Monstress: Issue 24

There are few things as satisfying as reading and coming across a quote that resonates with simple truth. I found a great one while reading the latest issue of Monstress:

“We don’t have to be friends. We just have to remember that if this world dies, we all die.”

There is nothing I need to say about this. The wisdom here is self-evident.

There will not be another issue of Monstress until after the New Year. I suppose I’ll have to be patient.

Monstress: Issue 22

I really love this series. The artwork is consistently stunning, and the writing is always superb. I cannot praise this enough. There is a reason why it has won so many awards.

I’ve had this issue for a while, but with the move and all, it was in a box and I only recently uncovered it and read it. As always, it was excellent. Rather than try to give a summary of a snippet in a long and complex story arc, I’ll just share a few quotes that resonated with me.

Violence is the first impulse of the wounded and uninspired.

This is so true. I could not have expressed this truth in a more succinct and clear manner.

In my experience, the almost-good are nearly always as malign as the all-evil.

I had to think about this for a few minutes, but then the veracity of the words came through. The road to hell is paved with good intentions, or, to coin another phrase I’ve heard, half measures avail us nothing. Trying to do good is not the same as doing good. As Yoda would say: “Do, or do not. There is no try.”

And finally:

As the poets say: It is the curse of the young to squander what their elders died to possess.

How many of us have rolled their eyes when hearing our parents talk about their hardships? I confess, I did it as a kid, when my dad lectured me about how he had to dig potatoes in the field after WWII just so they could have something to eat. In hindsight, I see I was a typical teenager, scoffing at the wisdom of those who were older than I. A mistake I earnestly try not to repeat.

Thanks for stopping by, and have an inspired day.

Monstress: Issue 20

Since yesterday was International Women’s Day, it seemed apropos to read the latest issue of Monstress this morning. I’ve been reading this comic since its inception, and it is one of my all-time favorite graphic stories. Written and illustrated by two women—Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda, respectively—the comic recently won an impressive five Eisner Awards, including Best Writer for Liu, the first time this award has gone to a woman.

I cannot sing the praises of this comic enough. The artwork is visually stunning, and the writing evocative and thought-provoking. If you are even slightly interested in the graphic novel genre, I highly recommend reading these books.

The cover artwork for this installment, and a couple quotes from the issue, should suffice to support my claims regarding the magnificence of this work.

“When two people are one in their innermost hearts, they shatter even the strength of iron. When two people ally with each other in their innermost hearts, their vows are stronger than poems.”

 

“Short-lived beings… and their inventions. I will never understand that desire… to defy and overcome… the limits of flesh. Such a primitive need for power.”