Feminism. Periods. Cat-Women. Man-Eaters #1.

The following originally ran in the Weekly Planet 9/26/18.

It’s the near future. A mutation causes menstruating women to transform into murderous cat people. Easily provoked. Extremely deadly. It’s an Anchorman joke given life. For those who watched The Handmaid’s Tale and wished there were more murderous she-beasts. Everyone who watched Cat People and wished desperately for an underlying feminist text. Boy howdy, have I found the book for you. It’s called MAN-EATERS and it is here.

MAN-EATERS comes to us courtesy of the dynamic duo of Chelsea Cain & Kate Niemczyk. This is the pair that absolutely killed that Mockingbird series a few years ago (that book being most famous for its “Ask Me About My Feminist Agenda” t-shirt and also for being very, very good). They’re a bold, interesting, and relentlessly unique voice in comics, tackling seemingly only the most interesting and challenging projects available. And the world of comics is all the
better for it.

Cain has become a cult hero to comic nerds. She’s lively, hilarious, and uncompromising. When one of her books was cancelled, a legion of passionate fans leapt to her defense. Reading Cain’s thrillers or the excellent Mockingbird, you understand what has inspired such devotion from so many. Cain is one of a kind, invaluable, irreplaceable, and damn good.

Niemczyk (Faith) is a hell of an artist. Their work conveys such wonderful characterization and sense of movement. Action feels dynamic, exciting, and surprising. There’s a deftness of touch that is missing from a lot of comics. Niemczyk keeps us on our toes without ever losing sight of the story being told.

It’s a creatively bountiful time for Image Comics. In addition to old favorites like Saga, Rat Queens, and Sex Criminals continuing to perform, the slate of new ongoings coming out of the house of Spawn has been numerous and enthralling. Books like Crowded, Ice Cream Man, and Weatherman have surprised and delighted and Image shows no signs at all of slowing down now. MAN-EATERS looks like it’ll fit in just great.

To stand out in today’s crowded market of books, you have to do something bold. MAN-EATERS #1 looks to do exactly that. With a powerhouse creative team, a hell of a premise, and a whole lotta promise, I know I will absolutely be adding MAN-EATERS to my pull list. I think you should do the same.