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Calamity Kate
From the Eisner and GLAAD Media Award-nominated writer of the breakout hit Kim & Kim and DC Comics' Eternity Girl with Gerard Way and artist on IDW's Ghostbusters and X-Files comes this modern day adventure of heroes and monsters.
Kate Strand reboots her destructive life and moves to LA to be the superhero she always wanted to be--Calamity gun-toting monster killer. With her latest career change, she faces new challenges, relationships, and competition; desperate to show she's worth a damn in a world overrun by zombies, vampires, demons, goblins, and the ultimate monster The Seven Fabled Beasts of Yore.
Collects issues #1-4 of the hit limited series.
Kate Strand reboots her destructive life and moves to LA to be the superhero she always wanted to be--Calamity gun-toting monster killer. With her latest career change, she faces new challenges, relationships, and competition; desperate to show she's worth a damn in a world overrun by zombies, vampires, demons, goblins, and the ultimate monster The Seven Fabled Beasts of Yore.
Collects issues #1-4 of the hit limited series.
104 pages, Paperback
First published October 29, 2019
2 people are currently reading
50 people want to read
About the author
Magdalene Visaggio
201 books181 followersMagdalene Visaggio is a comics writer and essayist. She's the writer and creator of the GLAAD and Eisner-nominated series Kim & Kim, as well as Eternity Girl at DC Comics. She currently resides in Manhattan.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
November 14, 2020
Vera, a single mother in Los Angeles who doesn't even rate a last name, becomes a doormat to her recently-divorced, self-destructive, monster-hunting old friend, "Calamity" Kate Strand, who has just moved into her living room from New York City. Monsters are killed in between scenes of Kate being a complete and total ass to Vera.
The writing is choppy and the ending is a complete mess that left me totally confused as to whether parts of it were dream sequences or if the real plot is just that dumb.
The art is okay when it comes to the characters, but the artist is hilariously awful at drawing the 1970s Lincoln Continental which figures prominently in the story.
The writing is choppy and the ending is a complete mess that left me totally confused as to whether parts of it were dream sequences or if the real plot is just that dumb.
The art is okay when it comes to the characters, but the artist is hilariously awful at drawing the 1970s Lincoln Continental which figures prominently in the story.
February 18, 2021
This graphic novel was subpar yet it could've been great. The artwork was on point. The story idea was fantastic. Yet the characters and the execution severely lacked.
I loved the idea of monsters invading the world with a female warrior taking care of business. The problem was that this female was very unlikeable. Not much about her stood out. With even this, I could maybe like the story but about halfway through the story just goes all over the place and I'm not really sure what fully happened in the end. Can't say I would continue this series if there is more but it wasn't a total waste either.
I loved the idea of monsters invading the world with a female warrior taking care of business. The problem was that this female was very unlikeable. Not much about her stood out. With even this, I could maybe like the story but about halfway through the story just goes all over the place and I'm not really sure what fully happened in the end. Can't say I would continue this series if there is more but it wasn't a total waste either.
May 13, 2020
You had me at lesbian monster hunters, you lost me somewhere in the middle. I feel like there was something crucial that wasn't explained, or it wasn't explained well enough for me to catch it as it sped by to the ending.
November 1, 2020
I want to say that I enjoyed this story but it felt like it feels like more a premise than a coherent tale. All 4 issues were building up to something that never happened. The monsters are just there and ended up getting no explanation. The Fabled Beasts are still around, in fact Kate was never even close to bagging them. Even the divorce plot went nowhere. The story ended with nothing being resolved, I wouldn't even call this story rushed because it just stopped. imagine if Star Wars rolled the credits right after they got out of the Trash Compacter. We don't know what happened to Kate or anyone aside from the epilogue teasing a sequel that will almost certainly never come out.
The art's good and the writing is decent but I find it hard to recommend a story so random.
The art's good and the writing is decent but I find it hard to recommend a story so random.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 5, 2019
actual rating: 3.5
This was by turns both fun and sad and the art and designs were great, but it did feel way too rushed and I think could have really benefited from a few more issues. Still, it was a quick read and who doesn't love lesbian monster hunters?
This was by turns both fun and sad and the art and designs were great, but it did feel way too rushed and I think could have really benefited from a few more issues. Still, it was a quick read and who doesn't love lesbian monster hunters?
January 27, 2020
/// SPOILERS ///
Uh ... I don’t get it.
This series was great up until the third chapter, then it went completely off the rails.
The problems begin when Kate is knocked back while fighting one of the Seven Fabled Beasts of Yore. Kate sees her ex-wife seemingly in Manhattan Beach with Javelin ... when the book has so far made it clear that the ex is back in New York. Is this all in Kate’s head? It’s never made clear.
From there, time gets wibbley wobbley. The scenes with Jade don’t line up. Kate is seen heading back to New York in her Cadillac ... only to have left it in California for Jade in the epilogue. Kate fights the same monster again on the way to the airport ... but it doesn’t really happen?
It’s clear that some — if not all — of the narrative is meant to be a manifestation of Kate’s grief, but there’s no signposts showing what’s real and what’s illusion. The result is that the last two chapters lack coherence, and what is meant to be a devastating ending will simply leave you scratching your head.
Uh ... I don’t get it.
This series was great up until the third chapter, then it went completely off the rails.
The problems begin when Kate is knocked back while fighting one of the Seven Fabled Beasts of Yore. Kate sees her ex-wife seemingly in Manhattan Beach with Javelin ... when the book has so far made it clear that the ex is back in New York. Is this all in Kate’s head? It’s never made clear.
From there, time gets wibbley wobbley. The scenes with Jade don’t line up. Kate is seen heading back to New York in her Cadillac ... only to have left it in California for Jade in the epilogue. Kate fights the same monster again on the way to the airport ... but it doesn’t really happen?
It’s clear that some — if not all — of the narrative is meant to be a manifestation of Kate’s grief, but there’s no signposts showing what’s real and what’s illusion. The result is that the last two chapters lack coherence, and what is meant to be a devastating ending will simply leave you scratching your head.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 10, 2019
Constantly felt like I was coming in late on this story. Like crucial information was left out. Sad because there is so much potential in the premise.
May 21, 2020
Incoherent, starring a complete asshole, and lacking resolution. Not the greatest compliments for a book but the only things I can think of for this one. The art is great, which is a plus, but the dialogue is at times cringey, the background characters are woefully underdeveloped, much like their conflicts. It feels like a navel-gazing story except it's not even really doing that.
If this was just another 'monster hunter hunts monsters' book, it would have been mediocre and forgettable, which isn't great. But at least it wouldn't have been a hot mess.
If this was just another 'monster hunter hunts monsters' book, it would have been mediocre and forgettable, which isn't great. But at least it wouldn't have been a hot mess.
February 18, 2020
Probably land somewhere around 3.5 stars cant quite give it 4 stars. Some awesome monster fun. At the heart of the story for me is the young mother and her daughter and their struggles being surrounded by a crazy monster hunter! The young daughter truly made this story more enjoyable for me her relationship with Kate is awesome. It's always awesome to see lesbian couples in comics as well. I like some of the scene cuts especially!
January 21, 2020
Interesting character study. Good side characters. I like the idea, but it felt rushed.
February 20, 2020
MORE MONSTER SLAYING LESBIANS PLEASE
July 16, 2022
That was interesting. Cool illustrations.
August 21, 2022
Enjoyed this but feel like it had so much promise and it's a shame it was such a short series. Seemed a bit difficult to follow with jumping around quite a bit too.
October 10, 2025
In "Calamity Kate" a burnt out divorcee with a well earned reputation as a loser relocates to LA with the intent of redeeming herself as a monster hunter. Despite this fun premise the book is essentially a train wreck and the protagonist comes across as vain, insensitive and insecure. Additionally, the plot is jumpy and nonsensical in places and there is really no payoff to it at the end. It should be noted that the ending of the book briefly covers some of the same territory that was explored in Magdalene Visaggio's much better book "Lost on Planet Earth". Unfortunately, this is not enough of a saving grace to make much difference.
2.5 stars rounded to 2.
2.5 stars rounded to 2.
May 5, 2023
Adventure graphic novel about a world similar to ours except for all the monsters everywhere, and a sort of burn out lesbian has decided to be a bad ass monster hunter in the LA area after getting divorced from her wife.
This was disappointing. Solid concept, good art, but disjointed storytelling without a satisfying ending or resolution. Additionally the series of flashbacks are unclear at times since the character doesn’t really look that different for the most part. I liked the multiple queer characters but this was not good. Glad I borrowed it from the library and didn’t spend money on it.
“Calamity Kate” by Magdalene Visaggio, illustrated by Corin Howell, Valentina Pinto, and Zakk Saam.
This was disappointing. Solid concept, good art, but disjointed storytelling without a satisfying ending or resolution. Additionally the series of flashbacks are unclear at times since the character doesn’t really look that different for the most part. I liked the multiple queer characters but this was not good. Glad I borrowed it from the library and didn’t spend money on it.
“Calamity Kate” by Magdalene Visaggio, illustrated by Corin Howell, Valentina Pinto, and Zakk Saam.
February 2, 2023
Kate's life is a mess. Her wife leaves her; she can't keep a job, and she is selfishly taking advantage of her friend Vera. What is Kate to do? Hunt monsters of course.
This book could have been another fun monster hunting romp, but it goes much deeper. It is a character study of a woman, Kate, and her realization that her her life's problems is her fault and she needs to comes to terms with it.
The illustrations are well done with expressive facial features and fun action scenes. The coloring is also solid.
The issue I have with this story is that I wanted more. It wraps up to quickly. Kate was going after Seven main monsters and only found One. Her competition with Javelin was left up in the air; I wanted them to have more encounters with their relationship growing. Maybe become a monster hunting team to track down the other monsters. Then possibly turning into a romantic couples relationship. I also wanted Kate to resolve her issues with her ex Sandra, even if Javelin and her actually became a serious couple leaving Kate to find someone new. And finally Kate could have grown emotionally mature over time realizing that Vera's daughter Jade looks up to her. In short, author Magdalene Visaggio needs to write more stores and develop these interesting characters.
This book could have been another fun monster hunting romp, but it goes much deeper. It is a character study of a woman, Kate, and her realization that her her life's problems is her fault and she needs to comes to terms with it.
The illustrations are well done with expressive facial features and fun action scenes. The coloring is also solid.
The issue I have with this story is that I wanted more. It wraps up to quickly. Kate was going after Seven main monsters and only found One. Her competition with Javelin was left up in the air; I wanted them to have more encounters with their relationship growing. Maybe become a monster hunting team to track down the other monsters. Then possibly turning into a romantic couples relationship. I also wanted Kate to resolve her issues with her ex Sandra, even if Javelin and her actually became a serious couple leaving Kate to find someone new. And finally Kate could have grown emotionally mature over time realizing that Vera's daughter Jade looks up to her. In short, author Magdalene Visaggio needs to write more stores and develop these interesting characters.
December 16, 2019
In a world where monsters are literal, sometimes the worst monsters are the ones in your head. Kate tries to reinvent herself as a monster killer, but finds that her problems are deeper than physical danger in this short series that's a rather dark turn for one of Mags' characters.
On the surface, Kate is like a lot of Mags' characters--she doesn't quite fit in, she wants to live her own life, and she faces a lot of people who think she can't make it. The difference this time? Kate's the one who might be wrong. That makes this one a different take on the premise, which I like. The only problem is that because this is just a four-issue series, there's not a lot of time to develop things. Six issues would have helped, I think, but who knows what the restrictions were at the time. Still, the dialogue is great, and the characters are interesting--I just wish they'd had a bit more time to grow.
Corin Howell's art on this is a lot of fun. It reminds me a bit of the Buscemas but has a good, modern feel to it. The Monsters are nice and creepy, and the gore drawings and ick factor work really well. Valentina Pinto's colors are bright and bold, which serve as a good contrast to the darker tone of the overall story.
Overall, this is a cool character study that's worth seeking out.
On the surface, Kate is like a lot of Mags' characters--she doesn't quite fit in, she wants to live her own life, and she faces a lot of people who think she can't make it. The difference this time? Kate's the one who might be wrong. That makes this one a different take on the premise, which I like. The only problem is that because this is just a four-issue series, there's not a lot of time to develop things. Six issues would have helped, I think, but who knows what the restrictions were at the time. Still, the dialogue is great, and the characters are interesting--I just wish they'd had a bit more time to grow.
Corin Howell's art on this is a lot of fun. It reminds me a bit of the Buscemas but has a good, modern feel to it. The Monsters are nice and creepy, and the gore drawings and ick factor work really well. Valentina Pinto's colors are bright and bold, which serve as a good contrast to the darker tone of the overall story.
Overall, this is a cool character study that's worth seeking out.
October 17, 2022
Outstanding art, excellent characterization but the series ends too quickly, after having teased a set-up that requires more issues to pay off. The epilogue is the beginning of a new chapter of a long saga which barely got started being told.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews