Lightning Red
Story MARCO B. BUCCI, RICCARDO ATZENI Script MARCO B. BUCCI Cover, Design, and Colors RICCARDO ATZENI Guide to INTOsociety and Script Supervision ENRICO BUSCAROLI Story Editor DIEGO MALARA Original Editing STEFANIA SIMONINI Original Design ALESSANDRO GUCCIARDO Translation MICOL BELTRAMINI Lettering DEZI SIENTI FOR ABLAZE Managing Editor RICH YOUNG Editor KEVIN KETNER Designers CINTHIA TAKEDA, RODOLFO MURAGUCHI Special Thanks to SERENA VARANI, ANNALISA CALIFANO, MARCO LUPOI Publisher’s Cataloging-in-Publication data
Bucci, Marco B., 1981-, author. | Atnezi, Riccardo, artist. Title: Red Lightning / Marco B. Bucci; Riccardo Atzeni. Description: Portland, OR: Ablaze, 2022. Identifiers: ISBN: 978-1-68497-038-4 Subjects: LCSH Time travel —Comic books, strips, etc. | Gender identity —Comic books, strips, etc. | Science fiction comic books, strips, etc. | Graphic novels. | COMICS & GRAPHIC NOVELS / Literary | COMICS & GRAPHIC NOVELS / LGBTQ+ | COMICS & GRAPHIC NOVELS / Science Fiction Classification: LCC PN6767.B83 R43 2022 | DDC 741.5 —dc23 RED LIGHTNING. Published by Ablaze Publishing, 11222 SE Main St. #22906 Portland, OR 97269. Red Lightning Copyright © 2022 Marco B. Bucci and Riccardo Atzeni. All rights reserved. Licensed through Panini Spa. Ablaze TM & © 2022 ABLAZE, LLC. All rights reserved. Ablaze and its logo TM & © 2022 Ablaze, LLC. All Rights Reserved. All names, characters, events, and locales in this publication are entirely fictional. Any resemblance to actual persons (living or dead), events or places, without satiric intent is coincidental. No portion of this book may be reproduced by any means (digital or print) without the written permission of Ablaze Publishing except for review purposes. Printed in China. This book may be purchased for educational, business, or promotional use in bulk. For sales information, advertising opportunities and licensing email:info@ablazepublishing.com 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 RED LIGHTNING is a Panini Comics Italy original production
Names:
Bowie is what binds me to my mom and dad. They were the ones who made me listen to the record collection that years later I stole from them. So this book is half for my mom, who saw David live, and half for my dad, who followed shortly after Bowie’s departure. I’m sure they’re together out there, somewhere, listening to music too loud.
– Marco B. Bucci
This US edition of Red Lightning is dedicated to the place where the first sketches were born, the Babeuf in Villanova district, still and always my home. Luckily enough my lifetime friends are around me and all over the pages. ITTESTUDIO will be there soon <3
To Ale and Billy, and a new flower.
– Riccardo Atzeni
January 11, 2016
7:12 AM
GOODBYETO DAVIDBOWIE THEROCKLEGENDHAD RECENTLYCELEBRATED ANDHIS69THBIRTHDAYHADBEENSICKFOR MONTHS.
SO FUCKING COLD…COME ON, REFRESH!
Bologna
QUIET, BOY!
|I KNOW, BUDDY…IT STILL HURTS.
DAVID BOWIE IS DEAD.
Red Lightning
Bucci Atzeni
I’M TRYING TO PRETEND EVERYTHING IS OKAY.
IS THAT A…LION?
…SO YOU DON’T REMEMBER ANYTHING? NOPE.
IT HAPPENS. NO WORRIES.
THE FACT THAT YOU’RE A DINOSAUR DOESN’T HELP…
NO CLUE.
DON’T YOU HEAR SOME KIND OF ALERT? MMM… NOPE.
IT’S NOT POLITE TO ASSUME SOMEONE’S SPECIES. BY THE WAY, ARE YOU SURE YOUR MEDICAL PARAMETERS ARE ALRIGHT?
BUT THIS PLACE IS MENTAL... WE’RE LIKE…IN NEW YORK, RIGHT?
NEW YORK?! YOU’RE WAY OFF, PAL. WE’RE IN BOLOGNA.
SPECIFICALLY, DISTRICT 9CC0 OF ERIDANIA.
SUPER OUT OF IT. I DON’T RECOGNIZE ANYTHING. PLACES, PEOPLE…WHAT THE HECK ARE PEOPLE WEARING?
YOU DON’T REMEMBER THE THEME?! WE’RE IN THE DECADENT 2000S!
HMM…THAT MAKES SENSE, I WAS IN BOLOGNA THIS MORNING…
SEE? EVERYTHING’S FINE, YOU’RE JUST A BIT OUT OF IT.
IT’S COSMIC EMPTINESS IN HERE…
MENTAL, SUPER, COSMIC EMPTINESS…FOR SOMEONE WHO DOESN’T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE THEME, YOU KNOW A BUNCH!
THEME…? THE 2000S…?
YEAH…THE TWO DECADES THAT PRE CEDED THE GREAT GLOBAL LOCKDOWN.
THAT’S WHY THIS THEME WON. IF WE MEASURED TIME FOLLOWING THE 2000S NUMBER SYSTEM…
OKAY…I DIDN’T THINK I’D EVER HAVE TO ASK THIS, BUT…
EDOARDO… WHAT YEAR IS IT?
WE’RE IN THE YEAR 30D50. C ALL ME EDO.
…IT WOULD BE THE YEAR 200016. NOW YOU GET WHY DAVID IS EVERYWHERE?
OH, FUCK.
OH, FUCK.
OH, FUCK.
I H AVE TO TELL YOU SOMETHING…
NO WAY…YOU’RE FROM 2016…THE REAL 2016?
I WAS BORN IN 1989.
IT WAS A TOTALLY NORMAL MORNING.
I MEAN, I HAD BROKEN UP WITH MY BOYFRIEND THE NIGHT BEFORE… BUT BESIDE THAT… THE USUAL, YOU KNOW.
THEN I READ THE NEWS AND BOOM…DAVID. HE WAS EVERYTHING TO ME.
WAIT, BUT IF WE’RE IN THE FUTURE, DOES THAT MEAN THAT TIME TRAVEL EXISTS?
ABSOLUTELY NOT. THAT’S SCIENCE FICTION, BUD.
BUT YOU’RE A DINOSAUR!
ACTUALLY, I’M WEARING A DILOPHOSAURUS ESOSUIT…AND YOU CAN CRASH AT MY PLACE FOR A WHILE.
