Marjorie Liu’s Monstress Stomped In Today!

Marjorie Liu’s Monstress with artwork Sana Takeda is out  today and it is a huge first issue. Beautiful 68 pages of high quality paper stock which really showcases the fabulous artwork by Sana Takeda. What is not obvious at first glance, is Marjorie’s writing. She creates what could be a post-apocalyptic world that I hate to admit, I can identify with. Then again, it just might be my experience working retail that makes me think that way.

This writer, Liu, is honing her craft with every new project, not only has this first issue been great fun for me to read, but I like how Liu captures and infuses the human condition into the main protagonist to make me feel like it is my struggle too. The struggle to survive under impossible emotionally crushing odds, while remaining laser focused to serve out, what I believe will be justified (possibly wrong for me to take delight in) revenge, while keeping us on the edge of your seat suspenseful. Liu’s ability to make the main protagonist’s experience our own every step of the way through the first issue is important. Nothing loses my interest like apathy towards the characters in a story, so the fact that Liu gets me involved, concerned or worried in what happens to the characters, well that keeps me coming back for more. Without that factor, I’m not reading it, or watching it for that matter. How does she do it? I have no idea, but it might involve crossroads or secrets we are all better off not knowing about. Each panel of gorgeous art doesn’t hurt the story either, but in all honesty, I’d keep reading if the artist were as skilled as I am, which means to say, other than a stick figure, I cannot draw anything. That is how much I enjoy the writing talent Liu possesses.

Since I cannot predict where this story will end up, I can assure you, it will be worth the journey Liu has planned for us. I don’t say the following, just  to hear myself talk (wait that is me being my mother) because I’ve read and have enjoyed most of Liu’s New York Times best selling novels and comic book work already. Nor am I saying any of this because I stock and sell her work in the comic store. Note: As long as you are not stealing your comics, I do not care where your purchase them, as long as you are paying for them.  Not everyone can know who I am so, while I realize we all don’t have the same taste in music, books, clothes, men, shoes, whatever, there is only so much a review, minimal as this is, can do to sway you one way or the other. 

If you however, you subscribe to the idea that no thought is original, that all stories have been told, then like me, you read a lot, you might find yourself rarely surprised. I believe, unoriginal can be forgiven, if the experience a writer is providing is made worth the time you invest to read it. To date, Marjorie Liu has never failed to surprise me or keep my undivided reading interest with every page turn. For those that have not read her work before, this one is, without hesitation a must have, a must hold, a must read!

You are a fool if you don’t read it, just sayin’.