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Maw
Maw
When society makes monsters, sometimes the monsters bite back!
Marion Angela Weber accompanies her sister Wendy to a feminist retreat on a remote island seeking perspective and empowerment, but a disastrous first night leaves Marion frightfully changed. In the aftermath of an assault, Marion begins to transform as an unspeakable hunger crawls through her body. When the townsfolk recognize there's something different about Marion, they react with suspicion, then violence, while ignoring the monsters already among them. Writer Jude Ellison S. Doyle (Dead Blondes and Bad Mothers) and artist A.L. Kaplan (Full Spectrum Therapy, Heart of Gold) unleash Maw, a status-quo-shattering tale examining the consequences of sexist violence and the subjugation of marginalized genders, and what happens when the wounded are backed into a corner. Collects Maw #1-5.
Marion Angela Weber accompanies her sister Wendy to a feminist retreat on a remote island seeking perspective and empowerment, but a disastrous first night leaves Marion frightfully changed. In the aftermath of an assault, Marion begins to transform as an unspeakable hunger crawls through her body. When the townsfolk recognize there's something different about Marion, they react with suspicion, then violence, while ignoring the monsters already among them. Writer Jude Ellison S. Doyle (Dead Blondes and Bad Mothers) and artist A.L. Kaplan (Full Spectrum Therapy, Heart of Gold) unleash Maw, a status-quo-shattering tale examining the consequences of sexist violence and the subjugation of marginalized genders, and what happens when the wounded are backed into a corner. Collects Maw #1-5.
128 pages, Paperback
First published July 27, 2022
3 people are currently reading
507 people want to read
About the author
Jude Ellison S. Doyle
38 books261 followersJude Ellison S. Doyle is an author, journalist, and comic book writer living in upstate New York.
Under his former pen name “Sady Doyle,” Jude founded the feminist blog Tiger Beatdown in 2008. He is the author of "Trainwreck: The Women We Love to Hate, Mock, and Fear... and Why" (Melville House 2016), which has been called "smart, funny and fearless" (Boston Globe), "compelling" and "persuasive" (New York Times Book Review). The Atlantic predicted that "Trainwreck will very likely join the feminist canon." Doyle’s second book, "Dead Blondes and Bad Mothers: Monstrosity, Patriarchy and the Fear of Female Power" (Melville House, 2019) was named a Best Non-Fiction Book of 2019 by Kirkus Reviews and was shortlisted for Starburst Magazine’s Brave New Words award. His first non-fiction book under his real name, "DILF: Did I Leave Feminism," will be published by Melville House in the fall of 2025.
In 2021, Jude published "Maw," a limited-series horror comic with artist A.L. Kaplan, for Boom! Studios. His follow-up, "The Neighbors" with artist Letizia Cadonici, was published in 2023, and was nominated for a 2024 GLAAD award for “Outstanding Comic.” Both are now available in collected edition, and Jude’s third series, "Be Not Afraid" with artist Lisandro Estherren, is forthcoming from Boom! Studios.
Under his former pen name “Sady Doyle,” Jude founded the feminist blog Tiger Beatdown in 2008. He is the author of "Trainwreck: The Women We Love to Hate, Mock, and Fear... and Why" (Melville House 2016), which has been called "smart, funny and fearless" (Boston Globe), "compelling" and "persuasive" (New York Times Book Review). The Atlantic predicted that "Trainwreck will very likely join the feminist canon." Doyle’s second book, "Dead Blondes and Bad Mothers: Monstrosity, Patriarchy and the Fear of Female Power" (Melville House, 2019) was named a Best Non-Fiction Book of 2019 by Kirkus Reviews and was shortlisted for Starburst Magazine’s Brave New Words award. His first non-fiction book under his real name, "DILF: Did I Leave Feminism," will be published by Melville House in the fall of 2025.
In 2021, Jude published "Maw," a limited-series horror comic with artist A.L. Kaplan, for Boom! Studios. His follow-up, "The Neighbors" with artist Letizia Cadonici, was published in 2023, and was nominated for a 2024 GLAAD award for “Outstanding Comic.” Both are now available in collected edition, and Jude’s third series, "Be Not Afraid" with artist Lisandro Estherren, is forthcoming from Boom! Studios.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 77 reviews
April 12, 2023
Maw collects issues 1-5 of the Boom Studio comic written by Jude Ellison S. Doyle and art by A.L. Kaplan.
Marion travels with her sister Wendy to a feminist retreat on the coast of Virginia. Wendy is hoping her sister will be able to heal from a rape in college but Marion is fully focused on hating the world. On the first night at the retreat, Marion leaves the encampment for a local bar where her life will be forever changed.
This is a very bleak book that turns into a horror story. It has very important messages of rape, sexual harassment, and the unfairness of the American justice system. Doyle takes that hate, rage, and injustice and forges it into a horror that can take revenge. I think it was a great premise, but looses steam halfway through the book with some unnecessary twists. The art was great throughout and I would love to see more of Kaplan’s work.
Marion travels with her sister Wendy to a feminist retreat on the coast of Virginia. Wendy is hoping her sister will be able to heal from a rape in college but Marion is fully focused on hating the world. On the first night at the retreat, Marion leaves the encampment for a local bar where her life will be forever changed.
This is a very bleak book that turns into a horror story. It has very important messages of rape, sexual harassment, and the unfairness of the American justice system. Doyle takes that hate, rage, and injustice and forges it into a horror that can take revenge. I think it was a great premise, but looses steam halfway through the book with some unnecessary twists. The art was great throughout and I would love to see more of Kaplan’s work.
March 24, 2025
“Non sento nulla mentre il mio corpo muore. Sono parte di lei. Sono il cuore pulsante. Nessuno può più uccidermi. Sento che sto rinascendo. Più forte e potente che mai. Sento le donne dentro di lei, rinascere con me. Le donne che vennero prima, che soffrirono come me. Wendy. Ora l’ha trovata. La sua storia. Siamo così tante. Siamo state quaggiù troppo lungo. Siamo così affamate.”
avevo già amato la scrittura di Doyle nei suoi due saggi “Il mostruoso femminile” e “Spezzate” e devo dire che questa opinione è stata riconfermata dopo la lettura di questa graphic novel. adoro il modo in cui l’autore racconta e descrive la natura più selvaggia della femminilità e di come questo tema venga integrato nel lato horror dove la protagonista si trasforma in un vero e proprio mostro assetato di sangue e bramoso di carneficina dopo aver subito violenza. ho adorato tutto dall’inizio alla fine🙏🏻🩷
avevo già amato la scrittura di Doyle nei suoi due saggi “Il mostruoso femminile” e “Spezzate” e devo dire che questa opinione è stata riconfermata dopo la lettura di questa graphic novel. adoro il modo in cui l’autore racconta e descrive la natura più selvaggia della femminilità e di come questo tema venga integrato nel lato horror dove la protagonista si trasforma in un vero e proprio mostro assetato di sangue e bramoso di carneficina dopo aver subito violenza. ho adorato tutto dall’inizio alla fine🙏🏻🩷
September 29, 2024
Una novela gráfica donde nos muestra el horror en 3 perspectivas. La número 1 el feminismo y como las mujeres buscan liberarse de la opresión masculina. Número 2 el uso de sectas y cultos macabros con elementos queer y finaliza con un toque de mutación, folk horror y monstruos. Una obra bastante fácil de leer, con un tema filosófico bien marcado, pero el final muy abierto para mi.
July 31, 2022
Sexual assault and rape revenge tales make for natural horror stories but that doesn’t make them any easier to take. Jude Ellison S. Doyle’s creature feature comic, “Maw,” adds a new wrinkle to the subgenre by making these inhuman deeds the origin stories for actual monsters but it all feels too superficial for such an important issue. I really liked A.L. Kaplan’s artwork and it’s Eduardo Risso-esque rigidity, however. I dunno, “Maw” wasn’t bad but it didn’t seem fully-formed.
October 28, 2023
This is fake-feminist nonsense. The kind of shit that hurts real feminism. It’s also terribly drawn.
September 18, 2022
#1 - #2
Sono già presissimo, nonostante l'accoglienza non proprio calorosa ^^'
Angitia Island. Coast of Virginia. Una comune femminile che sembra un incrocio fra il remake di The Wicker Man, il Prescelto, e Midsommar. Le sorelle Wendy e Marion sono le protagoniste in viaggio verso questo eremo dell'autoaffermazione femminile.
Tra richiami che spaziano dalla mitologia greca al mero fanatismo, a capo di questa... direi che possiamo tranquillamente definirla "setta", troviamo Diana Spiro, che non difetta certo nelle entrate in scena:
Roberta Vlodek had a vision.
The rise of the Great Mother.
She foresaw that the male god's time was ending.
That after millennia of being silenced, degraded, subjugated...
raped...
...an older, female power would rise to reclaim the world.
Donne che si prodigano nell'insegnamento di dare una voce, o forse sarebbe meglio dire una forma, alla loro giusta collera!
P.S.
Promosso anche dal punto di vista grafico!
Più titubante invece sull'edizione, le pagine si sono scollate tipo subito da parte della rilegatura... non so se sia solo sfiga della mia copia oppure un problema che riguarda tutte.
*******
#3 - #5
Finito. Mah! Le premesse sembravano tanto buone e invece nei restanti tre capitoli ci ho trovato proprio poco. L'espressione assunta da quella rabbia in rapida ascesa, qualche sotterfugio che viene alla luce... si è badato troppo alla forma e poco alla sostanza, preoccupandosi eccessivamente di far trasparire tutto quell'odio sembra si siano quasi dimenticati di dover raccontare anche una storia. Una sequenza di eventi messi assieme ad esclusivo uso e consumo di un finale che non m'è manco piaciuto. Peccato :(
Sono già presissimo, nonostante l'accoglienza non proprio calorosa ^^'
Angitia Island. Coast of Virginia. Una comune femminile che sembra un incrocio fra il remake di The Wicker Man, il Prescelto, e Midsommar. Le sorelle Wendy e Marion sono le protagoniste in viaggio verso questo eremo dell'autoaffermazione femminile.
Tra richiami che spaziano dalla mitologia greca al mero fanatismo, a capo di questa... direi che possiamo tranquillamente definirla "setta", troviamo Diana Spiro, che non difetta certo nelle entrate in scena:
Roberta Vlodek had a vision.
The rise of the Great Mother.
She foresaw that the male god's time was ending.
That after millennia of being silenced, degraded, subjugated...
raped...
...an older, female power would rise to reclaim the world.
Donne che si prodigano nell'insegnamento di dare una voce, o forse sarebbe meglio dire una forma, alla loro giusta collera!
P.S.
Promosso anche dal punto di vista grafico!
Più titubante invece sull'edizione, le pagine si sono scollate tipo subito da parte della rilegatura... non so se sia solo sfiga della mia copia oppure un problema che riguarda tutte.
*******
#3 - #5
Finito. Mah! Le premesse sembravano tanto buone e invece nei restanti tre capitoli ci ho trovato proprio poco. L'espressione assunta da quella rabbia in rapida ascesa, qualche sotterfugio che viene alla luce... si è badato troppo alla forma e poco alla sostanza, preoccupandosi eccessivamente di far trasparire tutto quell'odio sembra si siano quasi dimenticati di dover raccontare anche una storia. Una sequenza di eventi messi assieme ad esclusivo uso e consumo di un finale che non m'è manco piaciuto. Peccato :(
May 3, 2022
2.5 i was rly intrigued by the concept but i overall wasn’t satisfied with the outcome and what they did with it
May 17, 2022
Twisty but abrupt as hell
January 11, 2023
This isn’t feminist it is just fucked up.
October 31, 2023
Recensione per Leggere Distopico e Fantascienza Oggi! 😊
https://www.leggeredistopico.com/2023...
https://www.leggeredistopico.com/2023...
September 30, 2022
I was really with this book up until Marion joked that the retreat was "TERF Island" and Miranda tells her that she's trans. The rage, transforming into a hideous monster, allowing yourself to succumb to what you think justice should look like--this hit all the marks--but that comment just made me roll my eyes.
Miranda looks like she's straight from 1970s radical feminist artwork, but she's a trans woman, and the leader of this retreat, working under Diana who is assumedly a natal woman. So what does it mean, then, that Miranda is essentially leading these women through their traumas and helping to transform Marion into a monster? What does it mean that they are not allowed to "borrow trauma" yet Miranda is inserting herself into a space where women dance freely, talk of rape, talk of abuse? Which isn't to say Miranda hasn't had a fair share of trauma but it's...not the same, quite frankly.
I was left with hugely mixed feelings. I see this beautiful possibility of a story where women reclaim the monstrous after such horrific events--such as rape, which takes place both before and during the events of this graphic novel--but it's also marred with the insinuation that women getting together to transform themselves and find solace and rage within each other is a "TERF"y thing to do. Then, does Miranda's inclusion not make it TERFy? I suppose not, since it feels like such a "gotcha".
Honestly, with the exception of Diana, it just seems like it's men who are once again enacting and enabling violence. Don't get me wrong, I love an angry woman, but this was absolutely propelled once again by the actions of a natal man. Give me a break.
Otherwise, the artwork was beautiful and terrifying, and clearly, this gave me lots to think about, even if my thoughts weren't the intention of the authors and artists. Just, fuck, can't women have our own rage or does that have to be given to us by men, too?
Miranda looks like she's straight from 1970s radical feminist artwork, but she's a trans woman, and the leader of this retreat, working under Diana who is assumedly a natal woman. So what does it mean, then, that Miranda is essentially leading these women through their traumas and helping to transform Marion into a monster? What does it mean that they are not allowed to "borrow trauma" yet Miranda is inserting herself into a space where women dance freely, talk of rape, talk of abuse? Which isn't to say Miranda hasn't had a fair share of trauma but it's...not the same, quite frankly.
I was left with hugely mixed feelings. I see this beautiful possibility of a story where women reclaim the monstrous after such horrific events--such as rape, which takes place both before and during the events of this graphic novel--but it's also marred with the insinuation that women getting together to transform themselves and find solace and rage within each other is a "TERF"y thing to do. Then, does Miranda's inclusion not make it TERFy? I suppose not, since it feels like such a "gotcha".
Honestly, with the exception of Diana, it just seems like it's men who are once again enacting and enabling violence. Don't get me wrong, I love an angry woman, but this was absolutely propelled once again by the actions of a natal man. Give me a break.
Otherwise, the artwork was beautiful and terrifying, and clearly, this gave me lots to think about, even if my thoughts weren't the intention of the authors and artists. Just, fuck, can't women have our own rage or does that have to be given to us by men, too?
July 31, 2023
Oh, this was quite the amazing graphic novel! I loved the art style, beautiful and evocative and playing so well with negative space and various motifs. The premise is also interesting, and I feel like it raises some important discussions of rape culture, sexual abuse, complicity and all the downfalls of misogyny and the patriarchy. Also, it's just really satisfying to see someone oppressed become a monster and finally get to express their rage in all its bloody glory.
On the other hand, though I understand that the novel tried to avoid transphobia (ergo one of the cult leaders being a trans woman), you can't help but have an underlying belief in gender essentialism if the root of your ideas is "men are evil". There's no attempt to focus their attention on the systems of oppression that caused their suffering, among them patriarchy, and so, even though the author tries otherwise, the graphic novel does read quite like TERF literature. It's something to keep in mind while reading, for sure.
On the other hand, though I understand that the novel tried to avoid transphobia (ergo one of the cult leaders being a trans woman), you can't help but have an underlying belief in gender essentialism if the root of your ideas is "men are evil". There's no attempt to focus their attention on the systems of oppression that caused their suffering, among them patriarchy, and so, even though the author tries otherwise, the graphic novel does read quite like TERF literature. It's something to keep in mind while reading, for sure.
October 22, 2023
Un graphic novel duro, sanguinoso, mostruoso. Se non capisci la rabbia che c'è dietro, non ti ci puoi avvicinare. Maneggiare con cautela.
April 9, 2025
So, where to start?
Two stars is the result of a mix between what I would have voted if I could have assigned a grade to different elements of the book:
⭐⭐⭐⭐ for the art and style
⭐ for the story and final message
Art and Style.
I enjoyed reading it and felt very captured until the very end, even though I was let down by the second part of the story and its end. I appreciate the art style a lot, especially the thickness of lines and blacks and the use of color.
Story and Message.
The story starts off very strong and I was genuinely interested, wanted to see what Doyle was going to write about for this graphic novel. I've read their essays "Dead Blondes and Bad Mothers" (in Italian, "Il mostruoso femminile") and "Trainwreck" ("Spezzate") and I found witty, lucid and amazingly enlightening pieces of writing on the topics of feminism and the patriarchy. They didn't feel like extreme feminism. It heightened my awareness towards things I knew already, but not so much in detail. I've recommended the books to a lot of friends and I'll still do it in the future!
"Maw", however, was a disappointment for me. The idea of creating a modern mythology is very interesting and I appreciate the idea that is behind it, but I feel like the society of women portrayed in this book is great and healing and good only up to a certain point. It felt too radical and discriminating towards men - as if we were not all just people, before being men and women, non-binary etc, and as if being a good or a bad person, doing good or doing bad, depended entirely on what your gender was... so, yeah, I started feeling like things were too much "black or white". The MC was also skeptical of the community's ways and that made me hopeful I'd be able to see her turn into someone better than the other women. I hoped for her sister Wendy, too, to be more than another dead blonde in a horror story.
Maybe this is what the story was about in the first place, maybe it wants to kill all your hope. Just as the MC had hers broken and killed over and over again. I could somehow appreciate this reading of the content, if only the women's community didn't become openly toxic at the end of the story. They manipulate the protagonist to make her what they want her to be and in the end they sacrifice a man who didn't do anything bad to her (as they had made her believe before, destroying one of the main events of the MC's development through the story). These choices twist and taint a message that could have been good and meaningful and speak to people of all genders. Moreover, it feels rushed and all of this makes me feel like "Maw" is a story full of holes, same as MC describes her own body being full of holes.
The story sends a message of rage, pain and desire for revenge in a world led by male figures and in which fighting for justice often leaves you hopeless. This much has to be taken into account. The stories the women share are true. We should listen to their voice.
Even women can become killers, because suffering brews anger and violence, and this violence can go inwards (self harm, eating disorders, alcoholism, suicide) or outwards (sadism, physical violence, vandalism, homicide). This, of course, is no justification for harm inflicted on men by women. It's just a heed of warning: anybody who suffers violence will bear it's mark, and consequences.
I personally dislike visions of society and humanity that differentiate so much between men and women. I think that if we were all more educated to think about us and others first as human beings, then man, woman (but also white, black, cis, trans, non-binary, bisexual, homosexual, heterosexual, etc) it would be easier to judge the deeds and character of a person, without discrimination.
Alas, I know we don't live in such a world, but I firmly believe we should fight for this and for a better society. As it is, the book risks to only enhance the rupture between genders and strengthen radical, discriminating feminism.
Two stars is the result of a mix between what I would have voted if I could have assigned a grade to different elements of the book:
⭐⭐⭐⭐ for the art and style
⭐ for the story and final message
Art and Style.
I enjoyed reading it and felt very captured until the very end, even though I was let down by the second part of the story and its end. I appreciate the art style a lot, especially the thickness of lines and blacks and the use of color.
Story and Message.
The story starts off very strong and I was genuinely interested, wanted to see what Doyle was going to write about for this graphic novel. I've read their essays "Dead Blondes and Bad Mothers" (in Italian, "Il mostruoso femminile") and "Trainwreck" ("Spezzate") and I found witty, lucid and amazingly enlightening pieces of writing on the topics of feminism and the patriarchy. They didn't feel like extreme feminism. It heightened my awareness towards things I knew already, but not so much in detail. I've recommended the books to a lot of friends and I'll still do it in the future!
"Maw", however, was a disappointment for me. The idea of creating a modern mythology is very interesting and I appreciate the idea that is behind it, but I feel like the society of women portrayed in this book is great and healing and good only up to a certain point. It felt too radical and discriminating towards men - as if we were not all just people, before being men and women, non-binary etc, and as if being a good or a bad person, doing good or doing bad, depended entirely on what your gender was... so, yeah, I started feeling like things were too much "black or white". The MC was also skeptical of the community's ways and that made me hopeful I'd be able to see her turn into someone better than the other women. I hoped for her sister Wendy, too, to be more than another dead blonde in a horror story.
Maybe this is what the story was about in the first place, maybe it wants to kill all your hope. Just as the MC had hers broken and killed over and over again. I could somehow appreciate this reading of the content, if only the women's community didn't become openly toxic at the end of the story. They manipulate the protagonist to make her what they want her to be and in the end they sacrifice a man who didn't do anything bad to her (as they had made her believe before, destroying one of the main events of the MC's development through the story). These choices twist and taint a message that could have been good and meaningful and speak to people of all genders. Moreover, it feels rushed and all of this makes me feel like "Maw" is a story full of holes, same as MC describes her own body being full of holes.
The story sends a message of rage, pain and desire for revenge in a world led by male figures and in which fighting for justice often leaves you hopeless. This much has to be taken into account. The stories the women share are true. We should listen to their voice.
Even women can become killers, because suffering brews anger and violence, and this violence can go inwards (self harm, eating disorders, alcoholism, suicide) or outwards (sadism, physical violence, vandalism, homicide). This, of course, is no justification for harm inflicted on men by women. It's just a heed of warning: anybody who suffers violence will bear it's mark, and consequences.
I personally dislike visions of society and humanity that differentiate so much between men and women. I think that if we were all more educated to think about us and others first as human beings, then man, woman (but also white, black, cis, trans, non-binary, bisexual, homosexual, heterosexual, etc) it would be easier to judge the deeds and character of a person, without discrimination.
Alas, I know we don't live in such a world, but I firmly believe we should fight for this and for a better society. As it is, the book risks to only enhance the rupture between genders and strengthen radical, discriminating feminism.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 3, 2023
I find the art very gorgeous, enjoyed looking at it, but i can't say i like the story or agree with what's going on lol. Although i would probably read the sequels to see where it's going
November 2, 2025
Enjoyment 8/10
Concept 9/10
Execution 6/10
Art 6/10
Dialogue 7/10
Plot & Logic 7/10
Characters 6/10
Rating: 3.53/5
Concept 9/10
Execution 6/10
Art 6/10
Dialogue 7/10
Plot & Logic 7/10
Characters 6/10
Rating: 3.53/5
September 30, 2022
Monstrous, poetic, angry. A story of rage, injustice, and sisterhood. Intense. Excellent read! Beautifully told.
November 24, 2022
No doubt the comic genre is wider and more diverse than my narrow judgment to come, but comics rarely appealed to me for various reasons: its sappy need like soap operas to extend storylines into ridiculous twists, but more so its irrelevant otherworldliness. Sorry, but comics never held much personal connection and felt escapist and lacking cause for empathy.
I was already a fan of Doyle’s work before, so when they announced these comics I was happy to plop down to the comics store I had at best entered once before for a gift for one of my boys, and issue one kept me jazzed to check out issue two, and so forth. Doyle has (alas, too much) insight into patriarchal violence and rape culture, and this collected Maw isn’t going to solve struggles you may have with that violence and culture, but Doyle will certainly immerse you deeply into problems that no one has a sure-fire cure for.
I was already a fan of Doyle’s work before, so when they announced these comics I was happy to plop down to the comics store I had at best entered once before for a gift for one of my boys, and issue one kept me jazzed to check out issue two, and so forth. Doyle has (alas, too much) insight into patriarchal violence and rape culture, and this collected Maw isn’t going to solve struggles you may have with that violence and culture, but Doyle will certainly immerse you deeply into problems that no one has a sure-fire cure for.
June 26, 2023
If it wasn’t for The Tribe, this could easily have been the pick of the month. Despite being Doyle’s first comic, they fall into the visual prose seamlessly, telling an incredibly complex horror story of sexual trauma and painful transformation. Set at a women’s pagan retreat, the story winds together conflicting characters and strands of storytelling and follows the radically (d)evolving characters as an act of cruelty creates a monster impossible to contain. The layers of critique here do not pull away from what is really engaging, if bleak, storytelling. Hopefully this is simply the first comic of what will be a new chapter in Doyle’s career.
March 25, 2022
Doyle navigates a women's cult and the experiences of sexual abuse and what it leaves on the body very deftly. He avoids the pitfalls many of these stories fall into, which is both pleasantly surprising and expected if you've read his other work. Unfortunately, like so many short comics, the ending is snapped a bit short.
January 29, 2022
Felt pretty open ended. Appreciated the art work.
May 26, 2023
Feminism! Oh, how I missed you! In the commune, every woman (does that word still exist?) is a goddess, so there are no bosses. Except one or two, but they are the enlightened ones, so it's ok. Oh, but this comes from an author who is 'bisexual, non-binary and transgender, and uses he/him and they/them pronouns'. I should have known. Do I really have to vet comics now? Can't I just read a damned story in peace, without politics and philosophy being shoved down my neck?
The rape part is a much more sensitive topic, I agree. No woman deserves it and all women who go through it should receive some form of justice. I wish I knew what else to say on the topic, but unfortunately better people than I am are looking into it and it's still a problem.
So we have an island full of women, a cult leader who has been through abuse herself, a trans character who is shoehorned in but never developed (might as well have been a regular woman - boy, that comment is gonna trigger people!) and some radical ideas that may lead somewhere. Then we get the supernatural element that throws every shred of potential for the story in the crapper. Couldn't the creators just keep everything in reality? Then it really would have been an empowering tale, to see women who got hurt rise above the trauma. But no, it's a monster killing men. Crapola.
The story begins with a weird mix of characters, all of them with secrets. Marion goes through abuse as soon as she arrives, but chooses not to demand justice because of her anger and cynicism. She needs help most, but refuses to even ask. Wendy has had a happy life with a loving husband and two children, but has gotten fed up with it. She wants something more and hopes to get it from Diana, but is less deserving than Marion. She soon learns this and feels ashamed for having come to the commune in the first place. This part I liked. It was human and relatable.
Next part, I didn't. Miranda (the boss in the place where there are no bosses) welcomes Wendy and her sister Miranda to the commune where feminist Diana Spiro is worshipped or something. The commune is a safe space where women can heal traumas caused by the male patriarchy, like imagining them being ripped limb from limb. Ah, feels refreshing. It only takes drunkard Marion a few hours to get a date rape drug with everything that entails. She doesn't want to go to a hospital or the police. It's not the first time this has happened to her, either.
Some rednecks shoot, then knife Wendy for no apparent reason, other than the story needing antagonists. They get trampled by a mutated Marion in exchange. This is what the cult is aiming for - the killing of men. All men, because they are all bad. Laughable tripe... But then comes another kick in the balls that is just plain unnecessary. Marion was not raped the second time. The women of the commune stopped the guy who wanted to rape her, took her passed out body and somehow fed her all the trauma they suffered, which made her strong and physically monstruous. This is truly empowering, ain't it, folks? Shoving your pain and anguish into another, against their will. By golly, that last part has a name, don't it? Why I plum reckon it's 'rape'. But it's the good type of rape, done for a good cause. Filthy, rotten, disgusting garbage of a story.
The rape part is a much more sensitive topic, I agree. No woman deserves it and all women who go through it should receive some form of justice. I wish I knew what else to say on the topic, but unfortunately better people than I am are looking into it and it's still a problem.
So we have an island full of women, a cult leader who has been through abuse herself, a trans character who is shoehorned in but never developed (might as well have been a regular woman - boy, that comment is gonna trigger people!) and some radical ideas that may lead somewhere. Then we get the supernatural element that throws every shred of potential for the story in the crapper. Couldn't the creators just keep everything in reality? Then it really would have been an empowering tale, to see women who got hurt rise above the trauma. But no, it's a monster killing men. Crapola.
The story begins with a weird mix of characters, all of them with secrets. Marion goes through abuse as soon as she arrives, but chooses not to demand justice because of her anger and cynicism. She needs help most, but refuses to even ask. Wendy has had a happy life with a loving husband and two children, but has gotten fed up with it. She wants something more and hopes to get it from Diana, but is less deserving than Marion. She soon learns this and feels ashamed for having come to the commune in the first place. This part I liked. It was human and relatable.
Next part, I didn't. Miranda (the boss in the place where there are no bosses) welcomes Wendy and her sister Miranda to the commune where feminist Diana Spiro is worshipped or something. The commune is a safe space where women can heal traumas caused by the male patriarchy, like imagining them being ripped limb from limb. Ah, feels refreshing. It only takes drunkard Marion a few hours to get a date rape drug with everything that entails. She doesn't want to go to a hospital or the police. It's not the first time this has happened to her, either.
Some rednecks shoot, then knife Wendy for no apparent reason, other than the story needing antagonists. They get trampled by a mutated Marion in exchange. This is what the cult is aiming for - the killing of men. All men, because they are all bad. Laughable tripe... But then comes another kick in the balls that is just plain unnecessary. Marion was not raped the second time. The women of the commune stopped the guy who wanted to rape her, took her passed out body and somehow fed her all the trauma they suffered, which made her strong and physically monstruous. This is truly empowering, ain't it, folks? Shoving your pain and anguish into another, against their will. By golly, that last part has a name, don't it? Why I plum reckon it's 'rape'. But it's the good type of rape, done for a good cause. Filthy, rotten, disgusting garbage of a story.
January 13, 2023
2,5(ish)*
I really enjoyed the art of this, as well as the main character being a flawed, disillusioned woman full of rage. When a character suffered abuse and horror, and they are given the chance to step out of the feeling of impotent anger and let their rage flow, I generally eat that shit up -especially if it involves the supernatural and/or the monstrous. This was a woman eaten from the inside by her powerlessness who finally externalizes it and lashes out. I felt for her and I rooted for her.
That being said, I was not a fan of the story, or at least the direction it took. Honestly, it reminded me slightly of the movie Midsommar in that both involves a protagonist who is groomed to do the bidding of a cult because of certain characteristics they possess: in the end, both women choose to integrate the group because it gives them a sense of community and purpose. In Midsommar, I know we aren't meant to root for the cult (although it didn't stop some people from thinking the ending was somehow feminist). In Maw, I'm not sure? But we are certainly meant to have compassion for them.
The group is presented as a commune of spiritual women who have suffered at the hands of men and worship a goddess who would grant them power and revenge and change the world forever by crushing men. Personally, I find this kind of scenario often simplistic and gender essentialist. While the women aim to empower themselves, I feel they are stuck in an odd position narratively. They are proactive in seeking revenge, but they define themselves by what men did to them/stole from them, and their solution is to wipe out all men. They have the mindset that men are bad and women are all victims (or eventual ones), that these are the two sides. But oppression goes deeper than misogyny and the patriarchy. There are several other axis, and women can be oppressors as well. And so that rings a bit hollow to me.
The main character states at some point that the commune is like 'terf island', to which the woman she's talking to promptly respond that she is trans, shutting her up. In fact, the author of the book is trans themself I think. The inclusion was cool and appreciated, but did not clear my reservations.
Now, I think the cult is probably meant to be a consequence of the kind of society we are living in, rather than totally inspirational. It is stated they don't want justice anymore, but to unleash power and anger. There's a conversation between a guy and one of the women about how they could have been loved by their parents in another world, and be friends, but that it's not the case. Abuse and trauma don't solely result in Nice Victims, after all; people are messy. The women do a terrible thing to the protagonist as well. They're just convinced it was all for the greater good. But the way the story is presented made all of that fall flat for me. I do get it if people thought it was cathartic though.
I really enjoyed the art of this, as well as the main character being a flawed, disillusioned woman full of rage. When a character suffered abuse and horror, and they are given the chance to step out of the feeling of impotent anger and let their rage flow, I generally eat that shit up -especially if it involves the supernatural and/or the monstrous. This was a woman eaten from the inside by her powerlessness who finally externalizes it and lashes out. I felt for her and I rooted for her.
That being said, I was not a fan of the story, or at least the direction it took. Honestly, it reminded me slightly of the movie Midsommar in that both involves a protagonist who is groomed to do the bidding of a cult because of certain characteristics they possess: in the end, both women choose to integrate the group because it gives them a sense of community and purpose. In Midsommar, I know we aren't meant to root for the cult (although it didn't stop some people from thinking the ending was somehow feminist). In Maw, I'm not sure? But we are certainly meant to have compassion for them.
The group is presented as a commune of spiritual women who have suffered at the hands of men and worship a goddess who would grant them power and revenge and change the world forever by crushing men. Personally, I find this kind of scenario often simplistic and gender essentialist. While the women aim to empower themselves, I feel they are stuck in an odd position narratively. They are proactive in seeking revenge, but they define themselves by what men did to them/stole from them, and their solution is to wipe out all men. They have the mindset that men are bad and women are all victims (or eventual ones), that these are the two sides. But oppression goes deeper than misogyny and the patriarchy. There are several other axis, and women can be oppressors as well. And so that rings a bit hollow to me.
The main character states at some point that the commune is like 'terf island', to which the woman she's talking to promptly respond that she is trans, shutting her up. In fact, the author of the book is trans themself I think. The inclusion was cool and appreciated, but did not clear my reservations.
Now, I think the cult is probably meant to be a consequence of the kind of society we are living in, rather than totally inspirational. It is stated they don't want justice anymore, but to unleash power and anger. There's a conversation between a guy and one of the women about how they could have been loved by their parents in another world, and be friends, but that it's not the case. Abuse and trauma don't solely result in Nice Victims, after all; people are messy. The women do a terrible thing to the protagonist as well. They're just convinced it was all for the greater good. But the way the story is presented made all of that fall flat for me. I do get it if people thought it was cathartic though.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 29, 2023
Un romanzo grafico di stampo horror dalle atmosfere perturbanti che porta alle estreme conseguenze una vicenda corrosiva e brutale.
Si potrebbe definire una parabola agghiacciante sul potere della femminilità ormai trasfigurata in altro, in qualcosa di ancestrale.
Assistiamo a un graduale rovesciamento dei ruoli dove l’ordine naturale delle cose viene sovvertito e punto di partenza di un liberatorio processo di cambiamento.
Una storia accattivante, resa ancor più immediata grazie alla forma grafica, dove a farla da padrone sono un sottile fanatismo di contro a un ambiente di forte sorellanza.
In poche mirate frasi ci vengono presentate le diverse accezioni di violenza che le donne subiscono e che, talvolta, interiorizzano: molestie, abuso sessuale, vessazioni e ingiustizie sociali, violenza psicologica che sfocia in isolamento.
Con voce schietta e incendiaria in MAW viene condannata la misoginia dilagante insita nella cultura popolare per effetto del sessismo.
È ora di chiudere per sempre con l’autocommiserazione, la rabbia della protagonista è da intendersi come una sorta di liberazione dal giogo del patriarcato.
Nel poco tempo che ho impiegato a leggerlo devo ammettere che si rimane rapiti di fronte alle tavole di grande impatto ed espressività di A. L. Kaplan.
I disegni sono stupendamente terrificanti e supportano il racconto – vista la scelta di puntare sul body horror – risultando ancor più immersivi per merito dei colori vibranti e sapientemente dosati dalla talentuosa Fabiana Mascolo.
Si potrebbe definire una parabola agghiacciante sul potere della femminilità ormai trasfigurata in altro, in qualcosa di ancestrale.
Assistiamo a un graduale rovesciamento dei ruoli dove l’ordine naturale delle cose viene sovvertito e punto di partenza di un liberatorio processo di cambiamento.
Una storia accattivante, resa ancor più immediata grazie alla forma grafica, dove a farla da padrone sono un sottile fanatismo di contro a un ambiente di forte sorellanza.
In poche mirate frasi ci vengono presentate le diverse accezioni di violenza che le donne subiscono e che, talvolta, interiorizzano: molestie, abuso sessuale, vessazioni e ingiustizie sociali, violenza psicologica che sfocia in isolamento.
Con voce schietta e incendiaria in MAW viene condannata la misoginia dilagante insita nella cultura popolare per effetto del sessismo.
È ora di chiudere per sempre con l’autocommiserazione, la rabbia della protagonista è da intendersi come una sorta di liberazione dal giogo del patriarcato.
Nel poco tempo che ho impiegato a leggerlo devo ammettere che si rimane rapiti di fronte alle tavole di grande impatto ed espressività di A. L. Kaplan.
I disegni sono stupendamente terrificanti e supportano il racconto – vista la scelta di puntare sul body horror – risultando ancor più immersivi per merito dei colori vibranti e sapientemente dosati dalla talentuosa Fabiana Mascolo.
April 12, 2025
Meh. I was *really* intrigued by the premise of this, but it fell pretty short of my expectations. I think SA is already extremely delicate and difficult to write about, but especially when it’s within the “rape revenge” genre. It’s super hard to do that skillfully, and it kind of shows in this. I understand the metaphors and commentary on trauma, but it felt pretty choppy and there wasn’t a ton of exposition or context to what was happening.
I think what bugs me the most is that Marion is a two-time rape survivor, yet we know virtually nothing about her outside of the trauma she’s been through. Literally, the only thing we know about her is that she’s been through SA, which induced alcoholism, and she has a sister. That’s it. I feel like it’s important to humanize rape survivors and drive home the point that we are so much more than our trauma, and I did *not* get that from this novel. It still feels SO male-centric.
My other complaint is that, when Marion “transforms” into this monster-like figure, it STILL doesn’t feel like she has any autonomy in what happens to her. I get that it’s supposed to be a metaphor for how trauma can eat us alive, but it didn’t translate well. She didn’t have a choice in that transformation, it just sort of…happened? So, again, completely defeating the intended point of survivors reclaiming their identity and autonomy!
So I’m bummed! I really wanted to like this, but it just did not sit well with me.
I think what bugs me the most is that Marion is a two-time rape survivor, yet we know virtually nothing about her outside of the trauma she’s been through. Literally, the only thing we know about her is that she’s been through SA, which induced alcoholism, and she has a sister. That’s it. I feel like it’s important to humanize rape survivors and drive home the point that we are so much more than our trauma, and I did *not* get that from this novel. It still feels SO male-centric.
My other complaint is that, when Marion “transforms” into this monster-like figure, it STILL doesn’t feel like she has any autonomy in what happens to her. I get that it’s supposed to be a metaphor for how trauma can eat us alive, but it didn’t translate well. She didn’t have a choice in that transformation, it just sort of…happened? So, again, completely defeating the intended point of survivors reclaiming their identity and autonomy!
So I’m bummed! I really wanted to like this, but it just did not sit well with me.
December 9, 2022
I really wanted to like this much more than I did, because the premise was outstanding, the artwork was perfect, and the writing was, in many ways, excellent. What really kills this story of gender- and trauma-driven revenge is how superficial and hand-wavy it becomes, and how it chooses kind of nonsensical conclusions. Our protagonist is a two-time sexual assault survivor, and while we really don't need a graphic depiction of what happened to her, her trauams happen so far off-stage (even when one occurs during they story) that we get the sense of the author flinching at their own subject matter. The word choices characters use, the decisions they make, the tone of the story - it all seems like we're getting a story that trades equally in misogyny and misandry without putting either to a higher narrative purpose. And finally, the monstrous conclusion to this whole this doesn't feel like much of a payoff - what good is a supernatural instrument of revenge if it's not really going to go more than a few miles inland? I really hope this creative team does a lot more together - there is clearly magic in this collaboration. But for me, this story rushed to its own conclusions and missed more than hit.
October 13, 2023
2.5? 3? I don't know how to rate it because it's a sensitive topic but I think this isn't a good book for different reasons but mainly because it lacks structure. In horror or in books with a supernatural/speculative element in general, the basic plot isn't enough and to me the reader should understand why something happens and what is the meaning behind it. In this graphic novel, body horror and the monstrous feminine are used to discuss the topic of r*pe and it's a thing that could've been done better tbh because I really didn't understand the ending and the involvement of the feminist commune in the transformation happening to the main character. Maybe I missed completely the meaning but the plottwist was soooo confusing and I still don't know if I get it or if I'm stupid ahahah. Many things happen without giving a proper explaination to the reader and the open ending doesn't sit well with me, I'm sorry.
April 11, 2023
Two sisters go to a remote commune for women. One of the sisters was brutally raped years ago and understandably never got over it. Now the first night there she goes out and is raped again. Afterwards she begins to change...
I have a problem with horror stories where things just happen without explanation. Even if something fantastical happens in a story, it should still be able to be explained within the context of the story. And that ending? I'm not even sure what was happening there.
I wasn't a fan of A.L. Kaplan's art. They need to work on drawing facial features because they couldn't draw faces on turning heads in proper proportions at all (which is critical for an artist drawing human beings).
I have a problem with horror stories where things just happen without explanation. Even if something fantastical happens in a story, it should still be able to be explained within the context of the story. And that ending? I'm not even sure what was happening there.
I wasn't a fan of A.L. Kaplan's art. They need to work on drawing facial features because they couldn't draw faces on turning heads in proper proportions at all (which is critical for an artist drawing human beings).
May 23, 2025
Vague review:
Eh it was alright, but since it focuses so much on rage and pain it can’t really go anywhere beyond rage and pain, like picking at a scab. As someone who’s seen violence, it was fun and cathartic at first but felt messy and like it needed more time, needed less western action, relied too much on the violence and plot twists instead of exploring its premise more. It’s very of its time, though. I’m giving it four stars because some of the low reviews are obviously kinda sexist and dismissive of what it’s trying to do, but overall I was left unsatisfied. I hope for the writers and artists to develop their craft, they’re on the right track but not quite there yet.
Eh it was alright, but since it focuses so much on rage and pain it can’t really go anywhere beyond rage and pain, like picking at a scab. As someone who’s seen violence, it was fun and cathartic at first but felt messy and like it needed more time, needed less western action, relied too much on the violence and plot twists instead of exploring its premise more. It’s very of its time, though. I’m giving it four stars because some of the low reviews are obviously kinda sexist and dismissive of what it’s trying to do, but overall I was left unsatisfied. I hope for the writers and artists to develop their craft, they’re on the right track but not quite there yet.
February 8, 2023
Sisters go to a female empowerment retreat, and unleash a kind of revenge on the men who did terrible things. And others.
Without going too far into spoiler territory, I enjoyed this; it's somewhere between Laird Barron's The Croning and Midsommar, with a deeper consideration of gender. Essentially, it's about the terrible things men do to women, and what should be done to a society that won't change to prevent those things from happening. I'm not a fan of the retreat's leader, but I don't think we're entirely supposed to be. It's a very dark story, but an emotionally compelling one.
Without going too far into spoiler territory, I enjoyed this; it's somewhere between Laird Barron's The Croning and Midsommar, with a deeper consideration of gender. Essentially, it's about the terrible things men do to women, and what should be done to a society that won't change to prevent those things from happening. I'm not a fan of the retreat's leader, but I don't think we're entirely supposed to be. It's a very dark story, but an emotionally compelling one.
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