Maika and Takeda are working with a long ranging plot that has moved out in many different directions that feel pretty idiosyncratic. A series like this would be very difficult for people to pick up anywhere in the middle of the story. To their credit, the creative team for this particular series are doing a remarkable job, maintaining a story that would be theoretically possible for just about to start with just about any issue. Each chapter is executed enough that it would theoretically be able to serve as a nice introduction to the series for anyone. This issue exception. Read Full Review

Another spectacular issue in a spectacular series. Monstress is a hard series to evaluate precisely because the complexity and detail of the story means that it is often hard to keep track of all the characters and the resulting nuances of what may be going on. For example, in the previous issue, little Kippa had a dream encounter with a being who may be the Wave Empress - a being who has been hinted at, mostly in the lectures of Professor Tam Tam at the back of the book. What Kippa's encounter may mean is not yet clear, as are most things about the little Fox, but it's one of the many ways in which the story weaves complex threads that are hard to keep in order.

Even so, this issue stands out in that it advances the overall story significantly. SPOILERS AHEAD.

Maika and her father, the Doctor, have an interesting discussion, wherein he suggests that she might want to join him and she replies that he will never be able to trust her. But the most relevant part of the conversation, that takes place in a dream, is that Zinn is able to leave Maika a message: the Doctor is "unwell." The end part of the story may be most relevant as we see Zinn and the Doctor battling for control. Zinn gave his power to Maika willingly, as part of their cooperative relationship. He fights the Doctor for control, meaning that the Doctor is struggling to maintain that control and his power. The Doctor asks Zinn what Maika did that made him cooperate and the Monstrum says that she shared her entire mind with him completely, something that the Doctor refuses to do. He needs his secrets. Zinn is also spying on the Doctor, who is undergoing blood transfusions with the assistance of the snake Ancient Krom. Zinn manages to send a tentacle off through the Doctor's complex to spy. He discovers that the blood the Doctor is getting is coming from clones of Maika, all of whom are deteriorating. The Doctor is only maintaining his control of Zinn by using Maika's blood, which is in short supply.

We also learn a bit more about what Ren learned after he killed then interrogated the Poet. Ren's relationship with the Cats from the Ancient's prison is endlessly amusing. Again, in that situation, more balls come into play as the Cats suggest that ancient weaponry that predates the Shaman Empress may be available in some of the cities.

Takeda and Liu do their usual masterful job of advancing the story and laying the groundwork for much more to come. more