Los Monstruos

by James Robinson, Jesús Merino (Illustrator)

From the celebrated creator behind Starman comes this new monster-filled mystery noir. Monsters, mobsters, and mystery…all in one city!

It’s a city like any other, filled with citizens living and working side-by-side, except…everyone here is a monster! Welcome to LOS MONSTRUOS, a place unlike any other.

The city of Los Monstrous, located on the West Coast of America in the 1950s, is populated solely by monsters of all the kinds you’d find in classic black and white horror movies. They’re all just getting on with their lives, working, doing jobs, nothing bad, nothing evil. Well apart from the crooks and gangsters in Los Monstruos’s underworld, but every city has those, right?

All cities have private detectives too, and werewolf P.I. Perry Cutter has a simple case that’s quickly turning into a king-size headache. Initially hired to find an old man’s lost love from among the city’s vampire community, Perry quickly finds things spiraling out of control as both vampire and Egyptian mummy criminal gangs get involved. So as Perry looks for answers, he runs a gauntlet of danger, while also uncovering dark secrets about his own past as a cop for the Los Monstruos Police Department.

Can Perry solve the case, put his own history to rest, stay alive, and still make that date he has with the cute vampire waitress he’s been courting? It sure going to take all his skill as a detective and his abilities as a werewolf to do it.

The city of Los Monstruos! Come for the sun, stay for the monsters and mystery.

Collects Los Monstros #1–#4.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Horror, Comics, Fiction

120 pages, Paperback

Published January 6, 2026

About the author

James Dale Robinson is a British writer of American comic books and screenplays.

Reviews

[Anna Quilter]

It may be I'm reading too much ...or the often used Noir setting but this seems awfully familiar.

[Machiavelli]

The noir detective framework blended with a world full of classic monsters makes for a genuinely fun and stylish concept. It’s a mashup that could easily feel gimmicky, but here it works thanks to strong atmosphere and a clear commitment to the tone.

The hardboiled narration and cynical detective voice carry the story nicely. There’s a great pulpy energy throughout, and the monster-infused setting adds a layer of novelty that keeps things feeling fresh.

Jesús Merino’s art is a major strength. Moody lighting, strong shadows, and expressive character work perfectly reinforce the noir mood while giving the creatures real presence and personality.

While the plot leans more into genre familiarity than big surprises, the execution is confident and consistently entertaining. A cool premise delivered with style.

[Juan]

A detective noir story in which the detective is a werewolf and the dame is a vampire and well, the population of the city is all monsters. A fantastic read and I highly recommend.

[Justin]

A fun noir book set in a Los Angeles that's populated by monsters, ably drawn by Jesus Merino. Wouldn't mind seeing another mini-series set in this world.

[RunningRed NightBringer]

I got this 50% cause it's got werewolves and 50% cause it's by James Robinson, creator of one of my favorite comics, Jack Knight's Starman.

tl;dr It's detective noir crossed with movie monsters.

The plot is basic noir fare. The detective is an ex-cop hired for what starts as a simple case to locate a woman, but spirals into mob connections, getting curb stomped by goons, uncovering buried secrets and generally being a pain in the ass to innocents and guilty alike.

And the detective is a werewolf in a city of monsters pulled from old black and white films. So there's werewolves, vampires, Frankenstein monsters, Black Lagoon creatures, mummies and dudes with the heads of flies. But no hockey mask wearing serial killers, greasy haired girls popping out of TVs or Things from Another World).

And it's pretty good. The plot and story hold up, and Jesus Merino's art is excellent.
If you like a good noir story, you'll find this a good tale.

I hope Robinson revisits this place again.

[Aaron White]

A fun concept, essentially a 1950s detective noir setting in an alternative adjunct to Los Angeles where Monsters live openly and where normals need a special permit to enter. They have all the regular stuff - gambling, cafes, police, etc…just all staffed by werewolves and vampires and mummies, with their own particular powers and hang ups. The story focuses on Perry Cutter, an ex/cop now PI, and a werewolf, who is known for getting results but gets himself into a tricky case. Pretty good fun.

[Sarospice]

What Robinson excels at is creating worlds and foreshadowing. Here it's a 40's pulp detective city for for universal monster types. I loved and hated where the story led but in the end I was left upside down and wanting more. You'll never really guess the ending.

[Andrea]

Hard boiled detective of a city of monsters? YES! The art really helped set the feeling of 1950s alternate Los Angeles. The story is a good hard boiled detective story. I just love stories like this!

[MrsEnginerd]

Interesting take on Monster lore and Noir, all neatly wrapped like a Netflix limited series. Excellent read for those looking to entertain themselves with old school comics flare.

It was worth the investment for me!

Enjoy!

[Shaun M.]

Film noir by way of Universal Monsters. The combination works surprisingly well. This is a good hard boiled detective story that just happens to revolve around werewolves, vampires, mummies and more. Great storytelling from Robinson and brilliant art from Jesus Merino.

[JaumeMuntane]

3'5/5

[Shae]

The writing in this is not the most engaging... I felt there could have been more depth to the characters, but the art is really amazing.

[David Cordero]

Monster-noir does sounds fun, doesn’t it?

[Michael Norwitz]

Noir detective in which the lead character is a werewolf, in a city of classic film-inspired monsters. Entertaining, although the 'mystery' side is weak and Robinson has done better overall.

[Hugh Minor]

Fun adventure. Hope we get to visit this city again.