In my personal opinion, it’s important to take risks with comics and graphic novels. There are a great deal of brilliant works out there that go underrated or entirely unheralded when in truth, they may just be impressive enough to earn a place on your personal favorites list. I understand that the average consumer probably can’t afford to grab every book to hit stands or digital outlets on a weekly basis, but I also understand that we’re a little predisposed to the idea that sticking with our established favorites is the safest route to travel when contemplating where to invest our hard-earned bucks. A book like Angel Catbird calls that approach into question, and then some.

Margaret Atwood spins this infectious tale of half-cat people and half-rat menaces – spliced serums and blossoming interspecies love. It’s an outlandish story, and you’d know that good and well were I to truly break the idea down, but I don’t like the idea of spoiling this story. What Atwood has created is absolutely beautiful, and the seeming ease that she blends a whole myriad of genres far surpasses my personal idea of impressive. This is flat out amazing stuff, and I’d likely never know it were it not for a limb step. With a title like Angel Catbird, I felt I couldn’t lose too much by giving the book a read. I gained a hell of a lot, as it turns out, and Atwood picked up one more fan to add to her impressive list of inspired followers.

Johnnie Christmas brings some excellent artwork to the project, making unfathomable creature concepts come to life in damn impressive and embraceable fashion. The book looks slick, the characters all refined and designed to mirror their personalities, and the action feels consistently smooth. Did I mention Cate Leone is one seriously sexy dish?

There’s an awesome plot unraveling in a unique world that Dark Horse has very wisely stepped up to offer its sizable fan base. My recommendation would be to look into the book (I’m absolutely furious that I’ve got to wait until February to read the second volume) and keep an open mind. I’m a true horror guy, all the way, but I’d be a liar if I told you this wasn’t one of the greatest stories I’ve had the pleasure of reading in 2016.

So, Ms. Atwood, I offer you well-wishes, continued success and a simple declaration: I’ll be a fan of your work until I kick the bucket. I’m crazy about Angel Catbird, and now I know I’ve got some work to put into tracking down some of your past works of fiction.

Order it here, ASAP!

Rating: 5/5