Monarchs #2

The tagline says it all — "Beat Em Down to Earn the Crown!" — and this second issue of Monarchs from Black Sands Entertainment delivers that energy right on the cover. Three fighters surge forward in a dynamic composition: a determined young man in a purple hoodie, a masked figure in yellow sporting a crown emblem, and front and center, a fierce anthropomorphic cheetah character crackling with blue lightning energy, labeled "MASO." Joshua Bullock's art brings a sharp, manga-influenced style that makes this action-packed series one of the more visually compelling independent titles of 2023.