Cats are natural hunters. Birds, rats even other cats are potential prey. Even when they play it can be dangerous, after all they have claws. They may lie on your lap as you read or watch television, they may even sit on your face, but at their core cats are feral creatures. Essentially they’ll never be completely domesticated. Now imagine turning into a partial cat and bird. That’s what Strig Fleedus has to contend with when through an accident he turns into a cat-bird.
Literature and short story author Margaret Atwood has ventured into the territory of the graphic novel. It’s a medium that lends itself to Atwood’s writing style and the subjects she has chosen to address in her previous works. In this undertaking ‘Angel Catbird’ is an intriguing concept. A man becomes part feline, part bird, his boss who is eager for a transformative formula looks eerily rat-like. And then there’s the woman at the office. She is upfront and matter-of-fact about who she is. As she schools Fleedus, she’s also indoctrinating him in the most alternative of lifestyles. The world Atwood has created is seemingly normal. People go to work, they party at the club and they get romantically involved. But as in her other writings something is off. This city is peopled with half-breeds, cross-breeds and all matters of life forms. Everyone may look human, but everyone has something feral within.
As Fleedus manifests catlike actions he becomes embroiled in a conspiracy that could ruin his existence. His manifestation also means that he must become better. He can longer just exist, he must act and make choices. More importantly he can’t live in a place of regret. When he gives into his cat nature he may feel guilty about betraying the bird community he unwittingly became a part of. He must also face rejection on several levels. Will the other cats embrace him? Will he find love? Will he ever enjoy a cup of coffee again? More animal than human in physiology, Atwood throughout the narrative, gives tidbits on cat behavior. She emphasizes the things that Fleedus is experiencing, so the reader gets a glimpse into his ever changing existence. It tends to wane on the reader. You understand the implications of cats not being able to eat people food, or the difference between street and house cats long before this information stops coming. However, as annoying as this strategy may be it adds to the progression of the storyline. What’s more it engulfs you into this world of man sized rats and a cat-bird who has to resist his now natural urges. It’s also creepy. When you see the owner of Muroid industries you feel the need to take a shower. That says a lot about not only Atwood’s words, but Johnnie Christmas’ artwork. Essentially, this world is vivid and alive, at times horrifically so.
In an episode of the ‘Justice League’ the Flash and green lantern, John Stewart battle the artificially enhanced gorilla, Grodd. Grodd’s master plan is that of any maniacal potential despot. All his machinations lead him into wanting to turn the planet into a place where only apes dwell and of course he would rule. Much like Grodd and ridiculously-minded characters before him, the villain in this piece does what all others do. The trick this time is that Atwood makes you believe that this time the bad guy may win.
Part science fiction, part present day fantasy volume one of ‘Angel Catbird’ imagines a place that will have you looking at your pets in a completely different light.
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