Throughout this volume, the monster that is Johan Liebert is not really in it, but his presence is felt all the way, which is one of the strengths of Naoki Urasawa's manga. There is a slow-burning expectation that he might pop up at any moment, whilst numerous characters talk about him and give their perspective about what is Johan's purpose in this world, for better or worse.
As for Tenma, who is determined to hunt down the young boy whom he saved, he learns more about his upbringing in "511 Kinderheim", a secret orphanage conceived by the former East Germany in an attempt to create perfect soldiers through psychological reprogramming.
One of the most striking things about this book is how it doesn't hesitate in reflecting the far-right extremism in German history with neo-Nazis as several antagonists such as the small and creepy "The Baby", who sees Johan as an ideal Aryan leader, who could become the next Adolf Hitler to lead Germany into prominence. As Tenma states to some of the people he confronts that Johan despises the entire human race, it explores the many forms of evil, some of which have a purpose, but may be the greatest evil of all have no explanation, something that embodies Johan, though there are clues sprinkled about.
Continuing the theme of the monster within everyone, there are people who going through their form of internal pain, the most notable of which would be Tenma's former fiancée Eva Heinemann, who becomes an embittered alcoholic, using money from divorce settlements to finance her lifestyle. There's even a whole chapter about a budding romance with her gardener, which obviously doesn't go down well, but shows how she clings on to the past in a horrible way that is the source of her loneliness.
There are some new players participating in Tenma's journey, including the buck-toothed thief Otto Heckel, who serves as a comic-relief that gives a pleasant lightness to a story that goes into very dark places. With the introduction of the young boy, Dieter, who is a victim of physical and mental abuse, when he accompanies Tenma, he serves as an innocent reminder for a number of characters to not cross the line.
Less interested about action than he is about people, Urasawa is a master in illustrating faces and with many characters thrown into the mix, you know who they are and what they are expressing. With so many media so interested in the serial killer, Monster fits into that small category where it's the story is about everyone else, but beware, Johan is out there.