- Creator/Writer: H.H. German
- Interior Artist and Letterer: Javier Orabich
- Colorist: Daniel Grimaldi
- Cover Artist: Garnabiel
Thanks to Sigma Comics for the review copy!
HERE COMES CALICO is a hard hitting superhero series in which the superhero gets vengeance on behalf of those least able to defend themselves – animals. While Calico’s suit resembles Black Panther (with a cool logo), his methods are much more in line with The Punisher (though even the Punisher might not go as far). This is not a book for the squeamish. Calico isn’t a guy who catches the bad guys and turns them over to the authorities – he kills them in brutal ways. Animal lovers may find themselves cheering for Calico, as the book also has some intense violence against innocent animals. I’ve seen many a revenge flick where you root for the bad guys to get their just desserts, but this is the first story in which animals were the victims. In this sense, the violence isn’t gratuitous – it shows the plight of the animals and provides motivation for what Calico does.
Where the first issue spent a lot of time showing us Calico’s revenge in detail, the second is more of a slow burn. The issue focuses more on Calico’s preparation than the violence itself. The pacing pays off at the end of the issue, providing more impact for the reveal. I had a sense of what was coming, but found myself reading quickly to see how exactly it turned out.
This issue also does a good job of setting out more details about the world of Calico, introducing some allies, fleshing out his environment, and continuing the search for the series’ big bad. The art effectively conveys the grit of the city and meshes with the tone of the book perfectly. As was the case in the first issue, I also enjoyed the boxing information provided in the story – once again I feel like I learned something.
HERE COMES CALICO is an 8 issue series. While I recommend starting with the first issue, if you read this review, you should be able to understand what is going on with issue 2. Parental discretion is definitely advised with this series. This issue isn’t as gory as the first, but it still contains some graphic violence, cursing, and adult situations. If you are an animal lover, beware that there are some vivid depictions of violence against animals. On the other hand, they finally have someone to avenge them.
HERE COMES CALICO #2 is now available.
Are you going to pick up the issue? Let me know in the comments or on Twitter.
