Curses, wizards, philosopher’s stones and vampires

A new week and a new instalment of Decoder, the Il Foglio column edited by Gianluca De Angelis and dedicated to pop culture. A guide to navigating this ever-expanding world, delving into comics, films, series and games, and discovering new entry points every week that might spark a passion or, why not, introduce readers for the first time to a series of constantly expanding universes. So, once again: three recommendations, three gateways, three points of reference that can point the way through this multiverse of diverse languages which today says so much about our world.

For the world of comics, a disturbing and unmissable work: ‘Asura’, by mangaka George Akiyama, published by In Your Face Comix. A dark tale set in a feudal Japan ravaged by famine, where hunger is not merely physical but mental, warping bodies, minds and human relationships. Here, the protagonist – the ‘Asura’ of the title – is a child born into this horror: abandoned by his mother, he grows up as a feral creature, without language or morals. A ‘monster’ cursed by the world in which he exists, who is nothing more than the reject of the society into which he had the misfortune to be born. Unmissable.

In the audiovisual sector, to mark the 25th anniversary of its release and to join in the ‘Back to Hogwarts’ celebrations, we recommend re-watching (or seeing for the first time) the iconic film ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’ in cinemas, as it returns to the big screen for just a few days. This is an event not to be missed, alongside other major celebrations, such as the major event to be held in Venice and a whole host of new products that are sure to make fans’ eyes light up. All this whilst we await the arrival of the new reboot TV series coming to HBO Max at Christmas, which promises to reignite enthusiasm for this magical universe more strongly than ever before.

Finally, the gaming news is the new title from Rebel Wolfs, a highly anticipated new IP: ‘The Blood of Dawnwalker’. A story set in 14th-century Europe, in a world ravaged by bloody wars and the Black Death, yet one in which vampires also exist, infiltrating the seats of power in an attempt to gain dominion over humanity. In playing as Coen, a character caught between being human and vampire, the most intriguing aspect is a gameplay mechanic in which the passage of time is crucial and inexorable, requiring the player to make important choices and altering the narrative itself depending on the path the protagonist is led to take. Truly fascinating.

Three features to help you navigate the world of entertainment and pop culture, a world shaped by imagination, nostalgia and collective desires. Decoder is here to try and decode the present, including through its new popular myths, piecing together, week after week and feature after feature, a comprehensive map that charts – more than ever before – the infinite nuances and directions of our present. See you next week for another trio of unmissable features.