Feral #23 // Review
It’s not a pretty sight. Leland has turned into a monster. Some of the cats think he failed a test when the people took him away. The others...aren’t so certain. They’re not abusing the animals there amidst the cages. What they might be doing might be far worse than mere abuse. And Elsie and the indoor cats have a decision to make that’s going to mean a lot about their basic chances of survival in Feral #23. Writer Tony Fleecs continues a feline saga with the art team of Trish Forstner and Tone Rodriguez. Color comes to the page courtes of Brad Simpson.
Opening the locks on the cages isn’t really all that difficult. The real challenge is going to lie in deciding which way they’re going to be going. There are those who think that they might be in a better position of they stay. Once again, making a decisions has become major issue with the cats. It’s not going to be easy...particularly when the people working with the CDC walk-in to find a whole bunch of cats out of their cages. Things are about to get chaotic in a hurry and not everyone is going to be able to make it out...
Fleecs reaches a big turning point with the entire ensemble. A lot has happened over the course of the past couple of years in this series. There's been real character development on the part of just about every cat in the series. So much of the drama of the series is a reflection on what's already happened. And basic questions of survival echo and resound throughout the series. It can feel a little bit repetitious if all of the issues are read back to back. However, as a serial it works remarkably well.
There's a lot of heartfelt drama going on at the beginning of the issue. That drama hits the page with heart and a nuance thanks to some really good work on the part of the art team. Simpson brings hushed shadows to the page in a way that feels remarkably resonant. The level of anthropomorphic continues to feel more less perfect for Fleecs’ script. The action that hits the page feels remarkably explosive. And there's some real horror that moves in around the edges of the action that feels remarked the powerful as well. It's all quite well, balanced, and satisfying issue.
The repetition of the series feels like it could be a real snag for bigger collections. However, the individual issues really do feel like a constant struggle. And that's actually really engaging. However, there needs to be at least a month between these chapters. Otherwise, it just seems like it could come across as a parody of itself with constant discussion of the whores lurking around the edges of the panels and exactly whether or not they should stay at the current space in the current place. It's growing. It's agonizing. And it's good and small bursts.
