Monstress #1

Monstress (Single Issues)

by Marjorie M. Liu (Writer), Sana Takeda (Illustrator), Rus Wooton (Letterer)

Astonishing X-Men and Black Widow writer MARJORIE LIU returns to comics with artist SANA TAKEDA (X-23) for an all-new ONGOING SERIES! Steampunk meets Kaiju in this original fantasy epic for mature readers, as young Maika risks everything to control her psychic link with a monster of tremendous power, placing her in the center of a devastating war between human and otherworldly forces. The adventure begins in a spectacular TRIPLE-SIZED FIRST ISSUE, with SIXTY-SIX pages of story and no ads.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Steampunk, Horror, Graphic Novels Comics, Fiction

71 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 4, 2015

About the author

New York Times bestselling and award-winning writer Marjorie Liu is best known for her fiction and comic books. She teaches comic book writing at MIT, and she leads a class on Popular Fiction at the Voices of Our Nation (VONA) workshop.

Ms. Liu is a highly celebrated comic book writer. Her extensive work with Marvel includes the bestselling Dark Wolverine series, NYX: No Way Home, X-23, and Black Widow: The Name of the Rose. She received national media attention for Astonishing X-Men, which featured the gay wedding of X-Man Northstar and was subsequently nominated for a GLAAD Media Award for outstanding media images of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. Ms. Liu also wrote the story for the animated film, Avengers Confidential: Black Widow and Punisher, which was produced by Marvel, Sony Pictures Entertainment (Japan) Inc., and Madhouse Inc.

Her newest work is MONSTRESS, an original, creator-owned comic book series with Japanese artist (and X-23 collaborator) Sana Takeda. Published by Image in Fall 2015, MONSTRESS is set in an alternate, matriarchal 1920’s Asia and follows a girl’s struggle to survive the trauma of war. With a cast of girls and monsters and set against a richly imagined aesthetic of art deco-inflected steam punk, MONSTRESS #1 debuted to critical praise. The Hollywood Reporter remarked that the longer than typical first issue was “world-building on a scale rare in mainstream comics.”

Ms. Liu is also the author of more than 19 novels, most notably the urban fantasy series, Hunter Kiss, and the paranormal romance series, Dirk & Steele. Her novels have also been bestsellers on USA Today, which described Liu “as imaginative as she is prolific.” Her critically praised fiction has twice received the Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award, for THE MORTAL BONE (Hunter Kiss #6), and TIGER EYE (Dirk & Steele #1). TIGER EYE was the basis for a bestselling paranormal romance video game called Tiger Eye: Curse of the Riddle Box.

Liu has appeared on MSNBC, CNN, MTV, and been profiled in the Wall Street Journal.com, Hollywood Reporter, and USA Today. She is a frequent lecturer and guest speaker, appearing on panels at San Diego Comic Con, the Tokyo Literary Festival, the New York Times Public Lecture series, Geeks Out; and the Asian American Writers Workshop. Her work has been published internationally, including Germany, France, Japan, Poland, and the United Kingdom.

Ms. Liu was born in Philadelphia, and has lived in numerous cities in the Midwest and Beijing. Prior to writing full-time, she was a lawyer. She currently resides in Boston.

Reviews

[Kitty G Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

This issue was a phenomenal introduction to this world. It's feisty, it's creepy, it's bloody and it's beautiful and I have to say that I couldn't believe how much I enjoyed this which I picked up on a whim. I hadn't heard anything about this before it was released, in fact the only reason I picked it up was for the stellar cover art, but my goodness I am thrilled that I did because already i have a new favourite series and I am desperate for the next one to come out.

This story focuses on a world where mutants, monsters and humans live with the humans dominating the monsters. The humans can buy and sell the creatures for as much or as little as they please, essentially they're slaves, and it's a world which has come to pass because of a big war which happened previously.

We follow Maika who is a very human-like monster who has been bought as a slave by a wealthy lady. The Lady Sophia who buys her is evil and corrupt and she sees her 'purchases' as just that, property. She thinks she is allowed to do all sorts of horrible and cruel things, but Maika is not so sure she agrees and she has different ideas.

This is a triple-length issue with over 70pgs so I would highly recommend snatching it up right away! You get an awful lot of explanation about the world (very necessary to effectively hook you in and keep you interested) and you also get to see that this place is not a place you'd want to be, despite the beautiful artwork of some of the scenes.

I adored the colour and art work for this, It's flawless and timeless with some oriental influences and stellar imagery which stands out to you instantly. I couldn't put this down once I started reading it and I am so very excited to get the next issue whenever it's out and hope to continue the story which has only just begun.

I would HIGHLY recommend this if you like weird, creepy, beautiful, disturbing, feisty tales because it's all of that and more. Also, there's a SUPER CUTE fox-cub child who is my favourite character and is so beautiful (how can anyone want to hurt her!?) 5*s for sure, fantastic!!!

[Jayson · Rating 4 out of 5]

(A-) 84% | Very Good
Notes: Read in trade paperback. Collective review for issues #1-6 can be found here: Monstress, Volume 1: Awakening.

[Heidi Wiechert · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wasn't impressed by Monstress. The story is downright confusing until the end of each issue when the reader is given a history lesson (info dump) by a talking cat with multiple tails. Let me attempt a summary of just the beginning (it gets really complicated after that):

There's a teen. There's something special about her but we're not sure what. She's purchased by a religious cult with others of her kind. They're shipped to a prison fortress and tortured- for what, who knows? Maika (the girl) knows that she has to get out of this horrible place, but her "power" is unreliable. There are a bunch of flashbacks to explain where Maika came from and it seems to be as awful as where she is now. Will she survive? Will she figure out what her power is and learn to control it? Will anybody tell me what the heck is going on? Who are these witch/nuns? And why does the fox girl have such big eyes?

I managed to get into the story towards the end, but I was completely turned off by the F-bombs peppered throughout the text. I mean, there's a whole language to choose from, and that's the best you can do? I'm not opposed to a few well-timed ones, but it turned into the go-to exclamation. Also, what's up with the females who are drawn so un-lifelike that it looks like their balloon filled chests are going to float away at any moment? Now, to be fair, they weren't ALL ridiculously drawn, but some were. I understand that this kind of depiction is a stylistic choice, but it's not my cup of tea. In addition, there is some seriously disturbing and graphic violence in this. With the popularity of various Tarantino films, I know that this type of art has its audience. But, again, I am not in the audience.

The bad guys in this are really, really bad, like unbelievably so. I think graphic novels are more fun when there are grey areas. Torturing children doesn't leave a whole lot of room for sympathy.

I wanted to like Monstress as it has a lot of things that I do enjoy: magic, steampunk, gods, fairy-type creatures. But, there was just so much more that I didn't like, that it soured the experience for me. I understand that I'm in the minority here so if you're a graphic novel aficionado you may want to give Monstress a read through anyway as many of my friends seemed to enjoy it.

[Mitticus · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is more hunger in the world than love.

Gorgeous Art *_*





plenty Violence - kind of psycho and sadistic related than war related.

Mysterious Heroine, who can kick ass, (with just one arm)

No romance , until now.

¿Post-apocaliptic? not sure yet. Though is between post-war


Se presenta a Maiko en medio de una subasta de esclavos, y es ... adquirida o más bien requisada por una "bruja", lo cual parece ser el código para seudocientificos realizando horrendos experimentos en seres no considerados humanos.
Pero Maiko tiene su propia agenda...

Es muy violento, aunque lo que deja entrever e insinuar es peor a lo que muestra.

Can't wait for the next!

[Beatrice · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Things that I love on Monstress:

* Artwork: It's absolutely fantastic. With its Asian theme and intricate details. Damn. I can't help admiring it. IT'S JUST BEAUTIFUL.
* Heroine: Maika is a one and a half armed Arcanic (from what I understood, half-human, half-monster), with special powers who survived a war between humans and monsters. She is such a badass heroine and she really surprised me.
* Plot : It's a very intriguing story where humans are leading this world and they buy monsters as a slave (they have a purpose on this and it's quite...graphic.) There is a war between humans and monsters. Their world is filled with violence and brutality.
* Diversity: Hands down. Hands down for this. So many diverse characters. I LOVE IT.

I'm going to pick the next volume. I'm hooked with the story and all these badass stuffs. Kudos to Marjorie M. Liu and Sana Takeda!

[Eilonwy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whoa.

This has beautiful artwork and a poignant and intense storyline.

But at the same time, it's so violent and gruesome that I'm not sure I can continue on with it.

I'll see how I feel when Issue 2 comes out.

[Efflorescence · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley and Diamond Book Distributors for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

To be honest, I didn't expect to like this one.
I'm not really into comics and I never was, but I thought I'm gonna give it a try, because it's only 72 pages and the blurb sounded interesting.
The artwork is absolutely beautiful. I think, it took me even more time to look at the drawings than to read the texts in the speech bubbles. But that doesn't mean that the storyline was less interesting.
Unfortunately, there were some problems with my ebook edition, which meant that I had to read it on my laptop. So I was going to say that I really enjoyed it, but I won't be able to continue, because it's just to much time and effort.
Instead I am going to say that it was so convincing and just absolutely amazing that I definitely want to read the next issue, because I need to know how the story goes on.

[Alice · Rating 1 out of 5]

0.25*

I feel kind of bad because other people really like it and I genuinely think it's shit. I can't figure out what's good about this at all. HOW IS THIS GOOD? I'M SO CONFUSED. With other 1 star books I can understand why other people like it, but with this one I have no idea.

I was watching a booktube video and this person who pretty much always gives books 4/5 stars gave this 3 and I was like ooh. She said she didn't understand what was happening, but the art was nice. That literally sums this up perfectly. It feels like I got dropped into the 10th volume because I have absolutely no idea what the plot was or what was happening at all. This was boring and horrible.

[Ronyell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would like to thank NetGalley and Image Comics for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Introduction:

Now I will admit that I had never read any of Marjorie Liu’s comic books before, even though most of them were highly praised. So, when I heard that Marjorie Liu was creating a new comic book series called “Monstress” and I had heard a lot of good things about this series, I just had to check this series out!

What is this story about?

The story starts off with Maika being sold to a witch named Sophia and it turns out that this was a part of plan that Maika conjured up when she was at her homeland to get inside the witches’ strong hold in order to find out what happened to her mother. It also turns out that Maika possesses a dangerous power where she is psychically linked to a monster of tremendous power and she is prone to have beastly urges whenever she is in danger. Now, not only does Maika have to control her dangerous powers, but she must survive the horrors of the war between the humans and the supernatural forces!

What I loved about this story:

Marjorie Liu’s writing: Wow! For a first time reader of Marjorie Liu’s works, I must say that I was quite impressed with Marjorie Liu’s beautiful writing of this issue! I loved the way that Marjorie Liu wrote the world that the characters live in as it seems like Ancient China with some supernatural touches to the universe that really made this world so mesmerizing to read about. I also loved the way that Marjorie Liu wrote Maika’s character as Maika is shown as being a strong female protagonist who suffers a horrific injury as she loses her arm in the war and yet is still determined enough to sneak into the witches’ strong hold to find out the truth about her mother. I also think that the beastly aspect of Maika’s character really made her interesting and I would love to see where they take her character in the next issue!

Sana Takeda’s artwork: Sana Takeda’s artwork is just simply beautiful to look at! I just loved the way that Sana Takeda made the characters’ hairs glow throughout the pages, especially with Maika’s long and raven hair glowing at various places of her head. I also loved the way that Sana Takeda drew the steampunk aesthetics to the story as we see many machines and rusted pipes throughout the artwork and it really gives the story a dark and gritty futuristic feel.



What made me feel uncomfortable about this story:

For anyone who does not like strong language, there were a couple of utterings of the “f” word throughout the story that might offend some people. Some readers might want to skim through the curse words if they get offended by them.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, “Monstress Volume One: Awakening Part One” is a truly fantastic introduction to Marjorie Liu’s “Monstress” series and I definitely cannot wait to check out the next few issues of this series!

Review is also on: Rabbit Ears Book Blog

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely gorgeous artwork with a unique story.




This is a great first issue/entry into a new series and it kind of makes me feel dumb for not reading Marjorie M. Liu's books before now.

[Nicolo · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a dark and fascinating world is presented for us in Monstress. It's fictional and yet it's fully fleshed out from the first issue. It's populated by interesting characters of different races and yet none is as intriguing as the main character (she's the one on the cover). It's lavishly illustrated as well that's a delight for the senses.

I've had a copy of this for years and I'm kicking myself for waiting this long to crack it open. It's a waste of five years but that can be easily be resolved with a binge read.

[Divine · Rating 4 out of 5]

"How does one whom history has made a monster, escape her monstrosity? How does one overcome the monstrousness of others without succumbing to a rising monstrousness within?"

If someone would ask me to recommend steampunk. THIS WOULD BE MY IMMEDIATE ANSWER.

Graphics wise, Monstress is a detailed work of art highly referencing art deco styles laced in ancient Asian trinkets. It's fcking beautiful. If you're gonna read this, please don't breeze through the panels swiftly, I'd like everyone to appreciate every careful detail drawn here. Hands down to Sana Takeda!

Plot wise, this graphic novel interlaced the experiences of war survivors and well, of course, monstrosity in all its facets. I love the metaphorical picture of our MC and how she struggles with suppressing the literal demon infesting her body. She reminds me so much of August from This Savage Song, except for the fact that August is still mah baby and one smol bean I'd protecc at all costs. Maika, our MC, on the other hand, is blunt and fierce but still shows compassion.

I'm excited to read the next issues soon!

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A dark and grim story about survival, war, racial conflict, hate and the monsters inside of us (paraphrased from Marjorie Liu's epilogue).

I love the artwork and the colouring. Together with the story it captivated me from the first page. 

Page 5:


Page 46:


Page 68:


Maika Halfwolf lets herself be sold as a slave, to infiltrate the city of her enemies, in the search of a woman... Why she searches is not quite clear in the beginning, but there is bloodshed on the way. Present time alternates with an earlier timeline, telling Maika's backstory. Parts of the story are gruesome, this is not for the faint of heart.

According to the blurb the setting is an alternate Asia. There are hints--dress, hair styles, the two-tailed cat, but it mostly struck me as a fantasy setting.

Highly recommended for fans of dark fantasy.

I received this free e-copy from the publisher/author via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review, thank you!

[Andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

To quote the poets, "we're fucked".

Maika, an Arcanic outcast, a survivor of the gruesome war between humans and hybrid Arcanics which killed millions. Hungry for blood and desperate answers she seeks to stealthily destroy everything in her wake to find out more about her mother, her past and the power that grows poisonous within her.
Nothing will stop her, not even death. Hence, with her killer one-hand moves and crafty mind she infiltrates Zamara, a city where human witches capture Arcanic slaves, all for the sake of experimental testing and thus, begins Maika Halfwolf's tale.
Firstly, this spectacular art deserves credit for bringing the story to life. I mean you can practically feel the evil glint resonating in her eyes.




The story takes place in a dark, miserable, prejudiced world where death and fear simultaneously knock on everyone's door No one can forget the events that occurred and no forgiveness resounds. All's that's left is silence and the shells of people who once were.

[Barbara (The Bibliophage) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Monstress is beautifully drawn with tremendous detail. The world building is just beginning, yet is quite intriguing. Our main character is Maika who's on a quest both internally and externally. She's fighting the monster inside her, and has gone after witches who are caught in a bloody war. At least that's what I think so far. I'm sure there are many twists and turns to come. The characters are diverse. Some human, some half human, and some monsters. The setting is Asian in feel but an altiverse to our own. Looking forward to more!

Thanks to NetGalley and Diamond Book Distributors for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Rosa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much darker than I was expecting, but very interesting starting point. I'm not sure if I'll have the strength to come back to Maika story though.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review was originally posted on The Speculative Herald: http://www.speculativeherald.com/2015...

Monstress is absolutely stunning comic with a dark story and artwork that is simply gorgeous. I really can’t stress enough how much I loved all the imagery. I will readily admit to being a complete novice when it comes to comics, having read pretty much just Saga and Locke and Key, but even as a novice I feel secure in saying that this is one comic that you just can’t miss. Even if you are not into comics, it is worth picking up, maybe discover a love for a different style of story telling. And, as an added bonus (because quite frankly I would want to read this just for the art), the story is definitely quite intriguing as well.

Maika may look human, but there is more to her than originally meets the eye. We are introduced to her as she is being auctioned off as a monster, the auctioneer touting her unique human appearance. The only flaw they mention her missing half an arm. So, we have a beautiful protagonist with a disability, labeled as a monster and a mysterious background! Definitely peaked my interest.

In this first issue, we are introduced to a fantastic world that is portrayed with breathtaking images. We get glimpses of others “monsters” with Maika, we can see they are not human, but variances among them look very cool. And the fox girl? She is absolutely adorable. I will admit, I left this first issue felling like I am not fully understanding where these individuals come from or what their abilities may be. I just know they are not human and are sold as slaves. I really want to learn more about who and what they are, and what makes the humans feel entitled to treat them as a commodity rather than actual people with rights, so I will continue to read in hopes of getting answers. The first issue is only 72 pages, and is not meant to answer all the questions, its meant to be an introduction and leave you wanting more. And it strongly succeeded at that.

Maika comes across as very strong, a woman with a past that we’ve yet to really learn about. A woman who has secrets and has powers that she can tap into. And a woman who will not hesitate to kill when she needs to. She may have been sold as a slave at auction, but she certainly is not submissive. Pretty much she is the rather kick ass type of character that I love.

As much as I focused on the beauty of this comic, I should mention it is also brutal. The imagery is captivating, but can also be bloody and violent. If gore and violence are bothersome or disturbing for you, then just be warned you will find a bit of that. This is a mature comic and as such is intended for a mature audience.

Overall, I found Monstress to be a wonderful balance of beauty and darkness. This first issue left me feeling like I’ve just been introduced to Maika and her world. I have more questions, but I see them as reasons to read on and watch for that next issue! Highly recommend.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

MOVE OVER RAT QUEENS!



Well maybe not too far---iluvu

ERMAGAWD! LIU! LIU! I just want to hug her so tight.



THERE ARE CUTE PEOPLE-ANIMALS DRAWN IN THIS BOOK...AND TALKING CATS.



What i love best?!

ALL DIFFERENT SKIN TONES. IT'S A FANTASY WORLD FULL OF REALSTIC-AS-HELL SKIN HUES. OH! DID I MENTION----our main character has a half-arm.



LAWD. Who says quality and diversity can't go hand in hand...

Don't get me wrong, this book is by no means light-hearted fluff. There is violence and horror, and this is a FUCKED UP LANDSCAPE. There are emotional issues (LOVE IT) so be warned that you are in for the wildest ride of your life.

YA'LL---I'm going to be right there in the front seat.

[cri ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

To quote the poets... We're fucked.

Wow.

The artwork is absolutely gorgeous. Stunning.
The storyline is dark and intriguing.
The main character is a freaking badass female.
The anthropomorphous animals —seriously, I don't know how to call them— are, like, super cute.

I cannot wait to read the next issue. I'm completely hooked.

[Ana Rilo · Rating 4 out of 5]

A las autoras no las conocía, pero son un par de grandes descubrimientos. Dibujos densos, detallados y preciosos. Es una novela muy “gráfica”, hay muchas escenas sangrientas, con desnudos y lenguaje violento. Y toda esa violencia contrasta perfectamente con las pausas silenciosas y tensas de la trama.

Tengo la sensación de que el segundo volumen será mucho mejor en términos de argumento, más explicativo, pero esta primera toma de contacto deja con ganas y dudas, está claro.

Reseña completa: https://armasdetinta.wordpress.com/20...

[Irene · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meet Maika. I still can't fathom what exactly she is but she constantly has this pissed-off expression so she must be angry about something.


Though the art is amazing, the colors and designs definitely steampunk with eastern influences, the dialogues didn't thrill me. I'm afraid Saga, Vol. 1 has raised the bar too high for me.

But what is it about these cats? I love them, especially the talking ones with two tails.

[Jeannette · Rating 4 out of 5]

[Image Comics] FIRST ISSUES: The Good (Full review on the WondrousBooks blog.)

Monstress is not exactly usual for comic books as I know them and it’s rather reminiscent of manga. The story itself has some Eastern themes such as a kitsune-like cat with two tails and so on. The characters are on the scale from “weird” to “a sort of cute tiny little cyclops that gets killed pretty fast”.

If you want something both magical and sexy, this is for you.

But also if you go “Awww” at humanoid fox babies, this is for you.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sana Takeda's artwork is absolutely stunning. It's hard to assess the story from the first issue since it's an introduction and not that long, but I am really curious about Maika's past and her connection to the monster. I'd like to read the collection containing the first six issues that is coming out later this month.

Full (But Still Brief) Review: http://www.fantasybookcafe.com/2016/0...

Reread in July 2016.

[Jodi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holy crap. The art in this is breathtaking, with vivid detail and amazing colors. The artist is also remarkably talented in conveying emotion in faces, which is always a bonus.

I'm so thrilled to start this. So far, it's a great start.

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

2020 Popsugar Reading challenge #34. Un libro que querías leer en 2019.

Interesante 🤔

[CadmanReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5-4 im a little confused by the story but will reread as the artwork is stunning

[Chelsies Reading Escape · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this graphic novel from Netgalley for an honest review. It was all so amazing I cant recommend it enough. The premise is kind of hard to explain. Its about a girl who infiltrates a witch stronghold by posing as a slave in the hopes of finding someone they took from her.

This is definitely one of the better graphic novels Ive read. I absolutely loved the artwork. It was very detailed and rich. The art told as much of the story as the writing. It was so beautiful and captivating. It portrayed the dark and twisted story wonderfully.

I thought the concept for the premise was really interesting. The story was very imaginative and unique. I havent read anything like this. The plot and the art was so creative and worked so well together. It was just the right amount of bloody action and feisty attitude for me.

It didnt take long for me to feel connected to the characters and root for them. We all have a little weird inside and I think a lot of people cant relate to that. I thought the little fox was just the cutest thing in the world and I wanted to protect her.

I also enjoyed how well developped it felt. I usually feel like the story in graphic novels is missing something due to the lack of writing but this wasnt the case with this story. I thought it had a lot of depth for only being the first issue.

Theres so much potentiel to explore in this complexe world. Im looking forward to reading the next issue and getting to know more about this world and the characters. Beware this is a highly addictive and thrilling masterpiece.

[gio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Art: ALL THE STARS
Story: 3.75

The art is gorgeous, the story is interesting enough for now: me happy. I've bought the first three issues and if I like them all I'll buy the first volume in July.

The issues are quite short, so I can't say much about the plot for now, but it seems quite interesting. Artwork aside the characters seem pretty much awesome, especially the female characters. There's also some diversity which doesn't hurt at all. This issue is quite violent though, so if you have a weak stomach I'm not sure I'd recommend it.

A sneak peek at the art:
Maika is absolutely gorgeous *^*


The fox is so CUTE.


Review to come soon

[DarkChaplain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible art. I'm honestly floored by the direction, consistency in tones and level of detail.
Adding to that a very intriguing steampunk cosmic horror mix with dynamic action and drama, I can only applaud the author and artist both.

[Sad Sunday (Books? Me?!? NEVER!!!) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very beautifully drawn but the plot and the story are somehow confusing.