‘Bloodshot’ Writer Mauro Mantella Posts “Sincere Apologies” For Seeming Anti-Trans Narration, Reposting “Conspiracy Theories,” After Deleting Twitter Account

Writer Mauro Mantella has posted a lengthy apology for seeming anti-trans narration in Alien Books and Valiant’s Bloodshot #1, after deleting his Twitter account earlier today. This itself comes after various reposts of anti-trans and anti-vaccine memes on X (formerly Twitter) by the author were brought to light on social media.

“I want to offer my most sincere apologies. I know I made a mistake, but at no point did I intend to spread a message of hate,” Mantella wrote on Instagram. “I’m fully aware that many people are upset with me, and I understand why. And although it may sound foolish, the truth is I screw this up.”

Mantella, an Argentinian writer who also works as a translator, has previously written issues of Bloodshot Unleashed: Reloaded from Valiant, before helping launch the new-reader-friendly Valiant Beyond initiative this week. The plot of the issue focuses on the nanite-powered Bloodshot hunting vampires in Japan who have been amped up using a diluted version of his own blood. While killing one vampire, the narration reads, “There are kids who want to be bitten to become vampires because their favorite influencer says they are one. And parents who force their children into that irreversible change… just to feel modern… and believing that they’ll be thankful for it when they grow up.”

Soon after the issue released in stores, social media users pointed out that the line uses similar language to anti-trans hate speech. In a statement from Alien Books and Mantella provided to Comic Book Club, they explained that “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.”

Alien Books also laid out three steps they would take immediately, including editing the dialogue in future printings, and “a more intense review” process going forward.

In the Instagram post, Mantella took this further, explaining his thinking behind the panel.

“When I wrote the script in Spanish, I wasn’t fully convinced by the line in that panel,” Mantella wrote. “So, when I translated it into English, I changed it a bit… but now I realize that was a huge mistake. I borrowed a common phrase used by haters and tried to adapt it to the fictional world of vampires I was building. But now I see that it was understood in a completely different way. Maybe my subconscious betrayed me when I tried to make a sharp comment, but please believe me: I was always referring to this fictional world where vampires force their children into eternal life without their consent.”

Mantella also noted that the second issue, which is currently scheduled to be released in stores on September 24, will follow up on this particular plot point.

“In fact —still within the fictional context of the story I wrote— there will be consequences for this in issue #2,” Mantella added. “Once again, I sincerely apologize, but I want to be honest in saying that I only used the phrase within a very specific narrative context, and under no circumstances did I intend to attack the LGBTQI+ community.”

This does address the comic panel directly and once again apologizes, though whether to the satisfaction of the internet community, as well as comic book fans and trans readers, is TBD. However, that first part doesn’t address the reposts from Mantella on his X account, which included multiple instances of anti-trans memes and videos, anti-vaccine memes, and others, the unearthing of which likely led to the deletion of his Twitter account.

“I’ve also been asked about some of the things I’ve reposted in the past, especially regarding conspiracy theories,” Mantella wrote. “And yes, I do enjoy conspiracy theories. They fuel my stories. I often search for that kind of material because I find it fascinating and inspiring, but that doesn’t mean I support them. I’m not promoting those ideas — it’s simply something that entertains me and sparks my creativity, which is why I use it in my writing. I tend to have a very sharp, ironic and acid sense of humor, and I see now that this has caused problems. Because of that, I commit to being more careful and serious about what I share and write.

“In all the stories I’ve written, there has always been a humanist, conciliatory approach — one that focuses on people, not on conflict or on judging anyone. As for my political views, I have always been on the left. In my country, I am a ‘Peronista’, which represents a center/left thinking. That’s why it’s truly painful to be accused of being far-right, when in reality I’ve alway”

The post cuts off there, likely because Mantella reached his maximum character count for captions. However, the post continues over on Mantella’s Facebook page:

in reality I’ve always stood on the opposite side of that ideology throughout my entire life.

I have no right-wing political inclinations, nor do I support fascism, or any form of totalitarianism or dictatorship. I do not follow or align myself with any political movement or entity of that kind, and everyone who knows me is well aware of my stance on this.

In Argentina, I have written stories entirely in support of the victims of our civic-military dictatorship of the 1970s, and I am a devoted admirer of Héctor G. Oesterheld, creator of El Eternauta and a political activist who was disappeared during that time — along with his daughters — because of his beliefs.

I enjoy creating stories that spark thought, doubt, and reflection, but it was never — never — my intention to suggest or promote any ideology. I believe doubt is healthy; I constantly question my own beliefs, my prejudices, and my views as I encounter new information.

I feel very sad and ashamed to be in the middle of this situation, and I acknowledge my mistake. This has been a lesson for me, and I will do everything I can to make amends.

I sincerely ask for your understanding.

Again, whether this explanation — that he was merely being entertained by conspiracy theories — will be enough to quell the online furor is TBD, though the comments on the post, as of this writing, seem evenly split between support and further derision.

This article has been updated to include additional text from Mantella’s Facebook page.

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