I wish this was longer and meatier, but boy, I loved it! This book has some strong triggers for abuse and animal cruelty, but handles the subject matter very well.

I always enjoy graphic novels, but this is one I found particularly compelling. I don't know DIRT about comics, especially DC/catwoman, but this not at all a 'superhero' story.

This is the story of Selina, a girl in an abusive household who commits petty thefts and struggles to feel safe and happy. A particularly difficult incident pushes her over the edge, and she runs away from home. On the street, she gets caught up in a heist and a small group of friends that she finds it difficult to grow close to.

Essentially, there's not a ton of 'plot' in this book- and it really doesn't need it honestly. The art is fantastic (sleek, stylin', and emotive), and the real focus is on Selina herself and her journey. She feels she's a constant outsider, and that's not helped by the fact she compulsively isolates herself- when she draws close to a young, homeless girl, her biggest conflict is that now she HAS to take responsibility and be there in someone's life as a positive influence. Which is something she's never experienced before.

There's no superpowers in this book, though it's set in Gotham city and Bruce Wayne is in it as a teenager. That's sort of weird, but I don't think Batman exists yet. Selina learns parkour but is otherwise just an angry, lost teen. I really enjoyed reading a story like this where costumed villains and heroes exist, but are very much in the background.

The story is also very effective in eliciting emotion and sympathy. I really grew attached to Selina as a character very quickly, and wanted her (and Rosie!) to be safe and find any happiness they could. I came very close to shedding a tear once or twice too.

If you like graphic novels (and/or have interest in DC/catwoman), this book is so worth a read. I do wish it was longer.

Side notes:
1) there's a couple weird loose plot ends. I can't tell if it's setting up for a sequel or not- nothing about the book is like 'part two coming soon!', but there's a few things that still feel very 'book one' about it.
2) this book has swears in it! Quite a few! I'm not surprised by mature content- re: abuse is shown quite a bit on page and there's darker themes beyond- but I've never seen a superhero comic that has the f word in it. Batman says the f word! Huh.

A very good retelling of Selina Kyle's childhood - good for those who prefer graphic novels over chapter books. Covers adult subjects like child abuse and homelessness and not very heavy on the superhero side. I also like it when you get a young Bruce Wayne in the bargain.

A perfect introduction to Catwoman. Or Catgirl to start. How she came to be how she is and her relationship to Bruce. I really loved the Independence but also moral compass she had. They didn't make her feel like a criminal but more antihero, which is what she is.
If your a fan of graphic novels and beginnings this is a great read to jump in with.

So, this was...interesting. It was an interesting take on the Catwoman origin story, and there were a lot of things that had a lot of potential...but none of them ever really came together? It was basically just a series of unfortunate events in the life of Selina Kyle, and while they all went into making her the person she is, they also sometimes weren't handled very well? Like, with the way Selina defended Tristan and made such a big deal out of defended this gay friend of hers...and then he's literally never mentioned again. Or how she finally made a friend in a little kitten and then she dies horribly and Selina is plunged into self-harm that is never really properly addressed?

I get that she had a terrible childhood, that she was abused, that she built walls and never let anyone in, but after all of that, I was hoping for something hopeful in her future, and instead the story ends with her basically on her own again, choosing not to get close with anyone, and that the group she had joined and actually made a family with, was no longer for her. Or Bruce, who was always trying to help, just wasn't good enough for her?

I did really love Ojo, Yang, and Rosie and the little family they had formed together and Selina's time with them. That was probably the best part of the whole story (which is why it's frustrating that she threw them away without even thinking twice about them after she left).

I don't know. It's an interesting take on Selina's story, and while there's a lot going on here, there also isn't anything that leads to any real change or development in her character. She starts closed off, and she ends that way, too.

Warning: animal cruelty

I really enjoyed the art style and coloring. However, the plot was sometimes hard to follow. Besides that it was a solid comic. I recommend checking out this comic if you're a fan a Catwoman.

This has more swearing in it then any T-rated comic book I’ve read (usually they blur out the bad swear words...) so that was a turn off. I realize that that amount of swearing is normal in high school, but I can’t recommend this book to young readers. Selina’s story seemed interesting, but doesn’t live up to the hype.

I cane give half stars to this story but it would have been a 3 1/2 the fact that most of the reviews I’ve seen about this book are based off the fact that she used the word “penis virgin” and giving it such a low score is ridiculous. It’s a ya book not a regular adult comic it’s going to have this comedic teen humor most teens would be laughing at how dumb the joke was. Another note a lot of the reviews are rating it low because of how they handled the lgbq part of this book again this seems like an introductory to the world of cat women not everything is going to be handled seemelessly in one damn book.

With that said while I am rating this book a good 3 1/2 or still had its flaws there is abusive and strong language use in this book if your rating in low because of this you are clearly not verse at all in how this character grew. Or anything another her her tale is of struggle In such a young age. Anyways! The reason I’ve rating this lower is because I felt even with it being a ya comic it could have dived deeper into an adult realm most young adults know about these themes and if they don’t they have very sheltered parents. (Not going to apologize)

I enjoyed this comic for what it was could have definitely been more

Under the Moon: A Catwoman Tale gives us the origin of one of DC’s most mysterious characters. Through the heartbreak, frustrations, and friendships, we see her as a young woman shaping her worldview. With a strong story and compelling artwork, it’s a volume that’s completely necessary in understanding what drives this powerful woman.

Full review to be published on 5/7/19: https://reviewsandrobots.com/2019/05/07/under-the-moon-a-catwoman-tale-book-review

I read young adult books to escape. I don't read them to experience HUGE AMOUNTS of homophobia and domestic violence. (Oh and did I mention there was animal abuse?). This is a hard pass for me which is sad because I was looking forward to this one.

Rating: 🌟
My Review: I do not have words about how bad this book was. I don't know what this author and publisher was thinking but this is so not young adult and I just I don't know how to put in to words what this book made me feel. From a murdered kitten that is shown to some very bad dealings with the topic of LGBTQ+ topic. This was just one book that wowed me on how bad it was.

Under the Moon: A Catwoman Tale provides the beginning of the Catwoman tale. Catwoman's backstory is believable and provides a strong motivation for her actions. The language in this story is more appropriate for high school or mature middle school readers. There is some abusive violence that could be disturbing for some viewers, but the violence is not gratuitous, providing motivation for her actions and attitude later in the story. I would definitely recommend this graphic novel to mature readers

The Essentials:
Publication date: May 7, 2019 by DC Ink
Advanced copy provided by Net Galley and the publisher for an honest review
Hashtags: comic, graphic_novel, young adult, tween (some swearing and violence)
My thoughts:
This is another example of using a known YA author, in this case, Lauren Myracle, to tell a familiar origin story and give it new appeal for the next generation of comic book enthusiasts, especially females. Myracle gives to Selina Kyle, aka catgirl aka future Catwoman all of the rage, stubborn pride and fierce compassion that will set the foundation for her future antihero antics. After all, the best heroes and the best antiheroes all have flaws as well as strengths. The fact that they are neither all good nor all evil is what makes these characters so appealing and timeless.

If you want more of these types of new unveilings for older characters, read Teen Titans: Raven written by YA author Kami Garcia.

Finally, I cannot say enough about Goodhart's powerful illustrations and the black and blue palette that just brings all the feels. His style of illustration stays loyal to the DC brand, but the color palette and the way his faces speak so loudly even amongst sparse text is very cool, very fresh, very contemporary.

This story had too many curses for me to feel good about recommending it to my students. It also wasn't the best written story. It does a good job getting into Selina's (Catwoman's) backstory but I wish it was better.

I was unable to open the pdf file of this novel on any of my devices no matter which program I tried to use. Unfortunately I am not able to provide a review for this novel as a result.

Potential to be a good story. Lots of triggers such as abuse and animal cruelty. It is a different twist on the Bruce Wayne:/Catwoman relationship

Under the moon: A Catwoman tale is a classic graphic novel. From bad guys, good guys, misfits and even a killer dog. What more can you ask for in a story. It's a must read.

While I am not typically a graphic novel reader, I am a superhero realm fan. This was a great book. Seeing this side of catwoman was interesting and a great perspective. Briefly seeing Bruce and possibly some other characters, was great and fun. The intro to catwoman was great and I look forward to what happens in the next one!

A wonderful, exciting graphic novel! This story is deep and dark. This was a great start to Selina Kyle's origin story. I loved seeing teenage Celina and her interactions with Bruce Wayne. Lauren Myracle made Selina a complex character with a bit of teenage vulnerability. I am quite impressed with DC Ink! I hope there are more stories to come.

Origin story of Selina, aka CatGIRL.

Lauren Myracle is on-par with her style of writing: sexy but teen appropriate. However, the “sexy” is less proactive and more “vulgar language is sexy.” I’m not familiar with the original comics, so I couldn’t tell you how close of an adaptation it is, but I can predict that the style is very “on” for Myracle,s target audience. Despite this, I am curious as to whether or not this will get any traction since Marvel is currently In and DC isn’t so much. Plus, Catgirl doesn’t have a movie coming out soon, so there isn’t that link to help boost the Circ rates of this graphic novel. I did love the illustrations, though.

I was EXTREMELY disappointed with this book. The plotline fell flat and the characters weren't likable. The story didn't work for the Catwoman I know and love. I have always enjoyed Lauren Myracle's books, but this one left me cold.