he draws the exact same way just with different eye/hair/skin colour! (notice that the women who are meant to be considered ugly show a wide variety of body and face types) The plot also feels significantly better thought out and less cluttered than in ”El Gaucho”, being more of a slow burn narrative focusing on fewer characters and getting further into backstories and inner emotional lives than ”El Gaucho” firing off as many ideas as Pratt could think of in as short a space.
Another interesting fact about ”Indian Summer” is that as much of the nudity is meant to be disturbing as titillating, with some scenes clearly intended as both at the same time! More importantly, there is a clear philosophical point to this, since the story is full of deliberate values dissonance: Most of the characters constantly do things that are abhorrent to a typical modern reader, but at least acceptable if not outright required according to their respective cultures' moral codes, with this being a recurring theme in the story. For example, the most genuinely erotic of the sex scenes in the story is between 2 blood relatives. Something that 17th century Massachusetts Puritans did not consider inherently harmful, despite in almost every other aspect following a much stricter sexual morality than most modern people do!
Likewise, I found it noteworthy that none of the factions come across as morally clean by the authors' standards, not as collective entities – but several of the characters do as individuals. (Squando, Abner, The Devil Woman, as well as a couple more) I am pretty sure there is a point on Pratt and Manara's part in that.
If you're interested in a combination of serious historical fiction with exploitative sleaze and gorgeous artwork, ”Indian Summer” is definitely a worth a read, but people outside that extremely specific audience should probably approach with caution. I myself loved it.
Like ”El Gaucho”, ”Indian Summer” is a combination of erotica with serious character-driven historical drama, this time centered around a conflict between English colonists and a local Native American tribe in Massachusetts during the 17th century. The plot begins when a woman named Sheva from the colony New Canaan is raped on the beach by 2 of the Native Americans - one of whom is actually a Dutchman who went native. A young man from the village named Abner then kills both of the assailants, despite being one of the few members of the colony who are on more or less positive terms with the tribe, which ends up triggering a full-scale war. This turns of events gives artist Milo Manara the opportunity to draw lots of epic and intricately choreographed battle scenes later on. The only person capable of defusing the conflict is Abner's mother, a hermit witch known only as ”the Devil Woman”. She used to be the servant of Pastor Black, the late father of New Canaan's resident Solomon Kane-style Puritan witchhunter Pellegrino Black, before being branded with an L in the face (after Adam's renegade first wife Lilith) and expelled from New Canaan after having an affair with Squando, the tribesman who happens to be Abner's best friend. However, Pellegrino Black then does everything in his power to prevent any truce between the settlers and the natives, as that would require him to face responsibility for his own bad decisions in the past... which still end up coming back to haunt him throughout the story.
The overall impression of ”Indian Summer” is something like a cross between ”The Scarlet Letter” and ”The Last of the Mohicans” filtered through a sensibility halfways between the better Spaghetti Westerns of the 1960's and the more ambitious Italian exploitation films of the late 1970's and early 1980's. Throw in an attractive Native American woman into the cast of characters, get Laura Gemser in the role, and I can 100% imagine Joe D'Amato directing a film adaptation of this during that era. The art is absolutely gorgeous with an impressive attention to capturing picturesque New England landscapes, looking positively psychedelic during scenes set at the twilight of either dawn or dusk, in large part thanks to Milo Manara's influence from early 20th century Art Nouveau style. Both Manara's artwork and Pratt's script also show an extraordinary level of attention to historical accuracy and period detail. However, Milo Manara's one weak point remains: All the women in a story who are meant to be considered attractive by the reader, he draws the exact same way just with different eye/hair/skin colour! (notice that the women who are meant to be considered ugly show a wide variety of body and face types) The plot also feels significantly better thought out and less cluttered than in ”El Gaucho”, being more of a slow burn narrative focusing on fewer characters and getting further into backstories and inner emotional lives than ”El Gaucho” firing off as many ideas as Pratt could think of in as short a space.
Another interesting fact about ”Indian Summer” is that as much of the nudity is meant to be disturbing as titillating, with some scenes clearly intended as both at the same time! More importantly, there is a clear philosophical point to this, since the story is full of deliberate values dissonance: Most of the characters constantly do things that are abhorrent to a typical modern reader, but at least acceptable if not outright required according to their respective cultures' moral codes, with this being a recurring theme in the story. For example, the most genuinely erotic of the sex scenes in the story is between 2 blood relatives. Something that 17th century Massachusetts Puritans did not consider inherently harmful, despite in almost every other aspect following a much stricter sexual morality than most modern people do!
Likewise, I found it noteworthy that none of the factions come across as morally clean by the authors' standards, not as collective entities – but several of the characters do as individuals. (Squando, Abner, The Devil Woman, as well as a couple more) I am pretty sure there is a point on Pratt and Manara's part in that.
If you're interested in a combination of serious historical fiction with exploitative sleaze and gorgeous artwork, ”Indian Summer” is definitely a worth a read, but people outside that extremely specific audience should probably approach with caution. I myself loved it.
December 28, 2019
The Pratt story is done well with sympathetic natives and showing the brutality of war, but Manara's depictions of this story's rapes are disturbing in a male gaze and "the woman enjoys it" way. Hard to recommend picking this up.
November 30, 2016
Disclaimer: This is an adult-themed comic book. It contains (maybe unnecessary) female nudity. You've been warned.
This one served as an introduction for me to both Pratt and Manara. And I'm sure Pratt's fans, as much as Manara's, would have much to say about how inappropriate an introduction this volume would be to each artist's body of work, but truth is, Gaiman brought me here (See his introduction to his 'Endless Nights' Sandman-verse related volume) and I was already prejudiced that I would read a fantastic piece of art. Although I can already hear the criticism against Manara's strips being filled with unnecessary, male-gaze eye-candy nudity and misogyny (and I'll admit some nudity felt indeed out of place at times), we need to consider this work in its proper context.
"Indian Summer" (or "Everything started with an Indian Summer" as the actual translation of the Italian title goes) is a 33-year-old comic book, its story set in America, where the English settlers have recently arrived, and revolves around a matriarchical family, put together by Abigail Lewis, an abused and beaten woman cast out of the Protestant colony of New Canaan (and marked with a scarlet letter), who raises her children among the White colonists (and the Puritan morals they brought along from Old Europe) and America's native Indians. When one of her sons murders two Indians after they have raped New Canaan's Pilgrim Black's niece, the revenge of the tribe is a fierce wave that spawns revelations about the Puritan settlers' hypocrisy, the Lewis's and Black's families (incestuous and traumatic) past and leads to a tragic catharsis.
Manara's strips, if one can get past the nudity, which I found suitable for this context, with their wonderful depictions of nature, and the long, deep, intense and meaningful silences, make a great pairing with Pratt's story. Punctuated by the sexual acts (always with a critical subtext), Manara's illustrations create a masterful rhythm in telling the story, from the introduction, to the episodes, their revelations and the denouement, which is concluded by an excellent post-cllimactic/post-coital epilogue that elevates this historical graphic novel to an epic of the American Odyssey.
Powerful, moving, thought-provoking. Highly recommended.
This one served as an introduction for me to both Pratt and Manara. And I'm sure Pratt's fans, as much as Manara's, would have much to say about how inappropriate an introduction this volume would be to each artist's body of work, but truth is, Gaiman brought me here (See his introduction to his 'Endless Nights' Sandman-verse related volume) and I was already prejudiced that I would read a fantastic piece of art. Although I can already hear the criticism against Manara's strips being filled with unnecessary, male-gaze eye-candy nudity and misogyny (and I'll admit some nudity felt indeed out of place at times), we need to consider this work in its proper context.
"Indian Summer" (or "Everything started with an Indian Summer" as the actual translation of the Italian title goes) is a 33-year-old comic book, its story set in America, where the English settlers have recently arrived, and revolves around a matriarchical family, put together by Abigail Lewis, an abused and beaten woman cast out of the Protestant colony of New Canaan (and marked with a scarlet letter), who raises her children among the White colonists (and the Puritan morals they brought along from Old Europe) and America's native Indians. When one of her sons murders two Indians after they have raped New Canaan's Pilgrim Black's niece, the revenge of the tribe is a fierce wave that spawns revelations about the Puritan settlers' hypocrisy, the Lewis's and Black's families (incestuous and traumatic) past and leads to a tragic catharsis.
Manara's strips, if one can get past the nudity, which I found suitable for this context, with their wonderful depictions of nature, and the long, deep, intense and meaningful silences, make a great pairing with Pratt's story. Punctuated by the sexual acts (always with a critical subtext), Manara's illustrations create a masterful rhythm in telling the story, from the introduction, to the episodes, their revelations and the denouement, which is concluded by an excellent post-cllimactic/post-coital epilogue that elevates this historical graphic novel to an epic of the American Odyssey.
Powerful, moving, thought-provoking. Highly recommended.
June 25, 2019
This was bad. Crazy characters running around, doing crazy things and saying stupid words. Somewhere under this all is hidden interesting story about colonization, predjudices and fight between white men and indians. But when you don't know original - Scarlet Letter, you won't get much from it. All of it is lost in bad storytelling and erotic fanservice
February 21, 2020
I show and talk about this Italian masterpiece right here :
https://youtu.be/hyuh-DBdClw
December 19, 2016
Western storicamente documentato, sceneggiato da Hugo Pratt e disegnato da Milo Manara. Un dream team che realizza un lavoro notevole: tavole ricche molto belle e dettagliate, una storia di frontiera che sul finale "finge" di essere un episodio reale che avrebbe ispirato Hawthorne per il suo celeberrimo "La lettera scarlatta", in uno dei giochi di specchi e rimandi tanto cari a Pratt.
Personalmente però ho un problema con Milo Manara: i suoi disegni sono tanto belli quanto poco evocativi e coinvolgenti, le espressioni dei personaggi sono spesso sgradevolmente fuori contesto, così come lo è l'erotismo forzato per cui le ragazze sono obbligate a esporre la patata al vento ogni 4 pagine - anche in un racconto western. L'unica sequenza che funziona davvero è l'amplesso nella vasca da bagno: lì si vede che Manara gioca in casa. Il resto era meglio se fosse stato lasciato a Pratt.
Personalmente però ho un problema con Milo Manara: i suoi disegni sono tanto belli quanto poco evocativi e coinvolgenti, le espressioni dei personaggi sono spesso sgradevolmente fuori contesto, così come lo è l'erotismo forzato per cui le ragazze sono obbligate a esporre la patata al vento ogni 4 pagine - anche in un racconto western. L'unica sequenza che funziona davvero è l'amplesso nella vasca da bagno: lì si vede che Manara gioca in casa. Il resto era meglio se fosse stato lasciato a Pratt.
February 4, 2008
This book is beautifully illustrated by Italian cartoonist Hugo Pratt. I think the story and dialouge gets a bit lost in the translation, but is easily made up for in the amazingly clear visual storytelling. It's very hard to find Pratts work here in the states , but i'm on the hunt for more.
November 18, 2012
Beautifully rendered account of settlers and savages inflicting violence and rape upon one another.
July 15, 2025
Priznajem da ovo baš fino kreće i da je jako pitko. Bukvalno proleti čovek kroz 150-ak stranica i ne oseti. Crtež, boje i ceo ambijent su na momente prelepi i očaravajući. Gotovo da možete osetiti peckanje sunčevih zgraka po koži, udahnuti jesen, čuti penušanje talasa, buku galebova... Skoro pa raj. I to je ono lepo u stripu.
S jedne strane imamo još uvek koliko-toliko slobodne, s prirodom povezane, razdragane, iskrene, spontane Indijance, s druge dvoličnost puritanske crkve, njenih predstavnika i sledbenika, a negde u sredini žigosanu ženu i njene potomke. Nije ovde teško izabrati stranu, ako ćemo je uopšte i birati. Takođe, nije teško ni poverovati u svu prikazanu ljudsku prljavštinu, jer se sigurno i dalje odigrava u nekim mračnim sobama i umovima ovog sveta, a svedoci smo da tek povremeno ispliva na videlo.
Likovi su mi nekako ostali plitki i nedovršeni. Abner me možda i ponajviše nervirao - video suknju, odmah poleteo za njom, napravio pičvajz, pa se iz istog sklonio i ostavio druge da ginu. No, onda se setih na kog debila me to podsetilo i zašto sam isto odreagovala. Na Parisa! Ilijadu sam morala da čitam u gimnaziji i mnogo mi je teško pala (priznajem da se gotovo ničega ne sećam, verovatno jer se moralo čitati kad mu vreme nije). Lakše mi je bilo pogledati film, kome sam zbog stradanja Hektorovog prilepila naziv - Žao mi čoveka. Znam, odlutah.
Da me neki ne shvate pogrešno, nije meni ovde problem erotika, niti su mi problem pohotni pogledi/umovi i naga znojava tela, mene nervira kako se to koristi ovde - vrlo usiljeno, neprirodno, nepotrebno i vrlo glupo. Posebno mi je iritantno kako se silovanje prikazuje kao uživanje(?!). I to plavuši nisu dovoljna dva k***, nego je odmah, posle silovanja, skočila i na stričev treći kao da se ništa nije desilo. WTF?! Onda ona sestra Filis, poj*** sve živo i mrtvo, ali eto nije samo svog najstarijeg polubrata, jer ljubav. Šeta tako šumom i proplancima zadignute haljine i gole guzice (kao svako tipično žensko?), jer joj valjda prija da joj vetar duva među nogama kad nema nikog pri ruci, šta li!? Onaj mali koji onaniše pri svakom pojavljivanju kao da je malouman... Čemu ovo, jbte?! Jasno mi je da je trebalo kontrirati puritancima u stripu, ali mora li kontra da bude incest i nimfomanija? Zar nije bilo ničeg kvalitetnijeg za ponuditi? Da sam htela erotiku imala bih iskrenijih izbora.
Zaključak - pročitati Ilijadu ponovo, ali k'o čovek.
S jedne strane imamo još uvek koliko-toliko slobodne, s prirodom povezane, razdragane, iskrene, spontane Indijance, s druge dvoličnost puritanske crkve, njenih predstavnika i sledbenika, a negde u sredini žigosanu ženu i njene potomke. Nije ovde teško izabrati stranu, ako ćemo je uopšte i birati. Takođe, nije teško ni poverovati u svu prikazanu ljudsku prljavštinu, jer se sigurno i dalje odigrava u nekim mračnim sobama i umovima ovog sveta, a svedoci smo da tek povremeno ispliva na videlo.
Likovi su mi nekako ostali plitki i nedovršeni. Abner me možda i ponajviše nervirao - video suknju, odmah poleteo za njom, napravio pičvajz, pa se iz istog sklonio i ostavio druge da ginu. No, onda se setih na kog debila me to podsetilo i zašto sam isto odreagovala. Na Parisa! Ilijadu sam morala da čitam u gimnaziji i mnogo mi je teško pala (priznajem da se gotovo ničega ne sećam, verovatno jer se moralo čitati kad mu vreme nije). Lakše mi je bilo pogledati film, kome sam zbog stradanja Hektorovog prilepila naziv - Žao mi čoveka. Znam, odlutah.
Da me neki ne shvate pogrešno, nije meni ovde problem erotika, niti su mi problem pohotni pogledi/umovi i naga znojava tela, mene nervira kako se to koristi ovde - vrlo usiljeno, neprirodno, nepotrebno i vrlo glupo. Posebno mi je iritantno kako se silovanje prikazuje kao uživanje(?!). I to plavuši nisu dovoljna dva k***, nego je odmah, posle silovanja, skočila i na stričev treći kao da se ništa nije desilo. WTF?! Onda ona sestra Filis, poj*** sve živo i mrtvo, ali eto nije samo svog najstarijeg polubrata, jer ljubav. Šeta tako šumom i proplancima zadignute haljine i gole guzice (kao svako tipično žensko?), jer joj valjda prija da joj vetar duva među nogama kad nema nikog pri ruci, šta li!? Onaj mali koji onaniše pri svakom pojavljivanju kao da je malouman... Čemu ovo, jbte?! Jasno mi je da je trebalo kontrirati puritancima u stripu, ali mora li kontra da bude incest i nimfomanija? Zar nije bilo ničeg kvalitetnijeg za ponuditi? Da sam htela erotiku imala bih iskrenijih izbora.
Zaključak - pročitati Ilijadu ponovo, ali k'o čovek.
April 20, 2017
Manara & Pratt, un gran libro de dos maestros del cómic.
August 17, 2019
Muy buena ambientación aunque es algo liante con personajes. Gran dibujo de Manara y una buena historia de la época colonial de Estados Unidos
October 10, 2022
Saradnja dva genijalaca.
Kao kad slušaš neku dobru baladu.
Kao kad slušaš neku dobru baladu.
July 14, 2017
Forse perche'
come tutti gli
animali giovani quando
comincia l'estate indiana,
poco prima delle notti
fredde dell'inverno, si
ha bisogno di giocare
con le femmine.
(50)
come tutti gli
animali giovani quando
comincia l'estate indiana,
poco prima delle notti
fredde dell'inverno, si
ha bisogno di giocare
con le femmine.
(50)
March 11, 2020
If you have to read a collaboration between Pratt and Manara, make it this one - it is substantially better than "Gaucho". The problem is - "Indian summer" is not a particularly good read, either, as its characters are unlikable and portions of it are obviously rushed. The first act is great - the writing, the art, all of it is sublime, five star material for about 30 pages or so. Then it gets to the meat of the story and one soon realizes that something is quite wrong in terms of how characters react to each other. It is Spanish telenovela writing, honestly. The only thing that saves the comic at this point is an exquisitely rendered battle. By the third act, however, everything goes to hell and things start to develop without any rhyme or reason. There are two developments that are extremely nonsensical. When the story wraps up, the reader should be happy to continue to much better stuff.
May 25, 2022
I feel like me and Milo Manara (or Hugo Pratt in this case?) are on completely different wave lengths. Like... dude, this is supposed to be erotic comic, right? It's supposed to be sexy, arousing, maybe funny, possibly a bit taboo. Well, this is all taboo, heaps of violence and the only sex scenes we get are sexual abuse. Let me just go through it, the all story starts with a rape, then we get the backstory of the mother which is all about sexual abuse (there might be one genuine relationship, but we get no pictures for that), than we got the whole uncle-nice manipulation-abuse-sex scene which just made me want to vomit. I think that's it? This is all laced with a generous portion of racist stereotypes and racism in general and... why did I give this two stars?! I guess I felt generous, but I can't say why now.
July 6, 2026
Η αποικιακή Αμερική γίνεται σκηνή όπου η επιθυμία, η θρησκευτική αυστηρότητα και η φυλετική βία συγκρούονται χωρίς κανένα περιθώριο αθωότητας. Ο Pratt χτίζει μια τραγική ιστορία γεμάτη πάθη και ένταση, ενώ ο Manara τη ντύνει με την αισθησιακή, κομψή γραμμή του. Η ομορφιά των μορφών έρχεται διαρκώς σε αντίθεση με τη σκληρότητα όσων συμβαίνουν γύρω τους. Αυτό το οπτικό παράδοξο είναι που δίνει στο κόμικ τη δύναμή του: όμορφο στην επιφάνεια, σκοτεινό στον πυρήνα, και τελικά βαθιά τραγικό.
April 2, 2015
I did not know that Angouleme gave an award to pornography
March 26, 2024
Hugo Pratt ya da Manara ile çok derin bir ilişkim yok açıkçası. Manara'nın Gullivera kitabını, evvelinde bulvar gazetesinde yayınlanan erotik hikayelerin resimli haline benzettiğimden bahsetmiştim. Dönemi için erotik ama günümüz için komik olan bir anlatı dili. Üstelik kült bi iş olan Gülliver'in Gezileri kitabını komik/erotik bi şekilde parodileştirmek ve bunu iyi kotarmak gerçekten bir yetenek işiydi. Etkilenmiştim. Flaneur'den çıkan Caravaggio'da ona keza benim için fazlasıyla etkileyici bir işti. Ve yine Manara tarafından üretilmişti.
Bu kitapla İt çizgi romanının üreticisi Oytun Yılmaz'ın tavsiyesi üzerine tanıştım. Üstüne yaratıcı tarafında da Hugo Pratt'ı da görünce okumak için acele ettim. Ama açık söylemek gerekirse kitabı bitirdiğimde aklım epeyce karıştı. Hikaye epeyce sert bir açılışla başlıyor. İki yerli erkek bir köylü kadına tecavüz ediyor ve bu olaya şahit olan köylü diğer erkek iki yerliyi öldürüp birinin kafa derisini yüzerek tecavüze uğrayan kadına veriyor.
Bi saniye!? Noluyor lan? Bu nasıl açılış? Şok edici bir giriş diye buna diyebilirim. Ama…
İzleyiciyi (çizgi roman okunur mu izlenir mi?) koltuğuna mıhlayan bir anlatı olabilecekken çok basit detaylar kesif bir mide bulantısı yaratıyor kitpta. Manara'nın çizgisinde her şey çok pornografik. Fakat bu pornografi tabirini seks ya da erotizm açısından söylemiyorum elbette. Zeynep Sayın'ın da bahsettiği gibi imgenin pornografisinden, şiddetin arzulanmasından bahsediyorum. Çünkü bahsettiğim açılışı izlediğinizde, yukarıda yazdıklarımı okurken yaşadığınız dehşetin zerresini hissedemiyorsunuz. Aşırı derecede estetik tecavüze uğrayan (yazarken bile karnıma ağrı girdi) bir kadın, aşırı tiyatral biçimde ölen yerliler, onları büyük bir soğuk kanlılıkla öldüren yakışıklı (ve elbette seksi) köylü adam. Her şey çok stilize. Manara'nın çizerken, düşünürken keyif aldığını, daha da kötüsü keyif aldığı, arzuladığı bir şeyi çizdiğini hissedebiliyorsunuz çünkü çizimler size haz verme üstüne kurulu. Özellikle aynı kadının kitabının ilerleyen bölümlerinde tekrar aynı şeye uğraması ve bu kez failine "öncekilerden daha iyi" olduğunu söylemesi fazlaca mide bulandırıcıydı.
Açıkçası Hugo Pratt'ın kaleminden eser yok kitapta. Adı kapakta yazmasa anlamazsınız varlığını. Tecavüz, katliam, ensest ve savaşın pornografik bi anlatısı, ayrıca Manara'nın alakalı alakasız her yerde kıçını başını memesini açan kadınları sadece.
Hepsi bu.
Bu kitapla İt çizgi romanının üreticisi Oytun Yılmaz'ın tavsiyesi üzerine tanıştım. Üstüne yaratıcı tarafında da Hugo Pratt'ı da görünce okumak için acele ettim. Ama açık söylemek gerekirse kitabı bitirdiğimde aklım epeyce karıştı. Hikaye epeyce sert bir açılışla başlıyor. İki yerli erkek bir köylü kadına tecavüz ediyor ve bu olaya şahit olan köylü diğer erkek iki yerliyi öldürüp birinin kafa derisini yüzerek tecavüze uğrayan kadına veriyor.
Bi saniye!? Noluyor lan? Bu nasıl açılış? Şok edici bir giriş diye buna diyebilirim. Ama…
İzleyiciyi (çizgi roman okunur mu izlenir mi?) koltuğuna mıhlayan bir anlatı olabilecekken çok basit detaylar kesif bir mide bulantısı yaratıyor kitpta. Manara'nın çizgisinde her şey çok pornografik. Fakat bu pornografi tabirini seks ya da erotizm açısından söylemiyorum elbette. Zeynep Sayın'ın da bahsettiği gibi imgenin pornografisinden, şiddetin arzulanmasından bahsediyorum. Çünkü bahsettiğim açılışı izlediğinizde, yukarıda yazdıklarımı okurken yaşadığınız dehşetin zerresini hissedemiyorsunuz. Aşırı derecede estetik tecavüze uğrayan (yazarken bile karnıma ağrı girdi) bir kadın, aşırı tiyatral biçimde ölen yerliler, onları büyük bir soğuk kanlılıkla öldüren yakışıklı (ve elbette seksi) köylü adam. Her şey çok stilize. Manara'nın çizerken, düşünürken keyif aldığını, daha da kötüsü keyif aldığı, arzuladığı bir şeyi çizdiğini hissedebiliyorsunuz çünkü çizimler size haz verme üstüne kurulu. Özellikle aynı kadının kitabının ilerleyen bölümlerinde tekrar aynı şeye uğraması ve bu kez failine "öncekilerden daha iyi" olduğunu söylemesi fazlaca mide bulandırıcıydı.
Açıkçası Hugo Pratt'ın kaleminden eser yok kitapta. Adı kapakta yazmasa anlamazsınız varlığını. Tecavüz, katliam, ensest ve savaşın pornografik bi anlatısı, ayrıca Manara'nın alakalı alakasız her yerde kıçını başını memesini açan kadınları sadece.
Hepsi bu.
December 1, 2024
(PT) No século 17, uma família que vive na Nova Inglaterra lida com os índios, especialmente dois, que violaram uma jovem mulher, sobrinha de um pastor puritano. A morte dos dois índios poderá levar a um ataque a Nova Canãa, mas a guerra pode ser evitada graças à amizade entre um dos índios e um dos colonos.
Este foi uma das colaborações entre dois dos maiores desenhadores italianos: Hugo Pratt e Milo Manara. Publicado em 1986, ganhou todos os prémios importantes de banda desenhada, incluindo Angouleme, nos anos seguintes. A história é baseada n "A Letra Escarlate", de Nathaniel Hawthorne, e o desenho e a história é bem feita, mostrando as coisas de maneira clara, em termos de desenho. As cores são fantásticas - as cores do outono, muitos amarelos pálidos e castanhos - e o envolvimento nos agarra na história até ao fim. Pode ter muito de erótico, pois Manara é o mestre, mas sem querer ser "spoiler", a história tem um final bem diferente.
Esse, combinado com "El Gaucho", são dois dos mais fabulosos "fumetti" feitos na segunda metade do século XX. Mas creio que não se esperava menos de duas personagens como Manara e Pratt.
Este foi uma das colaborações entre dois dos maiores desenhadores italianos: Hugo Pratt e Milo Manara. Publicado em 1986, ganhou todos os prémios importantes de banda desenhada, incluindo Angouleme, nos anos seguintes. A história é baseada n "A Letra Escarlate", de Nathaniel Hawthorne, e o desenho e a história é bem feita, mostrando as coisas de maneira clara, em termos de desenho. As cores são fantásticas - as cores do outono, muitos amarelos pálidos e castanhos - e o envolvimento nos agarra na história até ao fim. Pode ter muito de erótico, pois Manara é o mestre, mas sem querer ser "spoiler", a história tem um final bem diferente.
Esse, combinado com "El Gaucho", são dois dos mais fabulosos "fumetti" feitos na segunda metade do século XX. Mas creio que não se esperava menos de duas personagens como Manara e Pratt.
April 24, 2023
The story itself isn't too bad, but it's far from being actually good. At its best this is a gripping story about a family homestead caught in a battle between British forces and Native Americans after one of the family members kills two Natives for their part in the rape of a local Puritan girl. I was worried that the storytelling would be insensitive to both women and Natives, but fortunately it's only partially insensitive to women and treats Natives with a reasonable amount of nuance. But the characters are all incredibly one note, and even indistinguishable from one another due to the rather flat narrative style.
I like Manara's artwork despite the heavy lean on the male gaze. It can be fun for certain stories, but when realistic sexual assault is being depicted I do think Manara is the last possible artist I would trust with this kind of subject matter. The scenic portions and dense battle scenes are gorgeous, but the overt male gaze ends up detracting way too much from the rest.
I like Manara's artwork despite the heavy lean on the male gaze. It can be fun for certain stories, but when realistic sexual assault is being depicted I do think Manara is the last possible artist I would trust with this kind of subject matter. The scenic portions and dense battle scenes are gorgeous, but the overt male gaze ends up detracting way too much from the rest.
December 28, 2021
I find myself wondering how weirdly horny this would have turned out, had Pratt chosen to collaborate with someone besides Milo Manara.
Regardless, it's pretty chauvinistic all-around. A narrative predicated upon rape and featuring plenty of incest, with a bit of inherent racism as garnish. I'm always fascinated by European takes on American subjects, and I'm a fan of Pratt and Manara, but this isn't the best work of either. Manara's drawing is obviously beautiful, but it is also jarringly out of sync with the narrative most of the time. This might have been a case where he would have better served the material if he'd lightened up on the "Manara"-ness.
Regardless, it's pretty chauvinistic all-around. A narrative predicated upon rape and featuring plenty of incest, with a bit of inherent racism as garnish. I'm always fascinated by European takes on American subjects, and I'm a fan of Pratt and Manara, but this isn't the best work of either. Manara's drawing is obviously beautiful, but it is also jarringly out of sync with the narrative most of the time. This might have been a case where he would have better served the material if he'd lightened up on the "Manara"-ness.
March 10, 2022
Artwork: ehhh how can I rate it? It’s both 5/5 and 0/5 at the same time. In short: Milo Manara. The drawings are gorgeous, the movement of depicted people, the details, the scenery, everything is pure beauty. And then comes the porn fixations of Manara. It was simply disturbingly ridiculous to see a woman lifting her skirt for absolutely no reason, or a boob popping out in the middle of the bloody fight. Ehh
Story: 3/5 good(ish) attempt at taking a look at relations between colonisers and natives. Loaded with cliches and thought shortcuts, but still manageable. The native Americans were not that stereotyped so I guess it’s good.
Story: 3/5 good(ish) attempt at taking a look at relations between colonisers and natives. Loaded with cliches and thought shortcuts, but still manageable. The native Americans were not that stereotyped so I guess it’s good.
March 4, 2020
Manara fa il suo solito lavoro, con i consueti pregi e difetti. L'ambientazione esotica e il riferimento letterario sono lì a giustificare il resto, ma non significano molto. Nonostante le ambizioni non è fra fra i lavori di Manara uno dei più riusciti, l'avrei di gran lunga preferito disegnato da Hugo Pratt.
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