Monster Planet #4: Treated Worse Than Animals

In the penultimate issue of Monster Planet, we find the line between what distinguishes a monster blurred even further as we dive back into Monster Island and all of its morbid history, secrets and brutal violence. It’s an issue that takes a dark turn in an already dark series, resulting in a dire setup for Spencer to complete her mission in the final issue.

First off, I really have a lot of fun reading this book. The team of human soldiers led by Spencer and the monsters who are supposedly led by the vampire Drake make up a group that I just want to read more of. While the monster focus has slowly shifted towards the cure and the impact of humans amidst all of the chaos, it’s purely an action-horror series and it succeeds by knowing what it should be.

The visuals are unusually stiffer than what we’ve found in previous issues, but they are still a lot of fun. From the Drowning Pool to the bandit’s enormous pet monster, the artwork has a lot going on that takes readers through this exciting issue.  Esposito’s letters have a bit more room to breathe due to the structure of this issue and they help to create a more rounded experience.

There are some general issues I have that are minor, like Xavier Drake taking a backseat and less of a global perspective in a series titled “Monster Planet”, but that doesn’t stop it from being a great time to read. The story doesn’t take itself too serious and I appreciate that, but it still knows when to push things forward dramatically when needed.

Monster Planet #4 is an issue that provides both context for what we’ve seen so far as well as kicks off an exciting conclusion. It’s certainly not a perfect book, or even series, but its one that you will certainly have a lot of fun with. As we finally reach the point to see whether Spencer can deliver a cure or not, I really hope we get a grand finale packed full of monsters and violence, because this series needs to go out on a true high note.