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rlevy_95's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
geekwayne's review against another edition
'I Was the Cat' is an interesting concept for a graphic novel, but by the end, I felt like it was a little long and meandered a bit. Still, what's not to like about a talking cat with schemes to rule the world.
Allison Breaking is a blogger with a blog titled Breaking News. When she is hired by a mysterious client named Burma, she takes on the job and discovers that her client is a talking feline living in high style. Burma tells her of his nine lives. He lived in many different eras, like Ancient Egypt, and was in the lives of famous people, like Audrey Hepburn and Teddy Roosevelt. Throughout all these different lives, we see his attempts to rule the world and how they were foiled by time and circumstances. He is now poised to try again, and there is a vast shadowy network that appears to be doing his bidding, both feline and human.
Which all sounds interesting, but seems to meander and loiter to the point where I felt like I didn't much care by the time it ended. Also, it was light and fun in tone, but then violent and deadly. It was a weird juxtaposition. Still, Paul Tobin weaves a goofy story here that I ended up liking and Benjamin Dewey's art is good. I liked it, but I just didn't love it.
I was given a review copy of this graphic novel by Diamond Book Distributors and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
Allison Breaking is a blogger with a blog titled Breaking News. When she is hired by a mysterious client named Burma, she takes on the job and discovers that her client is a talking feline living in high style. Burma tells her of his nine lives. He lived in many different eras, like Ancient Egypt, and was in the lives of famous people, like Audrey Hepburn and Teddy Roosevelt. Throughout all these different lives, we see his attempts to rule the world and how they were foiled by time and circumstances. He is now poised to try again, and there is a vast shadowy network that appears to be doing his bidding, both feline and human.
Which all sounds interesting, but seems to meander and loiter to the point where I felt like I didn't much care by the time it ended. Also, it was light and fun in tone, but then violent and deadly. It was a weird juxtaposition. Still, Paul Tobin weaves a goofy story here that I ended up liking and Benjamin Dewey's art is good. I liked it, but I just didn't love it.
I was given a review copy of this graphic novel by Diamond Book Distributors and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
alexmaclye's review against another edition
3.0
i thought it was a cute funny silly haha. very quick read, interesting characters even if they were very flat. intriguing premise but at some points hard to follow.
hellocookie's review against another edition
3.0
It should probably come as no shock to anyone who knows me that I spent the better part of an evening this week reading a book about cats. In this case, a comic book about cats written by Paul Tobin (Bandette) and illustrated by Benjamin Dewey (Tragedy Series). However, unlike The Adventures of Business Cat and Breaking Cat News, this is a semi-serious tail *wink* about a cat that plotting to take over the world in a Pinky and the Brain-esque fashion, minus a Pinky.
I received an advanced copy of this book for review and dove into it completely unaware of what it was about and was completely shocked by the direction it went. I’ve been a fan of Tobin’s writing for things like Gingerbread Girl and Bandette, so I knew his work could be quirky (plus he is one of those Portland people :P), but I think this stepped up the game for quirky a little more this time around.
As I mentioned, the story revolves around a cat that wants to rule the world, but the majority of the story gets told from the perspective of a woman who is writing the memoirs of said cat who happens to be named Burma.
The art is great and I had been wracking my brain the whole way through the graphic novel trying to figure out where I knew Dewey’s art from. Finally it dawned on me that I knew his work from the aforementioned Tragedy Series, which is wonderful, by the way. His art works perfectly for this book and adds life and character to Tobin’s words. Each character, person or cat, has its own unique look. His art is elaborate and yet doesn’t feel overly detailed when you’re looking at, providing you with exactly the right amount of information for each panel. I never felt like I had to go back to look at something more than once since I felt like it conveyed what it was meant to.
To be honest, despite nice things said about the book, I don’t know if I loved it or not. You would think that a book about a crazy megalomaniac cat would be right up the alley of a crazy cat lady, but I don’t know. Maybe it was the way the story ended or the overall pace of it, but something just didn’t wow me. It definitely had an interesting take on several prominent moments in history and maybe that’s also what the book lacked. My favourite moments in the story were when Burma (the cat) regaled us with stories of his past attempts at world domination alongside the Egyptians, Moriarty (or rather the person he was based on), Napoleon and more, but that was what I wanted more of. We go back and forth between the present and Burma’s previous lives (of which he has nine, duh) but I wish there had been more to those stories as I was much more invested in them than anything else.
VERDICT
I don’t want to say that this book isn’t worth reading because I do think that it’s enjoyable, but I don’t know if I would personally add it to my shelves, physically or digitally. It just didn’t feel like a story I would ever come back to again. Tobin and Dewey are both good on the book and I would definitely like to see them team up for something again, maybe just a book solely devoted to Burma’s past lives, but I didn’t feel like I needed anymore of the other story being told.
I Was The Cat also has a deceptively friendly title to it and it should be noted that despite how it might sound, it’s not an all-ages book. There are definitely a few bloody scenes and references to movies and other stuff in history that older audiences will appreciate much more.
I’ll leave things off by giving this a tentative buy sticker from me. If you see it in stores, read a few pages of it. The tone gets established pretty much right off the bat and if it seems like your cup of tea from that, then chances are you’ll enjoy it, otherwise, it might not be for you.
I received an advanced copy of this book for review and dove into it completely unaware of what it was about and was completely shocked by the direction it went. I’ve been a fan of Tobin’s writing for things like Gingerbread Girl and Bandette, so I knew his work could be quirky (plus he is one of those Portland people :P), but I think this stepped up the game for quirky a little more this time around.
As I mentioned, the story revolves around a cat that wants to rule the world, but the majority of the story gets told from the perspective of a woman who is writing the memoirs of said cat who happens to be named Burma.
The art is great and I had been wracking my brain the whole way through the graphic novel trying to figure out where I knew Dewey’s art from. Finally it dawned on me that I knew his work from the aforementioned Tragedy Series, which is wonderful, by the way. His art works perfectly for this book and adds life and character to Tobin’s words. Each character, person or cat, has its own unique look. His art is elaborate and yet doesn’t feel overly detailed when you’re looking at, providing you with exactly the right amount of information for each panel. I never felt like I had to go back to look at something more than once since I felt like it conveyed what it was meant to.
To be honest, despite nice things said about the book, I don’t know if I loved it or not. You would think that a book about a crazy megalomaniac cat would be right up the alley of a crazy cat lady, but I don’t know. Maybe it was the way the story ended or the overall pace of it, but something just didn’t wow me. It definitely had an interesting take on several prominent moments in history and maybe that’s also what the book lacked. My favourite moments in the story were when Burma (the cat) regaled us with stories of his past attempts at world domination alongside the Egyptians, Moriarty (or rather the person he was based on), Napoleon and more, but that was what I wanted more of. We go back and forth between the present and Burma’s previous lives (of which he has nine, duh) but I wish there had been more to those stories as I was much more invested in them than anything else.
VERDICT
I don’t want to say that this book isn’t worth reading because I do think that it’s enjoyable, but I don’t know if I would personally add it to my shelves, physically or digitally. It just didn’t feel like a story I would ever come back to again. Tobin and Dewey are both good on the book and I would definitely like to see them team up for something again, maybe just a book solely devoted to Burma’s past lives, but I didn’t feel like I needed anymore of the other story being told.
I Was The Cat also has a deceptively friendly title to it and it should be noted that despite how it might sound, it’s not an all-ages book. There are definitely a few bloody scenes and references to movies and other stuff in history that older audiences will appreciate much more.
I’ll leave things off by giving this a tentative buy sticker from me. If you see it in stores, read a few pages of it. The tone gets established pretty much right off the bat and if it seems like your cup of tea from that, then chances are you’ll enjoy it, otherwise, it might not be for you.
saroz162's review against another edition
3.0
I bought this collected graphic novel cold on the recommendation of a comic shop owner, and for the majority of the read, I really enjoyed it. It moves fast and there's a lot of fun to it. The setup is simple: a popular blogger is summoned by the mysterious, wealthy "Burma" to write his life story. Burma, it transpires, is a talking cat - a talking cat in the last of his nine lives, who has spent most of human history attempting to take over the world. Of course, he gave that up a long time ago; now, he is content to have his every need met by a butler, and to oversee more...humanitarian...business concerns.
Sure. That doesn't sound like a convenient cover at all.
Tobin spends 12 issues of story veering back and forth between the tales of Burma's previous lives (at least, as much as the cat feels like telling) and the slowly unfolding revelations of his latest scheme. The idea of an over-intelligent cat wanting to take over the world is surely going to find resonance with many, many readers as a simple but all-too-plausible fantasy, and quite a few of them will also recognize the various historical, literary, and filmic situations into which Burma has inserted himself. (The James Bond sequence - without ever using the name James Bond - is especially chuckle-worthy.) It's all very entertaining, and Benjamin Dewey's art is clean and clear, which is exactly the sort of thing I usually prefer.
Unfortunately, about halfway through, I got a gnawing sensation that protagonist Allison Breaking and her friend Reggie were almost willfully obtuse to Burma's machinations. They stumble around and spend chapter after chapter (originally issue after issue) completely oblivious to really, really suspicious things going on around them. When the denouement finally comes, it happens with almost staggering abruptness - and it's not terribly satisfying, which is a real disappointment.
It's possible that this is only the opening volume in a longer story, but if not, it's a shame. The setup is great, and the bulk of the book is very enjoyable indeed. It just...ends. And I'm not sure why.
Sure. That doesn't sound like a convenient cover at all.
Tobin spends 12 issues of story veering back and forth between the tales of Burma's previous lives (at least, as much as the cat feels like telling) and the slowly unfolding revelations of his latest scheme. The idea of an over-intelligent cat wanting to take over the world is surely going to find resonance with many, many readers as a simple but all-too-plausible fantasy, and quite a few of them will also recognize the various historical, literary, and filmic situations into which Burma has inserted himself. (The James Bond sequence - without ever using the name James Bond - is especially chuckle-worthy.) It's all very entertaining, and Benjamin Dewey's art is clean and clear, which is exactly the sort of thing I usually prefer.
Unfortunately, about halfway through, I got a gnawing sensation that protagonist Allison Breaking and her friend Reggie were almost willfully obtuse to Burma's machinations. They stumble around and spend chapter after chapter (originally issue after issue) completely oblivious to really, really suspicious things going on around them. When the denouement finally comes, it happens with almost staggering abruptness - and it's not terribly satisfying, which is a real disappointment.
It's possible that this is only the opening volume in a longer story, but if not, it's a shame. The setup is great, and the bulk of the book is very enjoyable indeed. It just...ends. And I'm not sure why.
sparklemaia's review against another edition
3.0
The best thing about this book was Benjamin Dewey's wonderful art and the fact that it was about a fluffy evil megalomaniac talking cat.
The little snippets into the cat's past were intriguing and inventive, but the present-day storyline is where I got invested and it was really unsatisfying. The book drops all these classic mystery/thriller hints and teasers (anonymous notes, secret spies, suspicious phone calls) that basically go nowhere, which is a big letdown.
[spoilers] In the end, everybody decides that it's too late to stop the cat from taking over the world, he's already won, might as well just go along with it. Which I suppose is fairly practical, but as a reader immersed in the fiction of a multiply reincarnated talking cat who owns a major food distributor poisoning consumers into lethargy, I really wanted there to be a little more resistance from the protagonists and accomplices with letting the evil powerdrunk antagonist cat win.
The little snippets into the cat's past were intriguing and inventive, but the present-day storyline is where I got invested and it was really unsatisfying. The book drops all these classic mystery/thriller hints and teasers (anonymous notes, secret spies, suspicious phone calls) that basically go nowhere, which is a big letdown.
[spoilers] In the end, everybody decides that it's too late to stop the cat from taking over the world, he's already won, might as well just go along with it. Which I suppose is fairly practical, but as a reader immersed in the fiction of a multiply reincarnated talking cat who owns a major food distributor poisoning consumers into lethargy, I really wanted there to be a little more resistance from the protagonists and accomplices with letting the evil powerdrunk antagonist cat win.
weweresotired's review against another edition
3.0
A story about a talking cat trying to take over the world? I'm in!
Actually, I was mostly drawn to this because of the art of Benjamin Dewey, who is responsible for the always awesomely weird Tragedy Series. But also: talking megalomaniacal cat.
The bulk of the story is given to Burma recounting his previous eight lives for Allison, who accepts the fact that she's working for a talking cat with much more coolness than I could ever muster. (TALKING. CAT.) As the story progresses, though, you start to get glimpses that Burma is a little more than just a cat talking about the past, as some subplots kick in showing what Burma's up to today.
I think this story somehow managed to have both too much and too little backstory. There were times where I was definitely bored with the long sequences detailing Burma's past lives. And yet, somehow, I wanted to know more. I was left with a lot of questions and felt like some important plot points had been glossed over in favor of more explanation for the current day events and characters (like, why does one of Burma's henchmen-type-dudes look straight out of a Sherlock Holmes movie? is he a secret hipster? is he immortal? tell me more!). There was too much plot for the story they were trying to tell, and I think it would have been better served by either making sure this was at least a two-book run, or cutting down on some of the digressions. The ending does leave things kind of ambiguous, so there's potential for a second book that could clear up some of the gaps this one left.
Overall, despite some plot holes, this was an entertaining read, especially once the present-day plotline kicked in. Check it out for Dewey's art, if nothing else, especially in the latter chapters. I don't want to tell you what to look for because of spoilers, but there are some pretty epic spreads whenever the story switches entirely to the present day.
Actually, I was mostly drawn to this because of the art of Benjamin Dewey, who is responsible for the always awesomely weird Tragedy Series. But also: talking megalomaniacal cat.
The bulk of the story is given to Burma recounting his previous eight lives for Allison, who accepts the fact that she's working for a talking cat with much more coolness than I could ever muster. (TALKING. CAT.) As the story progresses, though, you start to get glimpses that Burma is a little more than just a cat talking about the past, as some subplots kick in showing what Burma's up to today.
I think this story somehow managed to have both too much and too little backstory. There were times where I was definitely bored with the long sequences detailing Burma's past lives. And yet, somehow, I wanted to know more. I was left with a lot of questions and felt like some important plot points had been glossed over in favor of more explanation for the current day events and characters (like, why does one of Burma's henchmen-type-dudes look straight out of a Sherlock Holmes movie? is he a secret hipster? is he immortal? tell me more!). There was too much plot for the story they were trying to tell, and I think it would have been better served by either making sure this was at least a two-book run, or cutting down on some of the digressions. The ending does leave things kind of ambiguous, so there's potential for a second book that could clear up some of the gaps this one left.
Overall, despite some plot holes, this was an entertaining read, especially once the present-day plotline kicked in. Check it out for Dewey's art, if nothing else, especially in the latter chapters. I don't want to tell you what to look for because of spoilers, but there are some pretty epic spreads whenever the story switches entirely to the present day.
catmom21's review against another edition
3.0
I haven't read too many graphic novels so I don't have great context for quality of artwork, story, etc. I was entertained though not engrossed by the story. It was a fun story to read, especially as I am partial to cats.
stellarkestrel's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
canadianbookaddict's review against another edition
4.0
I really liked this one .
It is a bit funny and the art is pretty nice. It isn't the kind if graphic novels that I would usually read but I quite enjoyed it .
It is a bit funny and the art is pretty nice. It isn't the kind if graphic novels that I would usually read but I quite enjoyed it .