Monstress Volume 2: The Blood

by Marjorie Liu

Paperback, 2017

Status

Available

Call number

741.5

Publication

Image Comics (2017), Edition: Illustrated, 152 pages

Description

Maika, Kippa, and Ren journey to Thyria in search of answers to her past... and discover a new, terrible threat.

User reviews

LibraryThing member Stevil2001
I'll be honest, I don't really follow the unspooling backstory behind Monstress. All the stuff about gods and inheritances and dead gods and spirits and Dawn Courts and Dusk Courts... it's a bit impenetrable to be honest. But that's okay, because Liu and Takeda are much more adept at carrying the
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reader through the human, the immediate, and the emotional. As much as we learn about the god hidden inside Meika Halfwolf, we also learn about her relationship with her mother, and her childhood with tiger-pirates(!), and her determination to figure out how everyone around her is using her and escape it. We also get her being manipulative and clever, but not as clever as she thinks she is.

We also also get more Ren Mormorian, and more of catkind in general, and we get more Kippa being adorably innocent: loved her learning to swim with the help of a shark-pirate, and then that backfiring when she came along with Meikea and Ren. Loved Ren getting pushed around because he's so small, but sticking with Meika because of a promise he swore, and then getting to use his badass nekomancer powers. Loved Ren's superior explaining the significance of being a feline.

It's not a perfect comic (man I wish I cared more about the epic fantasy backstory), but I'm enjoying it, and it's different than anything else I can remember reading, and Takeda's art is still gorgeous. Hope that Monstress runs and runs, but I also hope she goes on to do even bigger and better things now that she's had her "big break" once it's over.
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LibraryThing member books-n-pickles
Another gorgeous entry, volume 2 of Monstress takes us away from the non-stop action (there are almost no witches at all) and starts answering the questions set up in volume 1.

Maika with her monster in tow, cat nekromancer Ren, and cute little half-fox Kippa return to Maika's mother's house on a
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coastal city to recover and meet up with some old friends: Ren visits the gorgeous temple of Ubasti, the cat god, while Maika visits a pair of all-tiger arcanic crime lords who love her like a child. When the city's pirate queens get wind of her presence, Maika and friends hop a pirate ship of their own toward the extremely haunted Bone Islands to find out why Maika's mother went there years ago. Sirens, Gideon the Ninth-worthy bone creatures, ancient ones' warlords, the formerly secretive human-hating dusk court, and those pirate queens are all hot on Maika's heels as as Zinn, the monster inside of her, gets more active and hungry.

I have to start out by saying...I LOVE THE CATS! Now that Maika is back to civilization, we're learning that cats are an ancient race whose revered poets are historians and archivists who are, to quote one poet, "f***ing glorious". Their temple to their god Ubasti is a cat's dream of multiple levels and sunny gardens. We even get to see Ren show off a little of his nekromancy skills--which, I have to admit, I thought in the context of volume 1 was an exaggeration or even a lie.

Kippa, the fox-child, continues to be impossibly cute for the situation, though it's kind of charming to see an unrealistically optimistic-rather-than-traumatized child. Again, this is apparently a common trope in anime to have a foil to the cynical protagonist. The new characters we meet are almost exclusively arcanic, despite repeated claims that Thyria is an integrated, peaceful city. But what arcanics! There are sharks, fish, more fantasy bodies in the vein of the one-eyed character from volume 1. It's also much clearer that the women leads in volume 1 were not just a side effect of how central the witch nuns were to the plot: this world is highly matriarchal, though again, no comment is made about the fact, which makes it feel as natural and historical as the patriarchy is in real life--though men seem to have achieved more parity in this world than women have in our own.

The gorgeous art continues to be full of sneaky eyes...as well as not-so-sneaky ones as we start to see the influence of the ancient Egyptian-style culture in which Zinn and the shaman-empress once lived. There are some very dark pages on the pirate ship at night, which made it a little hard to parse the action scenes, but the gist is easy to follow.

Monstress volume 2 only stumbles in one and a half ways: First, Maika's internal dialogue, which is entirely directed at her friend Tuya in volume 1 and volume 3, somewhat abruptly switches toward being aimed at Maika's mother. This is the half-stumble, as it doesn't take long to figure out. The more confusing one is that Liu tends to break up those inner dialogues into a single short sentence in square box over the course of several pages, with one per panel, simultaneously with (sometimes intense) action and dialogue bubbles. This made it hard to follow along on what was happening, so that I often had to re-read a scene first focusing on the text blocks and then focusing on the world bubbles. I did this from the get-go on my second read, following the monologues to their end before flipping back to follow the action and dialogues.

Overall, though, Monstress is just getting better!
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LibraryThing member wanderlustlover
Summer 2019;

(3.5)

Picked up to read between having read the first volume, forgotten about the series for a while, and seeing the 3rd volume is in the nominees for the 2019 Hugo Nominees. I still want to give this series four hundred stars just for the art (and it is part of why even with a 3.5 I
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went up rather than down). It's just so gorgeous. I have a very judgey aesthetic need where it comes to art, and 90% of the time comics will never reach it (and even a perfect story I will dock a star from for that, because this is a visual media as well as a written one).

I still find myself deeply entrenched, entranced, and in a swirl of questions about the goings on in this story. I am in love with the flashbacks between our main character and her mother, as we tease out through her point-of-view exactly what it is she never knew and what she's uncertain of still, and between it all the true path of what her mother's choices and complicated/conflicted loyalties, choices, and reasons were.

I'm never quite all that interested in the blood-demon side of stories like this, so this I was surprised when it became questioning and confused about its own self, about the way it remembered things, and what had truly happened in the past that it had forgotten. I still would very much like to know where this series is going and how long it might take to get there, and I pray to god no other artist ever switches in.

Also, Kippa may still potentially be my favorite character of this series. Innocent, sentimental children whose loyalty and love unstrips their size, age, and power ability just sink their teeth into my heart and refuse to come out.
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LibraryThing member villemezbrown
The surly, foul-mouthed protagonist with a tentacled demon god for a prosthetic arm continues on her dreary way through a second, pretty much unreadable volume.

Pretty pictures. Too bad all those words are blockin' out the scenery, breakin' my mind.
LibraryThing member kinwolf
Mesmerizing story, a must read. The coloring is not to my taste, but it doesn't get in the way of the story either.
LibraryThing member bookandsword
4.5/5 stars (rounded down)

This second installment was, well, amazing.
Now that I knew what the whole story was about I was able to cast my other expectations aside and just focus on it. And I was so pleasantly surprised.

I didn’t want to put it down!

I enjoyed the story flow in this one so much
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more. I feel like we got so much in regards of character development.
The art was even more gorgeous, especially in settings of Dusk Court and The Bone Island. Everything was so detailed, colorful and lush and I loved it!!

I especially enjoyed the ferryman - I just thought that he was such a great addition.

The only complaint I have is, well actually I have 2 complaints:
1. For being advertised as a steam punk, this had very little steam punk in it. Besides a few weapons that looked steam punk and some of the clothing designs - nothing else was steam punk to me.
2. Just as with the steam punk vibes, I couldn’t tell that the setting was supposed to be in Asia. The landscapes weren’t asian, there was no asian style architecture - if I didn’t read at the back of the book that it was set in Asia I’d have never guessed it on my own.

Nonetheless, I enjoyed this installment a lot and eagerly awaiting the 3rd one.
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LibraryThing member bragan
The second graphic novel collection of the dark fantasy comic Monstress. Much of what I have to say about this one is pretty much the same as what I had to say about the first one. The artwork is still absolutely gorgeous. The story is still full of magic, gore, and horror. And the worldbuilding is
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still rich, dense, and complex.

In fact, my only real complaint with volume one was that it was so dense and complex that I had some trouble following it. Well, I'm still not sure I understand everything, but I was at least on surer footing going into this one, which meant I was no longer so overwhelmed trying to figure everything out and was able to relax and enjoy the story a lot more. Which is nice, because it was a pretty good story, with some interesting revelations. I'm definitely intending to continue on with this, once volume three is out.
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LibraryThing member MillieHennessy
YASSS. ugh I love this series. I know it's only vol 2 but dang. this one has much less exposition, which is good because I don't have the same attention span with comics - I wanna see the pictures, not read full pages of text. there are still some historical lectures from the cat, but less than the
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first volume.

this world is just so cool! And the characters! And fucking Kippa needs to be my little buddy in real life. can't wait for vol 3!
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LibraryThing member lavaturtle
I liked that we learned a bit more about the history of the world, and the supernatural threats it's facing. But most of all, the artwork in this series is just breathtaking. Every panel of every page is filled with an incredible amount of intricate detail. It's beautiful.
LibraryThing member veeshee
GUESS WHO JUST RECEIVED HER COPY OF MONSTRESS VOLUME 2 IN THE MAIL???!?!?!?!?!

Yes, it was me. To celebrate, I read Monstress Vol. 1 before I started reading this one. Here are my thoughts:

As usual, this volume is filled with stunning artwork. Sana Takeda is a fantastic illustrator and she really
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makes the story come to life with her beautiful depictions. The story continues to be amazing, with even more world-building and intrigue! There were new characters involved and new truths revealed that have made me even more curious about Maika and her history. A lot of questions from Volume 1 were answered, and it was done in a very satisfactory manner, which is obviously a positive! There is more gore and violence in this volume, but it just makes the story that much more appealing! I found that this volume was a lot more dense than its predecessor, requiring some rereading at parts, but it was all part of the amazing journey that Marjorie Liu has created and it was well worth the effort. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who was a fan of Volume 1 and I would recommend this entire comic series for anyone who likes fantasy and beautiful artwork.
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LibraryThing member krau0098
This is the second volume in the Monstress graphic novel series. This was an amazing continuation of this fantasy graphic novel series. The illustration, story, world-building, and characters...all of it is absolutely phenomenal.

After finding a strange bone key in her mother’s room, Maika decide
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to journey to a deadly island to try to find out more about her past. While there Maika does find out a lot more about the monster inside her and during the journey she meets a new villain even more monstrous than she is.

I can’t praise the illustration of this graphic novel enough. The whole thing is absolutely stunning with muted colors and absolutely amazing detail both in the characters and in the backgrounds. It is just artistically amazing.

The characters are incredibly interesting and filled out as well, and not just Maika, many of the side characters are wonderfully intriguing. Additionally the world-building is very well done. This is an amazingly complex fantasy world that I am dying to learn more about.

This is a graphic novel for older readers; there’s quite a bit of graphic violence and language.

Overall this is one of those rare graphic novels that has is all: beautiful artwork, detailed world-building, amazing characters, and a wonderful story. I would recommend to mature readers who enjoy fantasy graphic novels. I definitely plan on continuing this series; it is one of my favorite graphic novel series right now.
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LibraryThing member rivkat
Mariko Halfwolf’s adventures continue as she visits the island of a dead god, among other things, and learns more about the monster within her. Still beautiful, still intriguing, still a bit confusing to me.
LibraryThing member BrilliantGlow
This is one of my favourite graphic novels and this volume does not disappoint. Fantastic story continuation, absolutely beautiful illustrations. Fantastic characters. I can not wait for the next volume.
LibraryThing member pwaites
TW: Childhood abuse

You know what I love? Stories! Know what else I love? Art!

Those two things being true, it’s really surprising that I don’t end up reading more comic books and graphic novels. As it stands, I really love the ones I do read. Then again, the few I’m picking up might just be
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extraordinary.

That’s certainly true for Monstress, a fantasy story written by Marjorie M. Liu and illustrated by Sana Takeda.

Before I start raving about Monstress: The Blood, I need to point out that this is Volume 2 of Monstress. And that this story really needs to be read in order. Maybe even preferably back to back? I waited a couple of months, and man I wished I hadn’t. I was eventually able to find my footing, but there was a lot I’d forgotten. Anyway, head over to my review of Monstress: Awakening if you are just starting the series.

Before anything else, I want to talk about just how gorgeous the art in Monstress is. Sana Takeda does a phenomenal job of bringing this strange, dark world to life. From the details to the design to the color work… I’m in love. And those art nouveau influences? *swoons* I’m lucky enough to have an edition that came with a small poster, and you better believe I have it taped up over my bed. I need more of Sana Takeda’s stunning work in my life.

I think that’s about enough gushing for now. Let’s get to the story! I remembered the vague outlines of the first volume of Monstress, but as I mentioned, I’d forgotten the details. This made reading Monstress: The Blood a bit challenging, since this is an incredibly complex story and world.

In Monstress: The Blood, Kippa finds an old bone key that belonged to Maika Halfwolf’s mother. Maika believes she knows where this bone came from, and she hopes if she ventures to that mysterious, dangerous island, she’ll be able to trace the path her mother took that led to the monster beneath Maika’s skin.

Monstress: The Blood does what any good sequel should do: expand the world, further develop the characters, and add complexity. We find out more about the Old Gods, who they are, where they came from, and the history of the one inside Maika (correct me if I’m wrong — the monster is an Old God, right?). Taking central importance is the shattered fragments of an ancient mask, which if pieced together could open a portal between the Old Gods and the world. Opening the portal might be the only hope for Maika to save herself from being devoured and devouring others… but it also might end the world.

When I read Monstress: Awakening, I fell in love with the character of Maika, a prickly anti-heroine. If anything, Monstress: The Blood made me love her even more. Maika is hostile and bitter, and she often lashes out emotionally at those around her (particularly Kippa, who’s unflagging loyalty she takes for granted). The Blood dives deeper into her character, especially when it comes to her relationship with her dead mother. And, wow. That woman was a piece of work. It’s not hard to see how she had a hand into making Maika what she is today.

When it comes to world building, The Blood takes us to new locals. Most notable is the isolated island, the destination of Maika’s journey. It’s an eerie, haunting place, and as ever, Takeda’s art is so wonderfully immersive.

In all likelihood, I’ll have to wait until summer of 2018 for a volume three. While Monstress: The Blood may have given me some answers, it also gives me many more questions. Who is Maika’s father? What will happen if she puts on the mask? Is the end of the world imminent? It sounds like things will be bad no matter what, and this series doesn’t pull its punches.

I can’t wait to find out.

Review from The Illustrated Page.
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LibraryThing member Faith_Murri
This first one was cool, but didn't really do it for me. This one, though, was seriously awesome. I'm loving this aesthetic, this art, and this world.
LibraryThing member Glennis.LeBlanc
This one has Maika looking for more info about the what is inside her and you find out more about her family. You get flashbacks of her as a child with her mother and meet her goddessfather , a pirate that helps her move find the island she needs to get to for more answers. You do find out more
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about the monster inside her and at some point we are going to find out more about her father. As usual the art is amazing in this book.

Digital review copy provided by the publisher.
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LibraryThing member Linyarai
I really enjoyed this one, the artwork was beautiful and the story was pretty easy to follow.
LibraryThing member booklover3258
Continues as a great story. Loving the cat and the fox girl. Looking forward to reading volume 3.
LibraryThing member souloftherose
The artwork is still gorgeous and a little too violent for me but I found the storyline easier to follow than Volume 1 and now definitely want to continue with this series. I would not recommend leaving long gaps between the different volumes (and I'm planning to pick up Volume 3: Haven sooner
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rather than later.
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Awards

Hugo Award (Nominee — Graphic Story — 2018)
Eisner Award (Nominee — 2018)
Bram Stoker Award (Nominee — Graphic Novel — 2017)
British Fantasy Award (Winner — 2018)
Otherwise Award (Long list — 2017)
Dragon Award (Finalist — Graphic Novel — 2018)

Language

Original language

English

Original publication date

2017-07

Physical description

10.1 inches

ISBN

1534300414 / 9781534300415
Page: 0.4188 seconds