Monstress issue 2 won’t hit shelves until December, but you can check out the beautiful cover right now.

Monstress, written by Marjorie Liu and illustrated by Sana Takeda, takes place in an alternate world set in the 1900s where monsters roam the earth. Our heroine, Maika, forges a bond with one of the beasts, and for better or for worse finds herself with some incredible abilities.

The Monstress issue 2 cover by Sana Takeda can be found below in all its glory.

As we said in our review of the first issue, Monstress is, without a doubt, something entirely different. The illustrations are gorgeously crafted in a style that lends itself to the horror Maika experiences, and yet they are so beautiful you can’t help but stare in wonder. The story, while dark, is also full of strength and hope.

Issue 1 introduced us to the world Monstress lives in, setting up plenty of questions that will, hopefully, be answered in the series’ future. Though we only got snippets of what Liu’s story has in store for us, we can’t wait to learn more.

So, what do we hope will happen in issue 2? Continual worldbuilding would not be amiss, considering we were dropped right into the action from the get-go. More of Maika’s story would also be welcome. We know she is both physically and emotionally damaged, but we don’t know how it happened and what led to it. And some more cute fox creatures would help lighten the dark tone of the story.

About the author

Marjorie Liu is an attorney and New York Times bestselling author of over 17 novels. Her comic book work includes X-23, Black Widow, Dark Wolverine, and Astonishing X-Men, for which she was nominated for a GLAAD Media Award for outstanding media images of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.