Posted in: Comics | Tagged: aftershock, chris evenhuis, leonardo da vinci, Machiavelli, monstro mechanica, Paul Allor, sci-fi

Monstro Mechanica #2 Review: A Vast Improvement on the Last Issue

Isabella and the Monstro Mechanica are tasked with infiltrating Rome and extracting Marcus Baroni before the Medici siege begins. All the while, Isabella continues to wonder if the machine is learning how to be human.

Leonardo da Vinci and Machiavelli oversee the siege outside the city walls.

After giving Monstro Mechanica #1 a pretty harsh review while seeing some potential in it, I thought to give the second issue another chance.

And I'm quite glad I did. Monstro Mechanica #2 is a vast improvement on the first issue. It phases out many of the problems I had with the first issue. It shows more awareness of what a terrible person Leonardo is, it focuses far more on Isabella, and it has more fun with its premise.

It's also a lot funnier. There are many good moments between the automaton and Isabella, and the two make quite the team. Even the issue of race is handled better. Alessandro is given some dialogue and personality beyond being a toady or someone's punching bag. It's still not perfect; he's still needlessly abused. However, it's still a small improvement on the problem.

The comic has a lot more movement as opposed to the constant political underhandedness of the first issue. Much of the comic is Isabella and the automaton dodging cannon fire and chaos in Rome. It's exciting and a good bit of fun.

Chris Evenhuis' artwork, the best thing about the first issue, continues to look very good with the second. There is a life and energy, and it's surprisingly clean-looking. This helps allow Sjan Weijers' already excellent color art to pop off the page all the more. This is a gorgeous comic.

Despite my myriad complaints about the first issue, Monstro Mechanica #2 is a great read. It improved on many of the complaints of the first book, and it kept the bits that worked. I recommend this one. Check it out.

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