The writing is heavy but not so thick you have to wade through it, the plot moves and doesn't care if you can't catch up because there's some beautiful art to swim about in while you do. Read Full Review

This issue works good as a quasi-launching point with its smaller focus on Maika and those around her without going deep into the woods with other characters elsewhere and that helped to make it feel a lot more cohesive. Liu's craft is pretty damn strong here and the pairing with Takeda just makes it utterly brilliant to watch unfold. It's so easy to get lost within the details of the pages and forget the story because of what she does here. I can't recommend it enough, though I'll continue to say that this is a series you want in trades for the most part. Read Full Review

I had almost forgotten about Sana Takeda's fabulous artwork. Monstress is beautiful from the front cover to the back cover. The browns can lookmuddy, but there's always color there to compliment it. Whether its gold or blue or orange, the fantasy or steampunk aspect works. I really like the contrast between the humans and the Arcanics. Everybody is humanoid, but have distinguishing features. If everyone looked the same, that would be boring. Thankfully, Takeda knows how to make some magic. I really couldn't see anyone else handling the book but this duo. Read Full Review

As I mentioned before Kippa and Ren play off as foils to each other and to Maika I think it serves her well as a balancing board on how she proceeds. Kippa is naive, more naive than her and young but Ren is obviously jaded and older with more insight. I'm really curious how much more we'll learn in the next issue about Moriko's allies and more on just how she dies leaving Maika to become a slave. Read Full Review

After a long, long, long break, Monstress is back. And the good news is, it's as beautiful and bewitching as ever. Read Full Review

"Monstress" returns in fantastic form, as Maika digs further into the mystery of her mother's past, and fights the Monstrum within. We find out more about Maika while watching her grow more calculating and savage. The art is absolutely stunning... I was floored by the opening splash page. This is a fine book.

Absolutely magnificent.

Welcome Back

Maika was exceptionally cold in this issue, I actually lost some respect for her for letting them torture Ren.

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AbstractionMan - Dec 31, 2016

Yeah I don't get why she has to be so cold, also to Kippa. Suppose it's for personal growth or something, but such an unlikable lead leaves me somewhat cold to the book. The art and the world remains awesome though.

AbstractionMan - Dec 31, 2016

Cold to her, I should say, not the book

Gizmo - Jan 12, 2017

I suspect that your right in that it is leaving a lot of space for Maika's personal growth. I imagine that she currently suffers from some serious PTSD. We already see that she has a fondness towards Kippa, that is a good starting point for Maika to start opening herself back up to a sense of empathy and humanity.

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