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A review by coco_lolo
Monstress, Vol. 1: Awakening by Marjorie Liu
3.0
3.5 stars.
My first serious foray into comics and graphic novels, and I must say that this was a pleasant surprise! That is most likely because I enjoy manga so much and, in some ways, Monstress reads a bit like one, whether it be the art style or the story.
Speaking of art, Sana Takeda's character designs and style is absolutely incredible - as gorgeous as it can be creepy, the art is what sold this first volume of Monstress for me. There were times when I felt that things were a bit too dark, but that's easy to overlook because it was so clean and precise, and everyone looked distinct.
The plot, though entertaining, is convoluted in that there is a lot going on behind the scenes and at the forefront, and for most of this volume I felt that the story could have been better fleshed out. World building is something I would also like to see more of, because while I did like the information provided at the end of most chapters, this universe doesn't yet feel cohesive. And what is the influence behind the culture? Egyptian? Japanese? Hebrew? It seems to be inspired by various elements that don't necessarily mesh together so far.
Although Maika is a interesting character because of her position in the world of humans and Arcanics, I feel like she's going to have to undergo some major development before I can say I actually like her. She just felt too much like all the other kickass heroines I've come across, the girl that is distant and closed off from almost everyone else and doesn't know who she is because she has (of course) lost pieces of her memories. I was also annoyed by how she sort of speaks down to people: rather than addressing them by their names, it was "little fox" or "cat" or "ravenborn." On a side note, though, I thought Kippa was adorable and want to see her create more of a relationship with Maika, and Ren the cat is the best character hands down: his were the lines I truly laughed at.
I talked more about my issues with Monstress in this review, but I really did like what was going on and am hoping the story and characters strengthen in the subsequent issues. I'll definitely be picking up the second collected volume when it comes out this summer!
My first serious foray into comics and graphic novels, and I must say that this was a pleasant surprise! That is most likely because I enjoy manga so much and, in some ways, Monstress reads a bit like one, whether it be the art style or the story.
Speaking of art, Sana Takeda's character designs and style is absolutely incredible - as gorgeous as it can be creepy, the art is what sold this first volume of Monstress for me. There were times when I felt that things were a bit too dark, but that's easy to overlook because it was so clean and precise, and everyone looked distinct.
The plot, though entertaining, is convoluted in that there is a lot going on behind the scenes and at the forefront, and for most of this volume I felt that the story could have been better fleshed out. World building is something I would also like to see more of, because while I did like the information provided at the end of most chapters, this universe doesn't yet feel cohesive. And what is the influence behind the culture? Egyptian? Japanese? Hebrew? It seems to be inspired by various elements that don't necessarily mesh together so far.
Although Maika is a interesting character because of her position in the world of humans and Arcanics, I feel like she's going to have to undergo some major development before I can say I actually like her. She just felt too much like all the other kickass heroines I've come across, the girl that is distant and closed off from almost everyone else and doesn't know who she is because she has (of course) lost pieces of her memories. I was also annoyed by how she sort of speaks down to people: rather than addressing them by their names, it was "little fox" or "cat" or "ravenborn." On a side note, though, I thought Kippa was adorable and want to see her create more of a relationship with Maika, and Ren the cat is the best character hands down: his were the lines I truly laughed at.
I talked more about my issues with Monstress in this review, but I really did like what was going on and am hoping the story and characters strengthen in the subsequent issues. I'll definitely be picking up the second collected volume when it comes out this summer!