Cat Ninja has the prrrower to be your child’s favorite graphic novel

Someplace between Captain Underpants, Dog Man, Phineas & Ferb and Teen Titans GO! is Cat Ninja. It has the must-read & elementary school watercooler vibe of the first, the heart of the second, and the madcap humor and action of the third. Granted, it could be said that any of those initial titles have a degree of all of those characteristics. We’re merely putting them in the rank that our children have unofficially ranked them. It’s all of those characteristics and more. Cat Ninja is more, because it manages to be familiar, all the while being something that’s entirely original, relevant, and has fabulous colors, but more on that in a moment.

Don’t read too much into describing the book as relevant. We’re not talking geopolitics or anything heavy. I mean that numerous aspects of the book that squarely hit the funny bone of elementary students in a way that walks the walk. The book has pseudo cat memes, kids who are constantly striving to get that next bit of internet infamy, and more.  Cat Ninja combines everything that elementary-aged students want to experience in a graphic novel and all but makes it move in your hands.

It doesn’t hurt that Cat Ninja starts off with our titular character in a fight scene with Master Hamster. The scene is brief, but quickly establishes their relationship and is followed by an even faster back story for Cat Ninja. Speaking of back story, Cat Ninja doesn’t speak, and just like Heinz Doofenshmirtz’s nemesis, Perry the Platypus from Phineas & Ferb. Cat Ninja also has some tween supporting characters that to both of their hero’s location and reason to be. Fans of P&F and easily see each chapter of Cat Ninja being played out in 12-minute segments, except in this case the feline defender would take the lion’s share of the storyline.

The graphic novel is spread out into different chapters that do present the main storyline throughout. They’re well-paced and each one builds details of the greater story to where all of the little pieces make sense.

Cat Ninja is by Matthew Cody with illustrations by Yehudi Mercado and can be best classed as a superhero, action, comedy graphic novel. The art is perfect for elementary ages as it’s realistic, but not too real and certainly not babyish. It feels like a graphic novel that could’ve been published by Graphix. Fans of those books know that they have a certain go-to quality that’s hard to measure, but easy to embrace and love. The paper that the book is printed on isn’t glossy and feels refreshing to touch, almost like a slightly thicker newspaper grade.

All of this adds up to a very fun graphic novel that ages seven and up will really enjoy. Those middle grades that let themselves go will enjoy the book. Even those adults who like to read graphic novels and have found Investigators or any of the aforementioned books or television shows entertaining will like this. Cat Ninja is a hoot and I’m hopeful that more graphic novels are produced in addition to some possible TV options.

Cat Ninja is by Matthew Cody with illustrations by Yehudi Mercado and is on Andrews McMeel Publishing.

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