I Hunt Monsters

(Antarctic, 2004–2005)
™ and © 2004 Antarctic Press

Another new title in Antarctic’s stable of American manga, I Hunt Monsters features lots and lots of monsters, as anyone might guess. It also offers manga clichés of a bevy of beautiful female costars (one of whom is a vampire) and a reluctant protagonist whose father kept his lineage a secret. A few original touches, like a flying Volkswagen, do help this title stand out.

Craig Babiar’s art is passable and clearly influenced by manga; it also has traces of cartoony American artists like Mike Wieringo, and that’s not a bad thing. Establishing shots and point of view are not Babiar’s strong suits: Page 15 needed to be from the outside perspective, so the artist could show the Volkswagen flying, rather have than the writer tell it.

Wes Hartman is credited for toning, and he needs to dial it back several notches. The opening splash page has so much “Zip-a-Tone” effect that it hurts the eyes and grays out the entire page. Black and white art doesn’t need that much shading, does it?

— Steve Horton

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