New yr, new comics! That is the famed motto proper? In the event you’re in search of a brand new favourite to lose your self on this yr, then you definitely is likely to be asking the place do I begin? Fortunately, we right here at DC.com can be found to assist fulfill all of your studying requests on this very pleasant weekly column the place we advise a terrific comedian that you need to spend your free time studying. (We advise doing it over the weekend, however actually, any time you might have a free hour or two will work.) This time spherical I’ve received one thing actually particular for you. Certainly one of DC’s latest and most enjoyable heroes has had his collection collected for the very first time! Yep, Monkey Prince Vol. 1: Enter the Monkey is on cabinets now. This participating commerce collects Monkey Prince #1-6 in addition to the story the place Marcus Solar debuted within the sensible 2021 one-shot DC Pageant of Heroes: The Asian Superhero Celebration, all of that are additionally obtainable on DC UNIVERSE INFINITE, for those who choose to learn your comics digitally. Both means, here is why Monkey Prince ought to be your subsequent Weekend Escape.
The Premise:
Providing a brand new spin on the Chosen One trope that is so prevalent in superhero tales, Monkey Prince introduces readers to Marcus Solar, a seemingly regular teenager who was traumatized after he noticed Batman assaulting his dad and mom as a baby. However as we rapidly come to study, Marcus is definitely the son of Solar Wukong, the famed Monkey King, and due to that, he has fantastical powers and a better journey forward of him than simply scraping by at Gotham Excessive. This units him on a path of superheroic self-discovery and pits him in opposition to the shadows and nervousness of his childhood trauma as he has to face down none apart from Batman. It is a enjoyable new twist on the superhero origin that additionally acts as an excellent introduction to the expansive lore of Wu Cheng’en’s massively influential basic sixteenth century Chinese language novel, Journey to the West.
Let’s Speak Expertise:
Monkey Prince boasts a roster of all-star comedian e book expertise: a number of Eisner and Harvey award-winning author Gene Luen Yang, celebrity artist Bernard Chang, acclaimed colorist Sebastian Cheng and famend letterer Janice Chiang. I all the time get excited once I see that Janice is lettering a e book as she’s one of many names I have been seeing in my comics since I used to be a baby. She’s at her finest right here and is joined by an all-Asian artistic crew that makes Monkey Prince really feel like an immediately basic DC hero despite the fact that that is his very first journey. Chang and Cheng craft a visible panorama that feels slick, thrilling and fashionable whereas additionally echoing the timeless fashion of the DC superheroes which have come earlier than.
A Few Causes to Learn:
- A brand new perspective on the DC Universe: As followers of the sprawling world of DC, we frequently marvel what it seems like to really stay inside the cities that our favourite heroes patrol. In Monkey Prince, we get a floor stage view of simply how terrifying and overwhelming that may be, particularly in case your dad and mom get on the unsuitable facet of Batman. It is this juxtaposition that makes Monkey Prince so fascinating. Positive, Marcus Solar is the titular legendary hero, however he is additionally a standard teenager attempting to outlive in a world stuffed with meta-humans who can break into your house and beat up your dad in the event that they really feel prefer it.
- Lose your self in epic fantasy storytelling: Comedian e book superheroes are fantastical by their very nature, however Monkey Prince takes that one step additional. Marcus’ life and powers are intrinsically linked to the magical world of his father Solar Wukong, the famed determine referred to as the Monkey King. That makes Marcus a legacy hero in a completely new means for DC. Whereas his father may not be a widely known DC hero, the Monkey King is a famed folkloric determine in China and past. You’ve got seen the Monkey King encourage many tales together with a few of your favourite TV collection like Avatar: The Final Airbender, Dragon Ball Z, Into the Badlands and even an episode of Wishbone! To have him turn out to be part of the broader DC Universe makes lots of sense. Plus, we get to discover the lore in an entire totally different means with Marcus and Monkey Prince as our entry level.
- Fall in love with that killer character design: With the Monkey Prince, Bernard Chang created a very distinctive search for a DC superhero. It is cool, barely surreal and comes with each a brand and armor impressed by his legendary origins, to not point out a brilliant sick pair of kicks. As Chang informed DC.com, “The Monkey Prince is a young person named Marcus going to highschool, so you understand no matter he’s carrying has to have some hotness to it.”
Why It’s Value Your Time:
Dynamic, heartfelt and action-packed, that is the proper learn for superhero heavyweights or newcomers to the DC Universe. This debut quantity is a good introduction to a model new character that DC appears to be all-in on, whereas additionally serving as a slick showcase for the immensely proficient creators behind it. Plus, you get a terrific primer on one of the crucial influential tales ever informed. Principally, this is among the most enjoyable DC comics of the previous few years and this weekend is the proper time to choose it up and meet your new favourite hero.
Monkey Prince Vol. 1: Enter the Monkey by Gene Luen Yang and Bernard Chang is now obtainable in bookstores, comedian outlets, libraries and on DC UNIVERSE INFINITE.
Rosie Knight is an award-winning journalist and writer who loves Swamp Factor, the DC Cosmic, and writing about these and extra right here at DC.Com. You may hearken to her waxing lyrical about comics, motion pictures, and extra every week as she co-hosts Crooked Media’s pop-culture podcast X-Ray Imaginative and prescient.
NOTE: The views and opinions expressed on this function are solely these of Rosie Knight and don’t essentially replicate these of DC Leisure or Warner Bros.
