I’m playing catchup again this month: three series I’ve been reading all had issues this week, keep reading for reviews of Skyward #14, Middlewest #8, and Monstress #23.
Skyward #14
Another arc comes to a close in this month’s Skyward, pretty satisfyingly I thought. I feel like the series has embraced the tongue-in-cheek feel that’s been creeping in over the last dozen or so issues. Everybody’s very quippy with each other, and the bad guy is interrupted mid-monologue.
“I am but one amongst many who have come for what is ours. For what we deserve. We have come for the –what the hell is that? I’m mid-speech and —
“Lucas, look out!”
*WHOOOOM!*
“Sigh. We’re here to take the city.”
“I gathered, yeah.”
Not to mention the fact that the evil hoard that’s going to destroy the city is riding on top of beautiful butterflies. Lee Garbett and Antonio Fabella draw it in a way that’s both badass and hilarious.
The ending wraps up nicely enough that it could almost be a series finale, but another issue is due out in July, so I’m looking forward to what Willa and her friends get up to next.
Middlewest #8
Maggie and her people are cleaning things up, following the fallout from Abel’s time with the carnival. They’re having to answer the question no altruistic person wants to deal with: is it worth helping a troubled person if doing so puts you in real danger?
If he continues on the same path, Abel will end up just like his father, and no one wants that. But his powers are triggered by fear and rage, and he has some serious anger issues. Maggie doesn’t want to put her people in harm’s way, but not everybody is ready to give up on him just yet.
There are a lot of good questions being asked and the story is definitely interesting. The problem is I don’t like anybody in this comic. Obviously Abel’s father is an unredeemable asshole (I would love for someone to drop a building on his stupid face) but Abel is almost impossible to like. That’s the point, I know: he’s had to survive so much, and he’s protecting himself any way possible, and the average teenager is difficult to put up with at the best of times. But he’s got a hair-trigger response to everyone and even his friend Fox gets snapped at for offering a frigging suggestion.
Maggie also has good reason to be defensive and surly, but watching her throw a full “HOW DARE YOU QUESTION ME I GAVE YOU EVERYTHING” tantrum at the people of the carnival is hard to tolerate.
I think this may be a case of the writer and artist telling the story a little too well: everybody’s attitude is very realistic and believable, and every sneer of spite and twisted face of hatred is portrayed extremely well. And reading it stresses me out and I’m not sure how much longer I want to read a comic where I dislike everybody so much.
Monstress #23
If you’ve been reading this series you’ll know Maika is surly, cynical, and pragmatic to a fault. So when her father tells her she’s too sentimental, that’ll tell you a lot about the kind of person he is.
Having dinner with him is horrific for Maika for a couple reasons. For one, she’s basically looking at a picture of herself in the future, what she could turn into the longer Zinn lives inside her, as her humanity falls away little by little. And also: well I’m not going to say why it’s horrific, but it’s pretty awful, and once again shows how little humanity her father has left.
We also get a little look at what happens when you push Master Ren just a little too far. Don’t mess with the cat, is what I’m saying.
The art in this issue is beautiful as always (I love the images that are back lit, where a bright light outlines the edges of things) but in every issue there’s usually one panel that you just have to linger over for a while. In this issue it happens on the second-to-last page, and the details, lighting, and layout are dramatic and lovely.
Maika’s alliances are having to adapt minute by minute, I’m curious to see how the new developments this issue play out in the future.