I'm going to start this out with a simple statement: I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing here, and I only started this thanks to @Imrix. This is the first time I've read a work by Canada's best known living writer, and national treasure Margaret Atwood. This is also probably not the best series to read to get a feel for Atwood's other work, because it is her first Graphic Novel, and is well, kinda weird. Even for the woman who wrote the MaddAddam trilogy. Like it was weird enough and successful enough it also got a kindle audio drama adaptation in 2018.
This is also my first let's read. So this probably won't have so much criticism of the actual work as much as it has a lot of commentary on the sheer weirdness of it, and the ongoing plot.
The foreword by Atwood is honestly quite helpful here, since it lays out much of the why and how something as weird as Angel Catbird came about, and it's honestly touching. It's the culmination of Atwood's consistent work on animal rights and her life-long love of comics and illustration, which finally came together with the assistance of illustrators Johnnie Christmas and Tamra Bonvillain. I'll probably reflect more on the foreword as it becomes relevant in the actual chapters.
Being an Atwood work, it also of course involves plenty of science fiction elements and an incredible level of thirst because if there's one thing to be said about this book, it's that Margaret Atwood Fucks.
So, children it's time to strap in as we enter an incredibly thirsty world of cat jokes, rat harems and a dude named Count Catula.
Volume 1 is actually pretty short, at only 71 pages (or is that long, IDK. The last Graphic Novel I read before this was League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, because I'm old and out of touch.)
But it starts out pretty simply. Genetic Engineer Strig Feleedus starts out his first day at his new job at Muroid Inc. working on restoring a piece of code that had been removed by his predecessor before his untimely death.
We meet a few other people in these first few pages, namely Strig's pet cat Ding, Ray from Sales (who is Anishinaabe according to the notes at the end of the book,) and the President and CEO of the company, the perpetually creepy Dr. Muroid.
In a one on one with Strig, Dr. Muroid is perpetually seen with a rat on a shoulder, and is trying to get Strig to solve the issue and rediscover the code for a correct and functional 'Super-Splicer Serum' that will supposedly help humanity by replacing damaged genes with healthy ones, and wants it done as soon as Strig can do it.
Of course, being very much a silver age comic in feel, we immediately get a hint of what Dr. Muroid's true goal is in the very next panel. Dude wants to make and then fuck some Rat Girls.
The very next page Strig's at lunch and we're introduced to Cate Leone from Marketing, who knew Strig's predecessor. Being the nice and helpful coworker that she is, Cate gives him a warning: His predecessor was murdered, and someone's super interested in the Serum.
And there in four pages, we've introduced most of the core cast, and can move onto the conflict, so we skip three days ahead to when Strig has solved it (being as this is a comic, and Strig has already been said to be the best in his field, it's only natural that the guy cracks this in three days of crunch time, as you do.) Our poor protagonist then calls Dr. Muroid, who gets weirdly intense about it, and can't wait until the morning to get his paws on the serum.
So, as is a sensible thing to do, Strig grabs his bag and the flask of the serum and gets ready to head out to meet his boss when his cat gets out. Now, as Strig is a very responsible cat-owner, Ding is an indoor cat and is absolutely stoked to hunt this white rat. As is the owl that has been lurking in the background for the last few pages.
And then there's headlights, and our first Cat Fact courtesy of Nature Canada and their catsandbirds.ca website and #safecatsafebird campaign. About the risks to outdoor cats from automobiles. Yes, the placement of these is about as subtle as the naming, and they tie in purrfectly with the beats of the story.
So anyway, Ding, Strig and the owl get hit by a Benz driven by Dr. Muroid, destroying the sample and spreading it across their bodies. Incidentally, Muroid has rat slaves he can control remotely because he's just that fucking creepy, and did this so he can get the sample off Strig's computer instead of just waiting for 9AM and a goddamned thumb drive like a sane person.
But a sane person also wouldn't be talking about The Age of the Rat.
And now, covered in the Serum, Strig transforms as he grows wings, cat ears, a tail and a whole lot of fur and feathers as he turns into his own DeviantArt fursona. Before flying around a bit, and eating some rat he found before a dude throws a rock at him, as you do. And then he runs into a building and changes back as Animal Control comes by to pick up the carccases and we get a second Cat Fact to rub in that Ding is dead.
The next morning we see Strig cope with the events of the last night, or rather deny it right until stuff starts getting weird for him. Like no longer being able to drink coffee because it's poisonous to cats. Which is mentioned in a Cat Fact as well. Also cats just hate the guy and he can hear their voices and bird voices. But Cate's suddenly more attractive and the Thirst has begun. Also all the purrfects and other cat puns.
Also, Muroid is now terrified of him because Strig is half cat. And yeah Strig now has the urge to eat his boss, but not in a sexual way. In addition Strig has realized it was Muroid who tried to run him over, but can't figure out a reason why.
Cut to lunch, and we now have Cate and Strig smelling each other and holding back their instincts, while eating the fish option, having a glass of milk and talking about Strig's pet cat Ding (which is short for Schrödinger, because cat jokes.) Also there's a Cat Fact about how much better cats can smell. Also as you could probably guess by the name, Cate Leone is also Half-Cat, and has the same urge to eat poor Professor Muroid (really if it wasn't for everything else about him he'd maybe be kinda sympathetic because of this.) Cate then invites him out to a place after work. As a half-cat.
After work Strig is hovering over a tasty smelling dumpster when we get to an actually important bit of why this is titled Angel Catbird and not "My Coworker Became A DeviantArt Fursona and Now He's Too Fucking Hot." Namely, Strig comes upon a cat about to eat a fledgling bird, and experiences the Carnivore's Dilemma for the first time in an identity conflict as he goes from saving the bird to wondering if he should eat it as some Alley cats are trying to get their lunch back from him. And then we get more Cat Facts as Strig goes through his whole crisis of identity, nevermind that he's been some weird owl-cat person for like less than a day at this point.
And we cut to Muroid turning into a half-rat and monologuing to his evil lab rat army about his plans. Which involve infiltrating society to create a Rat-Supremacist state which will genocide the cats and half-cats, and can be read to be way more anti-semitic than is probably intended. Like, remember this is Atwood's weird furry fetish comic, she's here to be hornier than usual, not incite racial hatred. Also, the guy just controls his all-white lab-rat army with his weird digital controller thing. Because this is really goddamned sliver age (except it doesn't have Gorillas.)
So then we cut back to Strig, who is soon to be under surveillance, about to piss on his front door to spite one of the three Alley cats who keeps showing up.
And that done he goes back in the house as a rat watches with a little tiny head mounted camera, and Strig has a snack before his phone goes off.
And that's where we'll leave it off tonight as this is already like 1160 words and this is a nice stopping point before shit gets real and really horny. Especially Cate and Count Catula. But yeah, we're thirty pages in. This volume isn't even half done.
Atwood did a neat one-shot on the WW II comics boom in Canada after this. I guess the comics bug kinda bit her. She also brought retired artist Ken Steacy out of retirement to work on it.
From the Booker Prize-winning author of The Handmaid's Tale, comes this historical fiction graphic novel tracing the Golden Age of Canadian comic books. Collects War Bears issues #1-3. Oursonette, a fictional...
You fool. You foolish fool! How dare you steal my slot of mocking insane Canadian fiction try to insinuate that Margaret Atwood has anything but the purest of motives in delicately crafting her fine, subtle work of Art!
...except for Count Catula, who obviously fuuuuucks.
You fool. You foolish fool! How dare you steal my slot of mocking insane Canadian fiction try to insinuate that Margaret Atwood has anything but the purest of motives in delicately crafting her fine, subtle work of Art!
...except for Count Catula, who obviously fuuuuucks.
Alright so to warn y'all, after I posted that update, I binged the rest of the series and was so cursed I was actually bedridden for the day and nearly passed out talking to someone who came to the door.
Anyway, Strig reads the text and Cate asked him to meet at The Catastrophe at 10, and signed off with Happy trails/tails because we can't have just one pun per page. Also, Cate and Strig text like it's 2004 and Strig can't change forms intentionally yet.
Strig then takes a cab, has an owl ask him for mice randomly, and runs into Ray in the alley outside The Catastrophe.
Strig then goes into the Catastrophe, and it turns out that the cats from earlier are half cats and look like rejects from Cats, like every other cat-dude in this who isn't Count Catula. The three cats also hate him, and give him shit until Cate shows up.
Incidentally, since this is Margaret Atwood's work, Cate's a cabaret singer with a furry skirt and boots.
And then everyone gets interrupted by a rat and get to see a panel of Alley, Trash and Cataclysm (yes, those are actually those three cats' names) eat said mouse. Which comes with another Cat Fact about letting your cats hunt (or rather don't and keep them inside, otherwise your cat dies and you go through some weird shit like Strig here.) Also one of the guys chokes on a camera. Which they flush so Muroid (who presumably couldn't just look up a place named The Catastrophe up in the phone book) won't know they're on to him.
Incidentally, Cate's like indisputably in charge through all of this, and helps Strig change into his Fursona by clocking him on the back of the head with a champagne bottle.
And then everyone sees that Strig has fucking wings and clawed feet. Everyone else is weirded out by it, but Cate is totally into it and names him Angel Catbird. (Also it was mentioned she had a thing with Ray in the past.) In the next page we see a bunch of randos and Count Catula as Cate shows him around. The count is a cool dude.
Also Muroid had another rat, named Ratilda, and thanks to said camera just floating to the sewage treatment plant (how can he even monitor all this) figures out he got tricked. He also sees Angel Catbird for the first time, and plans to take Cate hostage and mutilate her to put the Half Cats in disarray while he executes the rest of his plan.
And then we get to Cate singing. She's also the lead of a group named Pussies in Boots. JFC Margaret. Also these lyrics are fucking awful for something you'd put in the mouth of an author stand-in.
Oh, and then there's a rat on a can light that didn't have its little paws burned off, and everything goes to shit after Angel Catbird catches it. Anyway, Muroid swears revenge as Count Catula examines the camera so he can track down Muroid's lair. Anyway, while Count Catula turns into a bat and flies off (because he's a vampire) Cate tells everyone to go to ground and promises to put out some kibble for those three cats. Who complain about how shit it is to be an outside cat.
And then Angel Catbird/Strig learns how to transform, as Cate tells him she thinks of a million tasty, tasty mice or a front-loading washing machine. Also Cate is thirsty. So goddamned thirsty.
And then she freaks a bit about how this is going too fast, like she's known Strig for like four days, and Strig has been attractive to her for less than a day at this point. And we get a cat fact. A really thirsty, perfectly timed cat fact. The best fucking Cat Fact in this entire series.
And then Count Catula eye beams his way into Dr.Muroids' office and steals a flash drive from Dr. Muroid with his evil plan on it. No, there will never be any explanation of why the count has fucking laser eyes either. He's just a cat who is also a vampire. But he also drops the camera he was using to track Dr.Muroid's lair, and really angers Muroid.
So Muroid rallies his rat minions who are going to blow up the club. With little backpacks full of explosives.
Anyway, the next day before dawn, Count Catula shows up at Cate's place to hide out for the day. Where he crashes in her bedroom closet.
At work, Cate and Strig are confronted Dr Muroid about the formula, and Strig passes off the previous formula as defective. Dr Muroid then starts to fantasize about how having rats eat Cates eyeballs will get Strig to tell him the formula.
Then they talk at lunch, Strig says some thirsty stuff and Cate gives Strig a new outfit, as you do. They also agree to meet up with Ray after work then and go to the Catastrophe.
Which is in the process of being bombed by tiny rats with their adorable little bomb vests.
So, Strig and Ray (who is a half-raven if you probably hadn't already predicted that.) transform and fly a couple of the guys and Cate to safety while Muroid blows up the club. There's a close call when Angel Catbird drops the guys and Cate, but that's a momentary thing, and by the time everyone's back on the ground only Alleycat is dead.
So as the sun sets, Strig, Ray, Cate Trash and Cataclysm bury Alley in what I think is Cate's backyard.
Anyway, there's a voice from the bedroom in Cate's place, where everyone is sort of hanging out and plotting revenge on Muroid, and Ray makes a joke about it being some Pervert.
Instead of it being some Weirdo Perv, it's the Count. Who while he did crash in her lingerie is a perfect gentleman about it thank you very much.
(If you thought I was repeating that image you're wrong, I don't reuse these.)
And then Catula hands over the drive, and the cast finally learns Muroid's four step plan for Cat genocide (which is also an excuse for mild teasing.) Which involves kidnapping Cate. So the count invites everyone to Castle Catula which is off in the woods and thus safe from the rat army.
Cate and everyone accept his offer, and just like start walking there after sending out a group text to meet up at the castle. Meanwhile, the evil Dr. Muroid begins the second step of his evil plan by dispatching his rat army to kidnap Cate somehow.
And that's volume One, which covers something like more than half the goddamned timeline of this story (seriously, it's like five days here out of a bit more than a week I think.) We'll pick this up again tomorrow in Angel Catbird 2: To Castle Catula!
And then we get the notes at the back of the volume which cover the many, many iterations of Angel Catbird's bulge enhancing shorts, and includes the interesting bit that Margaret Atwood designed Cate's cabaret outfit herself after like five million variations without enough primal sex appeal. Her sketch is kind of hilariously awful, but still better than anything I've done since high school. Also, there's some other art but nothing as interesting.
Anyway, if anyone else is willing to see me suffer more, or just wants to buy me a drink to make the pain tolerable, I have a patreon, an entirely too healthy liver and plenty of free time in which to read cursed shit like this.
Alright so to warn y'all, after I posted that update, I binged the rest of the series and was so cursed I was actually bedridden for the day and nearly passed out talking to someone who came to the door.
Starting off Volume two we have a foreword by G. Willow Wilson that starts off with what is probably the most and least accurate line about this series. "Like all true Chimeras, the work of Margaret Atwood defies easy categorization." It goes on to talk about the central themes of Atwood's works before basically eliding that this weird pulp romp is actually a furry comic like we all know it is. Really, the whole series is like $20, and if you all want to experience this magical fucking ride for yourselves, because I am not doing it justice, you should all pick it up and give it a read.
Anyway getting into it, we have two pages to cover the events of volume one, before the story picks up in the middle of some Canadian forest with Trash and Cataclysm still looking like Cats rejects and complaining about shit. I think this might actually be like an hour after the last volume ended. Also, I still can't get why they didn't just fucking drive there. Is Castle Catula like completely off the grid or something? Do they have cable?
Anyway, someone brings up the whole "why didn't you just bite him" thing. Which boils down to the Count didn't want to be come a Half-Cat, Half-Rat Vampire and that's just an abomination too far apparently. Also it could've made Muroid a vampire, to just make things even worse.
Anyway, with that settled, and the Count and Cate having crushed the argument, Ray flies off to find the other Half cats, and like his whole deal looks really weird. But so does Angel Catbird and like every other thing in here.
And then everyone keeps walking through the forest for a few more hours until Strig hears an owl, and goes off to fuck it. Naturally while she sends everyone else on ahead, Cate goes after her beau who just went off to go fuck an owl sight unseen.
Then, as what is probably a decent basis for the weirdest fucking NTR Doujin begins we cut to Dr. Muroid monologuing his evil plan to kidnap Cate to his rat harem. Which involves using his rat-slave army to tie her to a fucking moving dolly like it's Lilliput, and then declawing her. This gets us I swear to god, a Squee-hee-hee and the first Cat Fact of the volume.
Also he'll record it and then just fucking call Strig's cellphone and play the recording back, probably to a fucking voice mail. And that is literally how he's planning to capture fucking Angel Catbird. Also there's an unhinged rant in which Dr. Muroid threatens his future Rat-Harem with the dude's creepy fucking fantasies.
…Is Dr. Muroid really just a Middle-Aged Furry Incel? Does he just post goddamned four hour rants about Star Wars or SJWs on Youtube with some commissioned anthropomorphic avatar in the thumbnail in his spare time? Because that's totally the vibe I'm getting here and I wouldn't put it past Atwood to just fucking do it.
Also the funniest thing about this is that after that little explosion, he goes to pondering whether there are dark forces arrayed against him, and dismisses the idea of a Bat-Cat Vampire as being impossible.
And then we cut back to Angel Catbird going off to fuck the owl. Who turns out to be a half-owl descendant of Athena. Named Atheen-Owl, who wants to fuck right the fuck now, as Strig is now trying to talk himself out of a booty call. Then Cate shows up, and there's a catfight between a Catgirl and an Owl girl and of course Angel Catbird's got a voice in his head saying ¿Porque no los dos?
Anyway, Angel Catbird manages to sell the whole thing of oh yeah, what about y'all when we're gone and the rats rule the world pretty well, so Atheen-Owl then goes off to find and persuade more owls to join them and eat the rat army. (Which you'd think would be as easy as "Who wants a really spicy buffet?" But no.
And then we get Dr. Muroid playing a game of charades with his fucking Tracker Rats in Cate's place because we need some intentional comic relief about a funny smelling bra. Which takes three fucking pages for Dr. Muroid to realize that it's the Bra of the (un)Dead, namely the one the Count slept in yesterday (which yeah, if it's some padded t-shirt bra is probably all kinds of cozy when you're a dinky ass bat that fucks.) This leads the not-so-good Doctor into finally realizing that he did just fuck with a Vampire Bat-Cat. But the rats continue to be cute. (I'm honestly just including it because it's cute and the only fucking distraction from how weird this part is.)
And so, learning that our heroes have fled into the forest, Dr. Muroid only has one option, deploying his secret weapon and the Murines. Who are little tiny Rat Marines.
Cutting back to said heroes, everyone meets up as Ray found Mummcat and all the other fucking weirdoes from the club with actual designs. Which leads to exposition, and a dude named Catullus reciting shitty poetry with a lyre. But now, some twenty five pages in we get the Count's backstory, also some flirting with Mummycat.
…Who is actually Queen Nefertiti, but… …Incidentally, I hate this series so fucking much.
But as soon as the count's about to speak, we cut back to the Evil Dr. Muroid as he prepares to unleash his secret weapon that's housed in the sub-basements below his building (that'll really anger a landlord, so don't excavate secret lairs unless you've got the title and the proper permits in hand.) Which is called The Drat, and it looks so fucking stupid I'm leaving it for tomorrow because I want to just finish this off with the Count's backstory.
Anyway, it turns out the Young Count Catula, before there was a Count Catula, was Dracula's own mouser. Which worked out great right up until the count bled the area dry, and he was forced to eat mice and rats. Incidentally, the Brides of Dracula were understandably not happy about this, but that's not super relevant to the plot.
What is relevant is that one night, a down on his luck Dracula got in a fight with his own cat for a rat, and ended up biting said cat. Who became Count Catula, and then went off to get his own place and his own wives. Which is probably how he ended up in Canada of all places.
But now we're at a reasonable end point before the weird digression that starts on this same page, and it's about halfway through so I think I'll call it quits here.
Anyway, I'm taking suggestions for what cursed shit I should read after this, and I'll probably put it up to a vote to my patrons or whatever august body of monsters I find fitting to determine how I should suffer when I finish volume 3. And then I'll maybe take a break and do like Let's Watch American Hanukah Movies (all of them) over the holidays. Post your suggestions down below, and no, I'm not even touching Worm it's been done to death. I'm ideally gonna be doing weebshit or esoteric stuff like '2nd Wave Feminist Dark Fantasy Demon CBT: The Trilogy' because y'all are here to see me suffer.
