Leo Ortolani, Rat-Man Comics (2000)

Above is pictured one of several Dante-related panels from Italian cartoonist Leo Ortolani’s comic strip following the adventures of Rat-Man, published on November 21, 2000. The quotation here is a popular adaptation of Dante’s “Non ragioniam di lor, ma guarda e passa” (Inferno 3.51), spoken by Virgil to the pilgrim as they pass the Neutrals. Contributor Chiara Montera calls Rat-Man “a ridiculous parody of a Marvel super hero.”

For more, see the Facebook page Le Migliori Frasi di Rat-Man.

Read Paolo Rigo’s article on Dante and Ortolani’s “Rat-Man” here.

Contributed by Chiara Montera (University of Pittsburgh, ’17)