If you are in ‘pause’ mode during this pandemic, no cause to be alarmed, you can find at least one purrfectly good book to curl up with: Rascal from IDW is about cats.
One cat, to be precise. Rascal the cat, is unceremoniously dumped at our young woman’s doorstep, starving and charming.
The resulting book, a collection of brief moments and a bit of narrative, illustrate a wonderfully touching portrait of ‘young woman with first cat’.
Parisian Author and artist Jean-Luc Deglin (Les Corrigans, P’tit cosmonaute, Le Viandier de Polpette, Ernest & Rebecca) in his first graphic novel, hits all the right notes here.
There are glimpses of everyday life with a cat that captures the nuances, the frustrations, and the loving admiration we have for these creatures.
The line drawings are sensitive and observant. Cats, being enigmatic creatures, are also difficult to capture in line drawings, but Deglin does it. Rascal, the black cat, is in constant motion or drama, or both. Highlighted against the light blue background tones of the comic panels, Rascal stands out solidly. So much the better: the leaping, curling, sleeping, sniffing Rascal captures our hearts.
This is a thoroughly enjoyable read. Perfect catnip for the cat lover and perfect prose for the story lover.
IDW, Rascal $14.99 for 132 pages of content. Any age
Newsdesk