By T.W. Worn — There is something daunting, yet freeing, when it comes to exploring a piece of art that is free from its context. Being able to objectively explore the story without knowing of the intricacies of the world this story lives in. Imagine watching Rogue One: A Star Wars Story without ever having learned of The Star Wars. Would you understand what's going on? The movie is supposed to be a stand-alone film, but how much of it makes sense without the semantic subtext of The Star Wars?

I like to think so, but I've seen The Star Wars so it's hard to remove that lens. No matter what I do, I will know who Dark Vader is. I know the Rebel Allegiance needs to obtain the Doom Stars plans, because I saw Luke Skyman use those plans to blow it up (I think I have all of those names right…do I have all of those names right? Eh.). Rarely do we truly get the chance to explore a story in a world we know nothing about.

Well, today I get to do that with Monstress: Talk Stories #1, the first half of a mini-series within the world of Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda’s Monstress. Even though I have not read the main series, Talk Stories is still a fantastic tale of the troubles of living in a refugee camp of a war torn nation, as well as trying to gain the affection of a parent in a dysfunctional family. All at once it is disheartening and wholesome. The perfect balance of heartbreak and inspiration, and even if you know nothing about the characters within this world, you can still dive in and enjoy what you're reading. Exploring this powerful tale has inspired me to pick up a copy of Monstress Volume One, because if it is even 10 percent as great as this issue, I know it will be money well spent.

The series artist and co-creator of Monstress, Sana Takeda, also illustrates the mini-series, giving us an intimate exploration at the difficulties of living in such a place. Every scene is filled with a reality we have all seen, even though in this book it is anthropomorphic fox people who are living in this ungodly condition. They're suffering, hope, and inevitable emotional destruction is telegraphed perfectly on the page. Having worked with Liu for the last few years, you can easily see that the collaboration between the two has grown so powerful that at no point did I have any questions about this story. Even without knowing anything about this world, Takeda gives us enough visual details to let us know what we need to know.

Like I have mentioned, I know nothing about the world of Monstress, and that did not stop me from deeply enjoying this issue. Liu and Takeda are a powerhouse team, and I regret not getting into their work sooner.

OVERALL: Monstress: Talk Stories is both a fantastic spin-off as it is an entry into this team's work. 8/10

REVIEW: Monstress - Talk Stories #1

Monstress: Talk Stories #1
Writer: Marjorie Liu
Artist: Sana Takeda
Colorist: Sana Takeda
Letterer: Rus Wooton
Publisher: Image Comics
Price: $3.99
Bridging the gap between the fifth and sixth arc (which resumes in January 2021), MONSTRESS returns with TALK-STORIES, a two-part limited series that invites you to eat dumplings beside the fire and listen as Kippa recounts a defining moment from her childhood.
Release Date: November 25, 2020
Buy It Digitally: Monstress - Talk Stories #1