Monsters Unleashed

by Cullen Bunn

[Quirky Cat]

Monsters Unleashed is probably a plot most Marvel fans are at least somewhat familiar with, as it crossed into most of the Marvel comic ‘verse (there are very few exceptions I can think of). This collection explains the cause and conclusion of those events.



If you’re looking for a story about giant monsters beating each other up, good news! This is the story for you. If you’re looking for something with a lot of plot, this may not be the comic for you. Monsters Unleashed is the story of Earth by invaded by hundreds of monsters from outer space (I did warn you). All of Marvel’s available superheroes are doing everything they can to stop the invasion and keep the people safe. In the air (more specifically, in space) Captain Marvel and her crew are trying to prevent as many as possible from making landfall. Those that they miss are being handled by the multiple teams on the ground. These teams include; the X-Men (members of the team at least, there’s not enough time in a five issue series to show them all), the Inhumans (again, a select number shown), the Avengers (some past and present members), the Champions, Guardians of the Galaxy, you get the idea.
On the bright side, people who love watching character interaction (like me) will enjoy the little moments strewn throughout. There’s lots of funny little moments, which is good, since despite the destruction being shown I never really felt like the monsters were a threat (I know I was supposed to, but for some reason I just had trouble taking them seriously).
What I found odd were the choices behind the cause and the solution (whom I think was the reason for this whole event to begin with). The cause? A giant monster hive queen wants Earth for her brood. Not the deepest plot I’ve seen, but it’s passable at least. The solution to the monster problem (because the sheer number of heroes listed wasn’t enough) a new Inhuman who draws monsters and cam summon/sort of control them.
I’m actually pretty sure this whole plot was just to establish a new character (Kid Kaiju), which is odd, considering how the plot bounced into so many characters individual stories. It’s not a choice I would have made personally; since I felt pretty let down that all that build-up was basically for nothing. On a happy note, it was a quick read and it certainly wasn’t boring!


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