I'm gutted I didn't like this more than I did. I've read a few Margaret Atwood books before and have really enjoyed her narrative style, sharp characterisation and social commentary. Sadly none of that was present here.
The premise is is that the winner of Worst Comic Book Name Protagonist 2016, Strig Feleedus, has been headhunted to start on a top secret gene-slicing project at a research facility. Very quickly, he comes up with the solution only to accidentally administer it to himself, only to turn into ... Angel Catbird!
My main problem with this graphic novel was how unrealistic it was. I don't mean in the whole man-turns-into-cat-bird-hybrid thing - if anything, that was the most realistic thing in the book. I mean every single conversation, the characterisation, the pace and construct of the plot. You know, little stuff like that.
The exposition was was the kind of level you'd expect to see in a seven-year-old's story - clunky, awkward and over the top. Who randomly goes up to the new person in the canteen at work and asks if they're working on a secret project? Or, after two minutes of conversation with said newbie, reveals their theory that newbie's predecessor was murdered? Actually, I'm imagining this happening at work for real (especially as we have a new person starting next week) and it's kind of making me laugh.
The art isn't good. I don't read many comic books or graphic novels, but it looks derivative. And the artist manages to catch the characters pulling some really odd faces, like when you photograph someone when they're just about to sneeze.
Boring plot. Really boring. Wasn't interested in what was going on and it definitely didn't read like the first volume of a graphic novel, which is the issue when you're trying to draw the reader in and get them interested in buying subsequent issues.
Plus - and this really pissed me off - this issue was in hardback format and it's quite thick. The story is only seventy pages though. The rest of the book is just padding with loads more examples of the crap art.
In conclusion, this was shit. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.
1 star