Reviews with content warning for Gore - Monstress, Vol. 2: The Blood

I'm not very much into graphic novels because I have a hard time paying attention to both the images and the words. But the Monstress series is worth it because it's dark and beautiful and stunning.

I really should have read this shortly after reading Volume 1, because it took me a little bit to catch back up on the plot and what exactly Maika is up to at the moment. But after I got back into the swing of the story, it was absorbing. The plot is strong and the story is interesting, and the artwork is absolutely stunning. Maika is so full of rage and anger, which is interesting in itself because it's something you don't often get in female characters, and she's the kind of fearless and take-no-shit that I love because she knows the monster inside her won't let her be killed and any suffering before that point she knows she can handle.

This book (volume? Collection of comic books?) is difficult to review because it's not a complete story in and of itself like an entry in a traditional novel series would be. Putting it in terms of what I'm used to, it feels like a chunk of the middle of a novel. And that's because in a way it is - it's chapters 7-12 of a single 35-chapter-and-still-ongoing story. This is not at all how I'm used to experiencing stories, but I love these ideas, these characters, and this artwork - and besides, I'm always trying to read new things anyway. I am definitely not going to wait too long before getting Volume 3.

Content Warnings

enbygolem's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Content Warnings

ceilidhwilliams's review against another edition

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dark tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Content Warnings

brookey8888's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

I was just so confused. I really like the fox though they are so cute.

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therainbowshelf's review

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dark tense slow-paced

Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

The art of this series is stunning. I love looking at the intricate detailwork on every page. Sometimes the beautiful, dark style doesn't seem to match with humorous things being said or done. I also frequently feel like the main character is built up to be this callous, cold woman with no empathy, but then she shows random empathy moments like not wanting a bunch of ghosts to stay trapped in limbo and it throws me off.

Content Warnings

wordwilderness's review against another edition

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dark emotional fast-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

It’s been a long time since I’ve read something that I couldn’t put down, so reading this was like a breath of fresh air.

The story is dark and violent, but there’s a thread of hope that broke out in the most surprising ways. I loved seeing the characters change in this second volume. I never expected so much depth of character development from a graphic novel, but I severely underestimated “Monstress”. I can’t wait to continue with this series!

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