HERE COMES CALICO #5, by Sigma Comics on 9/6/23, continues Hector Gill’s mission to work his way up an organized crime organization after he deals with a diabetic who has a violent case of the hangries.
The Details
- Written by: H.H. German
- Art by: Renato Pinto
- Colors by: Daniel Grimaldi
- Letters by: Renato Pinto
- Cover art by: Garnabiel
- Comic Rating: Mature
- Cover price: $2.99
- Release date: September 6, 2023
Is HERE COMES CALICO #5 Good?
HERE COMES CALICO #5 takes readers on a wild ride as Herbert Gil, aka Calico, puts down New York’s weirdest murders, abusers, and miscreants. H.H. German is known as a fighter, and he’s not pulling any punches in this issue.
When last we left Calico, he was knocked out and tossed aside on the freeway after a double-team team-up with local wrestling legends to stop a massive cyborg called The Pound. Now, Calico keeps tabs on the next criminal on the organized food chain who leads to Reginald Maxim, a fat Hawaiian named Opunui who gets cash for abusing animals online. Meanwhile, a psychotic diabetic named the Jiggler lays waste to Hector’s neighborhood.
Two things. First, it will help new readers greatly to go back and read the first four issues. Calico’s main mission is only explained in bits and pieces throughout the series, so if you go into this issue cold, you’re going to get lost.
Second, this series is specifically designed to give you a hard-hitting vigilante story and support a worthy cause. Readers who buy this comic series may be interested to know that proceeds go to the Animal Welfare Institute, an organization dedicated to stopping animal cruelty. Don’t worry. The AWI doesn’t go to the same extremes as Calico.
What’s great about HERE COMES CALICO #5? Well, it’s certainly creative. German infuses his series with a weirder, wilder, and increasingly eclectic collection of characters with each issue. If you like a vigilante series that isn’t afraid to get rough and a little crazy, this one’s for you.
What’s not so great about HERE COMES CALICO #5? German’s script struggles with focus. A random psycho starts shooting up the streets, then you follow a stakeout where Hector is trying to get a key to break into a random apartment, then Kingman and Gong are initiating two lackeys, the One Dollar Boss is beating up a woman who brought him fried chicken, and on and on and on. In and of themselves, the plots/subplots are interesting scenes where one or two nuggets of plot development take place, but the narrative flow is randomly scattered.
How’s the art? Pinto and Grimaldi make a fantastic art duo. Truly, their figure work, panel compositions, and coloring rival anything out of the Big 2.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at the covers, or Click Here to jump right to the story description with some spoilers.
What’s HERE COMES CALICO #5 About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
Check out our HERE COMES CALICO #4 review to find out how Calico found himself in on a wrestling match in the streets.
We begin with Calico waking up on a tour bus after the brawl in the last issue. He heads home to rest and recover, but a moment of peace is interrupted by the Jiggler firing off a 50-cal minigun in the streets below. Hector can’t risk being seen in costume, so he dashes out to give the Jiggler some of his neighbor’s cookies to diffuse the situation.
Later, Hector consults with his allies about the next target in Reginald Maxim’s criminal organization – an overeater named Peter Opunui. who makes cash by abusing animals online. One night, Calico pays Opunui a visit and “mils” him for all he’s worth.
We conclude the issue with a program upgrade, boxing lessons, and strange neighbors.
Final Thoughts
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HERE COMES CALICO #5 get weirder and wilder when Calico’s mission to take down a vicious crime organization crosses paths with debased criminals of all varieties. German’s characters are grotesquely memorable (in a good way), and the art is fantastic. That said, newer readers will be lost without reading the previous issues, and the script has trouble staying focused.
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