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. 

After the action of that first scene, we see Supergirl flying to LexCorp to investigate. Supergirl as a detective ... I like it.

She basically ignores the LexCorp worker who asks her to leave the premises.

And she picks up a clue. There are fingerprints inside the gun Laura used, and they aren't human.

There's a lot to love here. I like Supergirl's confidence from the heroic pose in the first panel to her attitude to her intelligence. I like the use of the police tape as a pseudo-panel border. 

But it is Chang who sings here. I am not a fan of this pant-suit for Supergirl, especially with that extra-wide belt. This is the best I have seen it look. Kudos to Chang.

She follows the lead to the Monkey Prince's grandfather's house/lair. 

Again, fantastic page by Chang showing how imposing and heroic and basically iconic Supergirl can look. I mean that first panel ... wow.

Even the Monkey Prince is thrown by her. Maybe smitten is a better word.

We don't know who that fingerprint belonged to but it must be someone pretty bad. Because Supergirl doesn't have time for small talk. "He" has been seen here and probably has a hideout here. She assumes Monkey Prince is a lackey for whoever this big bad is.

Things ratchet up quickly. She grabs him roughly. Maybe this is a little too quick. But it probably clues the reader in that whoever 'he' is, it is someone to be dealt with swiftly.

 Monkey Prince isn't a follower and Supergirl shouldn't worry her "pretty little blonde head".

Kara won't be mistreated that way. She won't be spoken to in that fashion. 

Boom.

Right hook.

But even flying off, Monkey Prince still comments on how pretty she is, how good she smells. 

It is the classic trope of heroes fighting when they first meet. But it works well.

Again, I think the quick right hook is just a way to show that this is a threat that Supergirl feels the need to deal with fiercely. And if Monkey Prince is in her way, she'll get him out of her way.

And then the reveal of who 'he' is!  The Grand-Father swaps his brain out of the elderly man and into a more familiar body ... the Ultra-Humanite!

I suppose all the brain-transplanting talk and high-tech equipment should have tipped me off!

But this is a great cliffhanger. and wonderfully composed page. The Ultra-Humanite is a huge threat that does need to be taken out. Will Monkey Prince recognize that? Will he defend his Grandfather? Will Supergirl befriend the young hero and help figure it all out?

I'll definitely be picking up the next issue. Supergirl really shone here. And if it is just as good, maybe I'll seek out the older issues too!

Overall grade: B+