Monstress, Vol. 1: Awakening (Monstress #1) by Marjorie M. Liu , Sana Takeda
Release: July 19th 2016
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Image Comics
Source: Netgalley
Synopsis:
Set in an alternate matriarchal 1900’s Asia, in a richly imagined world of art deco-inflected steam punk, MONSTRESS tells the story of a teenage girl who is struggling to survive the trauma of war, and who shares a mysterious psychic link with a monster of tremendous power, a connection that will transform them both and make them the target of both human and otherworldly powers. Collects MONSTRESS #1-6
Monstress Review:
A big thank you to NetGalley and Image Comics for providing me an advanced reader’s copy of “Monstress Volume 1: Awakening”. As I was not able to review this book on time, I purchased the retail copy for reading and reviewing.
Before I even get to the story, I have to compliment that artwork! Firstly, the illustrations are simply breathtaking and out of this world! The amount of details and colors selected on each panel is just flawless, and I was staring at each of them in detail before proceeding with the story. I have never heard of Sana Takeda but I truly loved her work in this book and have become a fan.
Secondly, the characters are beautiful, distinctive, weird and very entertaining to read. Even after reading the book, I am not sure if some of the characters are truly good or bad. I loved Maika and thought she was awesome! Also, some of the villains are completely devious and you don’t know how they will react. I fell in love with Master Run and Kippa as they support Maika on her quest. Moreover, Kippa is so adorable and adds the love and cuteness to this otherwise very serious book.
While the book is engrossing, I felt the story progressed too fast. Mainly, the plot is a bit confusing and I had to go back and re-read a few pages to keep track of what was happening. Even after reading this book, I am still a bit confused with a few characters and their background stories as quite a few of them are left open-ended for the following volumes.
But overall, reading Monstress was memorable experience, and was a treat for the eyes with its amazing illustrations! Bear in mind that some scenes are pretty violent and graphic.
