August 1, 2022
The award-winning team behind the best-selling "Monstress" series reunites for this tale of generational trauma and supernatural horror. Chinese American twins Milly and Billy have spent their lives trying to win the approval of their mother, Ipo, who immigrated from Hong Kong before they were born and seemingly disdains the life of privilege to which her children were born. When Ipo demands that the twins help her clear out the overgrown, abandoned house in their neighborhood, they assume it's a test of their work ethic--until they discover a roomful of hideous dolls, a massive inhuman skeleton buried in the front yard, and learn about the gruesome murder that took place there years earlier. Illustrator Sana Takeda delivers nuanced character interaction and visceral horror with aplomb. Liu's script alternates scenes of present-day action with flashbacks exploring Ipo and her husband Keon's courtship, their early careers in the Hong Kong film industry, and the decision to immigrate to the United States. This enriches the emotional stakes of the story and builds to a shocking reveal and exciting, cliffhanger ending. VERDICT An intriguing first entry in a promised trilogy, sure to leave fans anticipating the second installment.
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