Margaret Atwood Is at Work on a New Graphic Novel Series

If you’re a comic book fan who loves cats and Margaret Atwood, then 2016 is slated to be a big year for you. Dark Horse Comics—the publisher responsible for Star Wars, Buffy, and Hellboy—has announced that the prominent Canadian author is hard at work on her first graphic novel series.

The three-volume series is called Angel Catbird, and it chronicles the adventures of a superhero who is—perhaps predictably enough—part cat, part bird. Like many superheroes, Atwood’s protagonist obtained his special traits through an accident; he reportedly came into contact with “spilled genetic Super-Splicer,” which gave him both feline and owl traits.

Atwood is known for dystopian novels like The Handmaid’s Tale and Oryx and Crake, which are characterized by bleak humor and cutting social commentary. What should readers expect from her graphic novels? “Angel Catbird is a humorous, action-driven, pulp-inspired story,” acquiring editor Daniel Chabon said in a release. “And the only other thing I can tell you at this early date is to expect a lot of cat puns.” Fittingly, Angel Catbird will also be published in tandem with Nature Canada's "Keep Cats Safe and Save Bird Lives" initiative.

If Atwood needs a fellow literary writer to bounce ideas off, she’s not hard-pressed for company. Ta-Nehisi Coates, who wrote the 2015 bestseller Between the World and Me, is hard at work on Marvel's new Black Panther series. Authors like Stephen King and Michael Chabon have also tried their hand at comics. In any case, Atwood is known for jumping between genres. Over the years, the versatile author has written poetry, essays, and numerous novels that blur the line between literature and science fiction. Is it any surprise, then, that she would also try to conquer the realm of visual narratives?