Catwoman for TEENS - a Kids Comics Review
Welcome back to another Comics for Kids review from the John's Comics with kids team! We strive to bring you great book recommendations for the kids in your life, based on reviews from me (a 3rd grade teacher) and my two daughters. Today, we have a DC graphic novel from 2019 that focuses on a young Catwoman, titled Under the Moon: A Catwoman Tale.
If you have young ladies in your house then you might've heard about the Upside Down Magic book series from writer Lauren Myracle. She has made a very good name for herself writing several series for kids in the 10-17 age range, but the Upside Down Magic books (about a group of girls learning magic) made her a big hit in our house. Then when we heard that she would be creating her own Catwoman graphic novel, my girls were in!
The story centers on a high school age Selina Kyle as she deals with school, relationships, and a crumbling home life. It is a dark story meant for teens and older. Heavy topics involving an abusive man dating her mother and her life on the street at a young age, mix with an origin story that is very powerful. A young Bruce Wayne, also dealing with his own demons, plays a significant part in this story as well.
The art style is similarly bleak, using little color outside of blues and purples. Primarily working in black and white, artist Isaac Goodhart creates a sense of stark contrast between the wealth of Bruce and the poverty of Selina.
It's not your typical kids book. The story takes itself very seriously and doesn't shy away from dark topics. The teen audience for this book will appreciate the ways in which the story helps to connect a struggling young girl with the dominant anti-hero who roams Gotham as an adult.
Let's see what my oldest daughter Kate (almost 13) thought about it:
"Under the Moon is very interesting to read because it shows you the backstory of Selina Kyle. She doesn't have many friends and she is very lonely. The only people she really trusts in the story are a boy named Bruce and a girl named Rose. I think that Under the Moon is funny because it has some parts when Selina makes little cat puns! I also thought that it was sad because Selina just felt very lonely. It was cool to see Lauren Myracle’s version of younger Selina! The art is really cool too. I wish it had more color though! It would be much cooler and would pop more! I rate this book 4.5 out of 5 because the art could use some color.”
Let's also get a few thoughts from my youngest daughter Charlie (10):
"I think this is a very interesting book. I love the artwork and the story is very original. I think I would've liked more color in this book, since it is mostly blue, black, and white. I enjoyed it but I felt sad about the cat and I wanted Selina to completely become Catwoman at the end. Overall, I think it's very good. I would give it a 9 out of 10 and I would recommend it to 4th graders and older."
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Check out our latest Saturday show where we spend time talking about this book and others. Thanks for reading this article and if you want to get more from the John's Comics with Kids squad just watch for us on Instagram and YouTube.