Monstress Talk-Stories #1 Review

By Christopher RondeauDecember 2, 20203 Mins Read

Monstress is a great epic fantasy series set in 20th century Asia. Come check out this interlude as Kippa talks about a defining moment of her past in Monstress Talk-Stories #1 by Image Comics!

MONSTRESS TALK-STORIES #1 (OF 2)

Writer: Marjorie Liu
Artist: Sana Takeda
Colorist: Sana Takeda
Letterer: Rus Wooton
Editor: Jennifer M. Smith
Publisher: Image Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: November 25th, 2020

Previously in Monstress: Monstress tells the story of Maika Halfwolf living in a war riddled with racism, war, and slavery. With its nuanced themes, the comic title has won Eisner and Hugo Awards. This issue shines a light on Kippa who tells a story about her time in a refugee camp.

WE DO WHAT WE MUST

Lady Halfwolf is currently in Ravenna and finds herself in a kitchen with Kippa, a fox child. Kippa tells the story of her favorite meal. One time at a refugee camp, her parents and her half-sister, Perri, were struggling to survive. Family tensions were high as Kippa’s dad is an alcoholic and her mom treats Perri poorly. The kids opt a daring plan to bring their family together. They head into the camp’s kitchen and successfully steal some food to cook. However as they cook, the smell of meat emanates from their tent and they rush to hide the food. Luckily, Kippa’s mom arrives to help. After hours, the four family members share a night of laughter and peace despite their apparent differences.

THIS ONE HIT HARD

Marjorie puts an emphasis on broken families in this issue. I grew up with a step-mother and we never could find common ground. So when I see this family dynamic of a mom who is upset her lover had another kid, well I understand that quite a bit. I think family is a very relatable theme and the fact that we see it done so well here is quite incredible. My heart broke for Kippa. The book ended with Maika asking what happened to her sister and Kippa started to cry. The last few panels had no words, just an expression of emotion from both the characters. The creative team is quite excellent in capturing this moment and it is breathtaking.

BOTTOM LINE: I FEEL THIS IS A MUST READ

I am always partial to non-european fantasy. So when I enter this series, I’m not only fascinated by a different culture then my normal fantasy but a huge depth of character. The art feels like brush strokes on a piece of paper with incredible attention to details. I knew what each character was feeling at any given moment. This is a 5 out of 5 for me. Taking an objective view of the story, it is well written and well drawn. This is a strong recommendation from me and you do not need prior context of the series to enjoy this book.

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