Marvel Meow #1 (Family Comic Friday)

The popular Marvel Infinity web comic has arrived at your local comic shop! Celebrating the felines of the Marvel Universe along with their heroic and sometimes dastardly owners, Marvel Meow is a read that should delight many a fan of cats.

I'm a huge cat person. I've owned a cat everyday of my life except for 3. The joke has always been that those were the best 3 days of my life. But in reality, I just can't imagine my life without at least 1 gato in the thick of it.

While I think that the average cat fan will really enjoy this all-ages special, I don't think the casual Marvel fan will understand a lot of things that are going on. Since when did Doctor Doom get to walk around without a care in the world at an Avengers fete? Why is Mister Sinister interacting like a best friend with the X-Men? I didn't know that 2 of Marvel's most fierce foes became teddy bears, not just with their kitties but with the heroes of the MCU as well.

I also think that if you're not a fan of Manga, you might not enjoy this book as much as the average Otaku; a fanatic of Japanese comics. As with manga, the characters change shape, art style or overall appearance when they display intense emotions and for a reader not familiar with that technique, it can be confusing. A lot of the stories and skits in this book rely on pantomime and emoji. Again, it's a standard Manga technique. And they are beautifully illustrated by artist Nao Fuji. But it's kinda unusual for us Generation X and older comic book collectors. Call me a 'boomer' if you want but without word bubbles, it's hard to follow the plot of those stories sometimes.

If you are a regular reader of Marvel Meow online at Marvel Unlimited, you might be wondering why should you read the print version? Well, it's not all reprints. There's an all-new exclusive story added to the mix. Plus an assortment of new covers!

I for one am appreciative of Marvel putting it's digital material into print form. They've done it as well with a couple of specials starring the breakout character of Jeff the Shark, who does appear in this book! I've been trying to show my support by buying up some of these collections. I just hope Marvel will take the hint and release a paper copy of their Unlimited holiday specials! I'd be first in line to not just reserve my copy but to buy it as well. For now, I'm excited with this tribute to the cats of Marvel, even if Manga isn't really my thing.

As they say: cats rule, dogs drool! 

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.