The indie comic book kaiju world continues to amaze me. I have enjoyed everyone’s work thus far, and love promoting and sharing independent creators. Their imaginations fleshed out onto page have continued to reinvigorate and change up the game for the kaiju genre. Today’s focal piece, and a new favorite comic book of mine, is Territory, which is currently on Issue 3 of a planned five. The independent kaiju comic, which is available to back on Kickstarter, comes from the imagination of an entire team including writer Blake McCarthy, Chris Sassman on pencils/inks, Ichsan Ansori on colors, and industry veteran Marco Della Verde on letters. Territory is writer McCarthy’s first major comic book project, and what a freshman entry it has shaped out to be!
Perhaps my favorite thing about Territory is its willingness to look at earlier kaiju media that represented something deeper and more insightful to tell its story to readers. We find ourselves within a post-apocalyptic scenario, something often seen in kaiju media, but with a few clearly chosen differences. The human survivors, instead of relying on whatever technology is left over from the undisclosed apocalypse, instead revert to nomadic, indigenous tribes, hunting and gathering for their people, and being more in-tune with the land itself. Of course, because this is a kaiju story, these tribes worship the “New Gods” — our gigantic behemoths!
From Greathorn, the gigantic bear kaiju worshipped by our focal tribe, to the more amphibious and crustaceous hybrid creature that lives on the coastlines, all biomes have specific monsters in mind, and it goes to show the level of thought that goes into the creatures, their designs, and their characteristics, by writer McCarthy. On a personal level, McCarthy is a conservationist and naturalist, so seeing that emerge through the writing and portrayal within his story without it being too heavy-handed is wonderful to see. The message is clear— some day if we screw up too bad, nature may take over again, and we probably will not the results when that happens. That’s a theme prevalent in modern kaiju takes, especially pushed by Legendary’s MonsterVerse, in wake of our frequent discussions of climate change. What Territory does differently, is that the mutations stick within nature’s laws. There is no crazy atomic breath, there is no space alien kaiju here to invade us, these are all animals that have mutated and evolved to survive and thrive in this new era, after whatever we had done to the environment.
Personally, living in Utah, I clicked extremely well with the other themes present in this book — the warnings of religious fanaticism. Though I will not spoil anything in this comic aside from the premise, something happens within the focal tribe that shatters their entire belief system and way of life. The way people react to a crisis of faith like this varies within the confines of the story presented, just like real life incidents of this caliber. Some individuals are reaffirmed in their doubts; others double down, and move the goalposts. All of these reactions are human, and are ever present when THAT thing does happen around issue 2. I found that particularly fascinating, and due to my upbringings specifically, appreciated that kind of enriching, philosophical storytelling.
Overall, if you’re looking for something closer to Horizon: Zero Dawn in aesthetic, rather than the traditional tech-based apocalypse aftermath of Fallout, this comic is right up your alley. Territory is a bold cautionary kaiju tale that dares to push further into nature and belief, being one of the premiere comic books of the modern kaiju movement. We as human beings must remind ourselves that we are responsible for the preservation and continued protection of nature, and perhaps, one day, if we’re not careful, we will be reminded who really controls the ecosystem. Territory exemplifies the human experience of fear by balancing it with careful commentary on dogma, while also delivering the fantastical, entertaining battles that happen when two massive organisms collide with each other. Both instances are terrifying, each of course, in their own distinct, polar ways.
I feel like we’re experiencing a revolution within the indie kaiju community, ESPECIALLY in the comic book world. I’m sure it’s because comic books allow us to tell stories and visualize things that would otherwise be expensive and out-of-budget in a movie or television series. But still, as I said, kaiju continues to thrive and experiment in the world of comic books, and if you’re “tired of the same things” in kaiju movies and television, well, pick up a damn kaiju comic book! Territory might be one of my favorites to date, but there are so many other independent comics we’ve covered on the site, culminating in this review. So, what are you waiting for? Maybe it’s time you enter some new Territory, and check this book out.
One more bonus thing — the Kickstarter rewards come with the original written script, the original pencils, inks, and finally, colors. The crew behind this book is open about comic book production, and seeing that process was enlightening. I had personally never seen what a comic book script looks like, as I am from the film world, and familiar with screenplay formats. That was hugely educational, and something anybody that is looking into making their own comic book needs to examine.
About Territory
A post apocalyptic kaiju series set in a far distant Pacific Northwest after an unknown man made disaster. The remaining humans live in tribes and worship the massive Behemoths as gods! Alkia and her tribe worship the Greathorn, but her faith in the beast and the people around her are tested as she learns about the real monsters in the world.
Current Kickstarter
Global Comix
Indie Comics Zone
Blake McCarthy Twitter
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