Entries tagged with monstress

A Review of Monstress Volume 3: Haven by Marjorie Liu (writer) and Sana Takeda (illustrator) (Image Comics, 2018).
By Stephen Hong Sohn

As the series has moved on, I’ve been enjoying it more and more. Monstress Volume 3: Haven by Marjorie Liu (writer) and Sana Takeda (illustrator) (Image Comics, 2018) has now finally come out, drawing out the complicated world in which Maika Halfwolf resides. My favorite character remains Kippa, the little fox girl, who is so instrumental to this particular fictional world precisely because she’s the rain of sunshine we really need. Here, I provide the requisite spoiler warning because, well, I’m going to tell you that this volume is also the most heartbreaking. Liu and Takeda must have known that Kippa was the breakout star of the series and the one that provides the most emotional stability to this narrative because of her utter desire to remain ethical in a world of literal and metaphorical monsters hellbent on power grabs and apocalyptic consumption. So, of course, they decide to put her in danger.

But that’s getting ahead of ourselves a bit. The major storyline involves Maika and her allies finding a refuge in a coastal city, but they also need to help repair a shield that keeps that location safe from enemies. Maika’s attempt to fix the shield doesn’t necessarily work out, but she transforms the device in such a way as to generate a catastrophic blast that not only decimates foes but also results in some collateral damage. In the meantime, Kippa has been busy. She’s found her people, many of whom are refugees. She wants to help them escape because they are under siege, but while she is doing some humanitarian good, it becomes apparent that Ren, our wily little feline companion, has a side quest that requires him basically to kidnap Kippa. We’re instructed to understand that something bad may be in store for the little fox girl, so we’re worried. At the same time, we wonder: will Ren really turn in Kippa to the cat-Ancients? Eventually, our faith is restored in Ren when he tries to defend Kippa from being taken, but he is seriously wounded, and this volume ends with Kippa having been taken.

On Maika’s front, her relationship with the God inside of her seems to be evolving. Whereas the God’s initial presence was clearly seen as an affront, they seem to be moving closer and closer to an uneasy alliance, somehow brokered in part because Maika isn’t having her own identity subsumed by this figure. But, Liu doesn’t want to give us much of a reprieve, as we’re absolutely devastated to discover what’s happened with Kippa. Marjorie: don’t do it! Save Kippa! In any case, Takeda’s visuals are stunning, as always. I definitely am at the edge of my seat for the next volume, anticipating that Kippa will (and must be) saved, however dire the situation!

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Review Author: Stephen Hong Sohn
Review Editor: Leslie J. Fernandez

If you have any questions or want us to consider your book for review, please don’t hesitate to contact us via email!
Prof. Stephen Hong Sohn at ssohnucr@gmail.com
Leslie J. Fernandez, PhD Student in English, at lfern010@ucr.edu

A Review of Monstress Volume 2: The Blood by Marjorie Liu (writer) and Sana Takeda’s (illustrator) (Image Comics, 2017).
By Stephen Hong Sohn

So, last year I actually taught the first graphic novel volume from the Monstress series for my course on trauma theory and Asian American fiction. This new volume adds to the already complex mythology outlined in the earlier publication. Mara Danoff’s review over at ComicsVerse gives us a useful background of this work: “MONSTRESS VOL. 2 continues Maika Halfwolf’s story in discovering her family’s history and the power that lies within her. To complete this mission, Maika must travel across the harrowing sea to the Isle of Bone. Years ago, her mother completed this very same journey. Thus, she hopes to discover why an ancient monstrum dwells within her, and her mother’s secrets. The monstrum, of course, is this ancient, other-worldly force that practically acts as a god of the realm. The monstrum and the Shaman Empress, an ancient arcanic female who wielded immense power that both humans and arcanics covet, appear as key elements in Maika’s quest in discovering more about her mother. The authors unveil bits of the deeper narrative, as the relationship of this monstrum and the elusive Shaman Empress starts revealing itself. It appears nothing is quite as simple as it first seemed, and Maika and her companions still have much to learn about the world they inhabit” (https://comicsverse.com/monstress-vol-2-review-secrets-high-seas/).

This quest brings back a bunch of Maika’s allies, who include a catform necromancer and a cute little foxgirl named Kippa. Kippa has always been one of those characters I am strongly ambivalent about. On the one hand, she’s obviously there as a way to provide relief because this fictional world is so full of dark forces and dark events. On the other, she almost seems out of place given the severity of the story itself, so I could not help but feel occasionally emotionally manipulated. What I appreciated most about the second volume is that Liu is providing Kippa with a more complicated background, one that suggests that she is evolving as a character and coming to understand that her choices are not necessarily as innocent as they seem.

The other element that this novel is now fully engaging is the problems of the mother-daughter genealogical plot. In this specific case, Maika begins to see that her mother may have had flawed intentions in going upon the original quest to the Isle. What becomes further apparent is the Maika is simply trying to find a way to figure out how she can actually deal with a life in which the monster inside of her constantly needs to feed. If there is an ethic at all being represented by this monster’s predatory hunger, it is that Maika does attempt to assert a form of control by trying to evade the people she cares about whenever the monster is looking to feed. Nevertheless, this insatiable need must find a target, so this problem will no doubt continue to telescope the war that is being waged inside of her. The last volume, much like this one, is sumptuous in illustrations and the world building is still first rate. The concluding panels suggest the genealogical quest remains, so we’ll see if Liu and Takeda can strike gold for a third time.

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