Alain is the best friend and roommate of Kate Kristopher, the main protagonist in Joe Keatinge and Leila Del Luca’s Shutter, an adventure series placed on an advanced alternate Earth inhabited by humans, talking animals, mutants, mer people, robots, and the occasional dinosaur. Alain is employed as a research scientist. Kate’s life is turned upside down with a series of attacks, one of which is on their apartment, and Alain is greatly injured in the explosion and fire. Despite the severity of her injuries, Alain displays an upbeat sense of humor, gratitude, and concern for her best friend’s well being.
As a child Alain was fond of playing with dolls and this provides the context for becoming friends with Kate. In a flashback scene Alain is shown playing with dolls at the school playground when bully Craig approaches and starts verbally abusing Alain. Alain tries to deflect Craig with logic and pointing out the action figure in Craig’s hand (Anyway, you play with dolls all the time!”). Craig reacts as if his masculinity has been questioned and starts beating up Alain until Kate knocks him down with a swift punch and their lifelong friendship is born.
In an interview with Westfield Comics, artist Del Luca says that Alain is Filipina. Keatinge and Del Luca didn’t want to write a scene or story about Alain’s transition and simply indicated she’s transgender by contrasting Alain as a child in the flashback to Alain in the series’ present.
Hat tip to Mey Rude at Autostraddle! Please read her Complete History of Transgender Characters article.
Alain was created by Joe Keatinge and Leila Del Luca. She first appeared in Shutter #1. This profile is based solely on appearances in the Shutter: Wanderlost, the first trade and will be updated or https://gayleague.com/contact/contact us with more information!
Art by Leila Del Luca. Alain pictured at right.
All rights reserved Joe Keatinge and Leila Del Luca
