Following my visit to Lucca Comics 2009, I felt inspired to write something about i Fumetti (Comic Books), then I realized that I hadn’t done a quiz for ages. So eccolo (here it is), a Fumetti Quiz! But first a brief explanation of the name Fumetti: the word fumetto comes from, as you might have guessed, fumo (smoke), used to describe the speech bubbles that emerge from the characters mouths in comic books which look like little clouds of smoke. This term, especially in the plural (fumetti) was gradually extended to include the illustrations, and eventually the actual comic books themselves.

Now for the quiz. I’m going to give you a few extracts from a very popular fumetto, but whenever the supereroe  (super hero) or his young assistant is named I will put stars. See if you can guess who this famous personaggio (character) is.

Ancora una volta un pericolosissimo criminale insidia la città. Un criminale che intesse attorno a sè una tela di morte. Uno soltanto osa battersi contro di lui: ******

(Once again a very dangerous criminal threatens the city. A criminal who weaves around himself a web of death. Only one dares to fight against him: ******)

I giornali, la radio non parlano d’altro che dello spietato, astutissimo criminale. Nella sua casa ****** parla con il suo giovane aiutante *****. Speech bubble: *****: ‘Ma ******, perchè non facciamo noi qualcosa contro questo criminale?’ ******: ‘Non ancora *****, non è ancora il momento. Ma quando lo faremo…..’

The papers, the radio, speak of nothing but the cunning, pitiless criminal. In his house ****** speaks with his young assistant *****. Speech bubble: *****: ‘But ******, why don’t we do something against this criminal?’ ******: ’Not yet *****, it’s not yet the moment. But when we do it……….’

Più tardi……  D’improvviso, dall’alto delle scale, il fruscio di un passo. Il grande ******. Un valanga umana precipita addosso ai pistoleros…… Speech bubble: ’Un po malfermi sulle gambe eh?’ Un pugno massiccio si abbatte sulla mascella di un pistolero.

Later…… Suddenly, from the top of the stairs, the rustle of a step. The great ******. A human avalanche falls unto the two gunmen…… Speech bubble: ’A bit unstable on your legs eh?’ A massive punch hits the jaw of a gunman.

L’auto del criminale è già in moto, ma il ****** le è sopra come una nera nube di vendetta! Solo un atleta prodigioso come il ****** poteva fare un simile salto!…… Speech bubble: ‘Ce l’ho fatta, e ora……..’

The criminal’s car is already moving, but ****** is on it like a black cloud of vengeance! Only a prodigious athlete like ****** could achieve a such a jump!…… Speech bubble: ’I’ve done it, and now……’

Lo spietato assassino spinge giù dal ponte ****** privo di sensi !!! Ma il freddo dell’acqua lo richiama in vita. Speech bubble: ……’Wow, mi pare che la testa mi stia per scoppiare!’

The pitiless assassin pushes ****** down from the bridge unconscious !!! But the cold of the water brings him back to life….. Speech bubble: ’Wow, it seems like my head is going to explode!’

Naturally justice triumphs in the end with:

un ultimo colpo, menato dal ****** con tutte le sue forze.

a final blow, dealt by ****** with all his force.

and the criminal is safely behind bar….. for now at least!

A couple of clues: Our mysterious superhero is sometimes referred to as Il Cavaliere della Notte and his assistant, Il Ragazzo Meraviglia.

Now see if you can guess who his adversary was. Clue: he is famous for his minaccioso sogghigno sinistro.

In bocca al lupo!