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Marvel Premiere (1972) #42
Tigra: The Complete Collection
Marvel's feline fury is on the prowl! Before Greer Grant Nelson became Tigra, she was the Cat - a costumed hero taking on foes like the Owl and the Man-Bull. But an encounter with the mystical Cat People soon unlocked her full potential - and Greer became Tigra, the Were-Woman! Transformed into a feline fighting force, Tigra soon made her mark on the Marvel Universe - clashing with Werewolf By Night, Kraven the Hunter, Red Wolf and more, and leaping into action alongside the Thing and Spider-Man! Plus, join Tigra on the trail of a killer in a moody crime drama illustrated by Mike Deodato Jr.! COLLECTING: THE CAT 1-4; MARVEL TEAM-UP (1972) 8, 67; GIANT-SIZE CREATURES 1; MARVEL CHILLERS 3-7; MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE (1974) 19; MARVEL PREMIERE 42; TIGRA 1-4; MATERIAL FROM MONSTERS UNLEASHED (1973) 10; MARVEL TEAM-UP (1972) 125
424 pages, Paperback
First published December 11, 2019
About the author
Linda Fite
20 booksLinda Fite was hired by Marvel as an editorial assistant/production assistant. Though she continually appealed to editor Roy Thomas for writing assignments, from 1968–1971 she was given only short back-up features in The Uncanny X-Men and Rawhide Kid. In 1972 she got her first offer to be a regular writer, on Claws of the Cat, an early and unsuccessful attempt to appeal to female superhero comic readers. Fite was selected because Marvel's editorial staff thought a series targeted toward female readers should have a female creative team.
Fite worked for the Times Herald-Record, a daily newspaper based in Middletown, New York, and is currently the managing editor of the BlueStone Press in Ulster County, New York.
Fite was married to, and then divorced, Marvel Comics artist Herb Trimpe. They had three children together.
Fite worked for the Times Herald-Record, a daily newspaper based in Middletown, New York, and is currently the managing editor of the BlueStone Press in Ulster County, New York.
Fite was married to, and then divorced, Marvel Comics artist Herb Trimpe. They had three children together.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
May 16, 2020
Tigra: The Complete Collection collects The Cat 1-4, Marvel Team-Up #8, 67, 125, Marvel Two-In-One #19, Giant Size Creatures #1, Marvel Chillers #3-7, Marvel Premiere #42, Monsters Unleashed #10, and Tigra #1-4.
1970s Marvel was the Wild West at times, what with the comics code being relaxed and Marvel's popularity exploding. I had some rewards points to burn so I snapped this Bronze Age beauty up.
First off, Tigra: The Complete Collection is uneven as hell. Every feature The Cat/Tigra was in was plagued by shuffling creative teams. That being said, the collection still had its moments.
Greer Grant Nelson was a policeman's widow who became a superhero to avenge her husband's death as The Cat. If it sounds familiar, it's because it's the standard super hero tragic origin. The Cat was uninspired at times but I thought it was a fun read despite the ever-shifting creative team. Marie Severin and Wally Wood were the best in the bunch, of course. I think The Cat would have fared better if she'd been introduced a few years later.
Anyway, The Cat only lasted for four issues and a Marvel Team-Up appearance before she morphed into Tigra, the Were-Woman. Tony Isabella and Will Meugniot had a good thing going before having the rug yanked out from under them. Tigra floundered for a couple more issues and was relegated to guest appearances and an Avengers membership. It would be a couple decades before Tigra was given another shot as a solo act.
The Christina Z/Mike Deodato Tigra miniseries was easily the best part of the book. Greer finally looks into the circumstances of her husband's death and winds up going up against a secret fraternity of killer cops, ending with her becoming a policewoman. My only gripe about this miniseries is that Tigra had a tail. From what I hear, the setup for future stories was largely ignored.
In the end, I enjoyed parts of the book but a lot of it seemed half-hearted. I think Tigra had the misfortune of coming around at the wrong time. She could be a headliner with a creative team that gave a shit.
While it was uneven as hell, Tigra: The Complete Collection was still an enjoyable read. Three out of five cat talismans.
1970s Marvel was the Wild West at times, what with the comics code being relaxed and Marvel's popularity exploding. I had some rewards points to burn so I snapped this Bronze Age beauty up.
First off, Tigra: The Complete Collection is uneven as hell. Every feature The Cat/Tigra was in was plagued by shuffling creative teams. That being said, the collection still had its moments.
Greer Grant Nelson was a policeman's widow who became a superhero to avenge her husband's death as The Cat. If it sounds familiar, it's because it's the standard super hero tragic origin. The Cat was uninspired at times but I thought it was a fun read despite the ever-shifting creative team. Marie Severin and Wally Wood were the best in the bunch, of course. I think The Cat would have fared better if she'd been introduced a few years later.
Anyway, The Cat only lasted for four issues and a Marvel Team-Up appearance before she morphed into Tigra, the Were-Woman. Tony Isabella and Will Meugniot had a good thing going before having the rug yanked out from under them. Tigra floundered for a couple more issues and was relegated to guest appearances and an Avengers membership. It would be a couple decades before Tigra was given another shot as a solo act.
The Christina Z/Mike Deodato Tigra miniseries was easily the best part of the book. Greer finally looks into the circumstances of her husband's death and winds up going up against a secret fraternity of killer cops, ending with her becoming a policewoman. My only gripe about this miniseries is that Tigra had a tail. From what I hear, the setup for future stories was largely ignored.
In the end, I enjoyed parts of the book but a lot of it seemed half-hearted. I think Tigra had the misfortune of coming around at the wrong time. She could be a headliner with a creative team that gave a shit.
While it was uneven as hell, Tigra: The Complete Collection was still an enjoyable read. Three out of five cat talismans.
November 7, 2025
2.6 stars
April 21, 2024
Ok, in all fairness (I suppose this is full disclosure time) - hello, my name is Rick and I am a cat lover. Yes, I am. I admit it. I love cats. Always have. Always will. Why? Well, unlike dogs, cats are independent of humans. They are not slaves of human attention and affection. I don’t want a servant, I want a companion. And by now you're asking - what is this guy going on about? Well, a long time ago in a land filled with insanity called Texas, I found this superhero named Tigra in the pages of Giant-Size Creatures #1. It was her first appearance. Except it wasn’t. Oh the joy of discovering backstories! I was hooked. And I tried in vain for years to track down those old issues of her original appearances as The Cat. Never was able to and I, sadly, eventually gave up. Although I did eagerly await her appearances in other Marvel publications like Marvel Two-in-One, Marvel Team-Up, Fantastic Four, Avengers and eventually West Coast Avengers. I was hooked. So, while I’ve read most of the stories collected here, I haven’t read all of them. I’ll be rectifying that very soon as my copy just arrived. I’ll supply an update after I’ve finished, but I’m looking forward to this collection.
Update: Alright, let’s break this down.
The Cat #1-4 and Marvel Team-Up #8 - these are the original appearances of The Cat. Yes, there’s some pretty rough, almost amateurish stuff here, but there’s also some real potential as well. Clearly, the concept of the Cat had a lot of rough edges, but that can be said of lots of Marvel characters in their early appearances. So really a lot of unachieved potential.
Giant-Size Creatures #1, Monsters Unleashed #10 & Marvel Chillers #3-7 - this is basically where I originally discovered the character (although I didn’t get to read Monsters Unleashed #10 until it was eventually reprinted). Tigre’s re-origin (for lack of a better word) was very intriguing and certainly caught the attention of my young mind. It’s pretty normal superhero-monster (aka hero-horror or horror-hero) fair from that era, but it’s still lots of fun. The Marvel Chillers stories are even rougher and looking back on these now, I can see why the series didn’t last long. Too many writer and artist changes over too few issues always leaves lots of contradictions and missed opportunities. But there are highlights and more unrealized potential.
Marvel Two-in-One #19, Marvel Team-Up #67, #125 & Marvel Premiere #42 - these appearances span the largest gap of time and straddle Tigra’s appearances in the Fantastic Four, the Avengers & the West Coast Avengers. As this is the case, there’s a lot of lack of continuity and very little consistency of vision and characterization in these stories. They’re fun, but not much else.
Tigra #1-4 - this story rounds out the collection and unfortunately contradicts most of the plot elements from the characters origins in her earliest appearances. Also some disjointed writing leaves these issues very uneven and not as satisfying a conclusion to the volume as one would have hoped.
So the entire volume is pretty weak, it starts off with unrealized potential, develops into a chaos of directionless contradictions and ends with a well intended refocusing that fails more than it succeeds. So, as much as I’d like to give this volume 4-stars I just can’t see giving it more than three. Really only die-hard fans of Tigra, like myself, will likely get much out of this.
Update: Alright, let’s break this down.
The Cat #1-4 and Marvel Team-Up #8 - these are the original appearances of The Cat. Yes, there’s some pretty rough, almost amateurish stuff here, but there’s also some real potential as well. Clearly, the concept of the Cat had a lot of rough edges, but that can be said of lots of Marvel characters in their early appearances. So really a lot of unachieved potential.
Giant-Size Creatures #1, Monsters Unleashed #10 & Marvel Chillers #3-7 - this is basically where I originally discovered the character (although I didn’t get to read Monsters Unleashed #10 until it was eventually reprinted). Tigre’s re-origin (for lack of a better word) was very intriguing and certainly caught the attention of my young mind. It’s pretty normal superhero-monster (aka hero-horror or horror-hero) fair from that era, but it’s still lots of fun. The Marvel Chillers stories are even rougher and looking back on these now, I can see why the series didn’t last long. Too many writer and artist changes over too few issues always leaves lots of contradictions and missed opportunities. But there are highlights and more unrealized potential.
Marvel Two-in-One #19, Marvel Team-Up #67, #125 & Marvel Premiere #42 - these appearances span the largest gap of time and straddle Tigra’s appearances in the Fantastic Four, the Avengers & the West Coast Avengers. As this is the case, there’s a lot of lack of continuity and very little consistency of vision and characterization in these stories. They’re fun, but not much else.
Tigra #1-4 - this story rounds out the collection and unfortunately contradicts most of the plot elements from the characters origins in her earliest appearances. Also some disjointed writing leaves these issues very uneven and not as satisfying a conclusion to the volume as one would have hoped.
So the entire volume is pretty weak, it starts off with unrealized potential, develops into a chaos of directionless contradictions and ends with a well intended refocusing that fails more than it succeeds. So, as much as I’d like to give this volume 4-stars I just can’t see giving it more than three. Really only die-hard fans of Tigra, like myself, will likely get much out of this.
July 9, 2022
Quería ver el origen de The Cat y ya puestos seguí con el resto de volúmenes sueltos de la recopilación para ver el origen de Tigra.
Los cómics antiguos me gustaron como me suelen gustar esos cómics, es decir, no es una cosa que enamore, pero aparte de estar normalmente bien dibujados tienen unas historias muy locas que hacen que compensen las historias más sosas o con clichés.
Pero luego la historia más actual (de los 2000s creo) me pareció horrorosa. En la primera historia de la colección, cuando se va a convertir en The Cat, vemos que está casada con un señoro que la tiene inutilizada y cuando se muere el señoro al principio está triste, claro, era su señoro, pero luego empieza a vivir la vida sin mirar atrás. Y en esta historia actual... está que se muere de la pena pensando en el pobre señoro y lo mucho que lo echa de menos y lo maravilloso que era y va a dedicar su vida a ser como él. Y, claro, queda un poco de explotar el cerebro. Porque si hubiéramos leído la primera historia cuando se publicó, 30 años antes de esta otra, vale, te puedes olvidar, pero ahí en el mismo libro queda confuso, de qué me está hablando, señora, si era un ogro. 🤷🏻♀️
Los cómics antiguos me gustaron como me suelen gustar esos cómics, es decir, no es una cosa que enamore, pero aparte de estar normalmente bien dibujados tienen unas historias muy locas que hacen que compensen las historias más sosas o con clichés.
Pero luego la historia más actual (de los 2000s creo) me pareció horrorosa. En la primera historia de la colección, cuando se va a convertir en The Cat, vemos que está casada con un señoro que la tiene inutilizada y cuando se muere el señoro al principio está triste, claro, era su señoro, pero luego empieza a vivir la vida sin mirar atrás. Y en esta historia actual... está que se muere de la pena pensando en el pobre señoro y lo mucho que lo echa de menos y lo maravilloso que era y va a dedicar su vida a ser como él. Y, claro, queda un poco de explotar el cerebro. Porque si hubiéramos leído la primera historia cuando se publicó, 30 años antes de esta otra, vale, te puedes olvidar, pero ahí en el mismo libro queda confuso, de qué me está hablando, señora, si era un ogro. 🤷🏻♀️
January 14, 2023
The Cat, then Tigra, Greer Nelson has gone through a lot. Member of the FF, and the Avengers, this collection is a good mix of Spider-Man,, Thing, NYPD and the Cat People.
The only missing element was how and when Tigra got her furry claws and tail? Not part of the book. I assume that somewhere with the Avengers she got that magic amulet that lets her becomes human again--because there was not clear reason for that happening. "Complete" is never complete and sometimes I wish the editors of these would remember that the book should really read Tigra: The ALMOST Complete Collection.
I am being a bit funny, but truly, even if they added a page or two from where she got those extra characteristics and amulet, it would improve the continuity of the story. (Not also going to mention that Spider-Man and Greer met way back in Marvel Team-Up #8 (she was the Cat) but the only note Chris Claremont says in MTU #67 is the Spidey says is that she was working with the FF. Even Tigra nevers mentions--we met when I was the Cat. Weird them not even mentioning that. But I am not the editors of these comics, but I wish that (since there is so much info out there on Marvel Characters that someone would do their due diligence and get it right.)
Sorry pet peeve.
The only missing element was how and when Tigra got her furry claws and tail? Not part of the book. I assume that somewhere with the Avengers she got that magic amulet that lets her becomes human again--because there was not clear reason for that happening. "Complete" is never complete and sometimes I wish the editors of these would remember that the book should really read Tigra: The ALMOST Complete Collection.
I am being a bit funny, but truly, even if they added a page or two from where she got those extra characteristics and amulet, it would improve the continuity of the story. (Not also going to mention that Spider-Man and Greer met way back in Marvel Team-Up #8 (she was the Cat) but the only note Chris Claremont says in MTU #67 is the Spidey says is that she was working with the FF. Even Tigra nevers mentions--we met when I was the Cat. Weird them not even mentioning that. But I am not the editors of these comics, but I wish that (since there is so much info out there on Marvel Characters that someone would do their due diligence and get it right.)
Sorry pet peeve.
August 30, 2025
Adoro Tigra, ed è stato molto interessante osservare la progressiva evoluzione del personaggio di Greer Nelson, dai suoi albori come "The Cat" (personaggio le cui origini sono intrise di femminismo), fino a divenire la "donna tigre" ("werewoman", in originale) che tutti conosciamo.
Degne di nota, però, sono in particolare la breve storia "The Serenity Stealers" (di Tony Isabella e Chris Claremont), e soprattutto la miniserie "Deepest Cuts", scritta da Christina Z e impreziosita dai meravigliosi disegni di Mike Deodato, in cui Greer investiga su una società segreta di poliziotti deviati, che lei ritiene essere i responsabili dietro alla morte del marito Will Nelson, agente anch'egli e morto in servizio anni prima. Infiltrandosi sotto falso nome per far luce sui modi in cui questa scheggia deviata del NYPD opera, Tigra farà finalmente i conti con il suo passato, dal quale si affrancherà nel migliore dei modi possibili.
Nessuna storia con i Vendicatori in questa raccolta (ma Cap e altri compaiono in dei cameo nella miniserie sopracitata), ma ben due team-up con l'Uomo Ragno.
Degne di nota, però, sono in particolare la breve storia "The Serenity Stealers" (di Tony Isabella e Chris Claremont), e soprattutto la miniserie "Deepest Cuts", scritta da Christina Z e impreziosita dai meravigliosi disegni di Mike Deodato, in cui Greer investiga su una società segreta di poliziotti deviati, che lei ritiene essere i responsabili dietro alla morte del marito Will Nelson, agente anch'egli e morto in servizio anni prima. Infiltrandosi sotto falso nome per far luce sui modi in cui questa scheggia deviata del NYPD opera, Tigra farà finalmente i conti con il suo passato, dal quale si affrancherà nel migliore dei modi possibili.
Nessuna storia con i Vendicatori in questa raccolta (ma Cap e altri compaiono in dei cameo nella miniserie sopracitata), ma ben due team-up con l'Uomo Ragno.
February 23, 2021
3.5 stars. A very mixed bag, containing three different series plus some one-shots.
First comes Claws of the Cat, Marvel's early seventies effort to create a feminist superhero. The first issue's good, then writer Linda Fite seemed to lose interest — wandering plots and C-list villains (Commander Kraken! Man-Bull!).
This didn't sell so Tony Isabella turned her into Tigra, the Werewoman ("Were" in werewolf actually means "man" which nobody caught at the time). She has an enjoyable, though short series, then several team-ups of variable quality.
Finally we get a series by Christina Z from 2002. I wondered how that fit with all the Bronze Age stuff but it has Tigra dealing with the fallout from losing her cop husband in Claws of the Cat #1. When she discovers a group of cops have become Punisher-style vigilantes, she becomes a trainee cop herself to take them down. It's not bad, though the assurance the killers are just a few bad apples hasn't aged well.
First comes Claws of the Cat, Marvel's early seventies effort to create a feminist superhero. The first issue's good, then writer Linda Fite seemed to lose interest — wandering plots and C-list villains (Commander Kraken! Man-Bull!).
This didn't sell so Tony Isabella turned her into Tigra, the Werewoman ("Were" in werewolf actually means "man" which nobody caught at the time). She has an enjoyable, though short series, then several team-ups of variable quality.
Finally we get a series by Christina Z from 2002. I wondered how that fit with all the Bronze Age stuff but it has Tigra dealing with the fallout from losing her cop husband in Claws of the Cat #1. When she discovers a group of cops have become Punisher-style vigilantes, she becomes a trainee cop herself to take them down. It's not bad, though the assurance the killers are just a few bad apples hasn't aged well.
January 11, 2025
Bought because it was the only way to read the short-lived 1972-73 The Claws of The Cat. Always liked Tigra when she would pop up, and of course from West Coast Avengers. Also on an obscure Bronze Age Marvel kick.
Pleasantly surprised. The Claws of The Cat was quite good and unjustly maligned as "pandering" to Women's Lib of the 70s. Tiger was always a visual feast, also unironically maligned as "sexpot" (she's a Cat-Woman, covered in striped fur - this is someone's "sexy"). I guess it was the bikini costume?
Lots of strange 1970s diversions, sci fi as well as supernatural tones, some crime-fighting, some alien-fighting, eventually in the underwhelming four-issue 2000s miniseries that ends the book, some Internal Affairs corrupt-cop-fighting. Quite an unusual volume with great art and entertaining dialogue from the Greer Grant Nelson/Tigra character.
Pleasantly surprised. The Claws of The Cat was quite good and unjustly maligned as "pandering" to Women's Lib of the 70s. Tiger was always a visual feast, also unironically maligned as "sexpot" (she's a Cat-Woman, covered in striped fur - this is someone's "sexy"). I guess it was the bikini costume?
Lots of strange 1970s diversions, sci fi as well as supernatural tones, some crime-fighting, some alien-fighting, eventually in the underwhelming four-issue 2000s miniseries that ends the book, some Internal Affairs corrupt-cop-fighting. Quite an unusual volume with great art and entertaining dialogue from the Greer Grant Nelson/Tigra character.
October 12, 2021
Tiger Claws
I've always like Tigra, but I never knew her full story. This graph novel tells you the complete story of this character. It's a little hard to believe that she started out as a house wife. After the death of her police husband. She's lost and finds her way to a genetics professor doing human experiments. Greer agrees to be a Guinea pig for the doctor and the Cat is born. Like most early Marvel characters she to is a bit of a Cliche, but there is something about her that makes you want more time with her. She goes from scrappy Hell-Cat to Tigra. Must read for old and new fans.
I've always like Tigra, but I never knew her full story. This graph novel tells you the complete story of this character. It's a little hard to believe that she started out as a house wife. After the death of her police husband. She's lost and finds her way to a genetics professor doing human experiments. Greer agrees to be a Guinea pig for the doctor and the Cat is born. Like most early Marvel characters she to is a bit of a Cliche, but there is something about her that makes you want more time with her. She goes from scrappy Hell-Cat to Tigra. Must read for old and new fans.
August 21, 2024
Well, this was a wild one. I loved Tigra from her Avengers tenure but had never read the goofy origins, from her five issues as The Cat to the monster comics that turned her into the fuzzy feline, and though the quality of writing and art was hugely variable, it was obvious everyone enjoyed this character so much. I HAD read the 4-issue Icons miniseries from 2002 but it had more weight collected with the original stuff. Fun book!
November 2, 2020
I've read some comics involving Tigra, but didn't know a lot about the character. This collection contains Tigra comics from the 70s through the 2000s. Though there have been a couple different versions of the character, her origin story is pretty consistent. She has also teamed up with other heroes, so there's some name recognition if you know Marvel characters.
September 7, 2020
This was a fun read about the history and evolution of a very interesting character. The four issue limited series at the end of the collection earns it 4 stars in my book. A very wonderful surprise!
September 16, 2020
Fun stories from Marvel's Werewoman.
July 21, 2024
Tigra: The Complete Collection TPB (trade paperback) #1 is an anthology of Marvel comic book stories about the superhero Tigra. The TPB format is a high gloss, upgrade, reprint of Marvel comic books meant to collect similar themed stories in a convenient book form. One of my consistent complaints is that the term "Complete" is misleading. Tigra has appeared on a few superhero teams and those issues have not been included here.
I do love the format, and have felt enlightened by the stories included, but would always prefer more. I know that Tigra has enjoyed relationships with some of her Avengers teammates: Henry Pym, Wonder Man, and Star fox. She actually currently has a son with Henry Pym, but none of that drama is included in these stories.
The collection includes: The Claws of the Cat (1972) miniseries #1-4; Marvel Team-up (1972) #8, 67, and 125; Giant-Size Creatures (1974) #1; Marvel Chillers (1976) #3-7; Marvel Two-in-One (1974) #19; Marvel Premiere (1978) #42; Tigra miniseries #1-4; and material from Monsters Unleashed (1973) #10.
Tigra was originally designed to be a feminist icon by Linda Fite and Marie Severin in the 1970s, but as her story became more convoluted and complicated some of those story elements were lost. She was the passive spouse of a police officer killed in the line of duty, who had attended college, but married the cop before graduating. When she tried to find work after her husband's death, she found that most of the jobs for women were actually secretarial in nature and she wanted to continue as a lab assistant.
She managed to become the lab assistant of her former professor who was developing a formula that enhanced feline abilities. You can guess what happens next. Along with those abilities, she then begins to investigate the death of her husband. Thus begins the adventurous life of Greer Grant Nelson aka Tigra. Fun graphic novel, with beautiful artwork, lush color and just a high-class work.
I do love the format, and have felt enlightened by the stories included, but would always prefer more. I know that Tigra has enjoyed relationships with some of her Avengers teammates: Henry Pym, Wonder Man, and Star fox. She actually currently has a son with Henry Pym, but none of that drama is included in these stories.
The collection includes: The Claws of the Cat (1972) miniseries #1-4; Marvel Team-up (1972) #8, 67, and 125; Giant-Size Creatures (1974) #1; Marvel Chillers (1976) #3-7; Marvel Two-in-One (1974) #19; Marvel Premiere (1978) #42; Tigra miniseries #1-4; and material from Monsters Unleashed (1973) #10.
Tigra was originally designed to be a feminist icon by Linda Fite and Marie Severin in the 1970s, but as her story became more convoluted and complicated some of those story elements were lost. She was the passive spouse of a police officer killed in the line of duty, who had attended college, but married the cop before graduating. When she tried to find work after her husband's death, she found that most of the jobs for women were actually secretarial in nature and she wanted to continue as a lab assistant.
She managed to become the lab assistant of her former professor who was developing a formula that enhanced feline abilities. You can guess what happens next. Along with those abilities, she then begins to investigate the death of her husband. Thus begins the adventurous life of Greer Grant Nelson aka Tigra. Fun graphic novel, with beautiful artwork, lush color and just a high-class work.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews