A very good start to an interesting book and a fantastic character. However, my only hesitation with this series is how it is possible to write a continuing series about a being who is nothing short of a god, and a real god at that, not the often self-important beings who call themselves "gods" in the Marvel universe. The Phoenix Force is one of the cornerstones of the Marvel Universe. At its full power, it is far greater than any individual Celestial. The last time an embodiment of the Phoenix was allowed to wield its power to its full extent in a book was Rachel Summers in Excalibur. On her watch, the Phoenix twice fought and soundly defeated Galactus, threw his heralds about like they were baseballs, and engaged in a battle with another cosmic claimant to the Phoenix power that had them throwing planets around like dodgeballs. This newest version f Jean Grey's Phoenix seems to be in the same class of power- in this issue, she absorbs the excess energy of a star and tames a black hole. I fear that the tendency to keep the character "relatable" and give her actual threats to make stories interesting may lead to the Phoenix Power being reduced or retconned into something less than it is. Nonetheless, there is a way around this by having stories that consider how Jean limits her own power or deals with issues that are not amenable to the ability to reshape reality. Looking forward to seeing what more comes of this series.

A welcome return of one of the best series presently on the stands or anywhere else. Maika and her companions awaken after being gone from their world for about a year to find that the Lord Doctor has unleashed a war of annihilation on the world using Zinn. There is a lot of catching up to do and the reader is plunged right back into the complexity of the universe that Liu has built. It is an immersive and almost overwhelming experience but foreshadows a truly epic story to come. As usual, the Doctor seems five steps ahead of everyone. Maika rediscovers an old friend she has not seen since her childhood. The cats who came back from the prison world of the old gods are discovering for themselves how primitive their world has become. Poignantly, Maika continues to talk in her head to her lost love, Tuya, even as she plans to murder her former lover and betrayer for what she has done. The art, as always, is breathtaking. A truly phenomenal opening chapter in another epic story arc.

Another excellent edition in one of the most consistently excellent series available. This issue is deep in lore, advancing numerous plotlines and character development. It is too rich in these developments for everything to be processed in a single reading. SPOILERS/RECAP - It starts with Zinn, trapped in the Doctor's prison, somehow hearing Kippa's proclamation of love from the last issue. Hearing the voice of the little fox gives Zinn more will to live and to try to hold out for when he might be rescued. We see the Doctor speaking to Seizi, underlining that he knows that Maika will come for him to reclaim the power/gain the freedom of Zinn, but also to free Seizi out of love.It goes to Maika meeting with the mysterious Wave Court, which has been ordered to offer refuge to those fleeing the devastation on the mainland by the even more mysterious Wave Empress. We see Ren meeting with the had of a cat temple where we finally learn what has been happening in the time that our heroes were away/asleep in the prison of the Elder Gods. The Blood Court of the Doctor apparently formed an alliance with the Dusk and Dawn Courts to push back the Cumaea. Then Zinn appeared, controlled by the Doctor, and the Dusk and Dawn Courts went into hiding, apparently benefiting from a treaty with the Doctor. Now, the Doctor and the Monster have been slaughtering Arcanics and humans. Ren is given a clue as to what happened to the World Walkers and goes off to find them working in a shop chopping fish. We see Kippa in a dream, where she speaks to (probably) the Wave Empress, who encourages her and says that "small fish become titans who remake worlds". Kippa has a vision of Maika wearing the mask and wielding Zinn, but little Maika appears to tell her that she (Maika) and the mask are not what they appear. Finally, we enter Maika's dream, where she finds Zinn chained by the Doctor. Zinn warns her it is a trap and that he can only hide her from the Doctor briefly. He also tells her to tell Kippa that he heard her as the prison grows dark with the coming of the Doctor. Again, this issue is rife will enormous character development and advancement of the plot. The cats have learned that the Doctor can only control Zinn for short times and that it exhausts him. We learned the Maika rampaged through the Dusk Court - more on that will be in the next issue, where the Wolf Queen and the Beast, Maika's possible sister, are on the cover. The mystery of Kippa deepens. What powers does she have, what role does she have to play, and who are the "sisters" of the Wave Empress that are speaking of her? Zinn even reveals to Maika that he thinks the Doctor's feelings about Maika are more complex than she realizes. The art, as always, is fantastic. The almost full page depiction of Maika and Zinn in Kippa's dream is particularly good. In recapping this, the depth of the story becomes more apparent. The next issue, with the return of the Wolf Queen and the Beast, should be great!

Another fantastic issue of a fantastic series. The last arc, as good as it was, felt a bit rushed and difficult to follow at times. This arc is off to a riveting start. Every issue delivers enormous amounts of content, adds to the overall mystery and questions, and even resolves or at least complicates existing relationships and animating themes. This particular issue is even richer than most. It has so much going on that it is hard to keep track of everything but never in a bad way. We find out what happened to Tuya's child clone, Yuta. We learn about a relationship that Maika has that she did not even know about, but which discerning readers realized some time ago. We learn a bit more about the complexity of the politics in the Spice Islands, especially now that the Federation survivors have sought refuge there. We discover how Maika, Ren and Kippa ended up in the Spice Islands and who got them there. And Kippa, getting ever more mysterious, has a fateful encounter with a somewhat familiar being and an encounter with someone else whose existence has been an animating force behind the story of the series from the get-go. We even almost find out who the mysterious being who blessed Kippa may have been - but not quite! The story also provides interesting details. For example, in one scene, Maika and Sauri share a drink, but the reader has to pay attention to see that Maika pricks her finger and puts her blood into the drink and that Sauri does the same. Neither character comments on this. Is this just a strange local custom or does it have greater significance? As usual, the art is brilliant.

This another tremendous issue of Monstress though, like many issues, it adds more layers to an already intensely complex but engaging story. Maika is back in Thyria, which is now occupied by the Blood Court, and finds that the Doctor's occupation is more appealing to many citizens than the previous regime. Ren has an interesting and very revealing and intriguing encounter with the Poet he previously met in the city. Kippa and Yuta have some interesting interactions. And, finally, Maika meets the Beast and plays the card that Tuya gave to her in the last issue - i.e., that the Beast is her twin sister. Everything about this series shines. The art is fantastic, as always, thought the colors and the detail in this issue seem a bit washed out- perhaps as a reflection of life in occupied Thyria. Tuya letting Maika know that the Beast was her twin sister last issue was interesting. I was surprised that Maika had not figured that out herself, but she may never have heard the Beast call the Doctor "father." The Beast is a very interesting character and Maika's apparent attempt to appeal to a sisterly bond seems like a bit of a longshot. From what we have seen, her sister could just as much resent and hate her as have any sibling fealty. Maika, after all, is clearly the favoured daughter by both their mother and father. The greater exploration of Yuta, on the margins, is fascinating. As Maika noted, Yuta is very smart and her wiles may come in handy. Maika may also want a Tuya surrogate at her side. One thing that is easy to forget about "Monstress" is that, even with all the political intrigue and complex world building, it is still a rumination on the many forms of love that guide its characters. Maika loves Kippa; Kippa loves Maika and they will do anything for each other. Ren and Kippa love each other (the triangular relationship between Maika, Kippa and Ren may be very important, as this issue implies). Corvin loves Kippa too and respects Maika. Maika's quest for the secret of her mother's death was driven by her complex feelings for her distant, demanding mother. Maika is in love with Tuya, and vice versa. Tuya's numerous betrayals are unbelievably painful but she is a very sympathetic character nonetheless, desperately trying to save herself from possession and erasure from the Baronness. In a prophetic dream in a previous issue, Maika told Tuya that the two of them would save each other. I hope that this proves true, in the end. Finally, Maika seems to be playing on her father's love for her as a tactic in her battle against him and her effort to reclaim Zinn. Her willingness to make an emotional appeal to her sister underlines, again, how love can be a weapon as well as a balm. Great issue!

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.

Another story arc wraps up with a cliffhanger in this very eventful and tragic issue. The strengths as well as the weaknesses of the series are on display. The art is beautiful and the story advances in an ominous new direction through a series of interlocking events. However, the sheer complexity of the story and the large number of characters to keep track of means the book is inaccessible to those not already rooted in the story. For those of us who are, every issue is an amazing payoff and another master class in world-building and how to construct a complicated, multi-layered story featuring memorable characters we care about. SPOILERS AHEAD The story continues with Maika trying to use her mask fragment to learn what the "razor light" is. She manages to see memories of Zinn and the Shaman Empress that tells her something, but her insight is interrupted by her smaller self warning her that "someone" is coming. The rest of the story reveals, through various characters, that the "Defiled Ones" who are imprisoned with the Old Gods are using the mask fragments to open doors and accesses to the world, coming in through the people who have used the mask. The issue ends with one of these beings seemingly taking possession of Maika. A great deal more happens in the issue. Zinn manages to leave a message for Corvin and Zortia (more on her in a moment) without the Doctor realizing it. The Doctor's body is breaking down and he is more influenced by Zinn than he fully realizes - and Zinn is fighting back against his control. We see the Wolf Queen, Yvette Lo Lim (who is apparently also possessed by a demonic being - whether a Defiled One or Old God remains to be seen) and learn that the Monkey King Ancient is a spy and servitor of the being possessing Yvette. We see Seizi being tortured by the Doctor. The mystery of the mask fragments has been a central part of the series, though it is easy to lose track of this in all the other balls in motion at any given time. What the mask is, where it came from, who or what made it, are all open questions. The sheer complexity of the story means that keeping up means reading, re-reading and thinking about the different clues being dropped at any given time. Even for me, someone who loves this series, this is difficult at times. For example, I completely forgot about Zortia. Doing a brief internet search for her led to some reddit threads that told me a lot more about the character than I think I ever realized -and she is a fairly minor character! Gull makes another appearance and Maika reminds her of a moment of intimacy they shared that I had completely forgotten. It was only one panel, so that's fine, but it speaks to how even minor events can have a callback. Overall, another great issue. The sense that the series is building towards a more decisive situation where some of the mysteries will be answered in time for the next step - presumably, some kind of confrontation with the horrific beings that drove the Ancients and the Old Gods out of their homes - to be taken.

This has been a really great series and I'm sad to hear that it is ending with the next issue. Of course, maybe it will be back soon, like the previous series led immediately into this one. If so, I hope that Rainbow Rowell continues as writer and Genolet continues as the artist -they both do extraordinary work on this book and they should be recognized and rewarded for it. Rowell has turned all of Jen's supporting cast into truly interesting, fun and engaging characters. Even the bit players, like Ransack and Karkas, come alive. Her decision to make Titania into Jen's best frenemy was inspired and worked with that characters' recent efforts at reform. Jack of Hearts has more appeal than he has ever had. The main focus of the story in this issue was Jen's uncertainty and insecurity over whether or not to accept an offer from Captain Marvel to rejoin the Avengers. Her uncertainty over how that will affect her relationship with Jack and her own doubts about her suitability and even her past accomplishments as an Avenger come across as real and understandable concerns. In the end, the fact that all of the characters are so real and likeable - especially Jen - is what makes the book so good.

It's really sad that this run of SH is coming to an end. Rainbow Rowell and Andres Genolet have done a fantastic job with the character, focusing most of the stories around Jen's everyday life, her struggles with trying to build a career as a lawyer while also being a responsible superhero, while also trying to build a meaningful relationship with Jack of Hearts. She-Hulk is a character who is often difficult to get right. For some writers, she was the embodiment of female empowerment by being unabashedly sexual - even promiscuous- in her relationships with men. For others, she was a raging powerhouse who could barely contain her power. Rowell hits the just the right note with the character, showing her as an ordinary person with ordinary concerns with extraordinary factors affecting her life. The character does not renounce her past in any way but the sense that she is maturing and wants to have more meaningful and lasting relationships is an important part of the overall storyline. It's great to have a superhero book that does such a good job of making its main characters so human and enjoyable. Rowell has a great sense of humor. Ransak is a great source of humor. Rowell also did a great job reforming/revising the supporting cast. Making Titania and SH best frenemies is a great idea, though a bit incongruous with how savage their rivalry has been in the past -though, I suppose, a development in keeping with Titania's reform in other titles. The sexual subtext under their battles - i.e, that these are two big, powerful superwomen who just really like beating each other up - is not developed but definitely present. The entire idea of "Punch Club" is fun and I hope it continues. Jack of Hearts has never been done better. Mallory Book and Andy the Android continue to occupy their own place in the SH universe. It's a real shame to think that we won't get more development of these characters' relationships with each other. I hope that if/when we get another SH book in the future, the new writer (if it's not Rowell) will respect and build on what Rowell did so well here.

Overall excellent comic. The art is fantastic and the story is powerfully advanced in a brutal confrontation between Diana and some of her most powerful enemies. The use of the different villains and of Diana's powers is excellent - Giganta, who has been souped up to even greater power by Circe; Dr. Psycho, who manages to, momentarily, seize Diana's mind when her guard is down - a feat that ends up leaving his brain fried! The final villain that Diana faces is Grail - a powerhouse whose abilities and physical skills easily rival Diana's abilities and who attacks when Diana seems to be on her last legs. Their brutal battle is incredible and it leaves me hoping that Grail is, in the future, recognized as one of Diana's greatest rivals and adversaries. In a sense, she was originally designed to be this and it's about time that she was used in that role in a truly memorable way. I hope that this battle really puts her on the radar for future major roles against Diana and other DC heroes. The backup story, with Lizzie, Jon and Damian is effortlessly charming, as all the stories involving these three have been. But I'm still very curious to see exactly what Lizzie's relationship with Diana ends up being. I assume that Diana is her adoptive mother and that Lizzie is the child of the pregnant Amazon whose rampage set off the entire story arc, but that would not explain why she seems to be unusually powerful, even for an Amazon.