A young girl named Flora has just inherited a house in Cotton Valent’s Creepy Cat. What she doesn’t know is what other inhabitants she has inherited with it. There is a ghost cat which she refers to as the “creepy cat” that is intrigued by her and pops up everywhere she goes. At first, she is weirded out and scared by the cat and spends a lot of time trying to trap him. Eventually, she gives up and becomes used to his presence. Ghostly figures are not the only things attracted to Flora. A policeman by the name of Oscar is also interested in her. Just like the creepy cat, he shows up in unexpected places, but he’s more helpful than spooky. Comical adventures then ensue with the main characters.
The story continues with many vignettes of Creepy Cat being a goofball. These sequences went on a little too long for my taste. I was expecting more plot and some explanation for the multiple cats and specters that abound. In one scene, she looks like she will be attacked by a vampire but Creepy Cat charms him. In another scene, a boogeyman-type character is about to break into the house, but Creepy Cat sneaks up on him and scares him away. One scene puzzled me and that was when Flora and Creepy Cat are enjoying a candlelight dinner together. She remarks about not feeling alone because they have each other, while behind her are seven specters with blacked-out eyes. We have no idea how these specters are a part of this story, and it added to my frustration of mysteries being teased with no hints to what it might mean. Alas, it is the final moments of the graphic novel where we get a hint of where the story might go. I was also disappointed in the love interest, Oscar, as he never gets developed as a real love interest. He comes across more like a stalker than a dreamy police officer.
The one thing that I found impressive about the graphic novel was the artwork. You can tell what the artist drew their inspiration from. The story is drawn in gothic tones and looks very Tim Burtonesque. The lead character, Flora, has a vampire princess look with long flowing black hair, big oval eyes that are highlighted by a dark eyeliner. Oscar looked more like a butler or a chauffeur to me than a police officer in his suit and tie. He has a cone-shaped face with a pointy chin. Another influence for Cotton appears to be the anime My Neighbor Totoro. Creepy Cat looks a bit like a marshmallow with an elongated body and short limbs. He earns his name “creepy” due to his red eyes that glow.
In the end, Creepy Cat will probably find fans with a tween audience who will giggle at Creepy Cat’s antics. This graphic novel won’t find the same admiration with a mature teen or adult audience. It’s hard to judge by a first volume if a series is worth collecting. You need to read about three volumes to get a sense of where the story is going. The end of this volume hints at something intriguing, but it is hard to tell if it will lead to a satisfying storyline.
Creepy Cat, Vol. 1
By Cotton Valent
Seven Seas, 2019
ISBN: 9781648277870
Publisher Age Rating: 10+
NFNT Age Recommendation: Middle Grade (7-11)
Creator Representation: Japanese
