Monkey vs. Robot: The Complete Epic

Monkey vs. Robot #1-3

by James Kochalka

A magnum opus from one of the giants of indie cartooning finally gets its due -- in full color, and expanded with a new 120-page grand finale!

Since the dawn of time, the eternal struggle of Monkey Vs. Robot has captivated the hearts of comics fans everywhere. Now, creator James Kochalka and Top Shelf Productions celebrate the 20th anniversary of this timeless epic with a jaw-dropping deluxe collection. Both of the original black & white graphic novels, Monkey Vs. Robot and Monkey Vs. Robot and the Crystal of Power, have been newly colored by James Kochalka for this edition! In addition, Kochalka completes the trilogy with a brand-new graphic novel appearing here for the first time, Monkey Vs. Robot in Love. That's right, this book has it all... brutal combat and tender moments alike.

With animal fury and silicon precision, this definitive collection will satisfy both the monkey and the robot inside every one of us.

A factory of self-replicating robots is stripping the jungle of its natural resources, threatening a colony of nearby monkeys. Tentative encounters between the two groups quickly escalate into all-out war. But beware: the charm and humor of Kochalka's whimsical cartooning conceals a profound examination of humanity's relationship with our environment and the duality within the human mind. It's a modern-day fable for adults and kids alike, based on the age-old struggle between instinct and reason, nature and technology.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Animals

432 pages, Paperback

First published June 9, 2020

About the author

James Kochalka is an American comic book artist and writer, and rock musician. His comics are noted for their blending of the real and the surreal. Largely autobiographical, Kochalka's cartoon expression of the world around him includes such real-life characters as his wife, children, cat, friends and colleagues, but always filtered through his own observations and flights of whimsy. In March 2011 he will be declared the cartoonist laureate of Vermont, serving a term of two years.

Reviews

[Jon Nakapalau · Rating 5 out of 5]

The last chapter of MvsR finds both sides ravished by loss; both sides have much to regret - but there is a glimmer of hope as one monkey and one robot see something in each other. A very satisfying end to this tale that really opens your eyes to the destructive force that war always manifests.

[Rod Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

Robots pollute and intrude on monkey territory and then declare genocidal war, going full Dalek with cries to exterminate the monkeys. Many monkeys die, but they don't go down without a fight as many robots are destroyed in turn. And then it veers into Rise of the Planet of the Apes and bleak post-apocalypse territory.

But it all looks like a children's book. Are kids really the intended audience for this dark, violent, and weird crap?

[ComicNerdSam · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was expecting something overly simple and of the "lol random" type of comedy, but this wasn't like that at all. Kochalka actually builds quite a good story, and the breezy nature of it's pacing helps keep it easy to read while still having substance. It's kind of cool, and Kochalka doesn't really pull any punches in portraying the death of these characters at war. Deceptively cute while managing to be deeper than you would think.

[chrstphre campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

very mysterious

Where did The robots come from ?
Does this all take place in contemporarnious times, or millions of years ago ?
Will The monkeys ever get along with The robots ?
The stories are short & simple, & neither side seems to be acting with malicious intent, but merely in accordance with natural laws ?
They are also lenient in their cleverness, & in avoidance with surrealism, adhering to realism, as if this were a nature documentary ?

[Jipi Perreault · Rating 3 out of 5]

Machines vs living, the dawn and fall of society, bashing robots and cute monkeys. A human vs nature story. It got it all!

[Elizabeth Braunworth · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a sad graphic novel.