Summary

• Season 2 of Hit Monkey has deepened character development and engaging action sequences.
• The show's animation has stepped up to match the elevated emotional throughline.
• The addition of new characters seamlessly integrates into the quirky world of apes and assassins.

Season 2 of Marvel and Hulu’s Hit Monkey has an emotional throughline that pays off. The action and magic are on a different level and the animation is up to the challenge of keeping up with both. A bevy of new characters are introduced and all fit seamlessly into the quirky world of apes and assassins. At its best, Hit-Monkey is Archer meets Venom. The animated show's quality has always been very high.

Monkey (Fred Tatasciore) and Bryce (Jason Sudeikis) have been through thick and thin as a murderous duo, but a secret plot hatched by an ancient order of villains threatens everything they care about. As Bryce gets closer to his daughter Iris (Cristin Milioti) and begins to reckon with his past, Monkey feels more lost than ever. Being the killer of killers isn’t bringing him the purpose he was looking for. Meanwhile, Bryce is gaining powers and abilities from his ghostly form. Old foes and new are on the hunt for both Bryce and Monkey as they try to make their unlikely relationship continue to work.

Hit-Monkey Season 2 Is Better Than Season 1

While Marvel animation has had a variety of distinct eras — be it What If...? or Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends — Hit-Monkey feels like it's in a category that is all its own, its action and comedy drawn from another bucket of influence entirely. But if Deadpool is the merc with a mouth, Hit-Monkey is the merc without a mission. The raunchy nature of the show lends itself to profanity, but the silence of the lead character is our way into his trauma and motivation.

Hit-Monkey season 2 has a way of dropping characters in out of nowhere and making them feel like they’ve always been there.

Hit-Monkey season 2 takes a much deeper look at the psychology of Monkey and Bryce's relationship. Their symbiotic relationship is similar to Venom’s but there are stronger boundaries between Monkey and Bryce. All this adds up to a season that is outright better than the previous one.

Silver Samurai and Lady Bullseye were in the first season, but the Samurai and Lady Bullseye in season 2 have a lot more to offer in the way of character development. Hit-Monkey season 2 has a way of dropping characters in out of nowhere and making them feel like they’ve always been there. Our tolerance for that character may vary, but their place in the show's world is undeniable.

Hit-Monkey Season 2's Comedy Doesn't Land

The main issue with Hit-Monkey is sadly all on the shoulders of the comedy. Even with new additions like Leslie Jones (Top Five) as the handler, the Hulu show has never been able to get out of its own way or be original with its comedy. Everything Bryce says feels like something out of the early days of Saturday Night Live, or the laziest version of Sudeikis' improvising. The true tragedy is that Hit-Monkey would be amazing if it were solely an action-drama series.

The sci-fi elements of Hit-Monkey are also up a tick from season 1. Giant red tigers, mind manipulation, and a slew of eerie relics and weapons make for sick fight scenes. Fans will rejoice at the sheer volume of hand-to-hand combat and magic this season puts on display. In the three years since its initial release, Hit-Monkey has been working on getting stronger, and the efforts have paid off. This season's achievements, despite the lack of genuine humor, proves the animated series still has a lot more to give.

Hit-Monkey is never funny and, sadly, if the series had been more forthright with its comedy, it would have drawn in a bigger audience, who would have enjoyed and appreciated the animation more. That being said, Hit-Monkey is still a unicorn for Marvel as its only real adult animated property, and it's a lucky thing that the series is on Hulu rather than on Disney+, which would have diminished its irreverent, R-rated humor.

Season 2 is rife with samurai fights and sorcery, giving Hit-Monkey a bit more to chew on in of action than season 1. But it's the storyline with Bryce and Iris that brings it all home. Criticisms aside, Hit-Monkey season 2 engages new viewers and its established fans alike, making for an overall decent outing.

Hit-Monkey season 2 is now streaming on Hulu.