Review: Monstress Vol. 3- Haven

Quick Summary

Pros: All of the positives from the previous two volumes return. This collection makes the lore even more interesting and doubles down on suspense. The artwork is incredible and significantly enhances the reading experience.

Cons: Nothing significant.

Overall: With a host of positives and a near absence of negatives, this is an incredibly satisfying and entertaining collection from start to finish. It manages to capture almost all of the interest and wonder of previous collections and enhance it. This, when paired with breathtaking artwork, makes for the reading experience any fan of the series would hope for. Anyone who has enjoyed this series thus far needs to read this volume.

Story

The third volume in the Monstress series, written by Marjorie Liu, is also the best volume in the series thus far. The story in Monstress Vol. 3: Haven is better and more interesting than it has ever been and gives no indication of letting up anytime soon. The main plotline is compelling, the action is intense, and the narrative is easier to follow along with than before. This collection also introduces a new focus that expands upon the comic’s already fantastic lore. Overall, this is another win for the Monstress series.

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The third volume of Monstress contains everything fans loved about the first two volumes. It has personal struggles for individual characters, lots of worldbuilding, and a continuation of the main characters’ epic journey. It is also far less confusing than before since many of the enigmatic qualities inherent to this world have been explained in previous collections. From beginning to end, there is almost nothing about this volume that manages to fall short of previous volumes.

There is, however, plenty of ways in which Haven elevates the series as a whole, the most significant of which is the focus it places on the Old Gods. Within this collection, readers realize that the Cumaea have been taken over by the Old Gods and are actively working toward some currently unknown goal. Why this is happening and how it relates to Zinn drives the read forward and generates an incredible level of interest.

Along with this, Zinn’s connection to the Shaman Empress is also explored further. It is a cryptic and incredibly important piece of the Monstress mythology that is just now coming to the surface. It is also made increasingly more relevant as it appears to have some direct connection to Maika’s life and the future of the entire continent. Uncovering the surface of this mystery reveals how deep it can potentially go and opens an entirely new area of interest for the series as a whole.

Learning new information about the Old Gods isn’t just clever worldbuilding, as it also massively increases the scope of the entire series. Monstress has gone from a simple battle between rival cultures to a scenario with potentially world-ending consequences. Watching an Old God almost make its way into the material world is a terrifying sight that crystallizes the threat posed by these ancient beings. All of this significantly increases the tension and excitement present throughout this read and is a positive step for the series.

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Art

Once again, the artwork in Monstress is absolutely fantastic and is one of the comic’s most significant positives. Sana Takeda’s work here is incredibly detailed and creative on nearly every page. This can be seen in the well-defined features of the main characters or the subtle cultural differences in the backgrounds of the cities. Takeda’s work here brings Monstress to life and truly makes this feel like a living, breathing world.

This artwork also enhances the reading experience in nearly every regard. It makes the worldbuilding more meaningful by visually displaying imaginative cities and gorgeous landscapes. It also makes the story more intense by depicting the enemies as intimidating and frightening as the narrative would suggest. The visuals here look good and make this a better volume overall.

Continuity

Monstress Vol. 3: Haven continues the story from Monstress Vol. 2: The Blood (Review).

The story here continues in Monstress Vol. 4.