He works in caricature - people and things resemble what they really are, but nothing is ever entirely precise.

His pages are bombastic mosaics of pulpish pop art.

But what makes this book take off is Ba's art. So, what about his style? Believe me, I'll get into what Ba has to say in this issue, because, for me, it is what makes this book land so well. Not only is this opening splash page a great example of Ba's satiric edge - the utter absurdity of a consumer base obsessed with something as morally and physically repugnant as canned ape meat - it's also indicative of his visual style and influences. It's a feeling akin to reading early Lemire when a reader can tell a cartoonist is just as comfortable on the fringes as they are with the Big 2. Moreover, it's additionally refreshing to see someone like Ba, whose style is anything but conventional, publishing through Image. Not that there would be anything wrong with this being a small press or self-published book, but something is refreshing about it being in the Wednesday Warrior realm. The process of something like Monkey Meat is usually reserved for original graphic novel territory, smaller presses, or a novelty line. Seeing a creator handle the entirety of a publication for a company like Image is fulfilling in and of itself. There is definitely a different feel to a serialized comic, and it's clear that Monkey Meat benefits from a type of episodic pacing.

Initially, I think it's important to recognize how cool it is that we get a series like this from a mainstream publisher. This first issue indicates that Ba is aiming for a mode of satire that will feel like a higher-octane version of Mark Russell. He feels more pointed, more realized as an auteur. In a mere few months from the release of Djeliya, Ba shows growth as both a visual and narrative storyteller with Monkey Meat. That anticipation culminates this week with the publication of Monkey Meat, Ba's anthology mini-series for Image Comics that is a delightfully bonkers, gonzo satire. Between following Juni Ba on Twitter and reading his 2021 West African fantasy graphic novel, Djeliya, I have been sufficiently hyped for the young cartoonist's next project.

7 min read Monkey Meat #1, by Juni Ba, published by Image Comics.

Djeliya juni ba