geekwayne's review

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3.0

'Grumpy Cat, Volume 1' by Ben McCool, Royal McGraw, Elliott Serrano and Ben Fisher (among others) is a collection of comics about the internet's grumpiest cat. It's aimed at kids, but some of humor, I think, is a bit dark for a kids comic.

Grumpy Cat lives with her younger more exuberant brother Pokey Cat. In the eleven stories featured here, we see Pokey trying to get Grumpy enthused about life, and we see Grumpy trying to get Pokey and the occasional dog in trouble. They investigate a haunted house, dress up like superheroes, and act like detectives when their outdoor food stash gets eaten, among other things. As hard as Grumpy Cat tries, Pokey Cat is the eternal optimistic balance in this duo.

My problems occur when Pokey Cat is on a roof, and Grumpy Cat is encouraging him to jump off and probably die. It doesn't happen, but it seems a little over dark for something that seems aimed at kids. Also, it does remind me quite a bit of Garfield, with Pokey playing the part of Nermel and the dog seeming a lot like Odie. The adventures are likeable enough, and I do like Pokey Cat's indominatable spirit.

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

adelavmb's review

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3.0

This book reminded me a lot of Garfield, with Grumpy Cat having a similar personality (minus the enthusiasm about certain things) and Odie being represented by Pokey here.
That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed this comic, as predictable as its stories were, though I should add that Garfield is funnier in my opinion. Kids will probably love this comic more though, since the character is newer.

betwixt_the_pages's review

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5.0

Dynamite proudly presents the comic book misadventures of Grumpy Cat, featuring "The World's Grumpiest Cat" and her brother, Pokey! With her ever-present pout and sassy disposition, Grumpy Cat has won the hearts of people everywhere. Now, her unbearable cuteness and infectious sourpuss are featured in an all-new, all-sensational collection of comic stories, sure to make fans of all ages laugh! If you love the memes, the videos, and that irresistible scowl, then get ready for the wildly fun antics of Grumpy Cat and Pokey!

- - - - -

Rating: 5/5 Stars
Quick Reasons: gorgeous illustrations; love the flow of the panels; the dialogue between Grumpy and Pokey is adorable, at times disturbing, and filled with snark; from superheroes to conspiracy theories, there's something for everyone here


Huge thanks to the authors Ben McCool, Royal McGraw, Elliott Serrano, and Ben Fisher—as well as to Diamond Book Distributors and Netgalley—for free access to this graphic novel in exchange for an honest review! Please note that this in no way altered my opinions on this book.

My partner? This is Pokey. He ain't too bright, but the kid's got heart. The big heart makes him cheerful.


Grumpy Cat strikes it big in the world with this collection of comic strips! The humor, the snark, and the witty banter between the characters is bracing, at times acidic, and always entertaining. I went into this read with only the smallest amount of knowledge on Grumpy Cat. Obviously, I've seen several of the memes and have read a few posts about the REAL Grumpy, but aside from the most basic workings of backstory I didn't have much to go by. The cover of this immediately drew me in on Netgalley; I fell in love with Grumpy with just those few small words, and knew I needed to read this.

"Life's a book by Stephen King; haunted by our darkest fears!"

"All Cujo really wanted was someone to scratch his eeeeeeears!"


The humor, for me, was spot-on. I cackled like a lunatic throughout the read, often causing my husband to glower at me and shake his head in amusement. I particularly enjoyed Paws of Justice, Vincent Van Grump, and A Grump in Time—though honestly, I found something to cackle at and love about every single strip. If I had to pick, though, my favorite—hands down—is Vincent Van Grump. The snark, the cultural references, and the artwork for that strip all came together in a beautiful, glorious read; I had a ton of fun with it!

Throughout, the artwork is gorgeous. The panels are well-proportioned and evenly spaced out, making the read both easy and entertaining. And between the varying subject matters and focuses, there's something for EVERYONE here. Literally. We go from Private Eyes to (sort of) alien invasions to conspiracy theories—and cover everything in between!

"...did I fly?"

"Like an eagle."


This is, by far, a journey unto itself—one I feel lovers of humor, cultural references, and the ever snarky Grumpy Cat will enjoy! I had a ton of fun cackling like a lunatic to myself whilst reading, and promise you will, too! I can't wait to see what other misadventures await our feline duo. Until next time, I'll be returning again and again to this collection—it's just too much fun to read only once!

angelarenea's review

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2.0

This review is posted on my blog!

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley from Diamond Book Distributors, so thank you very much to them!

This was not quite what I expected, although after revisiting the NetGalley page it made more sense. It is actually classified as 'Children's Fiction'. I was expecting more of the ironic internet meme type of Grumpy cat, where this was a very juvenile, Grumpy cat who actually reminded me a lot of Garfield. There were a lot of stories in this comic and I think it would be perfect for a young reader maybe in the 8-12 range. For me, however, I found it a little bit tedious. The art was wonderful, and had so many different feels that really brought the stories to life. I probably won't continue on in this series, but I would recommend young readers consider picking this up!

Did you ever pick up a book, only to find it's geared for a completely different age group?

shelbymarie32's review

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3.0

I enjoyed this comic, the artwork was good as well as the story and the characters. But this story felt very familiar. Almost identical to Garfield. you've go one grumpy cat always with a bad attitude, one happy go lucky dog that the cats deem dumb, and another cat cat the is considered annoying and likes to drag the grumpy cat in to shenanigans. I still liked this over all and I can see grumpy cat being this generations new Garfield. Any child or anyone who likes grumpy cat would have an enjoyable read with this.

valeriianavarr's review

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4.0

LOVED the illustrations and the stories were so adorable. Is this not a live cartoon because if it isnt, it really should. Id watch it xD Grumpy cat just totally made my day. You can see the cats personalities and you almost forget that they are that.. CATS

emilyanddeb's review

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3.0

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.

I was slightly let down by this. I understand that it was probably aimed at an audience younger than myself, but I just felt all the situations to be too childish and basic. The plot lines weren't interesting and they had been done before, but this just threw in the characters of Grumpy Cat and Pokey. I've personally loved Grumpy Cat as a meme and internet phenomenon, but these stories probably weren't necessary. Don't get me wrong, the art and cats are still cute, but I just wasn't impressed by this. I still gave this three stars though, as my cat lady heart had to.
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