KAIJUMAX SEASONS 1-2 review
(Reviewed by Melody Werner)
Kaijumax is an ongoing two-time Eisner winning monster/prison comic series published by Oni Press since 2015. Written and illustrated by Zander Cannon, it follows Electrogor, a kaiju and single father who is arrested while trying to get food for his kids and taken to Kaijumax, a maximum security prison exclusively for kaijus. It's one of those weird sounding series with such a unique premise that it's either doomed to fail or destined to be one of the best series being published. Luckily for Kaijumax (as well as the team behind it), it's the latter.
The art is really cartoonish, and I presume this would be the biggest sticking point for some people; however, if you don't mind good art of this style, then you're going to end up liking Kaijumax's art since it is good. Also it's aesthetically distinct--you know you're reading Kaijumax when you read this series because no other series looks like it. So that kinda flare makes me appreciate it more, I think. In the second "season," Kaijumax's art is a bit lower fi, there are some parts where the art is a tad eh I feel, but it's not a huge grievance. Despite its simplicity, the art makes it so the series flows well visually. I didn't have much a problem telling what was happening in each panel, and that's a seemingly mundane and easy thing that even so-called premium books fail to do nowadays. It's generally visually polished overall, with nice lettering and whatnot, though for some reason there are text bubbles which are colored for a given character (which makes sense to help distinguish who's talking when they're off-panel), but then there are some bubbles for said characters which won't have that color (which is confusing). Not a big deal, but it was odd nevertheless. The character designs are all really cool, especially for characters like Electrogor and Whale-Ape. Electrogor is an especially good design, because just by looking at him you can kinda tell who he is and you naturally end up feeling bad for him just at a glance. He's like a pug, you just naturally have that kind of connection with him, based on his look. The humans definitely have a very Ultraman or Jet Jaguar look to them, but I believe those were in homage and I think it fits quite well thematically.
Kaijumax's narrative is surprisingly deep and intriguing. Set in a very interesting and fresh world, with exceptional worldbuilding, it places an emphasis on the characters more-so than a plot per se. It's more about the characters and their own stories, as opposed to a traditional "let's break out of jail" thing. So, naturally, the characters themselves must be good and interesting enough to carry character-driven tales. And they are, with a lot of complexities, flaws, and likeability which makes their trials resonate more and have more impact. It's a deceptively twisted series, with some macabre and tragic moments. But I mean that in a good way; it's sort of like Black Mirror in that the messed up things play into the stories themselves well and elevate things. Every plot point tightens pressure on the characters, and makes your mouth drop. It's brilliant story-telling, made all the better by that emphasis on characters first. At first, I thought Kaijumax would be more of a comedy series, but once you get more into it, it becomes more of a drama with very few laughs, if any. Even if you figure out what's going on, it's so compelling that it's like a dirge, in a way. As in "Oh no, please don't let this terrible thing happen..." followed shortly by a "fuuuuuuuuuuuuuck." There aren't really any deus ex machina moments, or things which just make me cringe in terms of storytelling, and it doesn't hit familiar beats like the dreaded "liar revealed." The dialogue is well written and clever. It's buttery smooth pacing wise, with little downtime between for it to lose momentum and get dull. There are times where this story just kinda makes you feel sick in your stomach when terrible shit happens to characters like Electrogor, who are naturally identifiable and likeable.
I've gotta say, this is an unexpectedly fantastic series deserving of the honorifics it's gotten over the years. If you're a fan of monster movies, prison stories, character-driven dramas, or just plain good comics, then Kaijumax is for you. I'm going to give Kaijumax Seasons One and Two a collective 9.5/10. If I had to give a suggestion for anyone who decides to read this series, try to avoid spoilers especially. This is a series where knowing what will happen won't deflate the story, but it is best explored sight unseen I think.
Must-read
Summary:
Great art, a twisted tone, an excellent world, a thoroughly compelling story, phenomenal characters, lightning fast pace, awesome character designs, a cool as hell premise, and solid dialogue make Kaijumax one of the best series I've read this year. This is one of those series where it sticks with you long after you've stopped reading it for a while, because it's just so goddamn good. The art can be iffy at times, but if you don't dismiss it upfront and give it a try, you'll find that this is one of the best comics on the market for a good reason.
Kaijumax is an ongoing two-time Eisner winning monster/prison comic series published by Oni Press since 2015. Written and illustrated by Zander Cannon, it follows Electrogor, a kaiju and single father who is arrested while trying to get food for his kids and taken to Kaijumax, a maximum security prison exclusively for kaijus. It's one of those weird sounding series with such a unique premise that it's either doomed to fail or destined to be one of the best series being published. Luckily for Kaijumax (as well as the team behind it), it's the latter.
The art is really cartoonish, and I presume this would be the biggest sticking point for some people; however, if you don't mind good art of this style, then you're going to end up liking Kaijumax's art since it is good. Also it's aesthetically distinct--you know you're reading Kaijumax when you read this series because no other series looks like it. So that kinda flare makes me appreciate it more, I think. In the second "season," Kaijumax's art is a bit lower fi, there are some parts where the art is a tad eh I feel, but it's not a huge grievance. Despite its simplicity, the art makes it so the series flows well visually. I didn't have much a problem telling what was happening in each panel, and that's a seemingly mundane and easy thing that even so-called premium books fail to do nowadays. It's generally visually polished overall, with nice lettering and whatnot, though for some reason there are text bubbles which are colored for a given character (which makes sense to help distinguish who's talking when they're off-panel), but then there are some bubbles for said characters which won't have that color (which is confusing). Not a big deal, but it was odd nevertheless. The character designs are all really cool, especially for characters like Electrogor and Whale-Ape. Electrogor is an especially good design, because just by looking at him you can kinda tell who he is and you naturally end up feeling bad for him just at a glance. He's like a pug, you just naturally have that kind of connection with him, based on his look. The humans definitely have a very Ultraman or Jet Jaguar look to them, but I believe those were in homage and I think it fits quite well thematically.
Kaijumax's narrative is surprisingly deep and intriguing. Set in a very interesting and fresh world, with exceptional worldbuilding, it places an emphasis on the characters more-so than a plot per se. It's more about the characters and their own stories, as opposed to a traditional "let's break out of jail" thing. So, naturally, the characters themselves must be good and interesting enough to carry character-driven tales. And they are, with a lot of complexities, flaws, and likeability which makes their trials resonate more and have more impact. It's a deceptively twisted series, with some macabre and tragic moments. But I mean that in a good way; it's sort of like Black Mirror in that the messed up things play into the stories themselves well and elevate things. Every plot point tightens pressure on the characters, and makes your mouth drop. It's brilliant story-telling, made all the better by that emphasis on characters first. At first, I thought Kaijumax would be more of a comedy series, but once you get more into it, it becomes more of a drama with very few laughs, if any. Even if you figure out what's going on, it's so compelling that it's like a dirge, in a way. As in "Oh no, please don't let this terrible thing happen..." followed shortly by a "fuuuuuuuuuuuuuck." There aren't really any deus ex machina moments, or things which just make me cringe in terms of storytelling, and it doesn't hit familiar beats like the dreaded "liar revealed." The dialogue is well written and clever. It's buttery smooth pacing wise, with little downtime between for it to lose momentum and get dull. There are times where this story just kinda makes you feel sick in your stomach when terrible shit happens to characters like Electrogor, who are naturally identifiable and likeable.
I've gotta say, this is an unexpectedly fantastic series deserving of the honorifics it's gotten over the years. If you're a fan of monster movies, prison stories, character-driven dramas, or just plain good comics, then Kaijumax is for you. I'm going to give Kaijumax Seasons One and Two a collective 9.5/10. If I had to give a suggestion for anyone who decides to read this series, try to avoid spoilers especially. This is a series where knowing what will happen won't deflate the story, but it is best explored sight unseen I think.
Must-read
Summary:
Great art, a twisted tone, an excellent world, a thoroughly compelling story, phenomenal characters, lightning fast pace, awesome character designs, a cool as hell premise, and solid dialogue make Kaijumax one of the best series I've read this year. This is one of those series where it sticks with you long after you've stopped reading it for a while, because it's just so goddamn good. The art can be iffy at times, but if you don't dismiss it upfront and give it a try, you'll find that this is one of the best comics on the market for a good reason.
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