The Plot Becomes Thicker Than Fur In ‘Feral #4’ From Image Comics

Dante Aaricks |

Jul 2, 2024

Feral4-cat's away — Feral #4 (2024) cover B by Trish Forstner and Tony Fleecs. Image Comics

They survived their incredible “homeward bound” journey through the treacherous forest of infected wildlife, and luckily before the reference got too worn out, but that doesn’t mean they’re out of the woods just yet.

Homeward bound in Feral 4 — Homecoming in Feral #4 (2024), Image Comics. Written by Tony Fleecs. Art by Trish Forstner.Credit: Screenshot

At the end of the Feral #3, the three housecats (led by the less domesticated Jonas, and accompanied by fellow lost housecat GiGi) made it back to their home, only to find it empty. Well…sort of.

Still no word as to what happened to their owners, but more was explained in this issue about the virus that seems to be exclusively contaminating the critters but has obviously become a homo sapien problem as well.

Feral #4 cover A (2024), Image Comics. Written by Tony Fleecs. Art by Trish Forstner.

More is revealed in this issue, including a few layers beneath our main characters and their dynamic. We’re given a reason why the obnoxiously reckless Lord Fluffy Britches does obnoxiously reckless things to a pathological level that almost gets everyone killed every time.

Let’s just say that it doesn’t paint Elsie in a good light. The issue ends with Patches making a big change in his life, and not for the best.

Bark Thwack — Barking mad in Feral #4 (2024), Image Comics. Written by Tony Fleecs. Art by Trish Forstner.

Like with Stray Dogs, the story is from the animal’s point of view and their comprehension of the world around them. Also like that antecedent series, writer Tony Fleecs finds clever ways to distribute the information without breaking character.

Artists Trish Forstner and Tone Rodriguez provide the perfect imagery that illuminates the contrasting darkness. Panels full of grim words that only humans understand, but they too are distracted by the blissfully unaware cats having a cute cat moment in front of the television.

Gimme the remote — “Cute” moment in front of the TV in Feral #4 (2024), Image Comics. Written by Tony Fleecs. Art by Trish Forstner.

It’s just the right combination of sweet, sour, and scary.

Four issues into this ongoing series, and the pace hasn’t slowed for a single panel. The tension keeps its paw on the back of the reader’s head without ever letting up with things getting worse as the book progresses, but then the soft, fluffy visuals soothe them along to the next page.