It’s the Motherflippin’ Conclusion in MONKEY PRINCE #12! Or is it?

Monkey Prince #12 picks up in the aftermath of Lazarus Planet, with Marcus helping Supergirl clean up. We are reunited with Shifu Pigsy shortly before King Firebull attacks, revealing Monkey Prince’s true origin.

Gene Luen Yang has crafted a very well-detailed, 12-issue origin story for Monkey Prince with this conclusion to his run. The revelation that Marcus is a clone that gained sentience, preserving its life gestating as a baby, seems super out of the left field, but ultimately serves this story very well. Marcus has struggled with identity since the first issue, with his intense social anxiety causing him to work on making friends. These issues are further complicated by his parents constantly moving him around the country.

His origin revealing that he’s not the son, he’s the Monkey King, and that he’s something else entirely, almost solidifies the identity that Marcus has been struggling to attain. He no longer has to live up to the expectation of being the son of a classic, mythological hero, but instead, he can focus on being his person. This is the perfect kind of confidence boost he needed, setting him on a path for an exciting future wherever Yang and DC take him next. 

This issue also continued to be a perfect tie into the events of Lazarus Planet while not forcing that plot down our throats. I did not read Lazarus Planet and was happy that this issue gave enough context to let me know what was happening. This plot point also helped reunite Marcus with Supergirl, one of the best pairings we’ve gotten so far in this series. Supergirl is the first hero to see past the facade that Monkey Prince puts on and genuinely looks at him as an individual who fights for good. Marcus has been through a lot in this series, so seeing a famous hero and having his back is excellent. 

As for setting up the future of the character, this issue did a great job in putting the genie back in the bottle while also reminding readers about the different aspects of Marcus’s life that make him a unique heMarcus’sgrandfather is still The Ultra-Humanite, and his parents are going to continue to be evil accomplices. These family members make Monkey Prince unique to the DC universe, so it makes sense to maintain their status quo before concluding this arc and the series.

Bernard Chang’s art has been a highlight of the series and is fully displayed in this issue. Chang gets to go all out with great splash pages and gorgeous set pieces. I miss seeing the small, not-quite-perfect clones that Chang has drawn in previous issues, but the clones he draws in Monkey Prince #12 are still amazing. One plot thread here is that Marcus’s insecurities are causing Marcus’s question who the original is, allowing Chang to draw each clone in a nuanced, unique way. This was a great touch and proved a gratifying aspect of the issue.

Considering this is the end of this series’ 12-issue run, I hope Chang returns as the artist wherever Monkey Prince appears next.