One of the most anticipated films of 2025 is 28 Years Later, the third film in the 28 Days Later trilogy. That first film changed the game for zombie movies, and the risks it took paid off, as 28 Days Later was a huge success. One risk-take was giving a clear cause for the zombie virus and making these monsters feel like something more plausible than supernatural. It was a game-changing horror film by the stellar team of director Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland, who return to 28 Years Later.
Outside the film sphere, zombies have a hold on pop culture, especially in comic books. While the most famous zombie comic is The Walking Dead, 2024 saw a new take on zombies come out of Image Comics with Feral by writer Tony Fleecs, artist Trish Forstner, artist Tone Rodriguez, and colorist Brad Simpson.
While Feral has been going since March 2024, for those interested in picking up this series, they can start with the first volume of Feral, which is now available as a trade paperback, alongside the second volume, which comes out March 12.
Feral Is Night Of The Living Dead, But With Cats
Zombie Fans Need To Read Image Comics’ Horror Series Feral
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The short and sweet of Feral is Night of the Living Dead, but with cats as a rabies outbreak spreads throughout a small community on the outskirts of the woods. Feral initially follows three house cats – Elsie, Lord Fluffy Britches, and Patch – who are stuck outside during this nightmare, and they must do whatever they can to survive and get back home. However, that’s next to impossible when other cats and animals are trying to eat them. In the eyes of a cat, a rabies outbreak might as well be a zombie apocalypse.
Zombies have been revisited countless times in pop culture. So much so, they have been satirized and spoofed in movies like Shaun of the Dead and Zombieland. It’s hard to bring something refreshing to this genre, but Feral proves it is possibe. Feral has a genius premise – by having cats as the main characters, they have no understanding of what a rabies outbreak is or what a zombie outbreak looks like. It’s a believable way to make classic zombie fiction experiences new again, and to make new ideas even punchier.
Related Move Over, Walking Dead: 10 Most Terrifying Zombie Outbreaks in Comic History The Walking Dead is unarguably one of the greatest zombie horror comics of all time, but it’s not the only one. Here are the Top 10 most terrifying!
Feral Makes Zombie Horror New Again
Replacing Humans with Cats Flips Expectations on Their Head
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Feral is a refreshing horror comic while still catering to the tropes fans of the zombie genre love. When a horror movie cliché or stereotype happens in Feral, it’s rendered new again by the cats’ unique reaction and understanding. However, there’s also plenty that’s genuinely new, especially cats don’t have the same needs, limitations or advantages as human. Fleecs nails the unique perspective of a cat while still making them relatable characters. Readers will fully believe this is how a group of cats would act during such an extreme event.
Meanwhile, Feral’s art is perfect for this series. The cats are pulled from a Disney cartoon, making it easy for readers to endear themselves to these kitties, especially with how expressive they are. Plus, there is an extra level of discomfort in seeing characters this cute in a situation this horrifying. Feral is a series that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. It’s clear that the creators know they struck gold with their previous series and have honed its ideas to a lethal point.
Before Feral, Stray Dogs Delivered Lady And The Tramp Meets Silence Of The Lambs
Stray Dogs Is The Perfect Comic For New And Old Horror Fans
Before Feral, there was Stray Dogs – the first comic by the creative team of Tony Fleecs, Trish Forstner, and Tone Rodriguez (but this time with colorists Brad Simpson and Lauren Perry.) Like Feral, there is a simple way to describe Stray Dogs, which is Lady and the Tramp meets Silence of the Lambs. Once more this is a series that delivers Disney-esque adorable animals, but caught up in a horrifying murder mystery.
In Stray Dogs, a sweet dog named Sophie is taken to a new home filled with other dogs, but she is not sure why she is there, and she is not sure what happened to her before coming to the house. However, Sophie believes she has a past owner, and her gut is telling her something terrible happened. Stray Dogs is a five-issue series that is perfect for long-time horror fans, and if Feral sounds like it’s for you, then don’t sleep on its predecessor either. Both Stray Dogs and Feral give horror fans a totally new twist on the very best of the genre.
Feral #10 is now available now from Image Comics, and Issue #11 will be available March 26, 2025.