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What's Michael? #9
What's Michael?, Vol. 9: The Ideal Cat
Described as "Japan's version of Garfield, Heathcliff, and Krazy Kat all rolled into one," Makoto Kobayashi's What's Michael? is one of graphic fiction's true comedic originals. It combines day-to-day cat scenarios every cat lover (and hater!) will recognize, with off-the-wall flights of fantasy that will have readers scratching their heads, while holding their sides from laughter. If you've had about enough of "Superhero of the Week Summer," maybe it's time to switch gears and have a few - or more than a few! - laughs with What's Michael?!
117 pages, Paperback
First published April 28, 2002
59 people want to read
About the author
Jane Espenson
61books119followersJane Espenson is an American television writer and producer who has worked on both situation comedies and serial dramas. She had a five-year stint as a writer and producer on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and shared a Hugo Award for her writing on Conversations with Dead People. Between 2009-2010 she served on Caprica, as co-executive and executive producer for the series. In 2010 she wrote an episode of HBO's A Game of Thrones, and joined the writing staff for Series 4 of Torchwood, which will air on Starz in the US and the BBC in the UK in 2011. She will be co-writing the pilot episode for the US remake of Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased).
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
October 23, 2022
I admit it, I’m a sucker for cute cat stuff. This is the Japanese kind of cute, of course, so it can get a bit dark, but I enjoyed it.
April 13, 2009
Is Michael really The Ideal Cat? Well, yes and no.
For the fine folks who appear within this volume (the freelance cameraman trying to capture a shot of the feline "ideal," or the loving couple whose home is destroyed by a number of cats formulating "art," for example), Michael is a terror. For the readers of the manga, though - both cat lovers and cat haters alike - Michael is absolute perfection.
Going where no American comic book has gone prior, What's Michael? dares to feature its protagonist - the orange tabby in question - in a number of different (yet familiar) settings. Sometimes, Michael is a domestic short-hair living in indoors. Other times, he prowls through the streets of Japan, a stray with no allegiances. His owners may vary from story to story. Michael is a cat of many identities, but never of varying personalities. Michael is Michael, period.
The humour within What's Michael? invariably comes from the reaction of those humans around him. The lengths that they will go through to assure Michael's comfort, for example, or to adapt themselves to his odd (yet realistically feline) tendencies, never fail to amuse. Unlike owners such as Garfiend's Jon Arbuckle (himself arguably a cruel caricature of a mentally retarded man) or Heathcliff's Grandpa (a vague stereotype of the elderly cat owner), the characters surrounding Michael are vibrant, strongly based upon reality, and are placed in satirical contexts which display our own deficits as so-called human beings, the superior species.
Within this volume, the 9th in a series, we get a glimpse at the passive doggie known as Bear - the unabashed canine fall guy for those antics all around over which he has no control. Bear as "The Ugly Kitten," and Bear as protector. Though he's certainly no cat, all he wants is a little acceptance - and he inspires this by the bushel.
Michael may not be comfortable facilitating a flush toilet, nor does he have the deep personal need to clean up after himself, but in his cat-like behaviours, he is truly The Ideal Cat.
For the fine folks who appear within this volume (the freelance cameraman trying to capture a shot of the feline "ideal," or the loving couple whose home is destroyed by a number of cats formulating "art," for example), Michael is a terror. For the readers of the manga, though - both cat lovers and cat haters alike - Michael is absolute perfection.
Going where no American comic book has gone prior, What's Michael? dares to feature its protagonist - the orange tabby in question - in a number of different (yet familiar) settings. Sometimes, Michael is a domestic short-hair living in indoors. Other times, he prowls through the streets of Japan, a stray with no allegiances. His owners may vary from story to story. Michael is a cat of many identities, but never of varying personalities. Michael is Michael, period.
The humour within What's Michael? invariably comes from the reaction of those humans around him. The lengths that they will go through to assure Michael's comfort, for example, or to adapt themselves to his odd (yet realistically feline) tendencies, never fail to amuse. Unlike owners such as Garfiend's Jon Arbuckle (himself arguably a cruel caricature of a mentally retarded man) or Heathcliff's Grandpa (a vague stereotype of the elderly cat owner), the characters surrounding Michael are vibrant, strongly based upon reality, and are placed in satirical contexts which display our own deficits as so-called human beings, the superior species.
Within this volume, the 9th in a series, we get a glimpse at the passive doggie known as Bear - the unabashed canine fall guy for those antics all around over which he has no control. Bear as "The Ugly Kitten," and Bear as protector. Though he's certainly no cat, all he wants is a little acceptance - and he inspires this by the bushel.
Michael may not be comfortable facilitating a flush toilet, nor does he have the deep personal need to clean up after himself, but in his cat-like behaviours, he is truly The Ideal Cat.
January 23, 2010
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Ȩารักและตลกมา�
วาดกิริยาแมวได้น่ารักสุด� เห็นแล้วละลาย..
Ȩารักและตลกมา�
วาดกิริยาแมวได้น่ารักสุด� เห็นแล้วละลาย..
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March 2, 2013good
June 3, 2016
Includes a number of dog stories to go with the cat antics! Also, the return of The Count, a cat-fearing vampire. What's not to love?
October 26, 2011
At first I thought it would be for kids, but this is good fun for anyone who has owned a cat...
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
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