Marjorie Lou and Sana Takeda: Monstress Vol 2 - The Blood

[bibliogramma]

The second volume of Majorie Liu and Sana Takeda’s graphic narrative, Monstress: The Blood, continues with the orphaned refugee Maika Halfwolf’s search to uncover the secrets of her long-dead mother. Maika, with her Arcanic companions, the foxchild Kippa and the feline nekomancer, Master Ren, have persuaded an old comrades of her mother’s to take her on a voyage that follows her mother’s journey to a dangerous and mysterious island known as the Isle of Bones. Meanwhile, the various great powers are searching for her, because they suspect she has the weapon her mother used to end the last great war between them - though they have no idea of what that weapon might be. And others are trying to stop her from reaching her intended destination.

The story remains complex and interesting, with Maika as a most unusual protagonist. Her position as a survivor of multiple abuses, including being made the host of a vast and violent intelligence that drives her to seek blood, makes her a walking contradiction, victim and predator. The multiple quests - her seeking to understand her mother’s actions and the thing inside her, while the great powers of her world seek her, fir the thing she carries, offer further conflicts.

The artwork continues to be breathtaking in its complexity, beauty and impact. When I read the first volume, I had not done a lot of reading of graphic novels. I’m still not a big fan of them, but some, like this one, have definitely captured my imagination. This is compelling storytelling, in a visually stunning form.