Monstress Book One - by Marjorie Liu (Hardcover)

Number of Pages: 528
Genre: Comics + Graphic Novels
Sub-Genre: Fantasy
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Image Comics
Age Range: Teen
Author: Marjorie Liu
Language: English

About the Book

"Maika Halfwolf lives in a world gripped by war--an alternate, matriarchal 1900s Asia brimming with arcane dangers. As she struggles to overcome the trauma of violence and regain knowledge of her past, she becomes inextricably linked to an eldritch monster of tremendous power. This link will transform them both, and place them in the crosshairs of deadly powers both human and otherworldly.

Book Synopsis

2018 Eisner Award winner, Best Writer
2018 Eisner Award winner, Best Painter/Multimedia Artist
2018 Eisner Award winner, Best Continuing Series
2018 Eisner Award winner, Best Publication for Teens
2018 Eisner Award winner, Best Cover Artist
2018 Harvey Award winner, Book of the Year
2018 Hugo Award winner, Best Graphic Story
2018 British Fantasy Award winner, Best Comic/Graphic Novel
2018, 2016, 2015 Entertainment Weekly's The Best Comic Books of the Year
2018, Newsweek's Best Comic Books of the Year
2018, The Washington Post's 10 Best Graphic Novels of the Year
2018, Barnes & Noble's Best Books of the Year
2018, YALSA's Great Graphic Novels for Teens
2018, Thrillist's Best Comics & Graphic Novels of the Year
2018, Powell's Best Science-Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, and Graphic Novels of the Year

The richly imagined world of MONSTRESS is an alternate matriarchal 1900s Asia, with an art deco-infused steampunk aesthetic that's brimming with arcane dangers. Within it, a teenage girl struggles to overcome the trauma of war, a task that's made all the more difficult by her mysterious psychic link to an eldritch monster of tremendous power--a connection that will transform them both, and place them in the crosshairs of both human and otherworldly powers.

Creator/writer Marjorie Liu (who made history as the first woman to win an Eisner Award for Best Writer) and creator/artist Sana Takeda present a deluxe, oversized hardcover edition of their beloved breakout comic in MONSTRESS BOOK ONE. Collecting the first 18 issues of the New York Times bestselling series, this massive edition features a striking new cover, as well as special extras, including never-before-seen sketches, script pages, and more for over 500 pages of award-winning content.

Review Quotes

"Feels like a battle cry." --Vox.com


"Filled to the brim with awesome." --Kirkus Reviews


"Takeda's visuals recall realistic, gritty manga such as Lone Wolf and Cub, with magic and monsters to rival those of Hayao Miyazaki's films." --Publishers Weekly


LIBRARY JOURNAL (STARRED) -- Haunted by her past, Maika Halfwolf seeks the truth about her mother and herself. Pursued by witches for her power as an Arcanic, Maika is also fighting against the eldritch monster within that threatens to consume her. Eisner Award-winning Liu's (Tiger Eye) expansive world, built by the stories of complicated, diverse, and strong women, rivals that of J.R.R. Tolkien and grows in complexity as Maika continues on her journey. Hugo Award-winning Takeda's (Drain) intricate, modern artwork features manga and steampunk elements and never misses a detail, complementing Liu's winding narrative. Emotions of anger, grief, and injustice experienced by Maika, as well as her allies and enemies, are palpable, as the various characters are caught in the trajectory on the outbreak of war. This oversized hardcover edition collects Issues 1-18 of the acclaimed series.
VERDICT Liu and Takeda combine steampunk and Lovecraftian-like eldritch horror in a world resembling an early 20th-century matriarchal Asia. Recommended for older teens and adults for mature language and content, and for fans of Tolkien and George R.R. Martin seeking to be immersed in a new fantasy epic.

NPR -- For page after gorgeous page, Monstress engulfs the reader in layers of masterfully drawn figures, textures and details. In the context of comics, where a few hasty scribbles often carry the whole weight of the reader's imagination, Takeda's compositions are almost dizzying. Her talent, like Liu's, is seductive - it distracts and overwhelms. Only after you've become acclimatized may you begin to notice certain weaknesses. For one, there's a static sameness to many of her female characters. Maika and nearly all the female bosses are annoyingly exquisite. (Could it be that crow's feet and double chins are caused by patriarchy?) But such shortcomings don't seem like that big a deal stacked against this saga's capacity to engage and absorb. When you're lucky enough to encounter a complex story, winning characters and all that delectable art, it's hard to get hung up on a few flaws - however pervasive they may be.

"World-building on a scale rare in mainstream comics." --The Hollywood Reporter