“Don’t get bit. Don’t get scratched. Don’t become…FERAL,” warns Image Comics.
From the same team that brought comic book readers the 2021 hit Stray Dogs comes another whiskered tale of woe. Feral (Image Comics) begins with a fatal crash that leaves three housecats (Elsie, Patch, and Lord Fluffy Britches) stranded in the middle of the woods. They regroup and quickly run into the local wildlife.
Unbeknownst to the indoor kitties, a terrible rabies outbreak has infected all of the animals in the area. The virus has turned them into red-eyed crazies that try to lock their foamy mouths onto anything that moves. Will the fearful felines be able to find their way home, and will they survive the incredible journey?
Like with Stray Dogs, it’s from the point of view of animals, and also featuring the same cartoonish Disney-esque illustrations.
Artists Trish Forstner and Tone Rodriguez bring the non-human characters to warm life with their expressions, and body language, but keep the claws sharp behind the coats of fur while colorist Brad Simpson finds the right balance between cute and creepy.
The panel flow is smooth, and the red background during high-tension moments did not go unnoticed.
Wordsmith Tony Fleecs takes the reader on a fresh step into familiar territory using classic zombie-outbreak tropes, but telling the story from a unique perspective. of domesticated cats that know nothing about the world outside, let alone other animals, or neurotropic viruses.
The story is fast-paced and gives just enough information to keep the reader going without filling a panel with voice bubbles. It’s like Aristocats meets 28 Days Later. A lot doesn’t happen in this issue aside from introducing the characters, situation, and immediate problem.
However, it’s a great setup for what could be an amazing story. Unlike its predecessor, Feral is an ongoing series that leaves plenty of time to have a nice stretch before taking a long stroll through the forest.
As a fan of Stray Dogs, I’ve been looking forward to this book and wasn’t disappointed. You are dropped into the action with no buildup, or explanation, but slowly learn more with each page. There’s also a nice coupling of adorable and terrifying that works so well when it has no business doing so.
Where the last title was like Silence Of The Lambs, this one has a more apocalyptic vibe that just meows a ‘bleak ending.’ I’m looking forward to the next issue, and I am most definitely looking forward to the variant covers that pay homage to classic horror movies.
Feral #1 is available now from Image Comics.
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