Spooky Reads Day 9: Monstress Volume 1 by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda

Title: Monstress
Author: Marjorie Liu
Illustrator: Sana Takeda
Page Count: 192
Rating: B
Keywords: Magic, Steampunk, Art Deco, Horror
Genre: Graphic Novel
Younger Readers: geared towards older readers, horror sequences, language, slight nudity

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Set in an alternate matriarchal 1900's Asia, in a richly imagined world of art deco inflected steampunk, Monstress tells the story of a teenage girl who is struggling to survive the trauma of war, and who shares a mysterious psychic link with a monster of tremendous power, a connection that will transform them both. Entertainment Weekly praised Monstress as "one of Image Comics' most imaginative and daring new series" and dubbed it the "Best New Original Series" in their year-end "Best Comics of 2015" list. Collects Monstress #1-6.

My Review:

My favorite part about my birthday each year is getting new books. This was one such addition to my library. I've been eyeing this beauty for the past few months, hemming and hawing about whether or not I should buy it. Graphic novels are not a normal part of my reading. Curiosity paid off.

Overall, I did enjoy this book far more than I expected. I tore through the 192 pages in a single evening. The mix of steampunk and art deco was absolutely gorgeous. There is plenty of art to keep your eyes satisfied in this one volume. Rich gold, shades of grey, rusty red, and dashes of dusky blue make up the main color scheme giving a clearly vintage feeling to the work.

The storyline is mysterious and intriguing, leaving many questions unanswered at the end of this volume. Maika, the main character, is not immediately likable. She is more of a conflicted character. Oftentimes rude of her own free will and dangerous at the hands of the monster that resides within her. Kippa and Ren are my two favorite characters thus far, the curious fox child and watchful cat. They add a lightness much needed to contrast Maika's unfailing seriousness.

The excerpts at the end of each chapter from Professor Tam Tam, the multi-tailed cat, were a fun break from the heavy darkness of the main story and provided clear insight into the lore of this world. While the world building within the actual comic is interesting on its own, it may become too convoluted without these mini breaks.

Overall, I recommend checking this volume out. It is beautiful, intriguing, and mysterious. It was a strong first volume and I can't wait to see where the story goes from here.