I really enjoyed this story. It was a different kinda book for me. And I'm so excited I jumped into it.
I loved Lauren's TTYL. And couldn't wait to jump into a new book from her.

I've always loved Cat Woman, she's one of those good DC anti heroes that you just want to root for. And especially after this story.

Getting to see what kinda shapes her to be the character we all know and love just made me so much more invested in Selena.

Overall this book just super impressed me. Everything about it really did. From the story itself, to the beautiful artwork that helps tell it. It puts a great spin on the Cat Woman we have come to know. And I would honestly love to see more eventually.

I give UNDER THE MOON: A CAT WOMAN TALE ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐5 STARS⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

If you're expecting a Catwoman origin story or some superheroics you couldn't be more wrong. It almost feels like a bait and switch because if I changed Selina Kyle's name in the book and removed <i>A Catwoman Tale</i> from the title I'd give odds you wouldn't know this was supposed to be about Catwoman. This is a YA book about an abused runaway who becomes a thief through circumstances beyond her control. There's also some subplots that go absolutely nowhere and a tacked on ending that made it feel like there wasn't really an end to the book at all.

There's a LOT of cursing in the book. Multiple f bombs and references to penises. I wasn't offended or anything but it felt very out of place in a DC comic geared towards 8th graders.

Isaac Goodheart's art was very solid. I dug the blue monochromatic art.

Disclaimer: I received a copy from Netgalley then bought my own copy. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book Series: Standalone?

Rating: 5/5

Publication Date: May 7, 2019

Genre: Comic Book/Graphic Novel

Recommended Age: 15+ (TW for Animal Death and Violence and physical abuse; language)

Publisher: DC INK

Pages: 219

Amazon Link

Synopsis: When fourteen-year-old Selina Kyle, aka the future Catwoman, becomes homeless, she must confront questions of who she is and who she will become.

She rejects human cruelty, but sometimes it seems as though brute force is the only way to "win." And if Selina is to survive on the streets, she must be tough. Can she find her humanity and reconcile toughness with her desire for community ... and love?

Review: Oh my god guys this book was amazing! I loved the artwork and I loved the story. It was the perfect origin story for Catwoman and it wasn’t hard to sympathize with her at all. I really felt for Selina and I loved to see her develop. The character development was very amazing and I loved seeing it animated! The plot is also great, the story is written well, and the world building is fantastic.

However, I do wish that the relationship between Selene and Bruce was more developed as it wasn’t enough of a shock factor. Other than that, that’s my ONLY complaint! I’d read more books in this series by this author!

Verdict: Amazing. I definitely recommend.

I really wanted to like this, but unfortunately it fell short for me. While the art style and coloring is amazing, the actual text of the story is lacking. There are many problematic parts in the story and they're never addressed. The biggest of that is the abuse to people and animals.

The ending was also rushed and I felt like I was missing something.

I haven't read a graphic novel in a long time. I was blown away by this one. I actually read it twice! The artwork is fantastic! There is so much attention to detail, from the chapter headings to tiny things like lists held in a hand. Then, there is the story. This is a very realistic, gripping story that I related to far more than I expected to! I didn't like the one vulgar part, that wasn't necessary. I did love the cats and really felt for and with Selina when horrible things happened to her. This book very clearly portrays physical abuse as well as other abusive situations. It also did a pretty good job of showing how a broken person still loves so deeply. I'm glad I read it, and I would read more of this series.

My copy came from Net Galley. This review contains my thoughts about this book and is left of my own free will.

I just don't really know how to feel about this book. I wanted to love it. The artwork is stunning. The cover is beautiful. Unfortunately, the actual text in the book? That's where Under the Moon falters. There are plenty of problematic bits that happen within the story. But the biggest is obviously the abuse that is just never truly addressed (both to people and animals). That and the way Selina "comes to the aid" of her gay friend. (It's such a ridiculous scene, especially when you consider that said friend is never actually seen in the book after this.)

There's also this deadly killer going around, and given how much it's talked about within the story, it would suggest that it's meant to be a big part of the third-act. Unfortunately, the killer is seemingly taken care of within two-three panels.

I did enjoy the inclusion of Bruce Wayne. That was a nice surprise, and as I've already said, the artwork is perfect. But it's hard to appreciate Under the Moon. Not only does it fail to tell a good Selina/'Catgirl' story, but it fails to tell a complete story overall. The ending is rushed, and it will surely leave you feeling as though there was something you missed.

I wanted so much to like this book. There's just something misfiring here. That being said, I absolutely appreciate the willingness of the author to tackle the difficult subject matter of abuse and intimate partner violence. I think as an adult reviewer, I have to remind myself that what my expectations for narrative and dialogue may just not be where a younger reader is at. So please read this review with that in mind. I think the idea of getting to learn more about Selina Kyle and how she learned to be Catwoman. I think that's an exciting and underexplored topic within the Superhero genre. Superheros have to learn how to be the heroes we know them as, and for that, I think there's ample room to explore the backstory and life of Kyle.

When it comes to what I feel like does not work with this GN, it's in some of the language and narrative tropes which simply ring as a little clumsy. I think what I'm identifying here is that the abuse and self-harm all feel like we only ever get a kind of surface level exploration of these issues and as a reader, I wanted to spend more time with Selina. I wanted the language and emotional tone to go deeper and explore more issues. The art of this graphic novel is truly wonderful and I would be remiss to not mention it. Overall, I give this GN three stars because it is really trying to do something different and I believe that should ultimately be commended and encouraged.

I loved this new look at Selena's past! Selena was a strong, compassionate character who was rough around the edges. Her background story was sad but really makes the reader sympathize with her. I liked the plot in this graphic novel but I would have liked to see more about Rosie and her brother in the end. I loved the artwork and color and my favorite thing hands down about the book was that they showed a villain mis-using a "pitbull" to carry out his plans and the author actually showed that the dog didn't WANT to be bad and we see Rosie later walking the dog and being cute. I found it hilarious that with the criminal the dog looks smaller but later with Rosie he looks HUGE! I couldn't stop laughing when I first saw it and it just made my entire week haha!
Overall I pretty much loved this book despite it's sad beginning and I would definitely reccomend it.
4.5 Stars!
FTC DISCLAIMER: I received this book in exchange for an honest review

I received this book in exchange for a honest review from NetGalley.

I had a tough time with this retelling of the Catwoman back story. It was a tragic tale that is full of poor writing and tactless delivery. This deal with themes that deserves deep attention and tactful delivery and this gave the situations neither of those. The entire book felt like they were taking heavy topics and dealing with them in the most throw away manner possible. On a plus side the art is really lovely.

... To be entirely honest, I'm more than a little taken aback by this. As a Catwoman aficionado, I figured this would be something cute and clever and fun. And indeed, while it is all three of these, there's also deep intelligence here when it comes to characterization for Selina Kyle, as well as Bruce Wayne.
Selina is both tough and vulnerable, confident but insecure, with a narrative that grounds her complexes in a plausible, believable way which eludes many other interpretations of this character, in all mediums. While her... sharper dialogue was admittedly unexpected, it is certainly consistent with who Ms Kyle is, and the liberties taken with her exact upbringing are not so egregious, especially since DC seems to reinvent this particular dimension of Selina's life far more frequently than necessary anyway. For those who know how Selina grows up, this narrative follows the spirit of the law without struggling for every single letter. For a young, modern teenage Selina, the story works.
Bruce Wayne's concern for Selina, as well as his seemingly surprising combativeness against vicious injustice are part and parcel of who Bruce is, at his core. I found myself reading him and going, Wow. Look at Bruce be Batman.
The teeny language notwithstanding, which many may find bothersome, all in all, Lauren Myracle gets it. She understands the greater Batman mythos. And if she doesn't have experience with it directly, she certainly has the intuition for it. Her dialogue, both internal for Selina, and externally between characters, flows organically.
My only concern is that the ending feels a little rushed, but that's fine. And as a nonwhite reader, I would be remiss to not mention some issues concerning representation.
A lot of this reads like Brubaker's Catwoman run -- that mixture of highly realistic dialogue and real life, gritty circumstance. The art is expressive, while keeping things seemingly young adult.
All in all, this is really good. I particularly enjoyed it.

Was unable to get the title to open with the program on my computer, it wouldn't work on the app on my Kindle either, it froze everything up. I tried to get a physical copy, but never heard back. Sucks because I was looking forward to this one. Unfortunately, I can't give a review.

The essence of Selina Kyle in a new perspective has always been an interesting idea. In a DC Universe where all the heroes comes from some trajectory of tragedy, one more is not necessarily a big surprise. In “Under The Moon – A Catwoman Tale” [Lauren Myracle/DC/208pgs], we get an origin story of sorts. Selina had possibility in terms of a moderately passable childhood but had a mother that either neglected or didn’t understand his own self worth. The reality of the situation is a truism as the actual idea of how this works runs in parallel to Regina Louise whom IR talked to in an interview recently. The situation creates a texture but also the experience of the individual. The story line that involves CInders, which was Selina’s cat she rescues and then loses because of the cruelty of her mother’s boyfriend, scars her for life but causes her not to trust anyone. She runs away from home and lives on the street. Her training with Ono seems organic in terms of how she gains skills. She was already stealing from stores before that so the element of this kind of life is ingrained into her personality anyway. The psychological elements of trust are brought to bear especially with Bruce Wayne whom we see a bigger backstory in terms of their youth. Selina has the modes of communication but she also wants people to make the effort to connect which sometimes is not the nature of human behavior. Because of this stubbornness, she continues to live on the streets and finds her way even if those she really wants to be close keep her at arms length or vice versa. “Under The Moon” is a Catwoman origin story for the new age which unfortunately keys into the isolation of the intention of the character while still keeping it in a time void with its own voice.

B

By Tim Wassberg

Beautifully done artwork and well done story! I loved seeing catwoman as a graphic YA novel. I really want to see more from DC's YA. i really liked how you got a good back story albeit still a little dark but good for teens wanting to get into this universe without it being so dark as lets say "The Killing Joke". GREAT, great job!

Sooooo, I liked the art. That's a plus!

The rest of the story is an absolute no. I was so disappointed because Selina is one of my all-time favorite characters. Some aspects of this were truly appalling. And not anything I want to see in a YA graphic novel.

This was an amazing read. I don't often get a chance to read graphic novels, but this title came to me by way of DC Entertainment as an ARC through the folks here at #Netgalley. I have to say, I was totally blown away.

There may be some spoilers here---but the neatest thing about origin stories, is that it gives newer readers to the comic book genre, a chance to get to know iconic characters like Catwoman, Batman, Aquaman, etc. Lauren Myracle did a great job re-introducing us to an iconic woman of distinct character, in Selina Kyle. From her early childhood as a curious child, who has to go through life knowing that her mother is not exactly the supportive type. With the #metoo movement on the rise these last few years, Selina's story is one that really helps YAs to see that they can rewrite their fate. Selina Kyle's first foray into the world of "cat burglary" was kind of interesting and fun to watch. The parkour lessons from her ragtag band of thieves that leads her back to Bruce Wayne--yes, THAT Bruce Wayne, is just epic and cute. But the reasons behind her independence is what really made this a good read for me. Her humble beginnings and terrible homelife were just some of the reasons why Selina Kyle's updated story is so important. So many of kids today, whether they'd been through the same thing or not, are vulnerable to the heavy hand of abuse. Abuse of any kind shouldn't be tolerated, and her rise from that dark place is what makes Catwoman's journey so interesting to follow.

I can't wait to read more from this series. Watch out world! Here comes Catwoman!

I first encountered DC INK with Mera: Tidebreaker, a pretty standard fantasy teen romance. I’m also on the lookout for strong new works by and for women readers, and that are young reader friendly, so I decided to return to DC INK and check out Under the Moon: A Catwoman Tale. This was an interesting read, although I also found myself confused on who it was intended for.
Selina Kyle is stuck watching her mom bounce through different boyfriends, before she finally ends up with one who is the worst of the bunch. After a final act of abuse from her mom’s boyfriend, Selina runs away. Living on the street, she struggles to balance the relationships she made in high school with her new life and her created family of acrobatic thieves, let alone the remnants of the traumas she experienced when she was living with her mom.
This book is fantastic, but first I want to delve into the trick of uncovering its intended audience. DC INK, to my understanding, is generally aimed at teens. Mera: Tidebreaker was a safe entry for that demographic, and its safeness is what impacted its ability, to an extent. Under the Moon might be taking the other extreme. It contains far more difficult situations and f bombs than any DC comic not labelled as being for mature readers. In a lot of ways, I worry that the language used will be a sticking point that will keep this out of the hands of readers.
Under the Moon feels like a book that young women readers need but parents of young women readers will not want them to read. There is a lot of power here, and frank discussions of cutting, abuse, and living with an abuser. Those are all heavy topics, and ones that need to be in the public discussion much more than they are. I hope that Under the Moon does just that, and gets people to take these important health issues seriously.
The story itself is gripping and well-paced. Myracle has made an excellent transition from novelist to comic writer. I loved the art, as well. The pastel, mono- or duotone color palates that DC is using in their DC INK line may not appeal to everyone, but they are surprisingly effective, streamlining the focus and stripping away distraction.
I really enjoyed Under the Moon, and I think that it could be a very important book for a number of readers. I just hope that it doesn’t inadvertently keep itself out of the hands of those readers.

I was excited about this, both because of the author and the subject. I'm sad that "Gotham" is ending on TV and excited that these properties are being expanded in print. But this is dark, and not just in a Dark Knight way, but graphically dark. Selina's life of abuse is not pleasant to read about and not age appropriate until you get to older high school readers. I just found it a real downer overall.

While I liked the overall tale, I wasn't sure how (or even if) it fit into DC canon as a whole or Catwoman canon.

'Under The Moon: A Catwoman Tale' by Lauren Myracle with art by Isaac Goodhart is a YA version of a possible Catwoman origin story. It's a pretty good read.

At 14, Selina Kyle has seen some things. She lives with her mom and her mom's series of deadbeat and often abusive boyfriends. She is a bit of a loner at school and has a crush on Bruce Wayne. They used to be friends in preschool, but drifted apart for various reasons.

When things go really south in her homelife, Selina runs away and finds herself living on the streets. She makes a series of friends who teach her skills and look out for her. When a heist involving a rare book goes wrong, Selina wants to make it right.

I really liked this version of the character. It feels authentic enough to feel like it's the same character I'm familiar with. I really liked the art with it's subdued color. This was a read I can recommend.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from DC Ink, DC Entertainment, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

What’s It About: Before she was Catwoman, Selina Kyle was just a fourteen-year old girl living street. Selina will have to form relationship and do whatever it takes to survive even if that’s cutting off old friends like Bruce Wayne.

Review: This book was filled with contradictions for me. I really enjoyed the art. Isaac Goodhart created a beautiful world filled with depth and gorgeous detail. However, I wasn’t really moved by the story. Myracle did a good job a starting to create Selina’s backstory however I felt like the story needed to go deeper. The entire story felt like Selina was just reacting to things being done to her and lacked any real character development. Also, we are introduced to a lot of characters that we never really get know beyond their initial introductions. This is a story that should make me feel for the characters but unfortunately I do not know them well enough to care. Also, the plot was a little choppy and jumped from scene without a lot of transitions which was slightly jarring. Under the Moon: A Catwoman Tale has a lot of potential and I will read any other graphic novels released in this series however this was not my favorite retelling in the DC Universe.