The creative team behind the smash-hit Stray Dogs is back in a bad way. Written by Tony Fleecs and beautifully illustrated by Trish Forstner and Tone Rodriguez, Feral introduces us to a few indoor cats who find themselves lost in the wilderness during a rabies outbreak. The series is unique and thrilling with elements of horror and comedy that strike a wonderful balance.
Meet Elsie, Lord Fluffy Britches, and Patch, three indoor cats lost in the not-so-great outdoors during a nightmarish rabies outbreak. Without their humans to protect them, the cats rush to find their way home before they’re eaten by the forest full of rabid beasts on their tails.
Don’t get bit. Don’t get scratched. Don’t become…FERAL.
Like it’s counterpart Stray Dogs, Feral really hits the mark on the juxtaposition of a Walking Dead type of story mixed with Don Bluth style illustrations that are so far apart from each other, while also working so well together. It’s the style of horror comic I never knew I needed until this creative team set the standard. While there are plenty of post apocalyptic stories in the world of comics, it is new to see a feline take center stage. The idea of
The story itself has such meat to its bones, with domesticated cats having to survive in the wild while fighting off the possibility of a rabies infection, that it could stand on it’s own without the style of artwork that comes along with Feral. However, it’s this combination that takes the series to a whole new level. Forstner has proven to be able to combine horror with illustrations that remind us of our childhood, tugging at the nostalgic strings of our past while giving us a horror story that would have given us nightmares as a child.
What is even better about Feral over a series such as Stray Dogs, or even Patrick Horvath’s Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees, is that it’s an ongoing series. This is a review of volume one, but there are three more volumes available now with the Volume 5 coming to trade in September. The hope is for 60 or more issues, so we can keep living in the world where rabies is taking over.
Feral Vol. 1: Indoor Cats sets the foundation for a stellar series by Tony Fleecs, Trish Forstner, and Tone Rodriguez. The first five issues introduces us to the world being overtaken by rabies from the point of view of our feline friends, but really is so much more. If you were a fan of the unique style of horror and Bluth animation we found in Stray Dogs, Feral is for you.
Feral Vol. 1: Indoor Cats is available at local comic shops and bookstores everywhere from Image Comics. Also available is Feral Vol. 2: Cat Lady, Feral Vol. 3: Nine Lives, and coming March 2026 is Feral Vol. 4: Pet City.
Feral Vol. 1: Indoor Cats Preview
