Let me start by saying this : CAN I GET AN AMEN FOR THIS GRAPHIC NOVEL? Holy! I have never fell this much in love with a graphic novel before. For those of you who followed me these past few years, you know how I’m a sucker for anything Dark Fantasy genre from magical creatures to wizards and demons. And damn, Montress has delivered it!
In the 1900s, of an alternate universe Asia, a steampunk fantasy wise atmosphere frame the lifelong journey of our protagonist Maika Halfwolf, a teenage girl (often pissed off) who looks for answers about her mother’s disappearance and possibly murder. From the start, the Volume 1 has A LOT of things going on and so I will try to be brief and not spoil anything.
Maika Halfwolf is what we would call an Arcanic, born of a race directly descended from the union of humans and Ancients, the old gods that once populated the world. Needless to say that the Ancients were extremely powerful (magic and so on). What’s particular with Maika , however, is that her Arcanic side is more wicked and dark. All about infernal hungers and demons. Her actions has set in motion the vehicle of war. Aside of that, I love when the stories bring out social issues in a fantasy twist. The injustice and even slavery some creatures endure in this graphic novel is very poignant.
The side characters are lovely and I definitely got attached to them, from Kippa to Master Ren (a cat with an attitude). Artistic wise, the Japanese illustrator Sana Takeda made an impressive job. I think it’s by far the most beautiful graphic novel I’ve ever read. Every character get introduced by their costumes and each costume represents the character’s role in the story. I would cosplay all of them if I could to be honest.
I was so obsessed with the first volume that I had to get the second volume right away, and I was not disappointed. The path Maika is taking in the second volume reveals more than her ancestry and test the limits of all the friendships she will form.
Rating : 5/5
Have you heard about this graphic novel? Did you read it? I’d love to hear your thoughts about it!
Big thank you to Image Comics for these fantastic copies!
The art has always impressed me. I read the first issue and I never got back to reading the rest of the series!
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This is the first time that I’ve heard of this one, and I have to say I like what I’m seeing here. Jeezz…you and Lashaan are both killing me and my wallet you know?😂😂 Great post, and I guess I’m adding another one to my to read list!😂😂
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That cover is gorgeous and art looks amazing. great review!
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This one keeps popping up, and each time folks seem to love it. I really like the artwork I’ve seen so far and the story sounds interesting. One of these days I hope to try it.
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I LOVE THESE GRAPHIC NOVELS. I’ve read Volumes 1-3. The first two are easily my favorite!
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LOVE this series. Excellent worldbuilding and the art is gorgeous panel-to-panel. ❤
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So glad you liked it 😀 Monstress is one of my fav comic book series. Same here on fantasy stories that include social injustices. I like seeing that in stories because it then reflects our society/history.
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At some point or another I fell way behind on this series, but I read the first 20 issues or so. I remember there being a lot of great mythology, good characters, and consistently beautiful artwork.
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I love this series! I received the first volume as a gift, and I’ve been hooked ever since. The artwork is gorgeous, and the world building is well crafted. The story is captivating, and the characters are developed in a way that keeps me invested in what happens to them and yearning to learn more.
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