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Creature Cops: Special Varmint Unit
In a world where a rhino can be gene-spliced with a dog, freakish animals are everywhere, and the Creature Cops have to deal with them! From vicious gator-snakes to cute panda-dogs, these animal cops think they’ve seen it all... until they discover a nest of illegal hybrids that resemble mythological griffins, and suddenly find themselves on the trail of a death cult with even darker plans!
100 pages, Paperback
First published June 30, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
January 5, 2019
The storyline is pretty standard, though the two women supporting characters get far more time than the men supporting characters. The main character is male. It is about a police like SPCA that has to deal with hybrid animals. It is the animals where the book is most creative. The plot is pretty standard but most of the characters are poc.
May 3, 2015
3-3.5 stars in general, rounded up to 4 for me since I can't resist comics with dogs in them
This is a quirky, funny comic story that's part police procedural, and part sarcastic satirical series à la primetime evening cartoon TV, except that the characters are animal control workers whose job has become much more interesting and hazardous ever since spliced/combo animals have become commonplace. Although I wasn't a huge fan of the art, mostly because I didn't like the jarring color choices (possibly due to the PDF I read, since it was a Netgalley free eARC), it was solid pencilling. I liked the cast of characters, and wouldn't mind casually consuming this series when I'm in the mood for something a bit silly with cute panda puppies and rhino mastiffs.
This is a quirky, funny comic story that's part police procedural, and part sarcastic satirical series à la primetime evening cartoon TV, except that the characters are animal control workers whose job has become much more interesting and hazardous ever since spliced/combo animals have become commonplace. Although I wasn't a huge fan of the art, mostly because I didn't like the jarring color choices (possibly due to the PDF I read, since it was a Netgalley free eARC), it was solid pencilling. I liked the cast of characters, and wouldn't mind casually consuming this series when I'm in the mood for something a bit silly with cute panda puppies and rhino mastiffs.
April 14, 2015
(Thank you NetGalley for a copy!)
Creature Cops: Special Varmints Unit has all the making to be an enjoyable romp of a sci-fi cop flick, or hell even a show sort of Brooklyn Nine Nine meets science experiments gone out of control. Our story takes place in a world where for the past 20 years China and The US have been in a "gene war" competing to make hybrid animals as very strange, very cute, or very dangerous pets. And with these new beasts come new problems which requires a special type of sci-fi animal control in order to deal with the various unique and sometimes outright dangerous creatures.
Enter the creature cops, individuals who you call to deal with infestations of big, and I do mean BIG rats, a gator-python sleeping in a parking lot, or to rescue a dog-rhino being abused for the hybrid animal fighting rings. There's a diverse cast here though sadly not too developed but we're given the gists of their characters and move the story along a steady pace, giving readers some background on their world such as there are only hybrids of two animals so that makes the discovered nest of gryphon hybrids quite a surprise as well as the murder of someone involved in hybrid animal fights. However, readers eventually learn that the gryphons aren't the only mythical beasts created by science as an investigation into hybrid animal fighting rings with a Michael Vic-exply leads to cult lead by famous author who is hinted to be neglecting his medication.
The art is good, giving us nicely drawn humans and interesting animal mash-ups such as various dogs that are mixed with panda bears, rhinos, tigers, and even an elephant-dachshund pup. We're also given a little personal tale intertwined with the big investigation about one elder cop considered drunk or crazy by most redeeming himself by closing the case and tying loose ends from an older investigation. There's also his relationship with a partner whose life he saved, but not his arm that plays into this story as well as the officer taking in the abused dog-rhino, but not too excited about it at first. There's also some looks at other members in the force mostly Gabby who is described as being better with animals than people and befriends a stray panda-dog the rest of her force has been trying to catch.
Creature Cops is a fun concept, which could still be revisited and explored later for more stories. The concept is interesting, plausible stuff of sci-fi creature fun with perhaps exploring the workings of a world were bear-dogs and giant gator-snakes are realities to be aware of. The main story is straightforward but gives a fun read and a look at interesting mixed creatures.
Recommendations:
CC: SVU has it's share or animal and human violence but not a great deal. There's quite a bit or blood and a look at some organs near the end. However, it's nothing overtly gratuitous and can still be a good addition to the YA shelves.
Creature Cops: Special Varmints Unit has all the making to be an enjoyable romp of a sci-fi cop flick, or hell even a show sort of Brooklyn Nine Nine meets science experiments gone out of control. Our story takes place in a world where for the past 20 years China and The US have been in a "gene war" competing to make hybrid animals as very strange, very cute, or very dangerous pets. And with these new beasts come new problems which requires a special type of sci-fi animal control in order to deal with the various unique and sometimes outright dangerous creatures.
Enter the creature cops, individuals who you call to deal with infestations of big, and I do mean BIG rats, a gator-python sleeping in a parking lot, or to rescue a dog-rhino being abused for the hybrid animal fighting rings. There's a diverse cast here though sadly not too developed but we're given the gists of their characters and move the story along a steady pace, giving readers some background on their world such as there are only hybrids of two animals so that makes the discovered nest of gryphon hybrids quite a surprise as well as the murder of someone involved in hybrid animal fights. However, readers eventually learn that the gryphons aren't the only mythical beasts created by science as an investigation into hybrid animal fighting rings with a Michael Vic-exply leads to cult lead by famous author who is hinted to be neglecting his medication.
The art is good, giving us nicely drawn humans and interesting animal mash-ups such as various dogs that are mixed with panda bears, rhinos, tigers, and even an elephant-dachshund pup. We're also given a little personal tale intertwined with the big investigation about one elder cop considered drunk or crazy by most redeeming himself by closing the case and tying loose ends from an older investigation. There's also his relationship with a partner whose life he saved, but not his arm that plays into this story as well as the officer taking in the abused dog-rhino, but not too excited about it at first. There's also some looks at other members in the force mostly Gabby who is described as being better with animals than people and befriends a stray panda-dog the rest of her force has been trying to catch.
Creature Cops is a fun concept, which could still be revisited and explored later for more stories. The concept is interesting, plausible stuff of sci-fi creature fun with perhaps exploring the workings of a world were bear-dogs and giant gator-snakes are realities to be aware of. The main story is straightforward but gives a fun read and a look at interesting mixed creatures.
Recommendations:
CC: SVU has it's share or animal and human violence but not a great deal. There's quite a bit or blood and a look at some organs near the end. However, it's nothing overtly gratuitous and can still be a good addition to the YA shelves.
July 10, 2015
'Creature Cops: Special Varmint Unit' by Rob Anderson is the kind of strange story that could probably works best in the medium of the graphic novel.
In the near future, animals are being spliced together to form other animals, like a panda-dog or a gator-snake. In order to keep these creatures at bay you need a special kind of handler, and that's where the Creature Cops come in. One cop in particular, Kaminski, is a grizzled veteran who has seen his fair share of action. He looks soft, but is tough where it counts. He and is rookie partner discover a murdered beast alongside a human. They may have stumbled on to something bigger. It turns out to be a group creating illegal hybrids and something even darker and more sinister.
It's a police procedural mixed with the bizarre. The characters are all here: the down on his luck veteran, the wide-eyed rookie, the tough captain. The animals are not portrayed as menacing, for the most part. I liked it well enough. The animals are strangely drawn, and I did like the sinister twist, but the cop stuff all felt perhaps a bit too cliche for me.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Diamond Book Distributors, IDW Publishing, and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
In the near future, animals are being spliced together to form other animals, like a panda-dog or a gator-snake. In order to keep these creatures at bay you need a special kind of handler, and that's where the Creature Cops come in. One cop in particular, Kaminski, is a grizzled veteran who has seen his fair share of action. He looks soft, but is tough where it counts. He and is rookie partner discover a murdered beast alongside a human. They may have stumbled on to something bigger. It turns out to be a group creating illegal hybrids and something even darker and more sinister.
It's a police procedural mixed with the bizarre. The characters are all here: the down on his luck veteran, the wide-eyed rookie, the tough captain. The animals are not portrayed as menacing, for the most part. I liked it well enough. The animals are strangely drawn, and I did like the sinister twist, but the cop stuff all felt perhaps a bit too cliche for me.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Diamond Book Distributors, IDW Publishing, and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
May 23, 2015
Potential – 5 stars. Artwork – 4 stars. Build-up in plot – 4 stars. Execution of plot – 3 stars. Inclusion of third-rate Cthulhu elements in plot – sinful. There's something very intriguing about this book, and how it deposits us successfully in a world of animal wrangler/cop hybrids, due to the large and potentially vicious animal hybrids gene tech has produced in the future. It tries its best too in fitting a clever, deft crime episode in with the easy exposition, only for it to pretty much unravel in one large action scene, which brings in all amounts of 'friendly' beasts, and spurious and uninteresting gangster characters. In a way the minor players get in the way of the bigger picture – the world-building, the office relationships and the whole nature of the animals involved. Certainly we lose a big portion of the crime when it's hard to work out who is who among the guest appearances, and even harder to actually care. That aside, this reads like an episode in a much larger enterprise, and it certainly has the potential to become such. With artwork like this the world is very immediate, and one I would wish to return to, if it managed to ground itself in its own freshly-forged reality without going all Lovecraft on us.
June 8, 2015
I didn't love this one and I'm not sure why. The plot was interesting - the "cops" in this story are Animal Control Officers in a futuristic setting where animal hybrids are common. That concept appealed to me but I think I was lost on the stereotypical cop attitude of the main character. The story came and went so quickly that I didn't get a real sense of urgency nor did I really connect with any of the story. This is a problem that occurs in graphic novels but usually you get something.
The art was fine - it was bright and easy to see. I felt that all in all the overall graphic part of this book worked. I loved the animals and the imagination behind them.
I think it was just that character and the fact that I couldn't connect to the story. I would try the next issue and see if it gets better but I'm not sure it would rise to my must read list.
The art was fine - it was bright and easy to see. I felt that all in all the overall graphic part of this book worked. I loved the animals and the imagination behind them.
I think it was just that character and the fact that I couldn't connect to the story. I would try the next issue and see if it gets better but I'm not sure it would rise to my must read list.
February 26, 2016
This is a highly entertaining graphic novel. The story takes place in a future world where people can have hybrid animals. You can have a panda/dog as a pet, or go to the race track and bet on greyhound/cheetas. Things do go wrong at times, and the characters in this story work for animal control. The primary plot centers on a case concerning a really horrible hybrid situation gone wrong. The art work is great. The story is enjoyable. You can relate to the primary characters, and there is even a love story in the mix. It is well worth reading!
April 3, 2015
Note: I received a free copy from NetGalley.
This was an interesting book. For the first few issues, I went, "Huh, interesting idea, not fantastic, but I don't dislike it." And then there was THAT THING and you will know what THAT THING is when you are reading. I went "I MUST READ ALL OF THIS! I NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS!" If you like sci-fi that is firmly set in real world situations, you will certainly enjoy this series.
This was an interesting book. For the first few issues, I went, "Huh, interesting idea, not fantastic, but I don't dislike it." And then there was THAT THING and you will know what THAT THING is when you are reading. I went "I MUST READ ALL OF THIS! I NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS!" If you like sci-fi that is firmly set in real world situations, you will certainly enjoy this series.
May 20, 2015
Between gene-spliced dogs which are fun to look at, a murder scene that brings back a 10-year-old crime, and other gene-spliced critters running wild, the animal control folks have their hands full. Plenty of personalities to mesh and thresh while animals run wild, police are acting normal, and stray animals are saving the day. I enjoyed reading this fun detective tale that has action, weird critters and a touch of Lovecraft to spice up the mystery!
August 18, 2015
This graphic follows an animal control unit as they go about their daily business. But the animals they deal with are hybrids--panda dogs, gator-snakes and tiger hounds. It's a pretty strange premise, but it works. There is a mystery involving an animal fighting ring, and darn it, another cult. A fun story, and now I totally want a panda dog!
April 5, 2015
I received this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Wow, that was an interesting read. There is a twist that I guarantee you won't seem coming. The twist is a bit ridiculous, and I feel like the story might almost have been more interesting without it.
Wow, that was an interesting read. There is a twist that I guarantee you won't seem coming. The twist is a bit ridiculous, and I feel like the story might almost have been more interesting without it.
January 15, 2016
Modified animals with some strange combinations; animal fight club; Elder gods cult; a whole bunch of personal issues. Not a good story. Art was fine. Not worth a follow up.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews