3.5-4/5

Here's why I like this story - even though I usually complain about fanservice in comics. First, this is unapologetically an adult graphic novel. The book opens with a steamy sex scene and this will continue throughout. But this is in actual service to a really fascinating plot. Leslie Pig lives in a world of animal people, one where if you aren't married by 25 the government sets you up on a date with your perfect, genetic, same species but "opposite" sex match. Because this is all about baby making. "All species are the same, as long as you only have sex with the same species" is me misquoting the book.

Leslie keeps having dreams about an arctic wolf, but they're more than dreams. It's super neat. Hoopla from my library had the first volume. This is originally an Italian novel so it seems hard to find sometimes, but I want to read the rest!

War mal was anderes

Woah. So much I wasn’t expecting...

I am usually not a huge fan of romance comics, but something about this grabbed my attention. I know Mirka Andolfo from her time working on DC Bombshells, but have never read anything independent she released. From the beginning it was definitely sexually charged but beautifully illustrated. The sociopolitical themes that mirror real life are also extremely present, as Mirka uses this story to hold a spotlight on interracial and homosexual couples and the injustices we face. It’s a simple metaphor that uses quirky, sexy anthropomorphic characters. It’s a fun read, and with each issue, it becomes less romance and more murder mystery. Definitely one of my favorites of the year so far.

Art is beautiful, but the story is all over the place. At first it comes off as an excuse to just have furry porn, then switches tracks to commentary about racial tensions and LGBT violence. Then turns into an Orwellian horror story. Then becomes a worse Orwellian horror story but also ghosts, magic and past lives. This all sounds like it would make for a compelling narrative if handled carefully, but it's not. The story changes are all of the whip pan jump cut variety. What explanation there is between these jumps in tone are explained away quickly, in an almost handwave fashion. And the pacing is terrible, reads like a manga or webcomic that had no planned end. Or worse an end in mind with no clear idea of how to get to it.

Maybe there was something lost in the translation from Italian or otherwise contains common/accepted tropes of Italian storytelling. Either way, it has problems...lots of problems...but it's not terrible. If nothing else, the art is goddamn beautiful.