Monkey Prince #11 – Gene Luen Yang, Writer; Bernard Chang, Haining, Artists; Marcelo Maiolo, Adriano Lucas, Colorists
Ray – 9/10
Ray: The last arc of this series is tying into Lazarus Planet, but it’s still very much its own thing. The Lazarus Rains that nearly killed Supergirl last issue also seemed to give Marcus an odd ability to clone himself into chibi forms, but it’s never clear with a magical hero like this if it’s actually mutation or just something that was inside him all along. That’s certainly what the Ultra-Humanite wants to figure out, and he knows more than he’s letting on—including the fact that his grandson is actually the Monkey Prince. As the villain and Marcus’ father go on a quest to the destroyed Justice League headquarters to get the second half of a phantom zone projector, Marcus continues to try to figure out his new powers and foil them—but he may have bitten off more than he could chew. And when the portal opens, it’s not a new villain that steps out—it’s the Monkey King himself.
This mythological figure has been looming large over the entire series, and Sun Wukong is obviously not just a DC character. He’s a character who has played a major role in Yang’s other work as well, so I was very curious how he would be portrayed here. This is a more serious version of the character than we often see, chastened by an extended imprisonment and maybe hiding a dark secret of his own. He’s also not clear if he’s actually Marcus’ biological father, and a flashback to the day Marcus was found throws some more doubt on that element of the story. With only one issue left, I’m wondering how many answers we’re actually going to get, but this series speeds by on just how likable and entertaining it is. The two henchmen who became Marcus’ parents should be unlikable, but Yang manages to make us care about just about everyone. Can’t wait to see just how this wraps up.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
