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Monsters We Make #1
Monsters We Make Vol. 1
For Jabari Booker, New Edyn Academy promised a future of music and mastery. But on his first day, that promise shatters into a nightmare. As he’s dragged deeper into the abyss, he realizes that true horror awaits at the end of the broken road. To survive, he must battle not only New Edyn’s monsters but also the corruption festering within its walls.
264 pages, Paperback
Published December 16, 2024
88 people are currently reading
609 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 199 reviews
February 18, 2025
Dope art and an interesting start to a story. Always willing to support the Samurai CoryxKenshin!
April 6, 2025
I literally had to binge this, I loved that Corey could achieve this dream of his with an awesome team to make it happen! I’m invested in the plot and I love the characters so far, it’s definitely enjoyable to read! Can’t wait until the next volume!
February 18, 2025
The Solace: So, this is the first manga I read and it took me some time to get used to the reading style, but once I got into it it became second nature. I was quickly sucked into this story. I loved the backstory (the LORE!) and the cliffhangers - causing me to dive in for more. I also really loved the main character Jabari - even though he was cocky, he was relatable and vulnerable in the secret parts we got to see. I also loved the band of classmates he's teamed up with - very balanced in personalities and safe for everyone to find someone to relate to.
The Dread: Some of the scene transitions—especially between present-day events and flashbacks—felt abrupt, which took a little getting used to. While not necessarily confusing, they sometimes made the flow harder to follow. The fight scenes were also a bit hard for me to follow - mainly because a lot was going on, and most of the actions were visual. I had to read them a couple of times to make sure I got it. I also felt like parts of the story were edited down too much. Even though this manga is long, I wanted more answers, more backstory, and more time with these characters.
Overall: This was a really enjoyable read, and I’m already hooked. The world, the characters, and the unfolding mystery have me fully invested. I can’t wait to see what happens next!
The Dread: Some of the scene transitions—especially between present-day events and flashbacks—felt abrupt, which took a little getting used to. While not necessarily confusing, they sometimes made the flow harder to follow. The fight scenes were also a bit hard for me to follow - mainly because a lot was going on, and most of the actions were visual. I had to read them a couple of times to make sure I got it. I also felt like parts of the story were edited down too much. Even though this manga is long, I wanted more answers, more backstory, and more time with these characters.
Overall: This was a really enjoyable read, and I’m already hooked. The world, the characters, and the unfolding mystery have me fully invested. I can’t wait to see what happens next!
March 27, 2025
I love cory! this is poor writing in my opinion☹️ i am anxious to see where this story goes and have high hopes for the future! i’m just glad to support him.
May 10, 2025
The dialog in this Manga was honestly a little too corney and slightly juvenile, but the artwork was amazing!
The story felt a little jumbled and I didn't always understand what was happening, but as his first Manga, I thoroughly enjoyed it! Looking forward to the next one or at the anime adaptation they're hoping to get green lit.
The story felt a little jumbled and I didn't always understand what was happening, but as his first Manga, I thoroughly enjoyed it! Looking forward to the next one or at the anime adaptation they're hoping to get green lit.
October 30, 2025
this was such a cool concept, I’m really looking forward to seeing how this world evolves and seeing how it will be progress. the art work throughout was so detailed and a great style, you can tell such talented artists worked on this.
I can’t wait to see how the characters evolve together and I’m looking forward to seeing a found family grow and flourish whilst fighting cool monsters and bickering whilst they do.
I can’t wait to see how the characters evolve together and I’m looking forward to seeing a found family grow and flourish whilst fighting cool monsters and bickering whilst they do.
April 14, 2025
Monsters We Make is off to a powerful start. The wide-lens storytelling mixed with close-up moments from various characters creates a world that feels both imaginative and unsettling. The world-building is intense, and the setup makes you question everything.
Set in the near future, the story taps into our obsession with innovation and genius, especially when backed by powerful corporations. We’re told to celebrate the people who “save” us, but rarely do we ask what they really want in return.
Jabari Booker is a talented, stylish teen doing his best to carry the weight of his family’s hopes. New Edyn Academy looks like a golden opportunity, but it’s clear they’re not just investing in his potential out of kindness. They want something from him.
I’m ready for the next volume to see where the story goes.
Set in the near future, the story taps into our obsession with innovation and genius, especially when backed by powerful corporations. We’re told to celebrate the people who “save” us, but rarely do we ask what they really want in return.
Jabari Booker is a talented, stylish teen doing his best to carry the weight of his family’s hopes. New Edyn Academy looks like a golden opportunity, but it’s clear they’re not just investing in his potential out of kindness. They want something from him.
I’m ready for the next volume to see where the story goes.
March 27, 2025
K so as you can see I finished this book in like an hour or two and HOLY COW ✨🐄✨
It’s really REALLY good
I’ve never read manga before so I had no idea what to expect but this blew me away. The characters are actual characters and they don’t feel fake. They have motivations and there are huge emotional stakes. The art is amazing and the villains are actually terrifying. Sometimes it’s a little cheesy but I think the books will get more serious as the series goes along. I cannot WAIT for the second one because I want-no, NEED- more lore before I shrivel into a raisin.
Read this now
It’s good
Trust
Also if Coryxkenshin is somehow reading this hi you did amazing 🤩 I love this and your videos so much
It’s really REALLY good
I’ve never read manga before so I had no idea what to expect but this blew me away. The characters are actual characters and they don’t feel fake. They have motivations and there are huge emotional stakes. The art is amazing and the villains are actually terrifying. Sometimes it’s a little cheesy but I think the books will get more serious as the series goes along. I cannot WAIT for the second one because I want-no, NEED- more lore before I shrivel into a raisin.
Read this now
It’s good
Trust
Also if Coryxkenshin is somehow reading this hi you did amazing 🤩 I love this and your videos so much
March 9, 2025
⤿ 5 ⭑
the characters? LOVE! the story? LOVE! the art? LOVE!! this is a great introduction to this story, so much action and we learn the character’s dynamics. i can’t wait to see what happens next!
the characters? LOVE! the story? LOVE! the art? LOVE!! this is a great introduction to this story, so much action and we learn the character’s dynamics. i can’t wait to see what happens next!
September 15, 2025
I don’t know if I’m just not familiar with anime’s style or structure but this didn’t feel complete or make sense entirely throughout. It felt like there was a lot of swaying emotions in the characters and too common repeating jokes or gags. I just couldn’t seem to enjoy it besides the art.
April 14, 2025
I mean it was fine, not as hype as expected, and thought how much he hyped it up, it falls a bit short, hopefully the rest of the series can pick it up
3.5 Stars
3.5 Stars
April 22, 2025
Ok, so I just read this book today because my friend was reading it. I saw the artwork, and I was captivated by it so I wanted to give it a try. He allowed me to borrow it, and I finished it within a few hours. It was very interesting. I didn't get bored through any part of it, and I didn't want to put it down even though I had to for a few minutes to fill out a paper. I will say, even though the story was interesting and the art was epic, I am confused about how the morals were presented especially since it seemed like it was meant to be... Christian? The manga opened up with a Bible verse on the first page and I heard the author was a Christian from one of my friends (I don't know much about the author, though).
This is sort of a content/PARENTS GUIDE review:
The main thing that was confusing was that it contained some rather explicit elements. The profanity was much harsher than what I've read in other manga such as One Piece. The F bomb was used. That's quite annoying. I already hear it enough and I really don't want to hear it in a book that opens with a Bible verse. I would think that would be an indication that the book is an escape from explicit profanity, but I guess... not? There was also an second implication to the F word though the character didn't fully say it, but still. The main protagonist also flipped someone off. Since he's the protagonist, I feel like he shouldn't be depicted flipping people off unless someone tells him that's wrong and a moral lesson could be made out of it. Since he's good, people will look up to him, so he should be shown... idk not flipping people off. I really like him, but I thought it made him seem like a lot less of a respectable person when he did that, lol (he also fought a woman but shhhhhhhh we don't talk about that because it was a cool fight scene.. the woman also sort of started it lol). Hopefully some sort of character development will be shown with him and he will become a better, more mature person. There were some other curse words that were used such as sh--, b---h, da--, bast---, a--, and h-ll.... No one took God's name in vain at least, though...?
The next part that really I guess confused me was how explicit the violence was. I mean bro... I've read DEMON SLAYER (at least most of the Infinity Castle ones and the one where Rengoku fights Akaza) and Monsters We Make is WAY more graphic. For example, in the first chapter a character gets severed in half by a guy that transformed into this monster. It showed a large image of this guy with his intestines spilling out of him with a good amount of detail and blood. It was... gross.. yeah... I can only remember one scene in Demon Slayer that was like that but the image was not very detailed and it was a small panel that wasn't glorified or anything, so I think that says something. Another scene like that happened when the main kids found this dead guy when they went to find one of the monsters that escaped from them. It also showed another guy's brain leaking out of his skull with a bunch of blood after a monster crushed his head, and a guy that got his head cut in half... which of course you could also see his brain and neck bones and all the body parts inside of him. That's all really gross and I think would be considered horror (which does not fit a book that opens with a Bible verse)? It felt extremely unnecessary and instead of being entertaining, I found those parts to be stressful and draining. Don't get me wrong, a good story, especially a battle Shonen type manga NEEDS to have some violence and blood or else there are no stakes or suspense. However, do you really need to show a guys GUTS and BRAIN spilling out of him???? I don't think that's necessary. I certainly don't WANT to see something like that unless you absolutely have to show that (which trust, they didn't have to show that).
Also, there was some sexual content. A boy showed the main character a picture of a girl in a two piece/bikini outfit, and again these were the PROTAGONISTS. The two female protagonists also wore tops that showed their entire stomachs, which wasn't anything too bad, but it was still a bit revealing. I hate it when characters are portrayed in sensual ways. It's not respectful, and it's certainly not healthy for the viewers.
I suppose I am just thrown off that this seemed like it was going to be Christian. I want to find a Christian manga that's AWESOME and CLEAN! This manga was certainly awesome, but it was certainly NOT clean. That's really discouraging. I hope that the explicit content gets toned down. I'll probably just end up having to make my own manga to avoid those things though... siiiiiiighhhh... Can someone please just do that? I'm going crazy over hear.
I do appreciate that some Christian themes were put into this manga at least. I also like the main boy and the girl that he got into a fight with (I haven't memorized their names yet since I only read it today, lol). The art is PHENOMENAL!!! It's like a mixture between the Jujutsu Kaisen, Naruto, and the Marvel comic book style which looks SICK!!!! I love it so much, and I've just got to say that I was in love with the fight scene at the end. When the taller guy with the black hair (don't remember his name *cries*) created a sword out of his powers, I thought that was so cool. They also gave a female character a cool part in the fight scene and they made her really strong which is nice because you don't see that a lot in manga ( in other mangas, the women are always depicted as being really weak and useless for some reason). I also love the character costume designs and even the monster's design at the end. He looked scary and 100% evil and terrifying, but not in a way that was demonic or overly unsettling (at least in my opinion). The writers didn't go too far in that area which I think is very good. I also like what the author was starting to show for the main boy's backstory. It seemed emotionally grounded and it made me see that he really cares about his family. I felt really sad when it showed him crying after he heard the terrible things people were saying about his dad. I would 100% feel the same way if someone talked about my dad that way, so I just feel like that scene made him feel relatable and very human. I'm really curious about the other characters' backstories.
I give this two (I wish I could give it 2.5, but Goodreads won't let me do that) stars because I was unsettled by the explicit content. I will obviously not rate it one star because I can tell how much time and effort was poured into it. It has a lot of potential.
This is sort of a content/PARENTS GUIDE review:
The main thing that was confusing was that it contained some rather explicit elements. The profanity was much harsher than what I've read in other manga such as One Piece. The F bomb was used. That's quite annoying. I already hear it enough and I really don't want to hear it in a book that opens with a Bible verse. I would think that would be an indication that the book is an escape from explicit profanity, but I guess... not? There was also an second implication to the F word though the character didn't fully say it, but still. The main protagonist also flipped someone off. Since he's the protagonist, I feel like he shouldn't be depicted flipping people off unless someone tells him that's wrong and a moral lesson could be made out of it. Since he's good, people will look up to him, so he should be shown... idk not flipping people off. I really like him, but I thought it made him seem like a lot less of a respectable person when he did that, lol (he also fought a woman but shhhhhhhh we don't talk about that because it was a cool fight scene.. the woman also sort of started it lol). Hopefully some sort of character development will be shown with him and he will become a better, more mature person. There were some other curse words that were used such as sh--, b---h, da--, bast---, a--, and h-ll.... No one took God's name in vain at least, though...?
The next part that really I guess confused me was how explicit the violence was. I mean bro... I've read DEMON SLAYER (at least most of the Infinity Castle ones and the one where Rengoku fights Akaza) and Monsters We Make is WAY more graphic. For example, in the first chapter a character gets severed in half by a guy that transformed into this monster. It showed a large image of this guy with his intestines spilling out of him with a good amount of detail and blood. It was... gross.. yeah... I can only remember one scene in Demon Slayer that was like that but the image was not very detailed and it was a small panel that wasn't glorified or anything, so I think that says something. Another scene like that happened when the main kids found this dead guy when they went to find one of the monsters that escaped from them. It also showed another guy's brain leaking out of his skull with a bunch of blood after a monster crushed his head, and a guy that got his head cut in half... which of course you could also see his brain and neck bones and all the body parts inside of him. That's all really gross and I think would be considered horror (which does not fit a book that opens with a Bible verse)? It felt extremely unnecessary and instead of being entertaining, I found those parts to be stressful and draining. Don't get me wrong, a good story, especially a battle Shonen type manga NEEDS to have some violence and blood or else there are no stakes or suspense. However, do you really need to show a guys GUTS and BRAIN spilling out of him???? I don't think that's necessary. I certainly don't WANT to see something like that unless you absolutely have to show that (which trust, they didn't have to show that).
Also, there was some sexual content. A boy showed the main character a picture of a girl in a two piece/bikini outfit, and again these were the PROTAGONISTS. The two female protagonists also wore tops that showed their entire stomachs, which wasn't anything too bad, but it was still a bit revealing. I hate it when characters are portrayed in sensual ways. It's not respectful, and it's certainly not healthy for the viewers.
I suppose I am just thrown off that this seemed like it was going to be Christian. I want to find a Christian manga that's AWESOME and CLEAN! This manga was certainly awesome, but it was certainly NOT clean. That's really discouraging. I hope that the explicit content gets toned down. I'll probably just end up having to make my own manga to avoid those things though... siiiiiiighhhh... Can someone please just do that? I'm going crazy over hear.
I do appreciate that some Christian themes were put into this manga at least. I also like the main boy and the girl that he got into a fight with (I haven't memorized their names yet since I only read it today, lol). The art is PHENOMENAL!!! It's like a mixture between the Jujutsu Kaisen, Naruto, and the Marvel comic book style which looks SICK!!!! I love it so much, and I've just got to say that I was in love with the fight scene at the end. When the taller guy with the black hair (don't remember his name *cries*) created a sword out of his powers, I thought that was so cool. They also gave a female character a cool part in the fight scene and they made her really strong which is nice because you don't see that a lot in manga ( in other mangas, the women are always depicted as being really weak and useless for some reason). I also love the character costume designs and even the monster's design at the end. He looked scary and 100% evil and terrifying, but not in a way that was demonic or overly unsettling (at least in my opinion). The writers didn't go too far in that area which I think is very good. I also like what the author was starting to show for the main boy's backstory. It seemed emotionally grounded and it made me see that he really cares about his family. I felt really sad when it showed him crying after he heard the terrible things people were saying about his dad. I would 100% feel the same way if someone talked about my dad that way, so I just feel like that scene made him feel relatable and very human. I'm really curious about the other characters' backstories.
I give this two (I wish I could give it 2.5, but Goodreads won't let me do that) stars because I was unsettled by the explicit content. I will obviously not rate it one star because I can tell how much time and effort was poured into it. It has a lot of potential.
January 24, 2026
the writing felt a bit awkward sometimes like it didn’t feel like real dialogue that would happen between people. it also didn’t feel like much of a story, there was barely exposition and then one fight and that was it.
this might be more of a personal fault bc i don’t read manga often but sometimes the action scenes looked confusing to me like i didn’t necessary understand what was happening. it looked cool but sometimes i couldn’t figure out what i was looking at or what things were making the sound/onomatopoeia
this might be more of a personal fault bc i don’t read manga often but sometimes the action scenes looked confusing to me like i didn’t necessary understand what was happening. it looked cool but sometimes i couldn’t figure out what i was looking at or what things were making the sound/onomatopoeia
June 26, 2025
I have not yet read the second volume yet. A lot of people argue about whether or not Monsters We Make is a manga or not, but I am not here to discuss any of that in this review. I will leave out any bias based off the creator (CoryxKenshin) on the rating as well.
This review does contain spoilers!!! This is a lengthy and descriptive review written freshly after finishing the first volume to journal my initial thoughts.
Pros:
The plot is very interesting to follow and constantly had me wanting to learn more about New Edyn Academy and the motives behind the Sanada Corporation.
The artwork is amazing and you could tell a lot of effort/love had been put into it.
The pacing was extremely well and there was no filler.
I am very excited to learn more about MOST of the characters and can’t wait to see their character development as the journey continues.
There are cute scenes at the end of the protagonists in their day-to-day lives. It is a nice addition and breaks away from the tension brilliantly. This is kind of similar to the extra content you would see at the end of Jujutsu Kaisen episodes. I love this and hope they add more of it in the future!
It was overall very enjoyable and I would definitely be willing to pick it up again to read for a second time.
I 100% plan on picking up the second volume as soon as it comes out (I prefer to read physical copies).
Cons:
We didn't get a whole lot of information about Sanada Corporation and how the E.N. (Eternal Night) came about. We also didn't have time to explore Leakers as much, but I'm hoping all of this will be further elaborated upon in the second volume. It does make me want to pick up the second one to learn more, so I guess it is more of a nit pick than a con.
Sometimes there's a lot of action going on in a single scene and it's hard to tell what exactly is happening. For example, at one point in the fight with the last Leaker, it was unclear how much damage each character had done to the Leaker and how effective their abilities were, let alone what they were doing. Liam had thrown on his sword to Han and he made a swinging motion at what looked to be like pebbles flying from the direction of the Leaker?? Anyways, one of the projectiles was nearly going to pierce September's eye as it shot towards her, however, the next scene right after she was completely fine somehow? And Liam somehow got his sword back without showing? Maybe I just missed some things but it seemed a little hard to follow some of the action scenes.
Some of the dialogue between the characters can also get cringeworthy at times. For one instance, we spend a couple pages talking about skid marks? It seems like the writing is very immature and juvenile at times, which is not the intended target audience considering how much gore, profanity, and sexually explicit content is in it. It is also a bit unusual that all of the characters use the same modern-day phrases and slang we use today even though I believe it is supposed to be set in the future? It could somewhat make it harder for readers to follow or understand if they aren’t familiar with it. It personally didn’t affect me and I had no issues with it, however, sometimes it did feel a bit out of place.
The main group of protagonists are a bit shallow when it comes to their personalities. It made the writing feel a bit lazy because it followed your typical high school friend group tropes. There is your cliché "mediator" that intervenes whenever their friends start to argue (Sep), the "nerd" of the group who always gets picked on and can’t stand up for himself (Han), the "cocky" one that is constantly bragging who anyone would find annoying (Jabari), and the "bully" of the group (Ali). Liam could be viewed as the "stoic" one but he is a little bit more mysterious and well-rounded making him more interesting than the others IMO.
Don't get me wrong. Most of the characters are very exciting to follow and I can't wait to learn more about them and see their character development. However, Ali, one of the main protagonists in New Edyn Academy and the bully of the group, is so annoying to the point where it makes me want to put the book down. Her motives are never clear as to why she is so hostile towards Jabari. She randomly engages in constant and pointless fights with Jabari and instantly has unnecessary hatred the moment she meets him. I can see that Jabari is extremely cocky, but so is she. You can also make an argument that he is the “new” guy, but Ali will also argue with her other friends at any given moment completely unprovoked. The character is completely flat and has no positive traits besides being a strong fighter. Maybe she will have some miraculous upbringing and redemption arc as her character develops, but nothing indicates that in the first volume. Also, at one point when Ali branches off from the rest of the group and is spotted by a Leaker, she ends up getting severely injured (stabbed in the eye), however, a couple pages later she is completely fine which takes away from being on the edge of my seat about a character's well-being. Not that I was not worried for her character at any point, I honestly hoped she would be killed off, that’s how bad her character was.
Final rating: 3.5 stars
This review does contain spoilers!!! This is a lengthy and descriptive review written freshly after finishing the first volume to journal my initial thoughts.
Pros:
The plot is very interesting to follow and constantly had me wanting to learn more about New Edyn Academy and the motives behind the Sanada Corporation.
The artwork is amazing and you could tell a lot of effort/love had been put into it.
The pacing was extremely well and there was no filler.
I am very excited to learn more about MOST of the characters and can’t wait to see their character development as the journey continues.
There are cute scenes at the end of the protagonists in their day-to-day lives. It is a nice addition and breaks away from the tension brilliantly. This is kind of similar to the extra content you would see at the end of Jujutsu Kaisen episodes. I love this and hope they add more of it in the future!
It was overall very enjoyable and I would definitely be willing to pick it up again to read for a second time.
I 100% plan on picking up the second volume as soon as it comes out (I prefer to read physical copies).
Cons:
We didn't get a whole lot of information about Sanada Corporation and how the E.N. (Eternal Night) came about. We also didn't have time to explore Leakers as much, but I'm hoping all of this will be further elaborated upon in the second volume. It does make me want to pick up the second one to learn more, so I guess it is more of a nit pick than a con.
Sometimes there's a lot of action going on in a single scene and it's hard to tell what exactly is happening. For example, at one point in the fight with the last Leaker, it was unclear how much damage each character had done to the Leaker and how effective their abilities were, let alone what they were doing. Liam had thrown on his sword to Han and he made a swinging motion at what looked to be like pebbles flying from the direction of the Leaker?? Anyways, one of the projectiles was nearly going to pierce September's eye as it shot towards her, however, the next scene right after she was completely fine somehow? And Liam somehow got his sword back without showing? Maybe I just missed some things but it seemed a little hard to follow some of the action scenes.
Some of the dialogue between the characters can also get cringeworthy at times. For one instance, we spend a couple pages talking about skid marks? It seems like the writing is very immature and juvenile at times, which is not the intended target audience considering how much gore, profanity, and sexually explicit content is in it. It is also a bit unusual that all of the characters use the same modern-day phrases and slang we use today even though I believe it is supposed to be set in the future? It could somewhat make it harder for readers to follow or understand if they aren’t familiar with it. It personally didn’t affect me and I had no issues with it, however, sometimes it did feel a bit out of place.
The main group of protagonists are a bit shallow when it comes to their personalities. It made the writing feel a bit lazy because it followed your typical high school friend group tropes. There is your cliché "mediator" that intervenes whenever their friends start to argue (Sep), the "nerd" of the group who always gets picked on and can’t stand up for himself (Han), the "cocky" one that is constantly bragging who anyone would find annoying (Jabari), and the "bully" of the group (Ali). Liam could be viewed as the "stoic" one but he is a little bit more mysterious and well-rounded making him more interesting than the others IMO.
Don't get me wrong. Most of the characters are very exciting to follow and I can't wait to learn more about them and see their character development. However, Ali, one of the main protagonists in New Edyn Academy and the bully of the group, is so annoying to the point where it makes me want to put the book down. Her motives are never clear as to why she is so hostile towards Jabari. She randomly engages in constant and pointless fights with Jabari and instantly has unnecessary hatred the moment she meets him. I can see that Jabari is extremely cocky, but so is she. You can also make an argument that he is the “new” guy, but Ali will also argue with her other friends at any given moment completely unprovoked. The character is completely flat and has no positive traits besides being a strong fighter. Maybe she will have some miraculous upbringing and redemption arc as her character develops, but nothing indicates that in the first volume. Also, at one point when Ali branches off from the rest of the group and is spotted by a Leaker, she ends up getting severely injured (stabbed in the eye), however, a couple pages later she is completely fine which takes away from being on the edge of my seat about a character's well-being. Not that I was not worried for her character at any point, I honestly hoped she would be killed off, that’s how bad her character was.
Final rating: 3.5 stars
November 20, 2025
Special thanks to the author(s), publisher, Goodreads and/or NetGalley for the review copy. All views and opinions expressed are honest and my own.
I wanted to enjoy this but I was primarily confused. I think this is one of those stories where you have to read more than one volume in one sitting to fully understand the plot.
That said, from the very first page the story jumps a lot. It introduces various characters, mysteries, plotlines and events. I couldn’t grasp it conclusively because there was so much to absorb with so little information. The world building was also unclear and vague. It didn’t feel like one cohesive setting, but multiple settings happening during multiple timeframes. I was honestly very confused with the plot, although interesting, it didn’t stick with me. The dialogues also didn’t help much because they felt disconnected and there were some words or slang said?
The main character is Jabari who is gifted and in a sense, overpowered. It’s not a unique setup to be honest and I just didn’t like his personality. Jabari was confident and adaptable, but he was also kind of a rude and egotistical main character. Within the story, he had a reasonable but unexpected breakdown however the recovery was very fast, so I felt like his character wasn’t well thought out. Nevertheless, I’m not sure I could support such a main character, especially one who needs to work in a team but lacks humility and teamwork.
We don’t know much about the rest of the supporting cast yet. Though they have interesting and unique abilities, we don’t know them well enough. However, they seem to have more layers than Jabari and I am interested in seeing them more in future volumes. That said, it seems easy to spot the potential antagonists while their current setup seems flat and generic. Hopefully, I’m wrong about this.
The artwork is intriguing. It’s beautifully descriptive using varying tones of white, gray and black. There are countless details and on each re-read you will notice something different. The character designs are interesting and I liked the backgrounds because they helped the worldbuilding. That said, this is an action forward manga so the monsters and battles are quite fierce and bloody. The monsters are especially cruel and ugly looking so be warned.
Overall, this was an interesting read but it fell flat for me. The first volume is confusing because it tries to do too much, although it captures a reader’s interest with stunning artwork. I still want to give this story a chance so I’ll be looking forward to volume two. Hopefully it helps clear some confusion and solidifies the world.
Read more reviews @ Mystic's Review Shelf
I wanted to enjoy this but I was primarily confused. I think this is one of those stories where you have to read more than one volume in one sitting to fully understand the plot.
That said, from the very first page the story jumps a lot. It introduces various characters, mysteries, plotlines and events. I couldn’t grasp it conclusively because there was so much to absorb with so little information. The world building was also unclear and vague. It didn’t feel like one cohesive setting, but multiple settings happening during multiple timeframes. I was honestly very confused with the plot, although interesting, it didn’t stick with me. The dialogues also didn’t help much because they felt disconnected and there were some words or slang said?
The main character is Jabari who is gifted and in a sense, overpowered. It’s not a unique setup to be honest and I just didn’t like his personality. Jabari was confident and adaptable, but he was also kind of a rude and egotistical main character. Within the story, he had a reasonable but unexpected breakdown however the recovery was very fast, so I felt like his character wasn’t well thought out. Nevertheless, I’m not sure I could support such a main character, especially one who needs to work in a team but lacks humility and teamwork.
We don’t know much about the rest of the supporting cast yet. Though they have interesting and unique abilities, we don’t know them well enough. However, they seem to have more layers than Jabari and I am interested in seeing them more in future volumes. That said, it seems easy to spot the potential antagonists while their current setup seems flat and generic. Hopefully, I’m wrong about this.
The artwork is intriguing. It’s beautifully descriptive using varying tones of white, gray and black. There are countless details and on each re-read you will notice something different. The character designs are interesting and I liked the backgrounds because they helped the worldbuilding. That said, this is an action forward manga so the monsters and battles are quite fierce and bloody. The monsters are especially cruel and ugly looking so be warned.
Overall, this was an interesting read but it fell flat for me. The first volume is confusing because it tries to do too much, although it captures a reader’s interest with stunning artwork. I still want to give this story a chance so I’ll be looking forward to volume two. Hopefully it helps clear some confusion and solidifies the world.
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May 11, 2025
I've never heard of CoryxKenshin before right now (a friend of mine likes them, bought this book, and let me borrow it) so this is an unbiased review from a non-fan: Monsters We Make is... fine. It's average. It has nice artwork, cool monsters, and school life with mech suits.
However, the dialogue is incredibly disjointed. I actually turned back pages a few times because I thought for sure some had stuck together or been lost entirely. Example:
- Jabari: Growing up on the outside made me a 'good fighter.'
- Liam: I didn't mean anything by it. I had to be a quick study, too. We're in for a hell of a fight is all I mean.
- Jabari: Dean brought my family into this. You don't have to worry about me.
Excuse me, but do those speech bubbles seem connected at all? Because that was two characters in only two frames, speaking to only each other. That dialogue was all right next to each other! And it barely interconnected.
And if I'm a school that secretly trains students to fight monsters to save humanity, do you know what I'm NOT doing? Sending my brand-new literal-first-day student out in an untested mech suit to hunt a monster that already ate one of my teams! Seriously, Dean has no right to be offended by how many students she's lost when she makes decisions like that! Where's the training montage? Where're the starter missions? Where's ANY kind of lead in to Jabari just appearing in the middle of the fight, blasting powers he didn't even know he had? It's shocking that he didn't kill himself and the entire team. (And if I'm Jabari and I've just been flung into the middle of a fight for my life with monsters I never knew existed, you know what I'm not going to do? Act like I'm better than the people who literally have been doing this for years! Listen to Liam. Sit down and try to stay alive, you absolute moron.)
The team itself it pretty cool. I like Han's little brother techno geek aesthetic. September's flower child, do-the-right-thing, health-nut shtick was pretty adorable. Alicent's overzealous punch-first and ask-questions later vibe was enjoyable. Liam's powers are the most fascinating of the bunch. Precognition AND the ability to pull any weapon out of the air? Sign me up.
Like with the school aspect, this is where the monster-hunting falls apart. Liam is the team leader. He has precognition and pretty cool skills. So why is he so stupid?! He splits his five person team up into two pairs and one single. Of course, the single person gets attacked, you idiot! Never split up into a single person! (Have you never seen Scooby Doo?! Have a trio!) Then the hunting starts and all of his teammates completely ignore any instructions that Liam, the literal team leader, gives. And it's not their first day on the job so there's no reason why these four should suck as working together like this. I get Jabari being a wild card, but the rest of them should actually BE a monster-hunting TEAM.
I feel a little iffy on the premise of the 'Eternal Night.' I'm not sure I really believe that the whole world could have crumbled into anarchy in only two weeks. And all these cool "E.N." kids with cool powers were also born in that same two week time period. Two weeks is NOT that long... That's a lot to pack in.
Overall, worth a read and I'm intrigued enough to read the second volume if it comes my way but the dialogue and the plotline needs some serious work. 3/5
However, the dialogue is incredibly disjointed. I actually turned back pages a few times because I thought for sure some had stuck together or been lost entirely. Example:
- Jabari: Growing up on the outside made me a 'good fighter.'
- Liam: I didn't mean anything by it. I had to be a quick study, too. We're in for a hell of a fight is all I mean.
- Jabari: Dean brought my family into this. You don't have to worry about me.
Excuse me, but do those speech bubbles seem connected at all? Because that was two characters in only two frames, speaking to only each other. That dialogue was all right next to each other! And it barely interconnected.
And if I'm a school that secretly trains students to fight monsters to save humanity, do you know what I'm NOT doing? Sending my brand-new literal-first-day student out in an untested mech suit to hunt a monster that already ate one of my teams! Seriously, Dean has no right to be offended by how many students she's lost when she makes decisions like that! Where's the training montage? Where're the starter missions? Where's ANY kind of lead in to Jabari just appearing in the middle of the fight, blasting powers he didn't even know he had? It's shocking that he didn't kill himself and the entire team. (And if I'm Jabari and I've just been flung into the middle of a fight for my life with monsters I never knew existed, you know what I'm not going to do? Act like I'm better than the people who literally have been doing this for years! Listen to Liam. Sit down and try to stay alive, you absolute moron.)
The team itself it pretty cool. I like Han's little brother techno geek aesthetic. September's flower child, do-the-right-thing, health-nut shtick was pretty adorable. Alicent's overzealous punch-first and ask-questions later vibe was enjoyable. Liam's powers are the most fascinating of the bunch. Precognition AND the ability to pull any weapon out of the air? Sign me up.
Like with the school aspect, this is where the monster-hunting falls apart. Liam is the team leader. He has precognition and pretty cool skills. So why is he so stupid?! He splits his five person team up into two pairs and one single. Of course, the single person gets attacked, you idiot! Never split up into a single person! (Have you never seen Scooby Doo?! Have a trio!) Then the hunting starts and all of his teammates completely ignore any instructions that Liam, the literal team leader, gives. And it's not their first day on the job so there's no reason why these four should suck as working together like this. I get Jabari being a wild card, but the rest of them should actually BE a monster-hunting TEAM.
I feel a little iffy on the premise of the 'Eternal Night.' I'm not sure I really believe that the whole world could have crumbled into anarchy in only two weeks. And all these cool "E.N." kids with cool powers were also born in that same two week time period. Two weeks is NOT that long... That's a lot to pack in.
Overall, worth a read and I'm intrigued enough to read the second volume if it comes my way but the dialogue and the plotline needs some serious work. 3/5
September 18, 2025
Read: September 17th - September 18th
Format: E-book
Rating: 3 stars
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!
While this manga was only good to me, I think it could be great to others. You have a typical shounen type tale: guy with inhuman abilities learn that monsters exist and join others like him to slay monsters while keeping it all secret from the world. It's cool that he has sound-based powers, which isn't typically what you'd see in the MC. The art style is nice, though not quite typical manga-style. I'd say more Western, maybe, but still aiming for that manga vibe. I will say, though, that some of the exaggerated manga-like moments felt off because of the more serious/Western style.
I also couldn't find myself super invested in this for whatever reason. Maybe because it's run of the mill, or maybe because I wasn't the biggest fan of the MC. Whatever it was, this wasn't a bad book by any means, and people would probably enjoy it more than me. So yeah, a solid 3-star read for me.
Format: E-book
Rating: 3 stars
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!
While this manga was only good to me, I think it could be great to others. You have a typical shounen type tale: guy with inhuman abilities learn that monsters exist and join others like him to slay monsters while keeping it all secret from the world. It's cool that he has sound-based powers, which isn't typically what you'd see in the MC. The art style is nice, though not quite typical manga-style. I'd say more Western, maybe, but still aiming for that manga vibe. I will say, though, that some of the exaggerated manga-like moments felt off because of the more serious/Western style.
I also couldn't find myself super invested in this for whatever reason. Maybe because it's run of the mill, or maybe because I wasn't the biggest fan of the MC. Whatever it was, this wasn't a bad book by any means, and people would probably enjoy it more than me. So yeah, a solid 3-star read for me.
April 15, 2025
A fun start to the series for CoryxKenshin. I am not an avid manga reader, so this book is difficult to write a proper review on as far as manga goes. The story is targeted towards a younger audience which neither ads nor take away from the experience. There feels like a few instances of unnecessary cuss words to appeal to that younger crowd. Is the first in the series however I feel there is a lack of character development and I failed to get attached to any character. Much of the plot is focused around, fighting or building to a fight rather than learning about alpha squad. I am excited to see what the series has to offer as it progresses.
December 18, 2025
so sad, this was a generous 3 star. This is a good start to something cool. Jabari wasn't very likable and kind of annoyed me. I know arrogant main characters are a thing, but this just felt kinda forced. I liked the crew, but it was also an insta-friendship. Also don't understand how they can force kids to risk their lives by trying to blacklist their parents. What would they even be able to blacklist them from? Blacklist them across the country from getting another job for doing what? Definitely room for improvement but still some really cool artwork, world building and characters.
June 3, 2025
Neat story! I'm loving the concepts and the characters... kind of a confusing read tho? I don't think things flowed as well as was intended... I'm not sure if it's pacing or paneling or dialogue... or all three, but I felt I often had to go back at times to re-read because I could not follow what was going on.
That said, as a debut story, I am excited to things play out and develop as your team gets comfortable with everything! will get the 2nd book!
September is my favorite of the team!
That said, as a debut story, I am excited to things play out and develop as your team gets comfortable with everything! will get the 2nd book!
September is my favorite of the team!
February 4, 2026
I’ve been watching Cory’s videos since I was 8 years old. He’s made me laugh so much and has brought me joy in times I needed it most. In a way, I’ve always looked up to him. It was so cool to see him release a manga with such talent and passion behind it. The art, characters, and storyline have so much potential. So thanks for making an awesome manga Cory, I enjoyed every second of it. ⚔️❤️🖤
July 30, 2025
aint no way there were 5-6 panels talking about some dude's SKID MARKS 💀
September 3, 2025
4.5 stars!
October 6, 2025
Jabari Booker is a child prodigy, gifted at the piano (and pretty much everything else) has scored a free ride to New Edyn Academy, the elite high school run by the Senada Corporation. Excited but nervous about his new school Jabari starts his first day ready to prove himself. Within hours of starting though Jabari learns that NEA and the Senada Corp. are hiding a dark secret one that takes Jabari from being a talented student to the only thing standing between humanity and certain death.
When I say this was the most stereotypical manga plot line I've ever read, I mean it. It was absolutely amazing!
Tropes exist for a reason and CoryxKenshin plays these up to the fullest while pulling clear inspiration from a variety of anime and yet still making this story wholly unique. Jabari is that over the top, confidence is great but deadly type of character. He's loud, he's arrogant and he's got the skills to back it up. He takes everything in stride while still having normal rational reactions to discovering that the world is filled with giant monsters that only he and a handful are capable of destroying. You've got a bit of Blue Exorcist going on here too, each of these kids was born on a night when humanity essentially collapses. And of course, you've got the whole next generation is stuck fixing the previous generation's mistakes. Not to mention the giant corporation that's probably evil. Hell, it can't not be evil. Like I said it's brimming with tropes.
However, CoryxKenshin has done something I don't think I have ever seen done; this isn't a manga or an American-style superhero comic book. It's something gloriously in between. While you can see many Japanese influences here you can also see the very best of Marvel and DC here as well. As a horror gamer, you can see that influence too in the incredibly graphic, gloriously bloody depictions of the Leakers. He has genuinely taken the sum of all these things and created some truly special here.
Oh you can bet I'll be reading this series. I'm truly looking forward to seeing how this world plays out!
As always thanks to IDW Publishing and NetGalley for the eArc!
When I say this was the most stereotypical manga plot line I've ever read, I mean it. It was absolutely amazing!
Tropes exist for a reason and CoryxKenshin plays these up to the fullest while pulling clear inspiration from a variety of anime and yet still making this story wholly unique. Jabari is that over the top, confidence is great but deadly type of character. He's loud, he's arrogant and he's got the skills to back it up. He takes everything in stride while still having normal rational reactions to discovering that the world is filled with giant monsters that only he and a handful are capable of destroying. You've got a bit of Blue Exorcist going on here too, each of these kids was born on a night when humanity essentially collapses. And of course, you've got the whole next generation is stuck fixing the previous generation's mistakes. Not to mention the giant corporation that's probably evil. Hell, it can't not be evil. Like I said it's brimming with tropes.
However, CoryxKenshin has done something I don't think I have ever seen done; this isn't a manga or an American-style superhero comic book. It's something gloriously in between. While you can see many Japanese influences here you can also see the very best of Marvel and DC here as well. As a horror gamer, you can see that influence too in the incredibly graphic, gloriously bloody depictions of the Leakers. He has genuinely taken the sum of all these things and created some truly special here.
Oh you can bet I'll be reading this series. I'm truly looking forward to seeing how this world plays out!
As always thanks to IDW Publishing and NetGalley for the eArc!
February 5, 2026
This was a very solid first volume; it accomplished a lot and was fun to read. Jabari is a cool and distinct protagonist, and I like that his abilities are related to music. The whole character cast is pretty solid and the shady Sanada corporation is a great overlying antagonist. I really like how the others tried to warn Jabari not to score so high in the aptitude tests and how everyone loves in fear of Sanada’s watchful eye. I found the use of slang to be a bit excessive but I know the author is going for a unique, youthful vibe in the character interactions. Chapter 6 was kind of annoying- Jabari being confident to a fault is a good character trait, but he got really annoying in this chapter and it forced team conflict kind of sloppily for the sake of character development. But those are my only gripes really and neither of them were that bad. The story and art are very good and this volume ends off with a well established core cast and understanding of the world and conflicts.
January 17, 2026
Jabari moves to New Edynn with his parents and enrolls into their top Academy. On his first day of school however, Jabari is confronted with the secret dark side of their society and is forced to join an Alpha team of teens that fight monsters. We don't know how humans mutate into these creatures, but we do know that they are extremely violent and need to be taken out swiftly.
This story is fast-paced and has gore pretty much straight away. I was sat and inhaled the 7 chapters that are collected within this first volume. I'm incredibly curious to see where this story will go and if we'll see critical social commentary as Jabari uncovers the truths of New Edynn.
•••
I received an ARC through Netgalley. My opinions are my own.
This story is fast-paced and has gore pretty much straight away. I was sat and inhaled the 7 chapters that are collected within this first volume. I'm incredibly curious to see where this story will go and if we'll see critical social commentary as Jabari uncovers the truths of New Edynn.
•••
I received an ARC through Netgalley. My opinions are my own.
November 17, 2025
3.5 stars rounded down
This is a really well illustrated graphic novel, the dialogue is well written, but the plot lost me a bit. I don’t know if I’m just not the right audience for this but after reading it was just okay.
This is definitely for people who love manga, the artwork is so visually pleasing!
This is my honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and IDWpublishing for the opportunity to read this ARC.
This is a really well illustrated graphic novel, the dialogue is well written, but the plot lost me a bit. I don’t know if I’m just not the right audience for this but after reading it was just okay.
This is definitely for people who love manga, the artwork is so visually pleasing!
This is my honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and IDWpublishing for the opportunity to read this ARC.
March 31, 2025
4.5 Such good art and so proud of Cory. It is cool to see a black guy as the main character of a manga. I also like that their powers are connected to different talents and his is connected to music very fun. Excited for the next volume to come out!
October 9, 2025
Bit of a blunder. It has the makings of something exciting and fresh, but it quickly falls into the shonen cliche trap and never really gets out. The humor probably being the biggest offender. Saying that, it's still a fun enough read.
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