Barsidius_Krex
Since: Sep, 2015
06/20/2021 00:00:00
i think a major hurtle for me was how little actual downtime there ends up being. the story is exhilarating, but it\'s also kind of exhausting. with the constant perspective shifts, the gambit pileup, and the torrent of beautiful ultraviolence, i never felt like i had enough time to stop and catch my breath and properly internalize everything. i also felt like the lord of carrion\'s settlement on the island of bones wasn\'t actually explored in the slightest; that was a big disappointment for me. that whole arc ended up feeling fairly inconsequential by the end of volume 3.
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Fascinating... if you can get past the near constant confusion.
This comic certainly has a lot going for it. An interesting cast of main characters (each with their own compelling backstories and motivations), an eye candy art, a fascinating world with a very rich lore and a plot full of intricate mysteries. The problem is, the lore and mysteries are a double edged sword for this story.
Monstress drops the reader In Medias Res, right in the middle of a pretty complex plot, takes it's sweet ass time to start explaining things like the main character's overall goal or the situation she's in, and expects the reader to learn too much too fast about the world, as we are bombarded with lore details left and right to the point of overload. Granted, things get slightly better in chapter two but the start is so confusing, many readers are bound to get turned off and not read as far. The start of the story is supposed to hook you, not leave you so confused you don't know which way is up.
That being said, if you initially show patience, the story that awaits you is well worth it. Our team of anti-heroes have a nice variety of personalities and they may surprise you more than once. Maika's relationship with her monster is the most compelling part of the story, the clever-tongued cat is an absolute joy, and the series even managed to create a kid sidekick that is endearing rather than annoying. The universe is fascinating, and opening each mystery box just makes you want to keep on reading.
I have a feeling that Monstress would be way more popular than it is if it handled its first chapter better.