James Robinson and Jesus Merino’s Los Monstruos is a comic that not only has a great hook in its supernatural neo-noir story, but also shows how human its monsters are. They love, they laugh, they cry, and they can be just as flawed or virtuous as the human race. Los Monstruos #3 digs deep into this concept, especially where its protagonist Perry Cutter is concerned.
One of those moments comes when Cutter, still reeling from a beating by the collection of cops known as the Blood Boys, follows a trail that leads him to his ex-partner Clyde. What follows is a raw, emotional moment that shows just how far apart the two have drifted – and a revelation that might shatter their friendship forever. Robinson builds up to this moment, slowly building up tension until the big reveal.
He repeats the trick with a flashback to a conversation that Cutter has with his love interest, Rosie. Most noirs would keep their female characters in the dark, or use them as a hostage in the final fight – or even go to the “femme fatale” well. Robinson deftly zigs all of those tropes, as Cutter isn’t only honest with Rosie but also promises to be honest with her going forward. I wasn’t expecting a monster-filled neo-noir to have emotional maturity, but it’s more than a welcome surprise.
Dark Horse
Most of Los Monstruos #3 only works because of Merino’s artwork, which effectively conveys the emotional beats of Robinson’s script. Take the moment where Cutter confronts Clyde. At first, the conversation comes across as light, as if it’s between two friends. But Merino’s pages start pushing close in on the characters’ faces, which makes their emotional shifts that much more noticeable. The tears welling up in Clyde’s eyes make for a sharp contrast to Cutter’s silent fury, and underline just how fractured their friendship is. Ditto the moment where Cutter makes his phone call to Rosie; his head is bowed and his eyes are in shadow, hinting at the emotional turmoil he’s going through. But where Merino’s art really pops is in displaying how different each monster is. From the stitches running across Frank’s body, to the fur that sprouts across Cutter’s body when he goes full werewolf, this comic is a visual fest for horror fans.
K.J. Diaz’s color art rounds out the comic, adding plenty of unique hues to Los Monstruos and the creatures who inhabit it. In fact, Diaz makes sure you can identify each monster by their skin tone. The Frankenstein-esque monsters have a emerald green tone reminiscent of the Hulk. Vampires have the gray, clammy skin of the recently dead. And Cutter has different shades in brown; there’s his tan trench coat and his dark brown hair that matches the furry coat of his werewolf form.
Los Monstruos #3 delivers plenty of emotional moments and reveals as it builds up to its grand finale, zigging where other noir tales would zag. Though there’s only one issue left, I hope that Robinson and Merino return to the city of Los Monstruos, especially since there’s plenty of promise left to explore in the premise.
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