Rating: 
Summary: Just a tad disappointing
Review: For the most part, I like the new Monster Manual. I like the art in almost all cases as I think it surely gives the game a more tangible and dramatic feel than the art in previous versions. I love the idea of templates as well as the idea of monsters having stats, classes, and feats. However, I also have a few problems. Where did the Death Knight go? Or Bullywugs? Or the Githyanki? These monsters have been staples of D&D since the 70's and I am not a DM who enjoys wondering if I am being fair in my creation of these creatures. Secondly, Goblins, Ogres, Bugbears, Orcs< Hobgoblins, Kobolds, Gnolls, etc... NOTHING has been done in the way of distinguishing them from each other. What is the difference between a goblin and a kobold... sure you can look at the picture, but from a mechanics standpoint the answer is... you guessed it, nothing! The favored class doesnt help much either as most of the creatures are rogues... Bugbear Rogues? Hmmmmm. And now comes my biggest problem. I have read interviews with Skip Williams and know a friend that talked with him at a recent convention and I have heard him spout off about the great pleasure he took in eliminating the "silly" and "useless" monsters that had accumulated over the years. This was exciting to me... I always hated Grippli (little evil frogs) and Vegepygmys... so what is the deal with the new monsters? They are horrible. The DIGESTER? What about that four-armed gorilla. This is the sort of stuff I came up with when I was 6 and wanted to play D&D. I dont even want to talk about the Ethereal Filcher or whatever that Tojanda Cthulu Turtle thing is. Overall however the book is very good... just prepared to have lots of fleshing out to do on your own, and lots of page flipping and some initial confusion. Bottom line is that you pretty much have to get the book, which is ok, but could have been much better.
Rating: 
Summary: Necessary and Adequate
Review: Though the 3rd Editiion Monster Manual is necessary for the game, it is an inferior product. Most notable is the lack of monsters. Though there are over 500 listings (many of them sub-listings, it seems that they just could have kept more of the second edition monsters in. What happened to brownies, water weirds, daemons (yugoloth), grell, death knight, and githyanki? Aside from a few favorite creatures being missing, some new creatures were added that seem a little too unusual for most campaigns, such as the digester, the rath, and the ethereal marauder. Some categories of creatures got truncated greatly: no more gemstone dragons, fewer golems, less dinosaurs. The lists of Outsides imply that more of each type (celestials, demons, devils) exist: why not list them? Though the template idea is outstanding, some creatures should have stats without being templates. There are no longer standard lycanthropes, vampires, or liches. Each is individually created with a template. This is good if they are the prime antagonists in an adventure, but what if they are merely supporting characters? All in all, the text of the Monster Manual is excellent. Use of standardized terminology (a trademark of WoTC) helps immensely. Scalable monsters is useful, too. It seems the only reason to skimp on monster listings is to sell more supplements later.
Rating: 
Summary: Another Great Example of how WotC is Making D&D Better!
Review: Whine, whine, moan, that's what i hear a lot of from people about the new D&D. Why? I don't know. If soemone figures it out I hope they'd let me in on why. This book stands out as the PHB and DMG did. The cover is gorgeous. But what's in it is even more impressive. I'm continually flabbergasted at how they release these gorgeous and meaty tomes for such a reasonable price. The Monster Manual has HUNDREDS of monsters in it ready for use.Each monster has an extensive write-up that includes all it's major stat info, a short description, follwed by it's combat tactics and then finally explanations of it's special powers. It's all printed on glossy paper stock, so many of the creatures have gorgeous full color paintings of themselves. Gone are the days of black and white pictures with color descriptions, now you can just how gross a mind-flayer really looks. I've heard complaints from peopel that there is nothing it the MM that allows for role-playing opportunities. Wah. Go get yourself a pacifier. If I'm gonna do role-playing, I'll have my PC talk to NPC's and the like. I don't want to go into a dungeon and talk to the critters. This is a Monster Manual. This is a book of antagonists, not the NPC Manual of Role-Playing opprtunities. If you really wanna talk to that Buelette, I'm sure your DM can come up with something. A new addition is the templates. There is no longer just a vampire. Anything can be a vampire, you just have to add the template to the original creature, and viola! A vampire goblin. Or a vampire Ettin. How about a vampire half-fiend/half-minotaur? (half-fiend is another template) Same goes for lycanthropes (Werewolves, et. al.). Also new is a system of "advancement" for every creature. Regular old orcs not strong enough for your 10th level fighters? Orcs and other humanoids (as well as other monsters) advance by class. Send them up against a group of 7 or 8th level orc barbarians. Other monsters just get tougher by adding extra HD, damage and other goodies. All in all this book is a shining example of the great new direction that D&D is headed in. This is in a must have collection of D&D books along with the PHB and DMG.
Rating:
Summary: Adequate: A Mix of Flaws and Inspiration
Review: It used to be that the only tools needed to play D&D were dice, graph paper and pencils. Now add a calculator as a requirement for all DMs who aren't math geniuses. Why? WoTC's first take on the Moster Manual does not include experience points (XPs) in its statistics. This is a major flaw, and will be a drag on gameplay. WoTC did include a nice way for calculating XPs in the DM Guide, but, incredibly, they don't copy it in the Monster Manual (MM). As a result, DMs will need to go back and forth between 2 different books, just to figure out how much XPs a party of adventurers will get for slaying some foul beast. The other major flaw is that the descriptions of the beings fair and foul is abreviated compared to previous issues of the MM. The MM has a claustrophobic feel, no longer does each entry merit its own page. This results in fewer illustrations than in previous versions of the MM. However, not all is bad in the MM. There is sufficient information to interact with the beings listed, and the statistics are well laid out. The illustrations that do exist are perhaps the best ever for a MM. The addition of listing the advancement possibilities for certain beings is helpful, as is the inclusion of Strength, Intelligence, Wisdom, Dexterity, Constitution and Charisma stats. The decision to have certain types of beings as templates, e.g. liches, ghosts and vampires, seems like a smart move. There is also sufficient information to play some beings as player characters, and to create new friends or foes. Despite some irritating flaws, the new Monster Manual is a must have for any DM or interested player.
Rating:
Summary: Covers the bases, but pretty cramped
Review: Let's face it, if you've bought the 3rd edition PHB and DMG, you are probably going to buy this too, and it does the job. Old enemies (& friends) are back, as well as a few new faces, with quality full-color artwork for just about every beastie. There is a LOT packed into this book, giving DMs ready reference to a whole horde of foes to face down their players, but packing so much into a volume this size shows in how cramped and terse things get. One monster description runs right into the next and sometimes you have to make an effort to figure out which write-up you're reading. The layout is such that it feels like things are too tight -- narrow margins, close-space font, etc. The descriptions too show signs of compression, with no real detail or fleshing out. This is too bad, as that's something that leaves more work for the DM to do if he wants to add some color and depth to creatures. It should be the job of a gaming book to make things easier, and on that score this fails. I, for one, miss the texture added in some of the previous editions where they added paragraphs like "monster ecology" that made the creatures more three-dimensional. Overall, it looks good and gives you the data you need, but it could have been a lot better if it had added another 30 pages, spread the layout a bit more, and put some more meat on the bones of the write-ups. A bit behind the 3rd edition PHB & DMG in quality, I'd say.
Rating:
Summary: Capstone Piece of Third Edition Rules
Review: The 3E Monster Manual gives the final proof of the elegance of the new edition of D&D rules. Having read through all three books, I continue to be struck by how well-designed it really is. The consistent mechanics make playing and DM'ing a treat. The new MM is jam-packed with useful information on a host of monsters. I would estimate that about 20% of the monsters included are completely new to this edition. All of your old favorites are back also, but with interesting twists that capitalize on the new rules. (I can't wait until the first time a giant uses his Cleave feat against the party!) The art work is consistently excellent. As others have commented, the layout of the book is a little crammed -- with the Vermin appendix being the worst example -- but this is a minor problem and is the only bad thing I can say about it. Overall, I love the new D&D and think you will too!
Rating:
Summary: Well made, but inferior to previous references
Review: I was among the many long-time AD&D'ers who was very nervous about WotC's remake of the AD&D game. I admit I was quite impressed with the Player's Handbook, but not so with the Monster Manual. The artwork is incredible; the fact that it's in color is a nice touch. But the big pictures, placed in the middle of the page, sometimes make it difficult to find the information one is looking for. That, and there aren't pictures for all the monsters. That wouldn't be a horrible thing, but the written descriptions are quite short and incomplete, often much more so than even the 1st ed Monster Manual (a Nalfeshnee is simply described as a 20-foot cross between and ape and a boar with wings...accurate, but I could only visualize it because of previous knowledge). Most monster descriptions/information (outside of combat stats) comprise four sentences or so. Further, the organization is sometimes rough. The creature names in the book are only slightly larger than the subheadings, such as "combat." This is no major problem, but it makes it difficult to quickly pick out where the monster listings begin. This format was terrific for the PHB; but the MM is more of a reference work, written for information-at-a-glance, rather than for enjoyable reading. On the plus side, some new features are included (necessary for any remarketing of old material, I suppose). Rules for augmenting monsters are a very nice addition, as are monster templates; though to be fair to 2nd ed., templates existed then even though they weren't called such or as thoroughly explained (liches were still wizards, vampires could have classes, etc.). Some monsters are new, though fairly unremarkable; some are further clarified for increased realism, most noticeably the fire elemental. In general, the old monsters were simply refitted to make them more impressive on paper; more hit points, tougher bad guys. No big whoop about making monsters more difficult by giving them better stats. I admit, I'm biased. I come from old-school AD&D, where monster hit points and armor class weren't the key to making challenging foes. In conclusion, the book is useful for updating monsters to 3rd ed. rules, but is otherwise unremarkable. It is the perfect resource if one is already familiar with the monsters from 1st and/or 2nd ed., and is merely looking for new stats. When one considers the very reasonable price, it's a worthwhile purchase. And yes, dragons were beefed-up again.
Rating: 
Summary: Above Average
Review: I completely agree with the gentleman from Madison, WI. If you're going to base your purchase on these reviews, do yourself a favor and read "Let the Games Begin" by Haggarddm which you can find below. Just to sum up; You need this book if you are planning on playing 3rd ed, the format is annoying (monsters crammed in with a shoehorn), the rules are fresh, the art is the best it has ever been in a previous Monster book by at least 10-fold (muah!). But shouldn't there be rules included to convert 2nd ed monsters to the new system? (I run an Oriental campaign and I need my Kara-Tur creatures updated) Also, a blank monster template for photo-copying and creating your own monsters would have been a nice bonus. Oh well, coulda, shoulda, woulda. It's not going to change, and it's well worth more than 20 bucks so I'll stop moaning and groaning and let you get on with your purchase.
Rating:
Summary: A great resource for any role player
Review: I've been playing D&D since it came out, and it seems that each version gets better and better. The Third Edition is definitely a large step forward, based on the experience of thousands and thousands of RPers over the years. The Monster Manual is a huge part of this new set, and is a must-buy for any gamer. The manual contains the standards from previous D&D games, as well as quite a few new and interesting monsters. Most DMs start with the manual and then develop their own particular styles of monsters based on their campaign, and this book makes a great launching point for that imaginative play. The writing is great, and the artwork is simply fantastic. This is a definite present for any gamer on your holiday list, or if you're a gamer yourself, simply buy yourself a copy - why wait!
Rating:
Summary: D&D for a new age!
Review: Like most, I was skeptical and a bit doubtful about the "new" Dungeons and Dragons 3rd edition revamping. "They're changing my game!" I thought. The changes are for the better, though. Easy to read, detailed (but not to death), and new graphics that give whole new perspectives on the old baddies! MOST if not all the classic monsters are here. They HAVE changed, but for the better. The new rules include advancement and variety for all monsters, making even Zombies and Skelitons bigger and BADDER! And yes, there are new monsters who look "intriguing" at worst. We'll have to see how they stack up in playtesting. Do yourself a favor and buy this book. Check out Appendix 3, "templates" for various monster/NPC combos. Vampires and Werewolves will never be the same... They're WORSE (In a good way!).
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