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Creative Team – Jason Shaw(writer). Heubert Khan Michael(art). Chuck Obach(colors). Saida Temofonte(letters). Aaron Bartling(cover).
Published by Red 5 Comics
The Story
Snow Monkey #1 follows Jennifer Gaitlin, a normal teenager at first sight, but actually has a secret life of her own. When Jennifer dons the ancient helmet of Wukong, the has the fighting abilities and experiences of all the warriors before her who have also worn the helmet. Jennifer becomes the powerful fighter Snow Monkey.
Snow Monkey’s biggest enemy is her father, The Sensei, a crime lord who is training his students to become an army of dangerous warriors. This becomes very clear when Jennifer is sent to Thomas Kane High School, where her father recruits students for his dojo. According to The Sensei, she must attend the school because the community must see his support of the school, the school that Jennifer refers to as a “war zone”.
Once Jennifer arrives to her new school, she immediately greeted by someone named Dominic, who’s to be her “senior buddy”. Dominic wants to help any way he can to make her more comfortable at the school, which includes telling Jennifer when to avoid the school bullies, Dragon’s Breath. But when the Dragon’s Breath is beating on another student, what is Jennifer to do? Of course, she steps in and once she does, it’s made very clear that it wasn’t appreciated.
On top of her superhero double life, it seems Jennifer will have to conquer how to handle this warzone of a school, while dealing with her crime lord of a father.
The Writing
Jason Shaw gives an exciting comic that on the surface seems like the life of an average teenager, but soon shows just how complicated the life of Jennifer Gaitlin is. With her double life as the daughter of a crime lord and a superhero with the powers of the warriors before her, this story is guaranteed to keep you hooked in until the last page.
Something I really appreciated about Snow Monkey #1 was the flashbacks to the warriors who donned the helmet of Wukong before Jennifer. I feel it really showed just how powerful Jennifer’s predecessors were and puts a lot of depth of the character of Snow Monkey.
All in all, Shaw delivers a story with characters that have an incredible amount of depth, and a storyline that gives you so much to work with. Snow Monkey #1 does a fantastic job setting the stage for what seems to be an exciting story to come. I truly look forward to seeing what Shaw and the rest of the creative team does with the Snow Monkey next!
The Art
Heubert Khan Michael serves as the illustrator of Snow Monkey, with Chuck Obach providing the colors and Saida Temofonte handling the lettering. Together, this creative team works in perfect harmony to bring the world of Snow Monkey to life. In issue #1, the artwork perfectly complements the tone of the story, using striking contrasts and just the right amount of detail on each page. The visuals don’t just support the narrative, they enhance it, adding depth and emotion to every scene. As the story shifts in tone, the art adapts seamlessly, maintaining the mood and momentum throughout.
The standout moments are undeniably the action sequences, which pulse with energy and get your heart racing with every panel.
Overall Grade – 9.3/10
Check out Snow Monkey #1 here!
Let me know in the comments below what you thought of Snow Monkey #1!
One response to “SNOW MONKEY #1 – The Incredible Double Life”
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Snow Monkey is a work of art, both with the stunning visuals and masterful storytelling. I couldn’t put the comic down once I started reading it. As someone who struggled with challenging parental relationships and mental health as a teen, the messages in the comic are so powerful and uplifting for young readers today. In Hawaiian, the word “pono” translates to doing what is just and good for others—precisely what Jennifer’s character does, even when it’s hard to make that choice. I look forward to reading more comics in Shaw’s series soon!
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This review was written by Megan from the Vigilante Vibes Podcast. If you liked my review, be sure to check out my other reviews! Let me know what you think of Snow Monkey #1, or tell me what comics you’d recommend me trying out! Find me on my socials, and check out my Marvel podcast, Vigilante Vibes, by clicking here!
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