Feral #1: Night of the Living Fur-ball
Reviewed by Seth Adrian Romo
Feral #1 is a demented take on the zombie/outbreak genre. Its contrast of cute cats and a forest filled with infected creatures is full of tension and hooks readers immediately.
This premiere issue drops the audience inside of an animal control vehicle barreling down a road. Inside, Elsie and Patch are trapped and can’t get ahold of their companion, Lord. It’s unclear why they are locked inside, but it’s evident they need to escape. As the car turns down a sharp road, a fox appears causing the driver to swerve incorrectly, sending the vehicle into the air and CRASHING into a dangerous forest filled with infected beasts.
This isn’t your typical horror story. This is Feral—and it has the potential to be one of the best series of the year.
Following the success of Stray Dogs (a story about a group of dogs whose owner is a serial killer), the creative team returns for Feral and this time, they’re tackling the outbreak genre. While the formula may seem similar, it still remains fresh and unnerving and the team definitely may have struck gold twice.
Writer Tony Fleecs returns with a script that is well-paced and does a solid job at establishing likable characters. While there is a lot to be uncovered as to how Elsie, Patch, and Lord ended up being captured, the hook at the end will certainly have readers invested.
Tone Rodriguez and Trish Forstner return as artists with Brad Simpson joining the team as colorist. The style is very cartoonish—which is intentional and adds to the terror of what’s lurking for the feline fellowship—and the violent scenes stand out perfectly in the few moments they appear.
The script and art all make for a great experience with some readers likely whispering “Oh, no…” at the last panel.
Final Verdict
There’s so much to be excited about with this story and horror fans will certainly appreciate the juxtaposition of adorable cats and infected beasts. As a premiere issue, it’s captivating, has a purr-fect hook, and comic book fans won’t regret picking this up.
| Criteria | Score |
|---|---|
| Writing | 9.5 |
| Story/Plot | 9.5 |
| Art/Line Work | 9.5 |
| Colors | 9.5 |
| Final Score | 9.5/10 |
Creative Team
writer: TONY FLEECS
art: TRISH FORSTNER, TONE RODRIGUEZ
colors: BRAD SIMPSON
publisher: IMAGE COMICS