Tigra: The Complete Collection

Tigra: The Complete Collection by Linda Fite
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Tigra: The Complete Collection collects The Cat 1-4, Marvel Team-Up #8, 67, 125, Marvel Two-In-One #19, Giant Size Creatures #1, Marvel Chillers #3-7, Marvel Premiere #42, Monsters Unleashed #10, and Tigra #1-4.

1970s Marvel was the Wild West at times, what with the comics code being relaxed and Marvel's popularity exploding. I had some rewards points to burn so I snapped this Bronze Age beauty up.

First off, Tigra: The Complete Collection is uneven as hell. Every feature The Cat/Tigra was in was plagued by shuffling creative teams. That being said, the collection still had its moments.

Greer Grant Nelson was a policeman's widow who became a superhero to avenge her husband's death as The Cat. If it sounds familiar, it's because it's the standard super hero tragic origin. The Cat was uninspired at times but I thought it was a fun read despite the ever-shifting creative team. Marie Severin and Wally Wood were the best in the bunch, of course. I think The Cat would have fared better if she'd been introduced a few years later.

Anyway, The Cat only lasted for four issues and a Marvel Team-Up appearance before she morphed into Tigra, the Were-Woman. Tony Isabella and Will Meugniot had a good thing going before having the rug yanked out from under them. Tigra floundered for a couple more issues and was relegated to guest appearances and an Avengers membership. It would be a couple decades before Tigra was given another shot as a solo act.

The Christina Z/Mike Deodato Tigra miniseries was easily the best part of the book. Greer finally looks into the circumstances of her husband's death and winds up going up against a secret fraternity of killer cops, ending with her becoming a policewoman. My only gripe about this miniseries is that Tigra had a tail. From what I hear, the setup for future stories was largely ignored.

In the end, I enjoyed parts of the book but a lot of it seemed half-hearted. I think Tigra had the misfortune of coming around at the wrong time. She could be a headliner with a creative team that gave a shit.

While it was uneven as hell, Tigra: The Complete Collection was still an enjoyable read. Three out of five cat talismans.


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