Monkey Prince #9 – Gene Luen Yang, Writer; Bernard Chang, Artist; Marcelo Maiolo, Colorist
Ray – 9/10
Ray: Every four issues, Monkey Prince shifts bases as Marcus Sun’s parents uproot him and take on a new job in a major DC city. First was Gotham, where he was harassed by Robin and fended off a demonic Penguin. Then it was onto Amnesty Bay, where he trolled Aquaman and was nearly eaten by the Trench. And now it’s Metropolis, where his parents are going to work for Lexcorp. Should be the sleepiest of the three locations—except it’s anything but. On their first day of work, Marcus’ parents are in the middle of a demonic invasion by King Fire Bull—the Demon Lord Nezha’s arch-rival and erstwhile family member. This is all building towards Lazarus Planet, so that explains the sudden uptick in adrenaline—but it doesn’t prepare us for the apparent murder of Marcus’ mother only pages into the issue. It’s a shocking gut punch that makes the pages of Marcus training and meeting with friends feel filled with dread.
But then the story takes a completely unexpected turn, as Marcus’ mother isn’t dead—although it’s never quite clear how. And instead of taking her to the hospital, her husband wants to take her to her father—an eccentric old scientist who seems to have a long-standing rivalry with Marcus’ dad. At the same time, Supergirl is investigating the violent incident at Lexcorp (with a guest-appearance of a fan-favorite Lexcorp mainstay) and winds up clashing with Monkey Prince. MP’s attitude, of course, does not go over particularly well and he winds up in a brawl with the young Kryptonian—just as the truth of his grandpa’s appearance is revealed and some of the odd things the old man says finally fall into place. This is an issue with a lot of twists and a much darker tone than the rest of the series. Can’t wait to see how this final arc sets Marcus up for the future of the DCU.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
