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Man-Eaters #1-4
Man-Eaters, Vol. 1
Adolescent girls can be real monsters. Maude is twelve—which is just about that age when some girls turn into flesh-eating wildcats. As her detective dad investigates a series of strange mauling attacks, Maude begins to worry that she might be the killer. From the creative team that brought you the groundbreaking Eisner-nominated series Mockingbird, this trade paperback collects the first story arc of the unconventional coming-of-age tale—including the informative survival handbook, “CAT FIGHT! A BOYS’ GUIDE TO DANGEROUS CATS” and all-new never-before-published extras! Collects MAN-EATERS #1-4
128 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 26, 2018
22 people are currently reading
1749 people want to read
About the author
Chelsea Cain
91 books3,809 followersChelsea Cain is the New York Times bestselling author of the Archie Sheridan/Gretchen Lowell thrillers Heartsick, Sweetheart, Evil at Heart, The Night Season, Kill You Twice, and Let Me Go. Her next book One Kick (August, 2014) will be the first in her Kick Lannigan thriller series. Her book Heartsick was named one of the best 100 thrillers ever written by NPR, and Heartsick and Sweetheart were named among Stephen King's Top Ten Books of the Year. Her books have been featured on HBO's True Blood and on ABC's Castle. Cain lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband and daughter.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 473 reviews
December 26, 2018
After the brilliant but short-lived run on Marvel's Mockingbird I was ready to read anything else by Chelsea Cain, so I was really happy when Man-Eaters by her and Kate Niemczyk was announced. This is a comic with an absolutely bonkers premise — what if a mutated version of Toxoplasmosis caused certain women to turn into big, wild, violent cats when they menstruate? Man-Eaters is a series that follows Maude, a young girl who is seemingly infected with such virus.
The first three issues were absolutely great. The book's over the top premise is a great source of sharp humour and satire, and Chelsea Cain uses it to its fullest. Unfortunately, these three issues barely set up a story, let alone an arc. For some reason, this trade is (supposedly) only going to be four issues long, and issue 4 was... a questionable choice at best. You see, issue 4 entirely consists of in-universe pamphlets, ads and little newspaper articles, a-la The Wicked + The Divine #23, or fake ads in the back of Bitch Planet issues, or one of those things Bendis did in one of his Marvel series (right now I can't for the life of me remember which series that was). Man-Eaters #4 was really annoying because it was entirely a filler, and so early in the series, too. Those articles added nothing to the main story or the world around it, and we see most of the same kinds of jokey ads that we see in the back of the regular issues anyway. The story has barely started, there really wasn't even a completed arc here, and yet we get this as a cap off for the very first volume. I'm all for experimenting with the format, but this was a really poor attempt and not a great choice by the creators.
In the end, I still love Man-Eaters, and think this is one of the best new series of 2018, but I also can't deny that ending the very first story arc on such a note does not leave a great impression. As such, I can't even recommend reading it in trade format — I can recommend picking up the first three issues separately and skipping #4 entirely, though. I promise, there is nothing there that you didn't already read in the first three. Here's to hoping that volume 2 will make things right, and that the series overall will manage to get past that one misstep.
The first three issues were absolutely great. The book's over the top premise is a great source of sharp humour and satire, and Chelsea Cain uses it to its fullest. Unfortunately, these three issues barely set up a story, let alone an arc. For some reason, this trade is (supposedly) only going to be four issues long, and issue 4 was... a questionable choice at best. You see, issue 4 entirely consists of in-universe pamphlets, ads and little newspaper articles, a-la The Wicked + The Divine #23, or fake ads in the back of Bitch Planet issues, or one of those things Bendis did in one of his Marvel series (right now I can't for the life of me remember which series that was). Man-Eaters #4 was really annoying because it was entirely a filler, and so early in the series, too. Those articles added nothing to the main story or the world around it, and we see most of the same kinds of jokey ads that we see in the back of the regular issues anyway. The story has barely started, there really wasn't even a completed arc here, and yet we get this as a cap off for the very first volume. I'm all for experimenting with the format, but this was a really poor attempt and not a great choice by the creators.
In the end, I still love Man-Eaters, and think this is one of the best new series of 2018, but I also can't deny that ending the very first story arc on such a note does not leave a great impression. As such, I can't even recommend reading it in trade format — I can recommend picking up the first three issues separately and skipping #4 entirely, though. I promise, there is nothing there that you didn't already read in the first three. Here's to hoping that volume 2 will make things right, and that the series overall will manage to get past that one misstep.
July 21, 2019
“I am a fierce cat. I will rip you into shreds. Hide in fear from me”—Emily, age 13
Hall and Oates, “Maneater”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRYFK...
The last comic I read from Chelsea Cain was Mockingbird, what might be described as a feminist comic which began lively enough and then was cancelled abruptly by the men of Marvel: “Two years ago, the bestselling novelist and first-time comic-book writer became the pet target of a wave of online harassment and misogyny sparked by a single image: artist Joëlle Jones’ cover to the final issue of Cain’s Marvel series Mockingbird. It had been Cain and her creative team’s farewell middle finger to the low-level din of trolls that had accompanied every issue: the heroine, S.H.I.E.L.D super-agent Bobbi Morse, holding a lemonade on a beach in a T-shirt that read, 'Ask me about my feminist agenda'"—Melissa Leon, The Avenger.
“Please buy Mockingbird #8 this Wed. Send a message to @marvel that there’s room in comics for super hero stories about grown-up women”—Chelsea Cain (@ChelseaCain) October 17, 2016
Feminist comics are now everywhere, and everywhere trolled by some very vicious men online, but Cain seems ultimately undeterred, as evidenced by this good and energetic comic with a sense of humor, where menstruating women turn into killer wildcats. A central figure emerges, Maude, a 12-year old girl. Like Mockingbird, it begins energetically enough, but it loses focuses kind of fizzles out in the last issue. I want this to be better than it is, I’ll admit. It’s an almost completely women’s production, art solid, story scattered so far.
Hall and Oates, “Maneater”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRYFK...
The last comic I read from Chelsea Cain was Mockingbird, what might be described as a feminist comic which began lively enough and then was cancelled abruptly by the men of Marvel: “Two years ago, the bestselling novelist and first-time comic-book writer became the pet target of a wave of online harassment and misogyny sparked by a single image: artist Joëlle Jones’ cover to the final issue of Cain’s Marvel series Mockingbird. It had been Cain and her creative team’s farewell middle finger to the low-level din of trolls that had accompanied every issue: the heroine, S.H.I.E.L.D super-agent Bobbi Morse, holding a lemonade on a beach in a T-shirt that read, 'Ask me about my feminist agenda'"—Melissa Leon, The Avenger.
“Please buy Mockingbird #8 this Wed. Send a message to @marvel that there’s room in comics for super hero stories about grown-up women”—Chelsea Cain (@ChelseaCain) October 17, 2016
Feminist comics are now everywhere, and everywhere trolled by some very vicious men online, but Cain seems ultimately undeterred, as evidenced by this good and energetic comic with a sense of humor, where menstruating women turn into killer wildcats. A central figure emerges, Maude, a 12-year old girl. Like Mockingbird, it begins energetically enough, but it loses focuses kind of fizzles out in the last issue. I want this to be better than it is, I’ll admit. It’s an almost completely women’s production, art solid, story scattered so far.
March 15, 2019
This seems to be a title that is either LOVED or HATED. I was kind of eager to see where I would fit in. I liked Mockingbird a lot from Chelsea Cain, so I was pretty excited to try this.
It starts off with learning that girls, once they get their period, can transform into huge cats that tear you apart. The series isn't taking itself too serious, but at the same time, is tackling big subject matters. See, the government decides to put in these chemicals into girls drinks to prevent them from getting their period so that they transform into these huge cats. A lot of the first volume focuses on setting up the world and the rules of it. However, we do get somewhat of a main protagonist in Maude who is getting her first period. When she gets it she keeps it hidden from her father, who is a detective trying to uncover the latest killing of a Man-eater.
Good: I enjoyed the style it was going for. Very colorful and fun, except it can turn horror quick, and when doing so it makes the contrast work in its favor. I also enjoyed Maude as the main cast, and even wanted more of her, since she was a tough teen with a badass to her. Also, the rules and search are interesting, and this universe is weird but I strangely wanted more.
Bad: The last issue is just filled with a shit ton of advertisements. Sure, some are pretty funny and we get the idea behind it. It's showing how these women are controlled and such. However, it felt like a huge filler issue to end the very short graphic novel on (only 4 issues). Also, some of the dialogue could be TOO on the nose, defeating the purpose of its message.
Overall...I'm in the middle. I like the idea, themes, and character. But it's filler issue and trying too hard at points hurts it for me. Still, if there's another volume, I'll check it out! A 3 out of 5.
It starts off with learning that girls, once they get their period, can transform into huge cats that tear you apart. The series isn't taking itself too serious, but at the same time, is tackling big subject matters. See, the government decides to put in these chemicals into girls drinks to prevent them from getting their period so that they transform into these huge cats. A lot of the first volume focuses on setting up the world and the rules of it. However, we do get somewhat of a main protagonist in Maude who is getting her first period. When she gets it she keeps it hidden from her father, who is a detective trying to uncover the latest killing of a Man-eater.
Good: I enjoyed the style it was going for. Very colorful and fun, except it can turn horror quick, and when doing so it makes the contrast work in its favor. I also enjoyed Maude as the main cast, and even wanted more of her, since she was a tough teen with a badass to her. Also, the rules and search are interesting, and this universe is weird but I strangely wanted more.
Bad: The last issue is just filled with a shit ton of advertisements. Sure, some are pretty funny and we get the idea behind it. It's showing how these women are controlled and such. However, it felt like a huge filler issue to end the very short graphic novel on (only 4 issues). Also, some of the dialogue could be TOO on the nose, defeating the purpose of its message.
Overall...I'm in the middle. I like the idea, themes, and character. But it's filler issue and trying too hard at points hurts it for me. Still, if there's another volume, I'll check it out! A 3 out of 5.
November 7, 2019
3.5 stars
This has a lot of potential, and I think, with a few key changes, could honestly have been flawless. The tongue-in-cheek parallels to real-life sexist comments thrown at people on their periods is very on-the-nose and super amusing (if a little too real, if you think about it too much) and there's a lot of symbolism at play here, plus the art is adorable and colorful and everything I want from a graphic novel's art style.
That said, as some other reviewers have pointed out before me, it's an extremely cis-centered take on things... and the entire 4th issue (so, 1/4 of this volume) is nothing but fake advertisements, which would've been really fun sprinkled throughout here and there, one or two at a time, but quickly became overkill in this instance.
I'll definitely continue the series, but it sadly wasn't a perfect first volume for me.
This has a lot of potential, and I think, with a few key changes, could honestly have been flawless. The tongue-in-cheek parallels to real-life sexist comments thrown at people on their periods is very on-the-nose and super amusing (if a little too real, if you think about it too much) and there's a lot of symbolism at play here, plus the art is adorable and colorful and everything I want from a graphic novel's art style.
That said, as some other reviewers have pointed out before me, it's an extremely cis-centered take on things... and the entire 4th issue (so, 1/4 of this volume) is nothing but fake advertisements, which would've been really fun sprinkled throughout here and there, one or two at a time, but quickly became overkill in this instance.
I'll definitely continue the series, but it sadly wasn't a perfect first volume for me.
May 29, 2019
I didn't love this but, I'm sure, if I was about 10-ish years younger, I probably would have.
The art is cute and the little adverts are like junior Bitch Planet adverts. Honestly, I feel like this could have been marketed as a YA version of Bitch Planet. It just doesn't seem all that intent on going as far as Bitch Planet did (which endeared BP to me) and it was quite focused on what looked like white cis gendered feminism. It has a lot of focus on what menstruation, estrogen, and male dominated society do to cis gendered white women and, given that everyone with a real role is white, it doesn't allow for a lot of narratives outside of the white teenage female protagonist. So... again, if I was 10-ish years younger, I probably would have loved this.
The general theme appears to be: women are severely misunderstood and thought to be unreasonable and monstrous when we're overly emotional. I think the take away is, the protagonist got tired of that and just decided to give in to the narrative and actually attack people? Not sure, it got a bit muddled.
The art is cute and the little adverts are like junior Bitch Planet adverts. Honestly, I feel like this could have been marketed as a YA version of Bitch Planet. It just doesn't seem all that intent on going as far as Bitch Planet did (which endeared BP to me) and it was quite focused on what looked like white cis gendered feminism. It has a lot of focus on what menstruation, estrogen, and male dominated society do to cis gendered white women and, given that everyone with a real role is white, it doesn't allow for a lot of narratives outside of the white teenage female protagonist. So... again, if I was 10-ish years younger, I probably would have loved this.
The general theme appears to be: women are severely misunderstood and thought to be unreasonable and monstrous when we're overly emotional. I think the take away is, the protagonist got tired of that and just decided to give in to the narrative and actually attack people? Not sure, it got a bit muddled.
June 24, 2022
Gotta love a world where women are policed and treated like less than human... oh wait, you wanted me to talk about this fictional novel?? Hm, okay, let me step out of our present-day reality.
This volume was a great intro. Cool concept: toxin in cat poop (which is legit, and dangerous to groups of people in real life) turns some women into actual shapeshifting big cats. Cue the patriarchal dystopian world that tries to do literally all of the things to suppress women in the name of "safety."
An apparently controversial part of this story is the 4th issue in this collected volume—it's constructed entirely out of fake ads and magazine stories from this dystopia/reality landscape. I thought it was awesome, but others seem to think it's a waste of space. Make of that what you will!
I will be continuing.
Blog | Instagram
This volume was a great intro. Cool concept: toxin in cat poop (which is legit, and dangerous to groups of people in real life) turns some women into actual shapeshifting big cats. Cue the patriarchal dystopian world that tries to do literally all of the things to suppress women in the name of "safety."
An apparently controversial part of this story is the 4th issue in this collected volume—it's constructed entirely out of fake ads and magazine stories from this dystopia/reality landscape. I thought it was awesome, but others seem to think it's a waste of space. Make of that what you will!
I will be continuing.
Blog | Instagram
February 19, 2023
There wasn’t that much of a plot, but I thought the art was great and I liked the variety of forms it took.
July 17, 2022
2,5 estrellas.
Me encanta la premisa: debido a una mutación de la toxoplasmosis, las adolescentes se convierten en peligrosos felinos cuando comienzan a menstruar. En consecuencia, la sociedad condiciona a las niñas para que tomen agua con hormonas, y así mantenerlas a raya. Me gusta también que en la creación del cómic hayan participado tres niñas de trece años (los «haikus» de Emily Powell me han hecho mucha gracia). Lo que me sobra es la revista que ocupa como el tercio final del volumen. Con las páginas publicitarias distribuidas a lo largo del cómic me bastaba en ese sentido.
Me encanta la premisa: debido a una mutación de la toxoplasmosis, las adolescentes se convierten en peligrosos felinos cuando comienzan a menstruar. En consecuencia, la sociedad condiciona a las niñas para que tomen agua con hormonas, y así mantenerlas a raya. Me gusta también que en la creación del cómic hayan participado tres niñas de trece años (los «haikus» de Emily Powell me han hecho mucha gracia). Lo que me sobra es la revista que ocupa como el tercio final del volumen. Con las páginas publicitarias distribuidas a lo largo del cómic me bastaba en ese sentido.
May 28, 2019
I normally don’t bother with this but I’m giving an NSFW warning for this review: it contains strong language, crude humor, political incorrectness and 2 Filthy Frank gifs... in other words I hated this book but writing the review was fun.
This kind of shit’s why the unfortunate mess that is comicsgate happened, isn’t it?
What’s it about?
A virus has spread like crazy making young girls become psychotic cat creatures during their first period... or something, it could have been more clear, I think maybe some went nuts if exposed to it no matter how old they were or what period it was. Anyways, cat creatures tend to kill people and fuck shit up so yeah that’s a bad thing and the main character is trying to hide that she’s having her first period to avoid being taken away to evil patriarchy camp or some shit.
Pros:
The story is fairly interesting. The concept behind the whole virus that turns people into evil big cats thing is kinda neat, not too common or anything.
The art is very well done. It works well for the comic in it’s own strange, experimental way.
The humor is pretty funny at times. There are a few good chuckle worthy moments.
This book ain’t too predictable. That’s always a good thing.
Corgis! Yeah, one scene has adorable corgis. There are also some cute smaller cats.
Cons:
The writing isn’t entirely clear at times. I understand that it can be hard for writers since they got the whole thing in their head but still, it is hard to understand some things as a reader.
The characters are not interesting. I’ll mostly focus on the main character (already forgot her name) and she’s annoying. She’s meant to be around 12 or 13 but acts younger. I always find that annoying to be honest, how fucking hard could it possibly be to write teen characters that act like actual teens? Some books have that, not this one.
The dialogue is pretty bad.
There’s a bunch of stuff about poop in this which at first wasn’t awful, especially since it was sorta part of the story but it just goes on and on with it to the point that it gets cringey by the end of the book.
There is no real action. This is partially due to the fact that it tries to keep itself at a slightly edgier end of PG-13 level to appeal to teen girls (I’m guessing) so when shit gets real with cat creatures it never shows it except for a bit of a bloody crime scene.
There’s a whole fucking issue that isn’t a comic but is a magazine instead. The whole issue is poorly written propaganda and more importantly NOT A GODDAMN COMIC. I mean, fuck if I wanted a magazine I would have read A MAGAZINE, not a comic. I couldn’t help but think “the fuck is this, Buzzfeed’s Watchmen?”
Regarding the political commentary:
(This is one of the first pages of this comic, I shit you not)
This is part of why I decided to read this comic. The controversial social commentary. Those who follow my reviews know that I support feminism but not wacky SJW horseshit (I talk about this more in my review for Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked The World, a good feminist comic book https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... (damn, this is from when I still censored the language in my reviews)). Now I don’t even need a book to agree with me, hell if I kept my mind closed there’d not be much point in reading... that being said this doesn’t work.
It’s terribly written commentary. I’m sure many of you have seen the NPC memes and while I wouldn’t say I’m a conservative they’re often funny and make a good point, it’s shown in this book. No new points, anything interesting or clever for that matter: “orange man bad, patriarchy bad (which I would agree with if patriarchy didn’t become shorthand for women not getting everything handed to them at birth), male is reason for problem, etc.”
Oh yeah, that brings me to the hypocritical sexism problem. It’s actually why I’m (unfortunately) hesitant to read feminism related books and why I thought feminism was evil for years. This type of “men are evil” shit honestly does more harm than good. I, as a male, want more women to succeed in the world but that won’t happen if feminists make the image of female empowerment this “all men suck, guys are such fucking pigs, being a straight guy = rape, etc.” bullshit. Let me tell you and I know as an 18 year old male, the men of the future are more likely to have a fucked up view of female empowerment thanks to a lot of modern “feminism” being so hypocritically sexist and the true heroes of history who stood up for social justice (not just against sexism) are fucking pissed at this, nearly guarantee it. Modern SJWs got Susan B Anthony and MLK rolling in their graves right now.
Also the subtlety of this comic book is about as subtle as the violence in a Cannibal Corpse song... except CC actually has a few good songs and I would understand them being someone’s guilty pleasure band.
Oh and last but not least: this is something that annoys me about both conservatives and liberals... NOT EVERYTHING IS A GODDAMN AGENDA, FUCK! Take the tin foil hat off, no lizard people are here, the world’s purpose is not to go after you.
Overall:
When I read political books I hope to get something interesting and clever. When it comes to the topic of feminism, it’s mixed. Sometimes I get something interesting and well written, other times I get a book that is basically this as social commentary:
This is a terrible book, I can’t understand why people like it and anti-male propaganda like this and other books I have read do nothing but shit on the name and ideas of feminism and female empowerment (Does anyone really think that we can make further progress on this without men and women working together? Kinda need both to accomplish action towards anything).
That being said despite it being sexist, it shouldn’t be censored or anything like I heard some say but speaking out against hypocrisy and bullshit is a lot different from censorship.
Don’t get me entirely wrong, there are a few things that I like in this comic such as cool art, cute corgis, an interesting idea for a plot, etc. but that doesn’t even get close to making up for poorly written characters, bad dialogue, a stupid fake magazine and poorly written commentary that just gives ammo/bad examples for male sexists and more pushing for sexism in females (perhaps males too if their idea of female empowerment gets fucked up by things such as this).
Not recommended.
2/5
This kind of shit’s why the unfortunate mess that is comicsgate happened, isn’t it?
What’s it about?
A virus has spread like crazy making young girls become psychotic cat creatures during their first period... or something, it could have been more clear, I think maybe some went nuts if exposed to it no matter how old they were or what period it was. Anyways, cat creatures tend to kill people and fuck shit up so yeah that’s a bad thing and the main character is trying to hide that she’s having her first period to avoid being taken away to evil patriarchy camp or some shit.
Pros:
The story is fairly interesting. The concept behind the whole virus that turns people into evil big cats thing is kinda neat, not too common or anything.
The art is very well done. It works well for the comic in it’s own strange, experimental way.
The humor is pretty funny at times. There are a few good chuckle worthy moments.
This book ain’t too predictable. That’s always a good thing.
Corgis! Yeah, one scene has adorable corgis. There are also some cute smaller cats.
Cons:
The writing isn’t entirely clear at times. I understand that it can be hard for writers since they got the whole thing in their head but still, it is hard to understand some things as a reader.
The characters are not interesting. I’ll mostly focus on the main character (already forgot her name) and she’s annoying. She’s meant to be around 12 or 13 but acts younger. I always find that annoying to be honest, how fucking hard could it possibly be to write teen characters that act like actual teens? Some books have that, not this one.
The dialogue is pretty bad.
There’s a bunch of stuff about poop in this which at first wasn’t awful, especially since it was sorta part of the story but it just goes on and on with it to the point that it gets cringey by the end of the book.
There is no real action. This is partially due to the fact that it tries to keep itself at a slightly edgier end of PG-13 level to appeal to teen girls (I’m guessing) so when shit gets real with cat creatures it never shows it except for a bit of a bloody crime scene.
There’s a whole fucking issue that isn’t a comic but is a magazine instead. The whole issue is poorly written propaganda and more importantly NOT A GODDAMN COMIC. I mean, fuck if I wanted a magazine I would have read A MAGAZINE, not a comic. I couldn’t help but think “the fuck is this, Buzzfeed’s Watchmen?”
Regarding the political commentary:
(This is one of the first pages of this comic, I shit you not)
This is part of why I decided to read this comic. The controversial social commentary. Those who follow my reviews know that I support feminism but not wacky SJW horseshit (I talk about this more in my review for Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked The World, a good feminist comic book https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... (damn, this is from when I still censored the language in my reviews)). Now I don’t even need a book to agree with me, hell if I kept my mind closed there’d not be much point in reading... that being said this doesn’t work.
It’s terribly written commentary. I’m sure many of you have seen the NPC memes and while I wouldn’t say I’m a conservative they’re often funny and make a good point, it’s shown in this book. No new points, anything interesting or clever for that matter: “orange man bad, patriarchy bad (which I would agree with if patriarchy didn’t become shorthand for women not getting everything handed to them at birth), male is reason for problem, etc.”
Oh yeah, that brings me to the hypocritical sexism problem. It’s actually why I’m (unfortunately) hesitant to read feminism related books and why I thought feminism was evil for years. This type of “men are evil” shit honestly does more harm than good. I, as a male, want more women to succeed in the world but that won’t happen if feminists make the image of female empowerment this “all men suck, guys are such fucking pigs, being a straight guy = rape, etc.” bullshit. Let me tell you and I know as an 18 year old male, the men of the future are more likely to have a fucked up view of female empowerment thanks to a lot of modern “feminism” being so hypocritically sexist and the true heroes of history who stood up for social justice (not just against sexism) are fucking pissed at this, nearly guarantee it. Modern SJWs got Susan B Anthony and MLK rolling in their graves right now.
Also the subtlety of this comic book is about as subtle as the violence in a Cannibal Corpse song... except CC actually has a few good songs and I would understand them being someone’s guilty pleasure band.
Oh and last but not least: this is something that annoys me about both conservatives and liberals... NOT EVERYTHING IS A GODDAMN AGENDA, FUCK! Take the tin foil hat off, no lizard people are here, the world’s purpose is not to go after you.
Overall:
When I read political books I hope to get something interesting and clever. When it comes to the topic of feminism, it’s mixed. Sometimes I get something interesting and well written, other times I get a book that is basically this as social commentary:
This is a terrible book, I can’t understand why people like it and anti-male propaganda like this and other books I have read do nothing but shit on the name and ideas of feminism and female empowerment (Does anyone really think that we can make further progress on this without men and women working together? Kinda need both to accomplish action towards anything).
That being said despite it being sexist, it shouldn’t be censored or anything like I heard some say but speaking out against hypocrisy and bullshit is a lot different from censorship.
Don’t get me entirely wrong, there are a few things that I like in this comic such as cool art, cute corgis, an interesting idea for a plot, etc. but that doesn’t even get close to making up for poorly written characters, bad dialogue, a stupid fake magazine and poorly written commentary that just gives ammo/bad examples for male sexists and more pushing for sexism in females (perhaps males too if their idea of female empowerment gets fucked up by things such as this).
Not recommended.
2/5
October 15, 2021
Not the best story out there but It did put a Smile on my face
December 27, 2018
3.5 stars
Fuuuuuck. I wanted to love this.
Issue 1? Great. Issue 2 & 3? Good. Issue 4? Ugh. Listen I love my weird in-universe propaganda. Most of the time they are original and satirical AF. Loved them at the end of every issue here, loved them for example in Bitch Planet. But guys, issue 4? 20+ pages of a fictional magazine that doesn't add anything new, not to the story, plot or tone of this book.
Felt like a waste of time and money cause, like I said, the same kind of propaganda was already used in the previous issues. What's worst, issue 3 ends with a cliffhanger and then there's NO development, it's completely ignored and when the issues are monthly, gosh, it's a bit frustrating.
Also, if volume 1 collects issues 1-4, I'm sorry to tell you that there's barely a set up for a story.
Dunno, this started with such great promise, but I've lost all excitement to keep reading it.
Fuuuuuck. I wanted to love this.
Issue 1? Great. Issue 2 & 3? Good. Issue 4? Ugh. Listen I love my weird in-universe propaganda. Most of the time they are original and satirical AF. Loved them at the end of every issue here, loved them for example in Bitch Planet. But guys, issue 4? 20+ pages of a fictional magazine that doesn't add anything new, not to the story, plot or tone of this book.
Felt like a waste of time and money cause, like I said, the same kind of propaganda was already used in the previous issues. What's worst, issue 3 ends with a cliffhanger and then there's NO development, it's completely ignored and when the issues are monthly, gosh, it's a bit frustrating.
Also, if volume 1 collects issues 1-4, I'm sorry to tell you that there's barely a set up for a story.
Dunno, this started with such great promise, but I've lost all excitement to keep reading it.
November 19, 2019
3.5 stars. Thanks to a mutation of toxoplasmosis teen girls can turn into vicious, killing big cats. Everything in the culture is designed to control the interaction of toxoplasmosis X and estrogen, and to prevent boys from coming into contact with estrogen. There is also an entire cat-hunting/policing division to investigate human maulings/killings.
Amusing, with fun artwork, and some pointed commentary on patriarchy. I liked the setup, though I found the story a little unfocused. And even though I found the last issue in the volume made me grin at all the in-world ads and marketing, I was expecting a little more story. I enjoyed this first volume enough to feel curious about where this story goes next.
January 8, 2019
I received an ARC copy of this book from Edelweiss
actual rating: 3.5
AKA I really wish this was better. Look ...I like the general idea of this and even SOME of the execution, but it's basically a watered down YA version of Bitch Planet and it really shows. I can see how that might actually be the point because there are probably teen girls whose parents won't let them read Bitch Planet simply because of the word Bitch in the title, but for me as an adult this falls a little bit flat.
The premise is ...out there. I get that they wanted to use cats because women are often called catty and there's 'cat-fights' and all that stuff ...but the basis of this title is that the bacteria in cat poop that makes people sick somehow mutated to make people turn into giant cats and attack people ...except it's only women who are in their child-bearing years for some reason. I get that they wanted to use the change into a cat as a period allegory ...but the 'science' here is not really explained well and what is explained doesn't make sense.
Like beyond the general WHY [and also HOW adding certain chemicals to the water supply suppresses the disease], what effect does this have on people getting pregnant? If you're delaying puberty in girls or stopping it altogether then what effect does this have on them biologically and also do they have to stop drinking the water in order to get pregnant? When they're pregnant are they still turning into giant cats? What effect does that have on the baby? At first I thought maybe it was just teen girls but the period metaphor and some random one-off line makes it seems like ALL women who have gone through puberty but not through menopause are affected ...
Also the entirely of issue 4 is a fake satire magazine. Things like this were already sprinkled throughout the main issue and while enjoyable and funny in small doses I do not think we needed an entire issue devoted to it, especially when there is so little plot development already. I honestly didn't even read most of it. There's some good stuff in here, but it definitely needs to be work-shopped a bit more because mostly it was just making me wish there was more Bitch Planet out.
actual rating: 3.5
AKA I really wish this was better. Look ...I like the general idea of this and even SOME of the execution, but it's basically a watered down YA version of Bitch Planet and it really shows. I can see how that might actually be the point because there are probably teen girls whose parents won't let them read Bitch Planet simply because of the word Bitch in the title, but for me as an adult this falls a little bit flat.
The premise is ...out there. I get that they wanted to use cats because women are often called catty and there's 'cat-fights' and all that stuff ...but the basis of this title is that the bacteria in cat poop that makes people sick somehow mutated to make people turn into giant cats and attack people ...except it's only women who are in their child-bearing years for some reason. I get that they wanted to use the change into a cat as a period allegory ...but the 'science' here is not really explained well and what is explained doesn't make sense.
Like beyond the general WHY [and also HOW adding certain chemicals to the water supply suppresses the disease], what effect does this have on people getting pregnant? If you're delaying puberty in girls or stopping it altogether then what effect does this have on them biologically and also do they have to stop drinking the water in order to get pregnant? When they're pregnant are they still turning into giant cats? What effect does that have on the baby? At first I thought maybe it was just teen girls but the period metaphor and some random one-off line makes it seems like ALL women who have gone through puberty but not through menopause are affected ...
Also the entirely of issue 4 is a fake satire magazine. Things like this were already sprinkled throughout the main issue and while enjoyable and funny in small doses I do not think we needed an entire issue devoted to it, especially when there is so little plot development already. I honestly didn't even read most of it. There's some good stuff in here, but it definitely needs to be work-shopped a bit more because mostly it was just making me wish there was more Bitch Planet out.
March 4, 2019
WELP IM OBSESSED NOW.
This book is so clever and beautiful everyone needs to read this. This is the story I didn’t know I needed.
You might be a put off by the idea that young girls are turning into murderous panthers but please read it because you need this book.
This book is so clever and beautiful everyone needs to read this. This is the story I didn’t know I needed.
You might be a put off by the idea that young girls are turning into murderous panthers but please read it because you need this book.
February 22, 2019
I NEED MORE STARS.
February 27, 2019
This is probably the most feminist thing I've read in a while. I loved every second of it!
March 16, 2019
teen girls turning into killer cats is a BRILLIANT premise!! sadly hampered by typical white/liberal feminist execution :/
July 15, 2019
Ugh, this was beyond stupid. It's worse when they try to be political/edgy. The nail in the coffin was the faux magazine near the end of the volume.
October 28, 2019
Hmmm … not sure what to think of this.
A mutation in a common parasite--Toxoplasmosis--reacts with hormonal changes brought on by menstruation to cause women to turn into large, predatory cats. Implausible, sure, but I’ve heard worse premises for ongoing series. So anyway, society does its best to suppress estrogen and promote testosterone. You’ll pick up the details as you read the book. Our protagonist, Maude, seems to be on the verge of changing. It gets teased a lot throughout. And of course her parents are part of the local cat-hunting squad (well, okay, her mom is at least. Her dad’s just a regular cop along for the ride.) We end on a cliffhanger that appears, surprisingly, halfway through the book.
And therein lies part of my problem with this. The creators have thought a lot about the changes that this mutated parasite would bring about in society: how would it affect attitudes toward men and women? They’ve done a masterful job in reflecting these changes via excerpts from magazines and advertisements for various products that would be available. They’ve clearly had a great time coming up with these ad campaigns and so on, to the point where at least half the book is nothing but full page ads and magazine articles and whatnot.
Don't get me wrong. There are some clever, funny ideas here, but it almost seems as if more attention was lavished upon the backstory than the story itself. This feels less like a graphic novel and more like an RPG sourcebook--GURPS Big Cats, or something. It's interesting, but with so little actual story, I don't think I’d recommend it ...
A mutation in a common parasite--Toxoplasmosis--reacts with hormonal changes brought on by menstruation to cause women to turn into large, predatory cats. Implausible, sure, but I’ve heard worse premises for ongoing series. So anyway, society does its best to suppress estrogen and promote testosterone. You’ll pick up the details as you read the book. Our protagonist, Maude, seems to be on the verge of changing. It gets teased a lot throughout. And of course her parents are part of the local cat-hunting squad (well, okay, her mom is at least. Her dad’s just a regular cop along for the ride.) We end on a cliffhanger that appears, surprisingly, halfway through the book.
And therein lies part of my problem with this. The creators have thought a lot about the changes that this mutated parasite would bring about in society: how would it affect attitudes toward men and women? They’ve done a masterful job in reflecting these changes via excerpts from magazines and advertisements for various products that would be available. They’ve clearly had a great time coming up with these ad campaigns and so on, to the point where at least half the book is nothing but full page ads and magazine articles and whatnot.
Don't get me wrong. There are some clever, funny ideas here, but it almost seems as if more attention was lavished upon the backstory than the story itself. This feels less like a graphic novel and more like an RPG sourcebook--GURPS Big Cats, or something. It's interesting, but with so little actual story, I don't think I’d recommend it ...
April 22, 2019
I snagged this because I saw 'girls turn in to monstrous cats and eat people' and was like 'sign me the hell up' but....it's
so
heavy
handed.
Even for concepts I like! Using advertisements and articles and stuff to help world build! I love that! But other stuff just felt like....things I've already seen before, I guess? Turning into a literal monster when you get your period? I watched Ginger Snaps in the early 2000's already. It's a trope I still think is great! I just didn't think it was that well executed here. Spunky, smart middle school girl with a pink hat? Molly from Runaways is right there and she'd probably LOVE to turn into a giant cat.
IDK, I'll probably read the next TBP when I get it from the library, but I think that, aside from a couple cool concepts, it's just not for me.
so
heavy
handed.
Even for concepts I like! Using advertisements and articles and stuff to help world build! I love that! But other stuff just felt like....things I've already seen before, I guess? Turning into a literal monster when you get your period? I watched Ginger Snaps in the early 2000's already. It's a trope I still think is great! I just didn't think it was that well executed here. Spunky, smart middle school girl with a pink hat? Molly from Runaways is right there and she'd probably LOVE to turn into a giant cat.
IDK, I'll probably read the next TBP when I get it from the library, but I think that, aside from a couple cool concepts, it's just not for me.
August 21, 2019
More like 2.5 stars due to frustration with the formatting. Alan Moore's Watchmen is the earliest comic I can recall that used end matter text pieces to supplement the story and world-building. This book does the same, but allows the end matter to overwhelm and suffocate the story. Indeed, the fourth and final issue in this collection is nothing but a fake magazine full of satirical articles and ads that do nothing meaningful to propel the narrative. Add in all the other end matter pages for the first three chapters, and probably more than a third of this book is supplemental miscellanea. Ugh.
And it's a real shame, because the actual story -- what little we get to see of it -- is clever, suspenseful, satirical enough without all the extra trappings, and filled with great characters.
Too bad we have to tiptoe around all the hairballs.
And it's a real shame, because the actual story -- what little we get to see of it -- is clever, suspenseful, satirical enough without all the extra trappings, and filled with great characters.
Too bad we have to tiptoe around all the hairballs.
January 19, 2019
I discovered a surprising love of graphic novels a couple years ago thanks to the Litsy community. There are so many books (genres, authors, publishers, etc.) that I can thank Litsy for bringing into my life.
It started with the Saga series by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples and exploded from there.
One of my favorite graphic novels is the two volume collection of Mockingbird by Chelsea Cain. Cain's dark and often satirical humor never fails to make me laugh and grab my complete attention, especially with the bonus of feminine badassery.
I was thrilled when I learned she had created a new comic geared toward YA about girls turning into dangerous man-eating cats at the onset of puberty thanks to a mutation in the toxoplasmosis parasite known as toxoplasmosis X.
The story follows twelve-year-old Maude, a girl living with her dad, a homicide detective investigating a string of cat attacks. Her mom is an animal vet employed by S.C.A.T. to track and study killer cats and is largely absent from Maude's life.
In Volume 1 (collecting 1-4), issues 1-3 explain how toxoplasmosis X effects females during puberty and follows the investigation her parents are working while Maude worries she may be the killer. Throughout each issue are propaganda ads and pamphlets about keeping boys safe from cat attacks. The design is completely original and creative, really adding an extra level of entertainment.
The premise is over the top (in a great way!) as it satirizes the way American culture views female puberty and the strange concern it has of the effects on males.
The story is just beginning to unfold in volume 1 but it didn't feel like a complete story arc because issue 4 was an entire satirical magazine full of propaganda and didn't advance Maude's story at all. While that was frustrating, I really enjoyed the volume overall. Cain's dark humor made me want to read Man-Eaters but right now it's the creative team designing the propaganda that will keep me reading future issues!
Thanks to Image Comics and Edelweiss for providing me with a DRC in exchange for my honest review! Man-Eaters Volume 1 is scheduled for release on March 5, 2019.
For more reviews, visit www.rootsandreads.wordpress.com
It started with the Saga series by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples and exploded from there.
One of my favorite graphic novels is the two volume collection of Mockingbird by Chelsea Cain. Cain's dark and often satirical humor never fails to make me laugh and grab my complete attention, especially with the bonus of feminine badassery.
I was thrilled when I learned she had created a new comic geared toward YA about girls turning into dangerous man-eating cats at the onset of puberty thanks to a mutation in the toxoplasmosis parasite known as toxoplasmosis X.
The story follows twelve-year-old Maude, a girl living with her dad, a homicide detective investigating a string of cat attacks. Her mom is an animal vet employed by S.C.A.T. to track and study killer cats and is largely absent from Maude's life.
In Volume 1 (collecting 1-4), issues 1-3 explain how toxoplasmosis X effects females during puberty and follows the investigation her parents are working while Maude worries she may be the killer. Throughout each issue are propaganda ads and pamphlets about keeping boys safe from cat attacks. The design is completely original and creative, really adding an extra level of entertainment.
The premise is over the top (in a great way!) as it satirizes the way American culture views female puberty and the strange concern it has of the effects on males.
The story is just beginning to unfold in volume 1 but it didn't feel like a complete story arc because issue 4 was an entire satirical magazine full of propaganda and didn't advance Maude's story at all. While that was frustrating, I really enjoyed the volume overall. Cain's dark humor made me want to read Man-Eaters but right now it's the creative team designing the propaganda that will keep me reading future issues!
Thanks to Image Comics and Edelweiss for providing me with a DRC in exchange for my honest review! Man-Eaters Volume 1 is scheduled for release on March 5, 2019.
For more reviews, visit www.rootsandreads.wordpress.com
January 1, 2019
This book is so much fun!
April 28, 2019
Equal parts politically charged and unspeakably funny. I couldn’t put it down.
September 16, 2019
Beautiful art and so creative. I’ve never seen a graphic novel like this. Looking forward to the next volume!
September 6, 2024
The concept is *chefs kiss*
March 23, 2019
3.5 really
Man Eaters has an amusing concept (girls turn into angry, violent cats when their periods start), but the first volume is light on plot progression. It feels more like world-building than a story arc. That being said, it’s promising. It’s essentially an inversion of toxic masculinity into the dangers of “toxoplasmosis X.”
The comic touches on patriarchy, rape culture, and mysogyny, both directly and indirectly: pre-teen boys fearing girls, water fountains marked Girls Only, fake ads aimed at boys trying to protect themselves from girls, estrogen water, measures taken to eradicate periods, and the not-unrealistic ways that girls are treated differently than boys in general, even though it’s shown through the lens of an exaggerated world.
...There are also two direct Trump quotes that fit perfectly into this imaginary world.
And Hillary posters in the girls lounge.
The creators can do a lot with these concepts. I just hope they do something interesting going forward, something unique. It reminds of the first volume of Bitch Planet so far - great concept, lots of tongue-in-cheek references to the real world, but not enough heart and plot.
Man Eaters has an amusing concept (girls turn into angry, violent cats when their periods start), but the first volume is light on plot progression. It feels more like world-building than a story arc. That being said, it’s promising. It’s essentially an inversion of toxic masculinity into the dangers of “toxoplasmosis X.”
The comic touches on patriarchy, rape culture, and mysogyny, both directly and indirectly: pre-teen boys fearing girls, water fountains marked Girls Only, fake ads aimed at boys trying to protect themselves from girls, estrogen water, measures taken to eradicate periods, and the not-unrealistic ways that girls are treated differently than boys in general, even though it’s shown through the lens of an exaggerated world.
...There are also two direct Trump quotes that fit perfectly into this imaginary world.
And Hillary posters in the girls lounge.
The creators can do a lot with these concepts. I just hope they do something interesting going forward, something unique. It reminds of the first volume of Bitch Planet so far - great concept, lots of tongue-in-cheek references to the real world, but not enough heart and plot.
May 29, 2019
I never owned a cat growing up, so my views toward the feline species is through funny cat videos or their occasionally creepy presence as depicted in Stephen King’s Pet Sematary. Following their acclaimed but short-lived run on Mockingbird, creators Chelsea Cain and Kate Niemczyk explore the idea of cats as figures of horror through satirical humor in Image Comics’ Man-Eaters.
Please click here for my full review.
Please click here for my full review.
March 2, 2019
Exceptional work, really fun and rich, full of feminist statements. Loved the use of side elements such as propaganda to explain the environment in which these girls are growing up. The constant correlation to our reality is scary.
April 14, 2019
I loved Mockingbird, and I found this intriguing, but I didn't feel like I got a lot out of this volume other than the premise. I'll pick up the next volume, but I didn't feel like this was a story in itself.
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