C.A.T.

Since this work hasn't received a review yet, and I feel it's good enough to actually deserve one. (Because there are truly only two types of reviews that should ever be written, one's filled with extreme praise for a work, and one filled with extreme distaste for a work... such as the one I did last year in my school newspaper for 21: The Movie... But I digress.) Story: Though, so far, C.A.T. has only reached the two volume mark, and is currently on hiatus, not for too long I hope, the author has still been good enough at his craft to flesh out an interesting storyfilled with political intrigue, personal vendettas, and enough action to put Yuen Woo-ping's choreography to shame. The story centers around the character of Cat, an assassin whose father killed her mother and then himself when she was very young, forcing her to live with cats until she was taken by a group called the SFP project. While there she was severly abused, and after escaping is taken in by a group of assassins who train her so that she can take revenge on the three men that raped her in captivity. The is also another part of the story, in which a man named Alvas is using the abilities he gained as head of the CIA to "play a game" with the major nations of the world. Much of the story still isn't fully fleshed out because of the hiatus, but hopefully if, and when, it returns, the story will be completely flesh out. Art: The art is amazingly beautful, on an almost Hiroaki Samura level. Each panel is rendered beautifully, and the sketchy style really translates well to the action scenes, much like Samura's magnum opus Blade of the Immortal. Each character looks different and is well designed and drawn with full attention to detail. I could possibly do a full term paper with praise for the art alone, provided I had enough sources to quote, so I will continue to the next subject. Characters: The characters are very interesting, each having there own motives for there actions. There is Cat, who though she is trying to kill the men who raped her, and also avoid capture from many government agencies, is beginning to realize that it would be good to have a normal life, where she could live like a human and not a monster. There are the Bears, who are crazy Russian death-row inmates who were injected with special viruses that made them stronger and unable to feel pain. There's Alvas, the man who is trying to play one last game. And then there are the rest who haven't become worth mentioning yet. Enjoyment: I was immediately pulled into this work from the minute I started reading it. Full of action, beautiful art, and an interesting storyline, it sank it's hooks in me and didn't let go... until the end of the second volume. Overall: A wonderful piece, probably not going to win any major awards, but it doesn't need to because it stands on it's own merits alone.