BATTLECATS, VOL. 1: THE HUNT FOR THE DIRE BEAST – Cat’s Meow

• Creator and Writer: Mark London
• Artist (Issues 1-4): Andy King
• Artist (Issue 5): Michael Camelo
• Colorist (Issues 1-3): Alejandro Giraldo
• Colorist (Issues 4-5): Julian Gonzalez
• Assistant Colorist: Jonathan Prada
• Book Designer and Letterer: Miguel Zapata
• Editor In Chief: Giovanna T. Orozco
• Assistant Editor: Brian Hawkins

Thanks to Mad Cave Studios for the review copy!

With the upcoming release of Battlecats Volume 3, I took the opportunity to review the series so far, starting with Volume 1 which collects issues 1-5. Growing up, I loved the ThunderCats cartoon (even though it didn’t always make much sense) so I was curious to see what this series was all about. Battlecats scratches that same itch, featuring humanoid feline heroes on a Lord of the Rings style epic quest.

Each of the five Battlecats has characteristics similar to a Dungeons and Dragons class. While they are all based on cats, the Battlecats have a distinct and interesting character design, personality, and ability. Each uses his or her unique skills to contribute to the epic fighting scenes. This is like Thundercats for adults – there’s plenty of bloody violence. The fight choreography is well executed. The art fluidly shows movement and you can tell what is going on in the action scenes.  It feels cinematic.

BATTLECATS displays an impressive amount of world-building, including its own history and religion. It’s clear there’s a lot more to explore in their world. The story kind of throws you in the middle of the quest, but as the volume unfolds, the story is filled in. There’s a nice plot twist near the end of the volume that is deftly hinted at and slowly revealed.   

In addition to excellent action scenes, the art is visually stunning. The lush coloring gives life to the pages. The magic effects are creative and you can almost feel the heavy impact of the larger hand to hand weapons when they make contact with an enemy. The enemies have a nice variety, making each encounter feel fresh.

BATTLECATS is like a grown up version of ThunderCats, featuring a strong plot and much more violence. If you like quest stories like Lord of the Rings, Battlecats is worth a look. You can go into it knowing there are two more volumes to enjoy if you like it. Due to the amount of violence and blood, some parental discretion is advised.

BATTLECATS, VOL. 1: THE HUNT FOR THE DIRE BEAST is now available.

Are you going to pick up the title? Have you already ? Feel free to chat with me on Twitter or leave a comment below!