The Evil Secret Society of Cats, Vol. 1

The Evil Secret Society of Cats #1

by Pandania

THERE'S A MEW VILLAIN IN TOWN

“We will teach humans to fear the feline race!” They may seem cute and cuddly, but these kitties are up to no good! Under the direction of the purple-caped Feline Commander, the Evil Secret Society of Cats schemes against humanity in a series of humorous stories as adorable as they are diabolical. After all, the complex nature of cats is part of their charm.

Genres: Manga, Graphic Novels, Cats, Humor, Comics, Animals, Fiction

133 pages, Paperback

First published July 17, 2020

Reviews

[Igel :) · Rating 5 out of 5]

So funny and cute! ( I truly believe my cats work for the evil secret society of cats)

[Lyra Anaise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Could not stop cackling. Now I’m convinced my cats are evil society of cat members🫢

[Renata · Rating 5 out of 5]

oh my god it's SO CUTE it made me SO HAPPY. It's a quick read--I read it all over 1 lunch break--and it's basically like reading a collection of newspaper comic strips, like each page is 1 4-panel strip that's mostly a self-contained joke about how evil cats are tricking humans into redesigning their lives around cats. Not a lot of plot. But it's SO cute.

We bought this for the teen collection and I don't think it would be inappropriate for younger kids but some of the jokes are a little bit adult, not in like a bad language/sexy way but just in a "referring to workplace culture" kinda way or whatever.

Anyway it's SO CUTE and I am sure it's TOTALLY FINE that the Feline Commander of the Evil Secret Society of Cats looks a lot like my cat. Like nothing to worry about. For sure.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Childless cat people, unite!

(Shh...no one tell JD Vance.)

[Lissa Hawley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I desperately wanted to like this one. The art style is super cute, and the premise, seemingly also cute. But this is one of those vignette type series that I apparently find super tedious, even when populated by adorable cats. This one even has additional tedium, because on nearly every page 1 of the 3-4 panels is basically just a header. (But not every page, so you have to look at it to check)

Sadly unlikely to continue due to lack of plot.

[Lissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was really cute and fun 💜

[Jillian -always aspiring- · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got a few good chuckles out of this one, so it was fun.

[AquaMoon · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's only one word for this book: Genius!!

The author takes all the quirky, irritating, and, yes, even adorable things cats do and twists them into an Evil Feline Plot to Take Over the World (because isn't World Domination what ALL villain-types desire?)

Sitting on your newspaper or laptop? Malicious!

Blocking the TV so you miss what happens next? Diabolical!

Being all adorable and fluffy? Absolutely the most evil trick in a cat's arsenal!

All these and more are merely tricks to subdue humans and make them eat out of those cute little fluffy paws! And if you've ever stopped to pet a cat, chances are you're already hooked! Heck, if this book piqued your curiosity, you're hooked. But don't feel bad. Everyone from Powerful World Leaders to Celebrities to your next door neighbor are already under the feline spell. So you're in good company. This has been the case for thousands of years, so you may as well accept it.

And if we humans have to be under the thumb (uh, paw) of a superior race, that paw might as well be covered in cute widdle beans. And those superior beings may as well be adorable and fluffy and purry. Amiright?

A solid 3.75 stars.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

adorable

[TheHal · Rating 5 out of 5]

All of these are so accurate xD

[Ευθυμία Δεσποτάκη · Rating 5 out of 5]

<3

[Jen (The Jenerator) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute and funny. I'm glad the dogs aren't evil! :)

[Avery Wendland · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book it’s absolutely adorable it’s so relatable especially since I have a couple cats my self

[danana · Rating 4 out of 5]

So cute omg

[Adam Stone · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this as part of my Reading All Manga Involving Cats that I've been doing for about a year now.

If you just want manga drawings of cats with slight hints at what is something akin to humor, this is for you. There's absolutely nothing to this. It's not really funny. There isn't a story. It's just, "Hey, here's some mediocre cute drawings of cats."

Save yourself some money and just google webcomics about cats, and you'll get something of equal humor or better.

[Shae · Rating 3 out of 5]

For my full thoughts on this series, check out this video!

https://youtu.be/kpL7fNE7R5I

[Jenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute but very repetitive without as much variation compared to Yokai Cats. But still fun!

[LG (A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions) · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Evil Secret Society of Cats is all around us. Their goal is to teach humans to fear the feline race...by taking over our lives with their cuteness. If you've ever been late to leave the house because of a cat who was too cute not to pet, you've experienced the Society's nefarious activities. (Or you're a human member of the Society, because that's an option too.) Some recurring characters are: Feline Commander (the leader of the secret society), Dr. Meow (the cat who develops all of the society's technologies), Queen (a high-level cat operative), the Destroyer (a secretly sweet former stray cat), Robocat (a robot created by Dr. Meow), and the hero Doggoman and Doggoman's little sister. There's also a hedgehog cafe owner who pops up occasionally, and who reminded me of the Cat's Cafe comic.

Do you like Bananya but wish it focused more on cat behavior as opposed to "cat who lives in a banana" behavior, while still retaining some of that series' quirkiness? If so, then this series may be for you. I enjoyed the cat-related humor but found the experience of reading the whole volume in one sitting to be a bit like shoving a huge wad of cotton candy in my mouth. It was very cute and sweet and about as substantial.

Which is fine! Sometimes you want something that's sweet and light and doesn't have anything more stressful than a cat who's a little wistful that she wasn't adopted by a particular person. I'd probably have been better off reading smaller portions of this over a longer period of time, though.

The characters are all pretty basic, but if I had to pick a favorite, it'd probably be the Destroyer. He's one of my favorite types: the tough guy who's actually a secret softy. You can bet he'll always be there to watch out for the elderly lady who took him in and gave him a home. Even if that doesn't technically qualify as villainous Secret Society behavior.

Whatever. It's not like the Secret Society is all that villainous when it comes down to it.

The artwork was full-color and reminded me of Neko Atsume, although I don't think Pandania had anything to do with that game.

Extras:

A one-page comic style afterword by the author, and a "bonus artwork" gallery that features additional artwork and some enlarged panels from the comic.

(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)

[Kelli · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a cute little collection of shorts about all the ways cats enact their “diabolical” plans against humans—I.e coughing up hairballs when we’re walking in socks, getting hair on everything we own, and sitting on top of us so we can’t get out of bed.

It’s a wholly silly concept—but so fun and so simple.

I think your average cat lover would get a kick out of these cute, ridiculous snippets about the joys—and “terrors”—of owning a cat~

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Did you know that there's an Evil Secret Society of Cats whose mission is to teach humans to fear the feline race. Each page is a different story of cats tricking humans into doing things for them. Since each story/page is only four panels, the panels could be bigger. For cat lovers and fans of Chi's Sweet Adventures.

[Danie Ware · Rating 4 out of 5]

All the innermost secrets about how cats are controlling and manipulating humankind. From sitting on laps, couches and keyboards to rolling over to encourage attention, it’s all conscious and deliberate, and part of a bigger plan. And irresistibly cute, of course.

[Tyler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Surprisingly difficult for me to get through! Could I have finished it in one sitting? Yes. Was I able to on numerous sit downs? No.

Weird. But oh well, it's for my younger students and not for me anyway!

[Mel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bought it because it's manga and cats. Enjoyed reading it, it's cute and funny. Might not buy the next few, might just borrow from library.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

yesss secret society continue your evil plan of making humans rest and simply enjoy things. so diabolical. economies will surely collapse!!

[alexander shay · Rating 3 out of 5]

The art style is really cute, and the idea that cats are basically a league of villains trying to thwart the human race is both amusing and entirely believable. The 4-panel/self-contained comic style reminds me a lot of Azumanga Daioh, the book is essentially a collection of comic strips rather than a graphic novel with a plot. As such, some panel are better than others, but in general it's funny to look at things we take for granted about cats and seeing them flipped through such a lens.

[Cheri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adorable. Hilarious. Any cat owner will laugh and relate. I will definitely read many more of these if they come out.

[Stefania · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so cute and hilarious!! Must read if you have cats!

[Althea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adorable. Nothing else needs to be said.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was cute but there wasn't much of an over-arching storyline. I read it for a "book club" with my kids and I did like that it was a very easy starter for our first club meeting.

[Emily Reed]

I am definitely not going to use this book against one of my friends, proving my point that her cats are trying to kill me 😶🫣