Monsters In Love Spoiler Free Review
I often opt not to write about anthologies. How do I boil down more than a handful of stories into a single review? When there are so many stories exploring different aspects of a single topic, it’s sometimes hard to find a through-line to really grasp for critique. Monsters in Love: A Pride Anthology from Dark Horse and Tiny Onion is different, though, as you’d assume it would be. There is cohesion between every story in what I would describe as the book’s mission statement, which comes from the first story by Tate Brombal, Isaac Goodhart, and Miquiel Muerto:
This is why we tell stories and why we love comics. To get lost but also to be found.
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This is a comic anthology created by queer creators for readers who need to feel seen in comics. Monsters and horror have been a safe space for so many people to feel they belong. We see ourselves in the monsters we love. Monsters save us and remind us of our own imperfections. With an anthology like this, every story carries that love, each featuring monsters of all shapes and sizes. It’s a testament to the fact that just because you are different does not mean you are wrong or unlovable.
After the introduction story, James Tynion IV and Noah Dao tell a story that may have jumped to the top of vampire love stories for me. The story is called “Bite Me,” which is so aptly named for its beautiful love story with the sharpest of canine teeth. While I will not dive into spoilers for any story, this one feels like such a strong opener because it deals with a familiar monster that everyone already relates to love. To be consumed is to be loved. But from there, we delve further into the strange and dreamy world of monsters.
It’s not just monsters, though, because identity itself is such a strong standout in this anthology without the confines of a non-creator anthology. What I often find is missing from pride specials is transness. Large companies, for some reason, shy away from it as part of their identity. It’s what makes this anthology stand above the rest, because transformation and identity are so important to monster stories. Trans identities stand front and center in so many of these stories, such as The Bargain by Lee Ostertag. It’s a story about a Djin that will move you nearly to tears as it did me.
Each story is entirely unique but holds hands with the one before and the one after to remind you that all the forms of you are loved and should be loved. It’s a smorgasbord of talent, from writing to art to lettering. Every story is a love letter to comics as a place to explore who you are and what you can be.
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