My Rating
A small celebration is taking place at the estate of famed archeologist known as the Captain. Laughter and the music of Benny Goodman can be heard around the perimeter of the art deco mansion. The sounds mix with those of the crickets chirping in the warm summer grass outside.
Inside, the party guests talk about everything from fashion to stories of the allied victories in Europe. It is the year 1948. One man has shown up to the event at the request of the Captain. Private detective, David Merryweather, has more than a professional interest in the recently discovered Mayan artifact known as the “Eye of the Queen”.
David smiles and makes small talk as a young French woman walks around the dining room displaying the golden idol for all to see. The woman is an assistant to the Captain. She allows the visitors to view the artifact but will not let them handle the goods. As the woman continues the show-and-tell a camera flash bulb goes off in the background. Tonight is being documented by Globe Magazine’s ace photographer, Lindy.
Lindy is one of those sassy types with a silver tongue. David Merryweather has dealt with her in the past. For a blond she is smart but has the habit of attracting trouble. Speaking of trouble, as the Captain begins taking questions about the Mayan artifact a loud crashing sound erupts behind the group. The heavy oak doors leading into the room are suddenly kicked open and a group of armed men push their way inside. Each one is dressed in a purple Brooks Brothers suits. David knows them as the infamous Lavender Gang!
As the party guests are forced at gunpoint towards the outer wall of the dining room, David Merryweather looks down at the Captain’s pet cat, then gives it a wink. The cat seems to acknowledge David somehow, and within seconds the Siamese races across the carpet, performs a series of jumps up and over furniture, then swats at the room’s light switches. Darkness!
In moments one of the Lavender Gang thugs makes his way towards the switch. When the lights are restored, where David Merryweather once stood, a costumed crime fighter stands in his place. Lindy yells out “It’s Cat-man!” Fists begin to fly and someone lurches for the Eye of the Queen. The fight continues throughout the dining room with Cat-man laying out goon after goon.
Will the Lavender Gang make off with the Eye of the Queen? What mysterious powers does David Merryweather have over domestic felines? Can sassy Lindy get the perfect shot? Collect the series to find out!
Reviewer Notes
Dynamite Comics has done the impossible and revived one of the lost golden age comic book series for a new generation to enjoy. I knew of the characters Cat-man and Kitten from the website Comic Book Plus https://comicbookplus.com/ as I frequent the site for public domain comics. I never read the back issues of Cat-man, but the art is very intriguing for the 1940s.
Artist Joe Cooper gives us his take on the classic characters but keeps the costumes as close to the original source as possible. Jeff Parker writes a light hearted story with some laughs. He also reintroduces some of the other supporting characters. Since I haven’t read the source material I can’t compare the writing for likeness in scope. To me, the first issue of Cat-man and Kitten is a well produced book worthy of a five star rating.
Hopefully the series can keep us engaged with the post World War II crime fighters. I’m definitely going to read the golden age issues online when I get a chance. If you are interested in reading the golden age source material, check out the original Cat-Man comics published by Temerson/Helnit/Continental and Holyoke. The site has multiple scanned versions of the original comic books produced by publishers such as Holyoke comics and Temerson Helnit Continental publishers. Reading the online issues is a puuurfect was to get to know Cat-man and Kitten!
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