Ducks, Indian deities and interstellar travel

A new weekly instalment of DECODER, the Il Foglio column edited by Gianluca De Angelis and devoted entirely to pop culture: a veritable atlas to help you find your way around this vast world through all its new releases, whilst also inviting you to delve into the classics by immersing yourself in comics, films, series and games. In short, it’s about constantly finding new entry points that might spark a passion or, why not, introduce you for the first time to a world you may have heard of but never explored in depth. So, once again this week, here are three recommendations, three entry points, three reference points to help guide you through this multiverse of diverse forms of expression. 

In the world of comics, we’re discussing Papereneide, written by Francesco Artibani and illustrated by Simona Capovilla, which has just been collected in a volume by Panini Comics. It is a work that strikes a delicate balance: respecting the framework of Virgil’s poem whilst simultaneously adapting it to the Disney formula, characterised by misunderstandings, iconic characters, adventure and humour. And in this, the writing and artwork succeed extraordinarily well in transforming the imagery of antiquity into something that feels instantly at home with the Ducks, without making it seem like a mere costume play.

In the realm of film and television, "Ramayana – The Birth of a Legend" is a must-see for all enthusiasts of Indian cinema and mythology alike. One of the oldest and best-known tales in Indian culture, which for centuries has spanned literature, religion, theatre, dance, art and popular culture, now comes to the big screen as a contemporary blockbuster, featuring stunning visual effects and a soundtrack that brings together two Oscar winners from seemingly worlds apart: A.R. Rahman and Hans Zimmer. 

Finally, the recommendation for the gaming world is the Magic: The Gathering | Star Trek expansion. A major event in which Wizards of the Coast brings characters, spaceships and stories from virtually the entire science fiction saga into Magic: from the original series to subsequent adaptations. Rather than simply placing Picard’s face or the Enterprise on existing cards, as is often the case with these crossovers, they are translating Star Trek into the language of the TCG, exploring its mechanics, stories and characters. 

Three features to help you navigate the world of entertainment and pop culture, a realm of major new releases and big comebacks, age-old stories and unexpected crossovers. DECODER is here to decode the present, including through its new popular myths, piecing together, week after week, feature after feature, a vast map that charts, more than ever before, the infinite nuances and directions of our present. Join us next week for another trio of unmissable titles.