Probably the best place to get your social commentary these days is in Juni Ba’s Monkey Meat: Summer Batch. The two-story-an-issue anthology comes with sharply written commentary on society, plus games! It takes a lighthearted approach to enhance the message, and in the third issue out this week, Ba takes on self-improvement fads and self-worth when the world moves on.
Once again, Ba shows he’s the leading comic cartoonist these days. The opening story, “Eat.Pray.Run!!”, focuses on a woman who had her head replaced with a computer. The upgrade was meant to enhance her beyond imagining, but for some reason, she’s racing through the city and doing a lot of damage. This brings the police and a force to stop her, but it’s not until we find out why she’s rushing that the dark twist hits.
Similar to previous issues, Ba uses yellow, red, and black to enhance the effects and impact. When a person has their leg ripped off, you feel it with a blood-red gush spraying out of the stump. When our lead character is running in a glow of yellow, it’s like they’re possessed by the energy of the color itself. The contrast of color with black and white is explored in various ways. It’s the kind of visuals you could see being studied at some point, and they’re just that innovative and compelling.
Gotta go fast.
Credit: Image
After a mailbag and game, the second story kicks into gear, titled “My Credentials.” The story focuses on a woman who has taken up defending her home, which is also a temple to Odin. Her family has done it over generations, and she’s trained her whole life to do it. However, that job is taken away when Monkey Meat Corp purchases it to set up a fast food restaurant. So begins a depressing slog to find purpose and a meaningful job.
Color is used sparingly in this tale, which makes the violence near the end all the more impactful. It’s interesting to see how Ba infuses the jungle style of Monkey Meat Island with Norse elements.
Closing out the issue is a funny full-page spread of a medical box that requires a credit card. Blood is splattered everywhere, and as one can see, usage is limited by the fact that you need to pay.
It’s safe to say that three issues in Monkey Meat: Summer Batch make a series that deserves an animated show. Monkey Meat: Summer Batch #3 proves that Juni Ba is one of comics’ most exciting voices, blending blistering social critique with stunning experimental visuals. With each story, Ba skewers modern society—from tech-enhanced self-worth to corporate colonization of identity—with a mix of humor, tragedy, and psychedelic brilliance that’s unlike anything else on shelves.
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