Trio of Mini Graphic Novel Reviews: Saga Vol. 8 & Monstress Vol. 1 and Vol.2

So sometimes in life, we want to write full-length reviews about everything we read and then life goes and says “Nope” and we sit here going Well, crap. With school starting on Tuesday, I want to finish up the reviews that I needed to do so I am not dragging them around with me on my to-do list.

There are going to be lots of spoilers. If you have not read Monstress or Saga then I stop reading after the first Monstress review!

Rating: ★★★★✩

Synopsis:

Set in an alternate matriarchal 1900’s Asia, in a richly imagined world of art deco-inflected steam punk, MONSTRESS tells the story of a teenage girl who is struggling to survive the trauma of war, and who shares a mysterious psychic link with a monster of tremendous power, a connection that will transform them both and make them the target of both human and otherworldly powers.

My Thoughts:

OH, MY GOD!!! The art is beautiful. The amount of detail of is put into each panel is awe-inspiring. Also, it is about 200 pages which is long for a graphic novel and a sensory overload to the point that I was getting a bit of a headache. The story takes you and it literally throws you into the deep end without a life jacket, but you learn quickly how to swim. The story is dark at some points and then absolutely hellish at others. In terms of characters, Maika is I guess you could say is an anti-hero. She reminds me of Adelina from The Young Elites. They both have a dark power that comes out of a messed childhood. Now, my favorite character is Kippa, the tiny fox child who hugs her tail when she is scared and makes me want to wrap her up in a blanket and take her somewhere happy.

(Cover Image and Synopsis from GoodReads)

 

Here is Kippa and Master Ren to give you an idea of the little smol bean she is. 

Okay, there aren’t really any spoilers in the next review.

 

Rating: ★★★★✯

Synopsis:

The Eisner-nominated MONSTRESS is back! Maika, Kippa, and Ren journey to Thyria in search of answers to her past… and discover a new, terrible, threat. Collects MONSTRESS #7-12

Sorry, it is not much of a synopsis but it does sum up well what was going to happen.

(Cover Image and Synopsis from GoodReads)

My Thoughts:

I loved this volume. So much went down! We find more out about the world in terms of history and new lands and about Maika’s past. Also, those little teachings that the professor cat whose name I am blanking on really helps create a better understanding of the world. Kippa is still a smol bean and ripping my heart out. Maika, I love her, she is trying to defeat the weird god thing (who is an absolute ass, FYI) in her arm. This volume did not give me as much of a headache but it was still a bit sensory overload and I will probably need to reread them before I read Vol. 3 which comes out on August 14, 2018.

Rating: ★★★★★

Synopsis:

After the traumatic events of the War for Phang, Hazel, her parents, and their surviving companions embark on a life-changing adventure at the westernmost edge of the universe.

Collecting: Saga 43-48.

My Thoughts:

This was one of my favorite volumes of Saga yet! I absolutely loved it. It had plot twists (OMG, the little boy from the train) and tense moments and new characters. It also deals with late-term abortion, grief, the importance of family and friends and how we cope when the world is against us. I am definitely glad that we got to see more of Petrichor and she definitely got some amazing character development. Hazel also grew as a character and it is amazing to watch her grow into the person she is. We also got to see Ghus, who is my absolute favorite character! I also found out that the series is not ending anytime soon but I am thinking that I will probably need to reread these in the near future to keep the stories fresh in my mind. There is no current release date for Saga Vol. 9 but I am thinking that it is most likely going to be late 2018 – early 2019.

Have you read either of these series? Do you like reading comics? What are some of your favorite comics?

 

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