Tom Morello, known primarily for his years as front man for Rage Against the Machine, has taken the leap into comic books in order to get his message of progress, equality and fighting The Man into more homes.
The comic, Orchid, hits stands this month under the Dark Horse comic imprint. Orchid is the story of a young sex worker living in a dystopian future where corporate elites have become so powerful they literally ‘own’ people again and brand them with certain jobs and responsibilities for life. When environmental degradation leads to the rise of giant reptiles that threaten the poor and downtrodden, Orchid has a political awakening and joins the revolution to bring down the oligarchs that have turned the world into their own personal playground.
Morello, who has ancestry similar to President Obama (White American mother and Kenyan father), made a point in this new comic to reflect the diversity of the world we live in with racially ambiguous characters which are much more realistic for an America 50 years in the future. And, in case you think that a comic book based on class warfare is crazy or out of touch, consider Orchid more of a throwback than a leap forward. When Superman started out, he wasn’t fighting Lex Luthor – he was a 1930’s progressive battling shady lenders, stopping union busters and arguing for socialized medicine. If anything, Morello’s comic book foray might take us back to a day when Superhero comics stood for something more than selling T-Shirts and commemorative cups.
This article originally appeared on Politic365.com.