The world was once lush and green. Then the monsters came and the plants started dying. On her own this whole time, Rainbow has finally found her sister, Jonna, after a year of searching. The preternaturally strong and tough Jonna's been surviving just fine in the wild without Rainbow, but will the seemingly feral Jonna remember her sister?
JONNA AND THE UNPOSSIBLE MONSTERS #2
Writer: Chris Samnee, Laura Samnee
Artist: Chris Samnee
Colors: Matt Wilson
Letters: Crank!
Publisher: Oni Press
Release Date: April 21, 2021
Cover Price: $3.99
Score:
★★★★☆ (4/5)
It isn't often that I review comics designed for younger readers so I have to remember to view something as wonderful and precious as 'Jonna and the Unpossbile Monsters' through the eyes of a child and/or a parent. This is a great introduction for kids to comics with superior visual storytelling and engaging characters. You could feel confident in handing this to a 7 or 8-year-old and letting them be entranced in the world constructed by Chris Samnee, his wife Laura, and colorist Matt Wilson. It's going to make one very nice giftable trade when it's all said and done.
Poor Rainbow has been searching for her younger sister Jonna since issue one. The monsters have taken over in a once lush and thriving landscape, and the land has gone dry and lifeless. She powers through and a sweet flashback sequence triggered by a picture of Jonna has Rainbow reminiscing about their time together. There isn't any dialogue but there doesn't need to be. The emotions are right on Rainbow's face. This moment is interrupted by our first look at the monsters. There are two very different monsters in front of Rainbow fighting over what looks like a giant shrimp.
The designs aren't menacing or frightening but they are giants. What happens next is really clever. Instead of witnessing the struggle or fight, we get Batman '66 TV-style fight sound effects that appear above Rainbow's reaction. Chris and Crank! create a sequence that reveals a surprise on the other side of it. With the monsters knocked out, Rainbow finds Jonna. It's both heartwarming and heartbreaking. She's happy to have found her but Jonna keeps running away and acts like she doesn't know her.
More questions remain but it seems as though Jonna was adopted which makes sense since she's extremely strong and feral as a cat. What continues to tug at my heart is the alternating images between the past and present. Before the monsters, when the world was bright and abundant Rainbow, Jonna, and their dad were together and happy. After the monsters came, the world seems muted and barren with Jonna still on the run. Samnee's skills at conveying so much emotion, exposition, and story with art alone are excellent for kids and can illicit conversations with parents about what's happening.
'Jonna and the Unstoppable Monsters' #2 continues to be a beautifully illustrated story with a lot of emotion and action to hang on to. Questions remain but the story continues to unfold in a bittersweet way for Rainbow as the monsters roam and Jonna jumps around. Young readers should adore this adventure.
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