New comic “Monstress” launched last month with 66 pages of rich story that takes place in a matriarchal society in an alternate early 1900s Asia.
The ongoing series starts after the end of a devastating war that has left tensions between humans and Arcanics – part-human, part-supernatural people – higher than ever. In the first issue (triple-sized, though subsequent issues will be around a more typical 22 pages), we met Maika, a 17-year-old Arcanic who”s found that surviving a war doesn”t mean the worst is behind her.
In issue #2, we see the aftermath of Maika”s escape from the the Cumaea, witch-nuns who enslave Arcanics and experiment on them, and we again meet Maika”s cat friend, Mr. Ren.
Below, check out HitFix exclusive images from issue #2, which will be released next week, on Wednesday, December 9 (when you”ll be able to see the dialogue in these panels of the issue). Just these three images give us another peek at how artist Sana Takeda can shift from the horrifying and bloody to the beautiful and adorable: Here we see Mr. Ren, plus the bloody scene Maika left behind at the Cumaean stronghold. Kippa, the little fox-girl who escaped with Maika, is also in the new issue. Click on the images below to view a larger version of them.
For more about “Monstress,” read our interview with writer Marjorie Liu.
Image credits: Image Comics