{"id":5452,"date":"2018-11-10T19:49:06","date_gmt":"2018-11-10T18:49:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/?p=5452"},"modified":"2025-09-12T14:19:35","modified_gmt":"2025-09-12T12:19:35","slug":"monstress-marjorie-liu-sana-takeda","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/en\/2018\/11\/monstress-marjorie-liu-sana-takeda\/","title":{"rendered":"Monstress \u2022 Marjorie Liu & Sana Takeda"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

For some time now, I\u2019ve been picking up comics, graphic novels, and manga from time to time, and over the past few months, I\u2019ve tried out several series. There aren\u2019t many that have truly stayed with me, but the series Monstress<\/em> is one of the few comics that I would consider a masterpiece. Three volumes have been released so far, and I\u2019ll be ordering every new one without hesitation. The story of Maika Halfwolf, combined with the beautiful and stylish artwork, is simply wonderful. So, if you think comics are just for kids, teenagers, or nerds, I can assure you that Monstress<\/em> might just win over even the skeptics.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

At the center of the story is Maika Halfwolf, a young woman within whom a monster of immense power awakens and threatens to take control of her. Maika is not human but an Arcanic \u2014 a magical being who appears human in form. The story takes place in a fantasy world populated by many different kinds of creatures. On one side, there\u2019s the Federation, made up of humans and the witch-nuns of the Cumaea. On the other side stand the Arcanics \u2014 magical beings that come in many shapes and forms, most of them animal-like. Both factions are locked in conflict, with the Cumaea acting as antagonists who kill and mutilate the Arcanics to harvest Lilium, a substance that grants magical power. Yet there are also many other factions and political interests, and amidst this web of power struggles and intrigue stands Maika Halfwolf, caught up in her own transformation and her search for identity.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

That might sound like a coming-of-age story, but it\u2019s not the usual journey of self-discovery. Maika can be ruthless at times and is far from a sympathetic protagonist \u2014 it\u2019s hard for the reader to truly empathize with her. The characters, and especially Maika, feel authentic, and her personality is excellently developed. Naturally, a driving and entertaining element of the story is the dormant power inside Maika, which surfaces again and again \u2014 often predictably \u2014 and decisively shapes the course of the plot. As a reader, you gradually uncover the mysteries surrounding Maika, the power within her, and the world itself. Maika struck me as both fascinating and repelling at the same time \u2014 which I think is entirely intentional.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The setting is incredibly well-crafted and rich in atmosphere. Each location has its own distinct character \u2014 a lovely harbor town, a medieval-steampunk city, or a hidden seaside refuge. The artist draws from many stylistic traditions to create a world that feels complete, real, and alive \u2014 full of history, texture, and diversity through its many human and Arcanic inhabitants. It\u2019s a fully realized world, and you can tell right away. Especially in the third volume, Sana Takeda surpasses herself, offering an array of lush, evocative environments that are both magnificent and full of mood.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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The story moves at just the right pace, though it features frequent scene changes and a large cast of characters. Keeping track of everything was a bit demanding on my first read. There are many groups interconnected in subtle ways, and much is only hinted at. I missed several connections at first, but during my second read, everything clicked. It\u2019s fascinating how much can be conveyed through imagery and a few speech bubbles \u2014 that\u2019s true artistry: expressing emotions, thoughts, and subtle social dynamics in such a compact form. One scene that stood out to me shows the Prime Minister of the Federation speaking with an admiral, where their differing stances on the Cumaea become clear with very few words. Particularly in the third volume, the story picks up speed \u2014 I found the action and tension in the second half especially compelling.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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I really enjoy the art style \u2014 it reminds me a bit of concept art from video game artbooks, though more detailed and refined. I\u2019d guess that the drawings were made digitally based on the way the coloring looks. The color palettes are beautifully harmonious, especially when blues or yellows are used in layered tones or when multiple light sources interact. I particularly love how these hues combine with intricate, ornate designs found in the architecture and clothing. You can get a great first impression of the book and its style by watching the Monstress Vol. 1 comic trailer on YouTube<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The artwork feels cinematic \u2014 many of the scene transitions could come straight out of a film storyboard. It\u2019s interesting how Sana Takeda describes her drawing process, which clearly shows the influence of film and television on her visual storytelling:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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“When I think about the compositions while reading the script, I imagine the spatial arrangement in my head and move the characters within it. Then I consider where to place the camera and which angle is best to capture the image naturally. That\u2019s how I construct my illustrations.” (Interview at the end of Volume 1)<\/p>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The chapter illustrations featuring the main characters striking graceful poses are also beautifully done. Considering that each book costs about \u20ac15 but includes nearly 200 full-color, high-quality pages, the price-performance ratio is excellent. Compared to other comics \u2014 many of which cost the same but offer only a quarter of the content and far less impressive artwork \u2014 Monstress<\/em> easily stands out. Even most manga, which often cost around \u20ac10, don\u2019t come close to this level of visual refinement. But rather than just telling you about the artwork, take a look at the photos in this post or the preview pages. The print quality is superb, and the paper has a nice thickness to it.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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The blurb promotes the series as \u201cArt Nouveau steampunk meets manga,\u201d which I find particularly interesting. Manga are typically known for their black-and-white, exaggerated visual style, and for the flowing reading rhythm \u2014 the \u201cflow\u201d \u2014 readers experience. While Monstress<\/em>\u2019s artwork far outshines that of most manga, I did find the reading flow quite pleasant, though I\u2019d say it\u2019s more typical of Western comics than the smooth, intuitive rhythm of manga. On my first read, it took me some time to piece everything together \u2014 especially after sudden scene changes. When, for example, the Court of Dusk appears for the first time, I was completely lost at first.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

I also really enjoyed the action sequences, which are classic comic-book fare \u2014 and that\u2019s a good thing. They give the story energy and spice. Maika is anything but gentle, and as a reader, you can\u2019t help but anticipate when she \u2014 or the monster within her \u2014 will unleash again. Sometimes, she even outshines the monster itself. The witch-nuns of the Cumaea, with their menacing aura, are also wonderfully portrayed. The story builds real tension again and again. That said, Monstress<\/em> can be quite brutal \u2014 the Cumaea mutilate Arcanics, and in fights, blood and limbs fly frequently. Reading those scenes on the subway made me a little self-conscious \u2014 especially in the mornings with kids around \u2014 though, realistically, most of them have probably caused far worse virtual carnage on their PlayStations.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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I also appreciated the explanatory inserts that describe the world and its peoples in more detail. These appear mainly on individual pages at the end of chapters. In them, a professor cat explains the world\u2019s lore to his feline students (cats are their own race in this universe). Sometimes, instead of the professor, propaganda materials from the ruling factions are shown. I think that\u2019s a brilliant touch. I already found propaganda material a great storytelling device in BioShock Infinite<\/em>, and it works just as effectively here.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Sana Takeda, the illustrator of the comic, was born in Japan in 1977 and works for the U.S. comic industry. Contrary to what one might assume, her background isn\u2019t in manga. You can find more of her work on her website<\/a>. At the end of the first volume, there\u2019s an interview with her. I find it fascinating that she collaborates with Marjorie Liu, the writer, despite the language barrier \u2014 they communicate through a translator. The fact that such a perfectly executed comic emerges from that collaboration is remarkable. Another interesting interview with Sana, conducted at Comic Con Dortmund 2016, can be found on YouTube<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Marjorie Liu is a lawyer and author who has written more than seventeen novels and has been quite active in the comic scene, having worked for Marvel as well. I hadn\u2019t read anything by either Sana Takeda or Marjorie Liu before this, but I also wouldn\u2019t call myself an expert on classic Marvel comics.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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Conclusion:<\/strong> Monstress<\/em> is one of the best \u2014 if not the<\/em> best \u2014 comics I\u2019ve ever read. The artwork is magnificent, the story is gripping, and it\u2019s told cinematically with plenty of action. At the same time, it\u2019s rich with subtle character dynamics and political tension, giving it great depth. The portrayal of the protagonist is consistently strong. Maika Halfwolf is a fierce woman worthy of the series\u2019 title, yet she feels authentic, with her fears, emotions, and flaws. Her search for her roots takes her through a beautifully realized world full of shifting settings, history, and complex political intrigue that completely draws the reader in. At times, I wasn\u2019t sure if I was reading a comic, playing a game, or watching a movie \u2014 a stylistic blend I\u2019ve rarely encountered. I\u2019m already looking forward to Volume 4 and can\u2019t wait to reread the first three to uncover even more of Takeda and Liu\u2019s extraordinary world.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Book Information:<\/strong>
Monstress Vol. 1: Awakening \u2022 Marjorie Liu, Sana Takeda \u2022 Cross Cult \u2022 192 pages \u2022 ISBN 9783959810579
Monstress Vol. 2: Blood \u2022 Marjorie Liu, Sana Takeda \u2022 Cross Cult \u2022 144 pages \u2022 ISBN 9783959810616
Monstress Vol. 3: Haven \u2022 Marjorie Liu, Sana Takeda \u2022 Cross Cult \u2022 144 pages \u2022 ISBN 9783959810654<\/p>\r\n\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For some time now, I\u2019ve been picking up comics, graphic novels, and manga from time to time, and over the past few months, I\u2019ve tried out several series. There aren\u2019t many that have truly stayed with me, but the series Monstress is one of the few comics that I would consider a masterpiece. Three volumes … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “Monstress \u2022 Marjorie Liu & Sana Takeda”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6969,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"slim_seo":{"title":"Monstress \u2022 Marjorie Liu & Sana Takeda - lesestunden","description":"Seit einiger Zeit greife ich ja immer mal wieder zum Comic, Graphic Novel oder Manga und habe die letzten Monate einige Reihen angetestet. Es sind nicht viele C"},"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"_slim_seo_primary_term_category":0,"_slim_seo_primary_term_post_tag":0,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[158,20],"tags":[177,178],"class_list":["post-5452","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-graphic-novel-and-comic","category-reviews","tag-marjorie-liu","tag-sana-takeda"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/monstress_beitrag_neu.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5452","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5452"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5452\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11086,"href":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5452\/revisions\/11086"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6969"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5452"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5452"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5452"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}