Review: Monkey Prince #12

Monkey Prince #12 came out this week, the end of this series which I discovered on the back end. I came for the Supergirl guest star but I stayed for the good story.

Writer Gene Luen Yang and artist Bernard Chang continue to bring a tremendous story to life here. I have really been entertained by this young hero learning the ropes, guided by a mentor, finding his place in the DCU. Add to it a super-villain family and a mysterious origin and  you have a great mix of character pieces to build on. 

But there also was a sense of joy here. And a solid sense of humor. Monkey Prince talks the way I would talk if I was a teenager who suddenly had powers and was rubbing elbows with Supergirl. He relishes his powers with a sense of wonder and fun. 

I guess I would say this reads like classic Spider-Man to me. Quips and kicks flying!

I have always been a fan of Bernard Chang's art and he really shines here. I love the mythic aspects and the action. And his Supergirl is just glittering. I loved him when he was on the Supergirl book back in the day so it is great to see his take on Kara again.

In fact, if there is one thing to complain about here, it is the treatment of Supergirl in this last issue. She is taken out ... albeit by magic ... and needs rescuing. She never gives up. She keeps fighting. But it would have been great if she wasn't the weak link.

On to the book ... and then onto the back issue boxes for me to get the first eight issues.

Bullet Review: Monkey Prince #11

I recently reviewed Monkey Prince #9 and Monkey Prince #10 on the site because Supergirl was a guest star. I was pretty impressed by those issues for a number of reasons. Certainly, Supergirl was fantastic in the book, given proper treatment. Second, the story was a fun, rollicking adventure with great action and dialogue by writer Gene Luen Yang and artist Bernard Chang. The story had more Kryptonian ties than just Supergirl. Lastly, it was a great tie-in to Lazarus Planet. 

So when Monkey Prince #11 came out this week, I grabbed it. Maybe Supergirl would still be in it. Regardless, the story and art grabbed me in the prior issues and I wanted to read more. High praise and shows what a good guest star can do, introduce you to a new book and make you buy it.

This issue was a bit of a revelation for the book. There is no Supergirl, not a big surprise. But the premise of the book (at least that I could glean from the issues I have read) is that Marcus' father, the Monkey King was thought to be an evil presence. Now that might not be true.

Even more interesting, the origin of our title hero not only feels a little more like Superman's but has some direct ties to Krypton. Very interesting for me!

As always, Bernard Chang just brings it on art here. The panels and action sequences are dynamic, innovative, and crazy in a good way! I really like his work and this seems the perfect book for him.

This will be a quick review!

Review: Monkey Prince #10

Monkey Prince #10 came out this week, the second part of his team-up with Supergirl and basically a prelude to Lazarus Planet:Alpha. Monkey Prince is definitely going to have a role in that crossover given the main villains, so I was glad to see that the main cover was adorned with some trade dress promoting it as a Lazarus Planet tie-in. I do think DC missed an opportunity here. Lazarus Planet:Alpha was a critical hit. DC really should have tossed the 'prelude' word on the cover to bring in more eyes. 

Writer Gene Luen Yang does a great job of pushing the title's storylines forward, embedding this story within the Lazarus Planet storyline, and shine a bright spotlight on the guest star Supergirl. Seriously, in some ways this reads like a Supergirl book with Monkey Prince as the guest. I love the interaction between the two as well. Supergirl is definitely the veteran here. She is amazing in this issue and it makes me wonder what a Yang/Chang Supergirl solo book would read like. 

While the Lazarus Planet:Alpha issue was able to stand alone perfectly, this issue truly builds on that story, filling in some of the questions I asked when I read it. So kudos to Yang. 

As always, Bernard Chang delivers beautiful art. This issue (and I assume this book) is a mix of big action and silliness. That is a tough line to walk. And yet somehow Chang is able to deliver monstrous battles and clone dandruff scenes effortlessly. 

If you like Supergirl in Lazarus Planet:Alpha, I would recommend seeking out this issue.

On to the book!

Bullet Review: Monkey Prince #9

No big surprise that I picked up Monkey Prince #9 this week. With a guest star like Supergirl and a fantastic variant cover by Inhyuk Lee featuring her, it was a cinch that I'd pick it up and cover it here. I mean, look at how cute this cover is.

I also wonder why I haven't been reading this book to begin with. The writer is Gene Luen Yang, whose work I liked on New Super-Man and The Terrifics. I sort of liked his work on the Superman book. The art is by Bernard Chang, whose work I have loved just about everywhere. Whether Supergirl or Wonder Woman or Demon Knights or you name it, I love Chang's art. Seriously, I loved Chang's Kara and even have an original Chang Supergirl page hanging in my office.

The two treat Supergirl with a lot of respect. She is smart and pro-active. She is clearly established. And she doesn't suffer fools lightly here. I'm very happy with her here.

But I don't know if I can comment as easily about the main character. I know, I am jumping on board at Monkey Prince #9. 

Everybody's comic is their first comic. This is my first Monkey Prince. I know nothing about his origin, his powers, his motivations, or anything, I am usually against recap pages but I sure could use one here. Or maybe even a little origin box around the issue's title. But nothing.

The issue opens with the Monkey Prince's parents are scientists who work for LexCorp. A trio of demonic beings, calling themselves Generals, break into LexCorp to find Bizarro clones to eat in hopes of getting powers. Crazy opening scene ... but one I could barely follow.

The Monkey Prince's mother, Laura, has her neck snapped by one of the Generals. The Monkey Prince's father takes her to Prince's maternal grandfather, a super-scientist with a penchant for transplanting brains and healing injuries. Can the Prince's mother be saved?

But wait there's more.