Comic Review: Man-Eaters #5

Man-Eaters #5

Image Comics

Writer: Chelsea Cain

Artists: Kate Niemczyk & Rachelle Rosenberg

Man-Eaters #4 took a short break from the narrative and gave readers a magazine dedicated for boys. While I certainly enjoyed the issue and found myself saying “Hey, look at this page,” to my wife a lot, I will admit that it was untimely. The story is just getting interesting and the one-month break sort of hurt the pacing that Chelsea Cain had going. It’s nice to see issue #5 returns to Maude’s story, even if this isn’t the strongest issue in the series so far.

In Man-Eaters #5, the group of girls are in the high school restroom breaking up norms. They are rebelling against the patriarchy in little ways, such as refusing to ingest the water. They are unapologetic and coming to terms with their biology. Meanwhile, Maude’s parents are still investigating the recent wave of attacks, and have run into a new issue.

Chelsea Cain does well at successfully writing the characters and making them feel authentic. Maude is already a feminist icon as she develops into one of the best new characters of the year. While the few characters in this book are entertaining, Cain doesn’t focus on the characters as much as she could. Instead, Man-Eaters is a statement, using the characters and scenarios as political statements. Man-Eaters is incredibly relevant right now as a look at the way the female body is policed.

The statement is constantly reinforced through little moments here and there that break the immersion. The fake ads are entertaining and I love them, but I hate that they take up pages that could be going into this fascinating story. I find myself wishing that they were tacked onto the end with the letter columns like Sex Criminals’ Sex Tips. Still, these moments succeed in revealing how ridiculous our current social climate is.

Kate Niemczyk and Rachelle Rosenberg come together to make Man-Eaters look great. Niemczyk ensures that every character looks wonderful, while Rosenberg’s colors complement the pencils beautifully. The faces are full of emotion, especially the teenagers. Most of the issue’s comedy succeeds due to the presentation of the art and panels. The story is broken up with the usual satire scattered throughout the pages. These often feature real people as opposed to drawn art but are framed in an artistic and pleasing manner.

Man-Eaters #5 is a slow read, but not in the usual way. Instead of slow pacing, the story is slowed due to the silly ads and political statements. All of these are entertaining, but the story is much more entertaining, and I find myself wishing I could get a full issue of Maude and her supporting cast. Man-Eaters is very enjoyable but suffers from the political statement that makes it so successful.