MONSTERS WE MAKE VOL. 1 / Created by CORYXKENSHIN / Script by COREY MIKELL & CORYXKENSHIN / Art by ANDREW GONG & ELYAS MAGEE-SHAMAAN / Letters by LELAND BJERG / Published by IDW PUBLISHING

In 2097, darkness engulfed the Earth. For two weeks, there was no light, no electricity, and no order. The Sanada Corporation restored all three and now effectively owns the world. However, this is not the only way things changed forever because of “The Eternal Night.”

In the 17 years since then, various people who have given in to their darker, anti-social impulses have transformed into monsters. These “Leakers” are capable of passing for human, even as they devour the weak and helpless. Thankfully, Sanda discovered that many children born during The Eternal Night have developed powers that enable them to fight the Leakers.

Musical prodigy Jabari Booker is one such child. He thought he’d won a scholarship to the prestigious New Edyn Academy because of his musical talents. In truth, the school is a front, run by Sanda to train these special teens as “Hounds” to fight the Leakers.

Assigned to a team of four other teens, Jabari faces a steep learning cover as he tries to master his hidden sonic powers and save the world. However, he gets the feeling the people running Sanda and the New Edyan Academy are bigger monsters than the Leakers he is fighting.

Originally released on-line before being picked up by IDW, Monsters We Make is one of the more interesting comics built around a team of young heroes I’ve seen in a while. The tropes will be familiar to anyone who has ever watched a Sentai Soldier show or read X-Men. (There’s even five kids on the team, with one being a tech geek and the other a tactician.) However, the visual influences are more Manga driven, with the depictions of the horror themes and the cyberpunk setting.

What Monsters We Make lacks in originality in regards to its setting, however, it more than makes up for in execution. The story sets a brisk pace and we are introduced to the world and the dangers posed by Leakers before Jabari enters the picture. There’s also a subplot centering around two cops who are suspicious of New Edyn Academy that talk of trying to investigate the rumored disappearances of various honor students. This delivers the exposition in a much more natural way than the usual “info dump for the new kid,” seen in this sort of story. In fact, Jabari’s teammates and handlers seem incredibly reluctant to explain anything to him in order to avoid that cliche.

All in all, I enjoyed Monsters We Make Vol. 1 immensely. I’d suggest it for any audience looking for something that’s a step up from Power Rangers in terms of emotional complexity and action intensity. I’d also suggest this to anyone who enjoys young adult fiction centered around a team of misfits in a post-apocalyptic setting.