Grumpy Cat Vol 1 Review

 

 

"I'm thinking of trying to become an internet meme, but that seems like a long shot..."

 

Review:

 

The cranky yet cute meme takes on new media in that of her own comic series. I'll admit to not knowing much of Grumpy Cat besides being grumpy and a cat. Well, and a meme seen everywhere. That doesn't matter too much here as one can still enjoy this as a cute animal themed comic for pretty much everyone. And really, there isn't too much to know about Grumpy Cat other than she is grumpy...and a cat. Sometimes the one-note grumpiness comes off rather unpleasant but hey it's what put her on the cute-animal-merchandising-map. Rounding out the supporting cast is Grumpy's exact opposite in Pokey a cute cheerful kitty who is sadly not that bright with occasionally there being other pets mostly a dog only referred to as Dog and doesn't say much but "Good boy" or some variation of that. Or speaks in third person when he does speak more. To say Grumpy Cat's book is like a modern day Garfield would be an understatement: all Grumpy is really missing is a craving for lasagna and walking upright. Even similar cast in a more cute cheery cat and a dog who doesn't say much, neither of them much smarter than the main cat. One big difference is the humans play very small roles in the cats' adventures and allowing the reader to see through their eyes.

 

Nonetheless, this is a silly book good for a fun read for anyone. The only problems I really have is how inconsistent the stories seem to be with how much the pets know how to work human objects. Couple stories involve the cats not knowing what a cell phone is or not knowing how to turn on the TV but next one shows them knowing how to use their owner's laptop (when left on) to shop online and plan parties. Dog's character seems to exist just for more jokes but his intelligence and nice-ness seems to also greatly vary unless I am mistaken concerning the story of who's been stealing cat food. Only other nitpick is the reusing of a haunted house plot twice but not much else overall. Will also add the art is cute and though by different artist in different stories hold some consistency with character designs.

Recommendation:
Even if you aren't that familiar with this feline meme, the book still provides a silly read. It's a good book to give to younger readers yet some of the many pop culture references might confuse them.