Just in time for National Comic Book Day, we’ve rounded up 13 of our favorite comic book cats! Whether your favorite cat comics are found in the funnies of the newspaper or between the pages of a comic book series, there’s no denying that felines help bring big stories to life.
Garfield, Garfield
Garfield is the world’s most widely syndicated comic strip, originally created in 1978 by Jim Davis. What’s not to love about the lasagna-eating, Monday-hating, wise-cracking orange tabby named Garfield? (We love him so much, he tops our list of favorite TV cartoon cats, too!)
Salem, Sabrina the Teenage Witch
Salem Saberhagen (yes, he has a last name!) first appeared alongside Sabrina Spellman in the 1962 Archie Comics. Originally Salem was an orange tabby that did not speak. With the success of the TV sitcom, Salem’s fate was sealed as the witty talking black cat we know today.
Streaky the Supercat, Supergirl
The furry companion of DC Comics’ Supergirl, Streaky the Supercat gained superpowers when he was exposed to kryptonite radiation. Streaky’s powers consisted of flight, super speed, and more. Alas, he eventually lost his powers and resumed his life as a normal housecat.
Master Ren, Monstress
Master Ren is a wise, scheming cat in the dark comic series Monstress. In this high-fantasy world, cats can be spies and assassins. The two-tailed Master Ren helps the heroine Maika on her journey, but we’re never quite sure if he can be trusted… typical cat!
Chewie, Captain Marvel
Although Captain Marvel’s orange tabby was called Goose in the 2019 blockbuster, Carol Danvers’ companion was known as Chewie in the original comics. Oddly enough, Chewie is actually an egg-laying alien in disguise… But Carol kept the “cat” around anyway!
Dex-Starr, Green Lantern
After witnessing the murder of his owner, an abandoned stray cat called Dexter wandered the streets of Brooklyn before attracting a red power ring. This transformed him into Dex-Starr, a murderous, vengeance-seeking Red Lantern cat that wears the red power ring around his tail.
Luna, Sailor Moon
This list of best comic book cats wouldn’t be complete without the Sailor Moon manga series, which features the black cat Luna. With a crescent moon marking on her forehead, Luna is Sailor Moon’s protector. She has the ability to talk and can even transform into a human form.
Hairball, Pet Avengers
Marvel’s limited series Lockjaw and the Pet Avengers featured a feline called Hairball (naturally) with the ability to harness and express kinetic energy. Although he had a mild-mannered alter ego called Niels the cat, Hairball was the real powerhouse with his fantastic bursts of speed.
Lying Cat, Saga
Saga, the epic space opera comic book series, wouldn’t be complete without the enormous Sphynx-like Lying Cat. As The Will’s companion, she has the power to detect lies. The only word she ever speaks? “Lying.” This powerful yet subtle feline is one of our favorite comic book cats.
Stinky, Power Girl
Unlike most of the other comic book cats on this list, Stinky has absolutely no superpowers. Power Girl adopted him after he snuck into and made a mess at Justice League HQ. This trash-eating, toilet-drinking average cat is an amusing contrast to other superhero pets.
Hobbes, Calvin and Hobbes
The lovable counterpart to Calvin, Bengal tiger-like Hobbes is one of our favorite cat comics. Hobbes is the purrfect mix of feline—curious, playful, unexpectedly pouncing—and human, as he can walk and talk. It’s no wonder this strip was called “the last great newspaper comic.”
Faron, Peanuts
Big fans of Peanuts might be wondering who Faron is among cat comics. Faron only made a handful of appearances in the much-loved comic strip. He was carried around by curly-haired Frieda, who hoped that having a cat in the neighborhood would make Snoopy less smug.
Catbert, Dilbert
Last on our list of cat comics is Catbert, the “evil” human resources director in the Dilbert comic strip known for his sadistic “random policy generator.” In fact, Catbert was supposed to be a one-off character but became a favorite of readers. Well, at least he was agreeably evil!
So, do your favorite cat comics or comic book cats make the list?
Cover photo by Joe Ciciarelli on Unsplash
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