I recently got the opportunity to read a comic written by H. H. German titled Calico. Readers beware, this comic is rated M for explicit content. And there’s a looot of explicit content. Like a lot. From nudity to gore, issue one doesn’t skimp out on the details, nor does it leave very much to the reader’s imagination.
Explicit content aside, this comic brings up an interesting storyline and perspective. If you’re a huge animal lover to the point where you side with Green Peace doing some questionably legal things to prevent whaling, this is the comic for you. Without spoiling too much, here’s what I got for you: The hero of this comic calls himself ‘Calico,’ and from what I can tell, Calico despises bullies and the people who prey on the defenseless. And who’s the most defenseless group out there? You guessed it – or not – they’re animals.
Remember when we were all up in arms against those really rich people trophy hunting? Society condemned all those people to hell. That outrage has since died down, but the writer of this comic definitely hasn’t let that sentiment go. Spoiler warning – the hero dons “millions of dollars worth of technology” that looks like what would happen if Black Panther and Wildcat had a love child and proceeds to eviscerate a family of trophy hunters. Now whether you agree or disagree with his methods, is up to you. But German does a damn good job of setting up what these trophy hunters are like.
The whole comic from cover-to-cover screams animal rights, and honestly, it’s a cause I can get behind. I just don’t know if I agree with killing people to get my point across. However, the writer indirectly brings up a great point. Every day, thousands of animals are killed for their prized features, oftentimes without keeping sustainability in mind. Not to mention climate change and humans decimating habitats for our diverse ecosystem. Our animals are largely unprotected and we don’t have a Calico to put a stop to people’s actions. If anything, this comic should stand as a reminder that animals deserve justice and rights.
