The ‘Monsters Unleashed’ story arc was a fun little diversion from the chaos that is the upcoming “Secret Empire” and also introduced us to the new Inhuman Kid Kaiju who is getting his own ongoing series. The Marvel Universe has always been full of giant monsters, and for the first time, it looks like we’ll be going to see them regularly as this new comic centers around an inhuman with the power to control and create them with a pen stroke. Writer Cullen Bunn had time to tell the world what direction he was going to take Kei Kawade in going forward which will be an interesting one as he has to balance giant monsters and not having them show up all around other Marvel Comics past this all-encompassing crossover that just came to a close.
While I am all for one on seeing kaiju fight one another in comics, it seems like a bit of a stretch that their ongoing appearances aren’t going to be more noticed by the mainstream Marvel universe. However, with the reappearance of one organization and bringing in other ones, this seems like it could make a lot of sense going forward, at least for a year or two.
Obviously, we’re going to see Kid Kaiju popping up here but what other heroes will be making an appearance?
“Elsa Bloodstone—famous monster hunter turned bodyguard—and a group of five monsters that Kei has created. These new monsters—Aegis, Mekara, Slizzik, Hi-Vo, and Skragg—form a powerhouse group of heroes unlike any that have been seen in the Marvel Universe. It’s their job to combat the most dangerous apex predators in the world: other giant monsters! In addition to the main team, we’ve got a great supporting cast. Parents, S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, Damage Control representatives, H.E.R.B.I.E. robots, and a host of villains, and that’s just to start!”
I think the best part about this already is going to be the return of Damage Control which just hasn’t gotten enough of the spotlight recently. This cleanup crew of the superhero world can often be entertaining and are an important aspect as they’re the ones who always have to make things right after heroes and villains destroy buildings and more.
We know that Elsa is working on training and protecting Kei but how else will she appear in the comic?
“Kei and Elsa have a bond. They’ve been through the fire of the Leviathon invasion together, and they are closer to it. But, in Kei, Elsa sees someone who is as interested in monsters as she is. Yes, Kei loves them and doesn’t want to see them destroyed, and Elsa was trained to wipe them out, but they share that bond. Kei’s parents don’t want their son to be a superhero. They know he can’t have a normal life, but they also don’t want him risking his life fighting gargantuan beasts. And then there are the government agents and superheroes who are seemingly always orbiting Kei and his monsters. Their interactions range from friendly to commanding to downright combative.”
Now for the monsters?
“When you’re dealing with monsters the size of buildings, there’s always a chance of getting squashed, I guess. This new team of monsters, though, all have their own personalities. In terms of how they interact, they are heroes like you would see in another team book. They have unique viewpoints, and they have lots of questions about their own origins, but they see Kid Kaiju as a friend, and they would face any danger to protect him. Now, Elsa and the monsters have a slightly more contentious relationship, but they recognize that they’re all working toward the same goal.”
Now, what can we expect from the fact that the world now knows that Kid Kaiju can control monsters?
“That’s a big part of the series. Kei is a young boy with what is potentially the most devastating power on the face of the planet. This means that many, many groups are keeping a watchful eye on him, all with different agendas. The Avengers want to train him. The Inhumans want him protected at all costs. S.H.I.E.L.D. wants him contained. Damage Control wants to make sure that the monsters don’t unleash massive collateral damage onto the world. But there are others who are very interested in Kei, too. Mole Man, who shows up early on, has use [for] Kei’s abilities. Lady Hellbender wants to know how Kei can summon monsters; when he started summoning creatures in the limited series, some of Hellbender’s menagerie vanished from their cages. And there is a group of villains—some of the most dangerous minds in the Marvel Universe—who want Kei for their own vile purposes.”
When I first thought about this being an ongoing series I cringed. However, as it is detailed out here, it makes sense. We’ll have S.H.I.E.L.D. and Damage Control involved, a complicated relationship with Elsa Bloodstone, villains who want to use his power for their own ends, and who knows what else they might have in store for us. This completely could be a fun ongoing series which could have ties to a slew of aspects in the monster filled corners of Marvel’s universe.
Are you looking forward to ‘Monsters Unleashed’? Do you feel that this is a good basis for an ongoing series? Share your thoughts below!
‘Monsters Unleashed’ will be ravaging your local comic shops on April 19th, 2017!
Source: Marvel
Stuart Conover is an author, blogger, and all around geek. When not busy being a father and husband he tries to spend as much time as possible immersed in comic books, science fiction, and horror! Would you like to know more? Follow him on Twitter!
