What is Monstress?

What is it?

Monstress is a comic book series from Image Comics written by Marjorie Liu and illustrated by Sana Takeda. The series tells a complex tale of magic, war, and political maneuvering in a steampunk fantasy world. It is driven forward by strong, female characters and contains a very interesting narrative.

What is it about?

The central story in Monstress follows Maika Halfwolf, a young woman who’s life is complicated by a variety of factors outside of her control. She cannot remember aspects of her own past, she is caught in the middle of a war between two dangerous entities, and she is the vessel of tremendous power that dominates her life. Her journey for answers and search for some sort of peace takes her across the land and forces her to make a variety of both friends and enemies.

Alongside Maika’s struggle is a tense environment of political maneuvering and war. On one side is the world of humans and the self-absorbed witches who hold power over them. On the other side is the Ancients, a race of immortal, sentient animals, and their half-Ancient/half-human decedents, the Arcanics. Both forces live in fear of one another but also share an even deeper fear. They are all afraid that one day a group of Lovecraftian Old Gods will return to destroy the world, a prophecy that looks more likely over the course of the series.

Who is it for?

One of the most significant draws of the Monstress series is the high-intensity fantasy epic that takes place across its pages. Most of the book involves journeys from one fantastic location to the other, most of which end up resulting in thrilling battles or tense encounters. Each of these journeys also involve a number of plot threads weaving in and out of one another, all while others slowly build in the background. The end result is a story that feels similar to the Lord of the Rings or A Song of Ice and Fire and is likely to appeal to fans of similar-style fantasy epics.

The other draw is the absolutely wonderful world in which Monstress takes place. The world of Monstress is filled with imaginative races and cultures that are unique to this particular story. Its steampunk setting and matriarchal societies are something rarely seen in this, or any other, genre. Even the history behind this world is extensive and details a fascinating tale of both biological and societal evolution. All of this is then backed up by gorgeous artwork which helps imbue the people and landscapes of this book with even more creativity. Anyone who enjoys worldbuilding, especially in relation to fantasy, will find a lot to love in this series.

This comic is rated Mature and is intended for mature readers. It contains nudity, violence, and course language, so those uncomfortable with this should not pick up this series.

Want more?

Those interested in reading Monstress should check out ComicBookWire’s reviews of the series to find out if this comic is for them.

Our report on the return of the Monstress series details some exciting new releases from the series.