Thought I’d do a quick update on the MonkeyBrain Comics titles I’m following which, for now, continues to be all of them.
I originally posted about the MonkeyBrian roll out here. Later I posted about the latecomer to the brand, Masks and Mobsters, here. Since then there have been the following additions:
- Aesop’s Ark #2
- Amelia Cole and the Unknown World #2, #3
- Bandette #2
- Edison Rex #2
- Masks & Mobsters #2
- October Girl #2
Some thoughts:
Aesop’s Ark I’d buy just for the art. It’s really nice to look at and the fables within the fable are enjoyable so far. That’s not the only MonkeyBrain title whose art stands out either. One of the most enjoyable things about these comics is that they all have their own distinct style and I’d bet you’d have a hard time finding a comic that looks similar to any of them (with the possible exception of Amelia Cole) anywhere right now. Aesops Ark, Bandette, Masks & Mobsters and October Girl are all real standouts for their unique looks.
This isn’t to say that the other comics aren’t nice to look at, they are, but Edison Rex’s look, while different, doesn’t appeal to me nearly as much as the others. Amelia Cole’s look is probably the most traditional, but that doesn’t mean its bad or boring. Far from it. It just doesn’t grab me as being particularly unique or different looking.
When it comes to enjoying the complete package Amelia Cole is my favorite title coming out of MonkeyBrain right now. I look forward to learning more and more about the Unknown world and Amelia’s connection to it. Masks and Mobsters is Amelia’s strongest competition for my affection and if I could only read one of them it’d be a very, very hard choice. I was pleased to see that the M&M looks like it will have a more traditional ongoing narrative then I first thought it would have. For example I was happy to see Bobby Silver make an appearance. Now I’d just like to see a bit more of the Masks.
Bandette is a strange one for me. It’s so quirky and weird and goofy that I keep telling myself I don’t like it, don’t want to like it, but I can’t deny it’s appeal. It has a great look and the fun factor can’t be ignored. Though I’m surprised to say it, I will be buying issue #3 and probably many more to come.
October Girl remains a nice read and I like that it does pack a fair bit of reading into each issue so far with its combination of layout and extensive internal monologue. I loved the last panel of issue #2. Like the others I will be back for more.
Edison Rex is almost the opposite phenomenon for me as Bandette. I want to like it, want to give it every chance, but if I had to dump one of these titles from any future reading list it’d probably be Rex. I hate to say that, because I think it deserves better. This feels to me like a personal thing where it’s just not clicking for me because I’ve read a lot of similarly themed comics and books recently. I think I’ve had my fill of the evil master criminal turned protector. Still, I don’t have to choose to drop any of these titles so I will continue to give Edison Rex the chance to grab me.
In my opinion all of these titles are worth your time to check out. MonkeyBrain is offering a nice variety of story and art with them and they’re creator owned, so that’s always nice to support. You know that the stories won’t be guided by corporate marketing or other outside influences that turn so many mainstream titles into frustrating experiences for loyal readers. So, if you haven’t yet go to comixology and check out these great series.