Kat & Mouse, Vol 1.: Teacher Torture
Published by: Tokyopop
Story: Alex de Campi
Art: Federica Manfredi

96 (90) pages.
Original Language: English
Orientation: Left to right
Vintage: July 2006
Tones: Kathy Schilling
Production Art & Lettering: Erika “Skooter” Terriquez
Cover Design: Anne Marie Horne
Editor: Carol Fox
Publisher’s Rating: Ages 8-12

Rating: 4 out of 5

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Premise: Kat finds herself in a new (private) school when her dad lands a gig at Dover Academy as the new science teacher. Fortunately for her, she links up with Mee-Seen (everyone calls her Mouse) who is one of the few cool people there. Between unexplained thefts, blackmail, and middle school social cliques, together they have their hands full.

Synopsis:

Kat Foster and her mom & dad are moving from Iowa to New Hampshire because Fergus Foster (dad) just landed the job as science teacher at a prestigious private school. One of the job benefits is tuition for Kat, which Mom is excited about, but for Kat it just means that she has to leave her friends and start 7th grade over again in a new school.

On top of the usual transition headaches, Kat also has to deal with the fact that Pops is a teacher (never a good social position to bargain from) and to make matters worse, some ne’er-do-well students are blackmailing her father, trying to get better grades.

Here’s the meaty part of the plot: expensive equipment has been stolen from the science lab, and since Fergus can’t recall if he locked the lab door (absent-minded professor character template) he could stand to lose his job over the matter. He also gets an odd note, telling him that if he doesn’t pass everyone with at least a C grade, even worse may befall him.

Kat and her new friend Mouse take up the challenge, and with a little CSI-flavoured sleuthing, manage to save the day.

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Review:

[special thanks to Johanna for bringing this title to my attention]

Kat & Mouse manages to pack more story, character development, and heart into 96 pages than a lot of other properties can manage over several volumes.

Part of that is our characters, and the setting. Middle school is a dynamic time in most of our lives, and presents dramatic and thematic possibilites that aren’t soon matched outside of the English War of the Roses or Late Republican Rome. Oh, it’s all just piddling stuff, but in the lives of our characters, it really is that important.

Middle school is the day-to-day battleground of our characters, and also of the target audience. However, just because this is marketed to the ‘tween-girl demographic, you should not skip this title. Both Mom & Dad are developed as characters, with their own problems and feelings, so even if you aren’t a 12-year-old girl, there are other characters you’ll identify with. But the main story–making life work after moving to a new school–is universal enough that just about anyone should be able to connect with it: Kat & Mouse is a sweet, light adventure that transcends its marketing goals and develops into a comic that everyone can enjoy.

And if you can’t empathise with Kat, something in your soul is dead.

Stylistically, the comic seems a bit plain. The black & white art reads a lot like the old 4-colour comics of days gone by: heavy inks supplemented by only a few tones, without a whole lot of depth. Not that I’m knocking the art; it works. Artist Manfedi doesn’t skimp on backgrounds or character details, either, so I’m thinking the clean, slightly simplified art was chosen as a matter of style, and to appeal to kids more familiar with TV cartoons than comic books. I am more impressed by subtleties of story than by subtleties of shading, anyway.

With these characters, this set-up and the concomitant story possibilities, de Campi and Manfredi could run this series for as long as they like. Nancy Drew ran for dozens of volumes; here’s hoping the Kat & Mouse crew feel like going for at least a couple dozen themselves. You should give this one a try (or buy gifts for the daughters and nieces in your life) particularly considering that the MSRP is only $6