John Wick meets Kill Bill with a dash of CATS in the new ultra-stylish series from IDW Publishing, Cat Fight. This series debut brings world-building in spades. Felix lives a lavish lifestyle, one earned through the hard labor of stealing from others. A string of bad luck turns into a disaster when a mysterious individual named Schrodinger tries enlisting Felix in his criminal organization. Cat Fight #1, written by Andrew Wheeler with art by Ilias Kyriazis, inks by Auguste, colors by Dennis Yatras, and letters by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou, brings style and substance in a splendidly entertaining issue.
This book wastes no time getting going, opening with Felix during the escape portion of a heist. Felix instantly feels like a commanding presence on the page. His actions, dialogue, and expressions ooze charisma. He successfully pulls off the heist and introduces readers to the first of a few supporting characters, Tabitha. Tabitha deals in stolen goods and helps establish the tone and world-building for this book. She's as strong of a personality as Felix, in markedly different ways, something that becomes a repeating trend for each subsequent supporting character. It's through her initial exchange with Felix that the scope of this story is first expanded in an organic, compelling way.
As the world surrounding Felix grows, the threat on the horizon becomes more clear. The issue crescendo's into a moment that establishes the trajectory of the series moving forward. Wheeler does an excellent job at laying the groundwork for this story in measured, consistently entertaining beats. It has to be noted, though, how intrinsically linked this story is to its art. This is true of all comics, of course, but the narrative here interacts with the art in wildly creative ways.
The page composition throughout this issue is stellar. There are so many unique and inventive panel layouts and designs that allow the action to flow seamlessly. The world itself is also brought to life in rich, luxurious detail. This is a high-rollers style book, and the outfits and locales live up to that. Felix's expressions are rendered with great care and nuance. The line weight is thick throughout, giving the book a bold look.
The colors throughout are deeply saturated, contrasting brilliantly with the heavy shadows of the inks. The overall look feels full of life and extravagance. Felix attends a masquerade ball, and the atmosphere in lighting and mood couldn't be more spot-on. The letters from Otsmane-Elhaou are out of this world. There are handfuls of moments in this issue where the lettering is used in markedly inventive ways, from speech bubbles disappearing and text using entirely negative space to bubbles blurring to sell a hyper-focused effect. It's superb work across the board.
Cat Fight #1 hits a consistently high standard. The sales pitch evokes fan-favorite, familiar properties, but for good reason. The influences can clearly be seen, but it's also obvious this book isn't interested in merely copying what made previous series successful. There's a level of passion that's palpable on these pages. Cat Fight #1 delivers a sleek, expressive, and engaging series debut.