Moonlight Meow

Publisher
Seven Seas
Writer
Bambi Eloriaga
Artist
Roland Amago
Country of origin
US
Year
2007

Moonlight Meow Volume 1

By David Rasmussen
6th Oct 07

Ever wonder why a majority of cat/human hybrid characters are female?
Stop wondering, as you’ll see the appeal of a beefaloaf Austin Powers wannabe stack of mancake who turns into a cat at nightfall… if you’re female slash straight or a guy whose into that sort of thing that is.

Loser Gabriel Solo takes off to India about 30 years ago looking for free love (I.e. lots of free sex), mostly because it’s not yet 2007 and he never saw Code Monkeys or learned the way of investing in the local talents at your favorite strip club (like Dave). But, again, it’s about 30 years ago and he’s a loser anyway so who cares. He’s off to get shagged only to run afoul of nothing but trouble in the form of an incredibly hot female who claims to be a Indian feline goddess.

Now here is where accounts of the situation vary.
It seems a “secret society” (aka an underground civilization) of lycanthropes with the rather alien name of “Therianthropes” exist, and they have been following Gabriel for 30 years… mostly because they’re kinda losers and he somehow managed to stay ahead of them without even knowing he was staying ahead of them for 30 or so years. Anyway they think he is one of their race, and he manifested his Therian side to transform for the first time in India.

Of course ask the crazed Indian feline goddess (with the un-Indian name of Shasti) and you’ll be told she picked pretty boy for her latest “consort” only to have him ditch her while she and her fellow priestesses danced about the temple ready to commit to their “marriage” (or whatever you call it when the hot female indian feline priestess wants you to “consort” her often… several times a night maybe often.
According to her she cursed Gabriel so he’d turn into a cat at night since he wasn’t into this whole lifetime commitment to the local feline goddess or whatever. That’s her story and he seems to be more inclined to believe that than this whole Therian thing.

But do you blame him?
He jus settled down in Los Angeles, he’s got a new curry shop with this female partner he seems interested in but isn’t getting anywhere with in that regards. He just escaped from a creepy psycho Therianthrope loving conspiracy theorist slash Fox Mulder fanclub member who wants to believe in creepy animal lycanthrope named Therians… and then a creepy guy in a suit shows up and claims he is assigned to Gabe and has to teach him the laws of the Therianthrope. The 12 laws.

What are the 12 laws? Well if I told you… that means the volume actually said what they were, and it doesn’t. In fact get ready for a rambling “Meet the Therians” scene that really drags on too damn long, doesn’t really get to the point of the rules (except just hint here and there at a few rules) and point out that if he breaks all 12 then Gabe will go evil and have to be “put to sleep”… like a certain mainland politician’s career will soon be put to sleep after his escapades in a certain Airport’s bathroom… allegedly.

This is the worst part of the volume, as the whole 12 laws thing is mostly pointless since the book never actually gets to the point of listing all 12 laws, and some focus here would have been so nice.
Also it doesn’t help any that the guy pervert who is obsessed with Therians seems to be a regular cast member of the series, often to appear to provide sick comic relief (dammit). Oh, then a Therian Hunter arrives and the volume ends kinda shoddily without much focus or momentum to carry us through to the second volume. That can’t be good.

Long story short I’m betting only female readers or those looking for awkward comedies with hot guys being jerks and having lady problems along with their awkward transformations into animals (cats) which lead to even more awkward moments… oh, and a love triangle as it looks like the goddess Shasti isn’t over her obsession with Gabe and shows up in Volume 2 stalking her claim on him (maybe). Apparently she’s not the brightest feral goddess in the Asian continent if she’s still hot on Gabe.

Drawn nice, written so-so (when it’s not being annoying or shoddy), Moonlight Meow Volume 1 is a so-so title that receives a so-so reaction from me. Moonlight Meow Volume 1 is spade 3 out of 5 times… because I said so, that’s why. Shoo cat-man Austin Powers wannabe, shoo.

-- David Rasmussen 6th Oct 07