#441 - Catching up, part 1: Kaijumax Season One.

It has been nearly two weeks since I last posted anything here. That has not been by design or intention but simply due to a confluence of events such sick kids, school closures and my own fluctuating mental health.

However, in that time, I have still managed to read a number of comics, including two trade collections.

The comic which has been my main focus during this time has been Kaijumax Season one, which follows the goings on within an island prison created to house the monsters and kaiju of the world. Told (mostly) from the perspective of Electrogor, a recently captured monster who simply wants to return to his now parentless children, the series follows the power struggles, corrupt guards and various fights of prison life, but on a much, MUCH larger scale.

I've heard a lot about Kaijumax for a good few years from various places, all of whom gave it high praise. So, when Comixology were offering it on sale just prior to Christmas (or was it just after?) I thought this felt like providence and took advantage and see what it is all about.

Well, with the news that Comixology was going full on Amazon and some of the horror stories people were mentioning online about the new set up, I thought I'd try and get one last comic read before the changes and Kaijumax became that choice.

So, was it worth the praise I kept hearing? Well, the short answer to that is I don't know. Kaijumax was an interesting read, but one that I'm not sure was meant for my mentalities or that I understood 100%. 

That's not to say that that the story or the characters are confusing because they are not. I thought that Zander Cannon created a really believable prison drama, something akin to some of the best prison based TV shows I've seen. The characters and their various plight and circumstances kept me sympathetic and engaged in their journeys (while some deserve my feeling of ire).

The art also is gorgeously colourful, giving the whole book this truly ... I don't know to be honest, comic book look (in the most cartoon sense of the statement). The whole look gives it this very Manga vibe (at least, in my opinion, given I've read very little manga).

However, the marrying of the two is where the book seems to have lost me. Based on the cover art, as well as the concept, I was expecting a read which would have seemed a little more comedic or humourous. However, as I broke open the cover and started reading the pages, the more serious tone of the plot seemed to be quite jarring when shown in the colourful, cartoony look of the art.

I feel like I'm sounding unnecessarily negative about this comic and that's not my intention. I think that, for the first time, I'm doubting my own ability to comprehend a comic I've read. This is because while a lot of the season was such a struggle, the final issue, while still containing the problems I saw, had me very intrigued, especially the cliffhanger ending.

So, where do I go from here? Well, I was very close to saying that this Kaijumax wasn't my thing and moving on. However, the cliffhanger has me interested enough that I actually want to check out the next volume. Obviously, due to my already large backlog, I probably won't be getting Season 2 for a while, but that'll maybe mean I can make time to give the first season another chance.

At this point, I had planned to talk about a lot more stuff. However, I feel I talked so much more than planned here (just for a change) that I'd split the post into two.

That other one, where I talk about the comics from my February pull list will be the next one up.