Marjorie Liu returns to comics with artist Sana Takeda for an all-new ongoing series, Monstress! Steampunk meets Kaiju in this original fantasy epic for mature readers, as young Maika risks everything to control her psychic link with a monster of tremendous power, placing her in the center of a devastating war between human and otherworldly forces.

Monstress kicks off with a triple-sized first issue (60 pages!), and even when you get to that last page, it doesn’t feel like enough. Liu has put together a magical world (pun intended) that mixes so many genres that there’s a little something for so many. Fantasy, steampunk, Kaiju, anime, it’s all here mixed together in an amazing combination that seamlessly flows together.

I think what’s more impressive is Liu’s inclusion of political and societal commentary within, and doing so in a way that doesn’t come of as preachy, and is almost not noticeable. It too is mixed in and peppered throughout. The story at it’s core is about a woman, a minority, fighting against the oppressive majority. Choices by Liu to have what seems like a matriarchal society changes that context into something more than a woman fighting the patriarchy which the series could have easily been (and it still would have been great I’m sure). Instead, Liu gives us women who are good, evil, and somewhere in between painting a broad swath that can be debated for hours on end. It’s this type of layering of ideas, themes, and concepts that has created one of the richest debuts of the year.

Takeda’s art helps that richness literally painting a canvass that I was in awe staring at. The art is some of the best of any comic out right now. Its style is so detailed, and beautifully colored, I just don’t know how to praise it enough. The amount of work that has to go into each issue feels like it must be staggering.

Liu in one issue has put together what feels like a thought out world with a history that goes back decades. Battles are referenced, events mentioned, it all feels like its been thought out and meticulously put together. Add on top of that women (well character really) of all types, shapes, sizes, skin color, and you have what is a diverse, in many ways, debut. All of that together creates one of the best debuts, and comics, of the year.

Story: Marjorie Liu Art: Sana Takeda
Story: 10 Art: 10 Overall: 10 Recommendation: Buy

Image Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review