MONKEY KING AND THE WORLD OF MYTHS

Recast as a superhero, a legendary Chinese comedic character, who encountered characters from Greek mythology in his first outing, continues his mission to quell monsters.

The prologue establishes the central conflict of this graphic novel, which blends myths and popular folktales, this time from Chinese and Japanese cultures. Although they once lived together in peace, beasts, humans, and gods now occupy separate realms that are off limits to one another. The Yao-Qi, or evil energy, takes over creatures who are consumed by negativity or “wicked thoughts,” eventually turning them into monsters. Sun Wukong, the Monkey King, encounters the equally famous Momotaro, or Peach Boy, from Japanese folklore, forming an empathic bond even as they venture to Demon Island. They meet fox spirit Kit, along with other beasts and yokai (spirits), and together recover magical treasures while unraveling mysteries and narrowly averting war between beasts and humans. Lam again weaves a colorful and exhilarating pictorial narrative that will delight readers, inhabited by appealing characters such as Tofu-Boy. Although the iconic Monkey King is eternally childlike, in the portrayal of Wukong’s hero’s journey in his human form, he appears as a young adult, perhaps signaling his interior world. Lam’s charmingly expressive and endearing illustrations add humor to this rollicking adventure; Cerberus, Wukong’s constant companion and a carry-over from the first book, is adorably fluffy and rotund.

A stellar illustration of the time-honored, universal power of friendship, communication, and mutual trust.