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Stray Dogs #1-5
Stray Dogs
It's scary being the new dog.
In this suspenseful new series, readers meet Sophie, a dog who can't remember what happened. She doesn't know how she ended up in this house. She doesn't recognize any of these other dogs. She knows something terrible happened but she just... can't... recall... Wait! Where's her lady? It's all coming back to her now, and it's enough to raise Sophie's hackles. Now Sophie has to figure out where she is, what's happening and how she's going to survive this.
They say there's no such thing as a bad dog, just bad owners.
STRAY DOGS is a heartbreakingly adorable suspense thriller by My Little Pony comic artists TONY FLEECS and TRISH FORSTNER. It's Lady and the Tramp meets Silence of the Lambs.
Collects STRAY DOGS #1-5
In this suspenseful new series, readers meet Sophie, a dog who can't remember what happened. She doesn't know how she ended up in this house. She doesn't recognize any of these other dogs. She knows something terrible happened but she just... can't... recall... Wait! Where's her lady? It's all coming back to her now, and it's enough to raise Sophie's hackles. Now Sophie has to figure out where she is, what's happening and how she's going to survive this.
They say there's no such thing as a bad dog, just bad owners.
STRAY DOGS is a heartbreakingly adorable suspense thriller by My Little Pony comic artists TONY FLEECS and TRISH FORSTNER. It's Lady and the Tramp meets Silence of the Lambs.
Collects STRAY DOGS #1-5
144 pages, Paperback
First published September 15, 2021
About the author
Tony Fleecs
198 books41 followersTony Fleecs is the writer and artist of In My Lifetime, an autobiographical comic book. First published in 2006, ‘Lifetime was an immediate critical success, featured twice in Wizard Magazine, in the Comic Buyer’s Guide and on the Ain’t-It-Cool-News.
Fleecs has since been a contributor to anthologies including; Postcards: True Stories that Never Happened (nominated for the 2008 Eisner and Harvey awards for best anthology), Boom Studios’ Pulp Tales and C.B. Cebulski’s Wonderlost. He and writer, Josh Fialkov, provided the Li’l FireBreather backup stories for Phil Hester’s 2nd FireBreather series at Image Comics. Last year saw his first work for hire writing work when he scripted the comic book adaptation of the classic John Holmes film, Tell Them Johnny Wadd Is Here, widely regarded as the first comic book based on a porno to not be completely awful.
This year, Tony will co-write and illustrate the graphic novel Jeff Steinberg: Champion of Earth (again with Fialkov) for Oni Press.
His company Fleecs Design (who’s talent roster includes only himself) has a client list that features Disney, 20th Century Fox, Bongo Comics, Marvel/Rittenhouse, The Milwaukee Brewers, Cincinatti Bengals, Pittsburgh Steelers, Stan Lee’s POW! Entertainment, The Weinstein Company, Monster Garage, Taco John’s, major hospitals, insurance providers and banks.
His comics have been published by Random House (Villard), Image Comics, Silent Devil Productions, Boom!, IDW and Terminal Press.
Fleecs has since been a contributor to anthologies including; Postcards: True Stories that Never Happened (nominated for the 2008 Eisner and Harvey awards for best anthology), Boom Studios’ Pulp Tales and C.B. Cebulski’s Wonderlost. He and writer, Josh Fialkov, provided the Li’l FireBreather backup stories for Phil Hester’s 2nd FireBreather series at Image Comics. Last year saw his first work for hire writing work when he scripted the comic book adaptation of the classic John Holmes film, Tell Them Johnny Wadd Is Here, widely regarded as the first comic book based on a porno to not be completely awful.
This year, Tony will co-write and illustrate the graphic novel Jeff Steinberg: Champion of Earth (again with Fialkov) for Oni Press.
His company Fleecs Design (who’s talent roster includes only himself) has a client list that features Disney, 20th Century Fox, Bongo Comics, Marvel/Rittenhouse, The Milwaukee Brewers, Cincinatti Bengals, Pittsburgh Steelers, Stan Lee’s POW! Entertainment, The Weinstein Company, Monster Garage, Taco John’s, major hospitals, insurance providers and banks.
His comics have been published by Random House (Villard), Image Comics, Silent Devil Productions, Boom!, IDW and Terminal Press.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 521 reviews
July 27, 2023
(A-) 84% | Very Good
Notes: Expressive, it endears, by anxiety and fear, deceptively simplistic, more artistic than appears: not merely cute veneer.
Notes: Expressive, it endears, by anxiety and fear, deceptively simplistic, more artistic than appears: not merely cute veneer.
January 2, 2022
The best thing about this (for me) was the amazing collection of movie covers.
If you get a chance to take a peek at them, do it.
So, this has a really cool concept where the author plays with the idea of a dog's short-term memory, couples it with their ability to remember scents, then spins those elements into a psychological thriller.
With the addition of a newcomer, Sophie, a group of dogs slowly find out that their benevolent owner may not be who they originally thought.
It's well done and surprisingly spooky for s story about pups.
The only reason I didn't rate it higher is that I don't like stories about animals. Especially ones where animals have inner voices and are the main characters. The exception is fantasy or sci-fi where they have animalesque characters, but I don't consider that the same thing.
I'm in the minority when it comes to the enjoyment of this one, so please be sure to check it out.
If you get a chance to take a peek at them, do it.
So, this has a really cool concept where the author plays with the idea of a dog's short-term memory, couples it with their ability to remember scents, then spins those elements into a psychological thriller.
With the addition of a newcomer, Sophie, a group of dogs slowly find out that their benevolent owner may not be who they originally thought.
It's well done and surprisingly spooky for s story about pups.
The only reason I didn't rate it higher is that I don't like stories about animals. Especially ones where animals have inner voices and are the main characters. The exception is fantasy or sci-fi where they have animalesque characters, but I don't consider that the same thing.
I'm in the minority when it comes to the enjoyment of this one, so please be sure to check it out.
July 30, 2021
If Don Bluth ever made a horror movie, this would be it. A group of dogs think their owner may be a killer. I love the juxtaposition here from the creators behind the My Little Pony comic. The art looks like The Secret of NIMH or All Dogs Go to Heaven with a much darker theme. There's some gruesome stuff in here although it never gets gory. I really liked how dogs' short term memory plays into the plot. Any dog lover is going to love and at times be really saddened by this story.
BTW, the alternate covers are darkly delightful. I love all the homages to horror movie posters.
BTW, the alternate covers are darkly delightful. I love all the homages to horror movie posters.
June 29, 2021
Sophie is the new dog in a house full of dogs, kept by a single owner. She doesn’t remember much about how she got there - until the scent of her former owner from an item of clothing triggers a memory. Her former owner was murdered and Sophie was stolen - is her new owner a serial killer? And if so, how can she and her fellow dogs escape and stop him from killing again?
Stray Dogs is an excellent new title from writer Tony Fleecs and artist Trish Forstner. It’s basically Stephen King’s Misery but with dogs held hostage instead of an author!
The story is well-paced with the surprises coming at a good rate so it’s never boring. The owner leaving the house leads to some really exciting and tense moments as the dogs take these opportunities to search the house, namely the room they’re not allowed into, as well as the dreaded punishment shed in the yard. And what’s buried in the crawl space under the porch… ?
Fleecs also cleverly weaves in the real fact of dogs’ poor memory as a plot device to great effect. Like most cartoon dogs, they can talk to each other but can’t be understood by humans. And Fleecs really tugs at your heartstrings too with some of the characters like poor Victor, the dog with three legs, and his fate. I absolutely loved Earl’s character arc as well - I guarantee you’ll be weeping by the end of this one.
Trish Forstner uses her talents from drawing My Little Pony over at IDW (Fleecs is also a writer on that comic) to good use here, drawing the comic in a beautiful style reminiscent of Don Bluth and classic 2D Disney animation (think 101 Dalmatians, Lady and the Tramp, etc.). It’s an interesting juxtaposition: the comic couldn’t look more family friendly but tells a very dark story.
I only really have one criticism which is that the premise never develops. Sophie figures it out at the same time we do right at the start and that’s it, basically. No surprises follow that rapid conclusion and you can pretty much easily guess how it’ll broadly play out.
Mostly though, Stray Dogs is fantastic. Fleecs and Forstner nailed it and I really enjoyed reading this comic. It’s fun, compelling, tragic, and, while the dogs in the book won’t remember their escapades, readers certainly will. Definitely one of the highlights of the year so far, Stray Dogs is highly recommended - and I’m glad to hear it got picked up for another run, coming soon.
Stray Dogs is an excellent new title from writer Tony Fleecs and artist Trish Forstner. It’s basically Stephen King’s Misery but with dogs held hostage instead of an author!
The story is well-paced with the surprises coming at a good rate so it’s never boring. The owner leaving the house leads to some really exciting and tense moments as the dogs take these opportunities to search the house, namely the room they’re not allowed into, as well as the dreaded punishment shed in the yard. And what’s buried in the crawl space under the porch… ?
Fleecs also cleverly weaves in the real fact of dogs’ poor memory as a plot device to great effect. Like most cartoon dogs, they can talk to each other but can’t be understood by humans. And Fleecs really tugs at your heartstrings too with some of the characters like poor Victor, the dog with three legs, and his fate. I absolutely loved Earl’s character arc as well - I guarantee you’ll be weeping by the end of this one.
Trish Forstner uses her talents from drawing My Little Pony over at IDW (Fleecs is also a writer on that comic) to good use here, drawing the comic in a beautiful style reminiscent of Don Bluth and classic 2D Disney animation (think 101 Dalmatians, Lady and the Tramp, etc.). It’s an interesting juxtaposition: the comic couldn’t look more family friendly but tells a very dark story.
I only really have one criticism which is that the premise never develops. Sophie figures it out at the same time we do right at the start and that’s it, basically. No surprises follow that rapid conclusion and you can pretty much easily guess how it’ll broadly play out.
Mostly though, Stray Dogs is fantastic. Fleecs and Forstner nailed it and I really enjoyed reading this comic. It’s fun, compelling, tragic, and, while the dogs in the book won’t remember their escapades, readers certainly will. Definitely one of the highlights of the year so far, Stray Dogs is highly recommended - and I’m glad to hear it got picked up for another run, coming soon.
January 2, 2022
Writer Tony Fleecs and illustrator Trish Forstner take their My Little Pony background and draw on sources from Disney (such as 101 Dalmations and Lady and the Tramp) to expand their palette, let's say, to create an impressive sort of horror crime story. The dogs keep accumulating in this guy's house; uh, where are the former owners?! Are you going to get a spoiler from me?!
If you want an indication of the nature of this tale and you have seen Sam Peckinpah's (violent) seventies film Straw Dogs, I think you are closer to the tone than, let's say, Bambi.
The dogs, as in 101 Dalmations, work to help solve a crime, moving from general denial to gradual recognition and panic to action. There's actually real emotional stakes in the story, pathos. Part of the plot turns on the issue of dog memory, which I think is both clever and then a bit of a stretch, but over all the story works well for me.
I had never heard of this, but I saw it on Sam Quixote's year-end list as one of his best, and read it in a manner of minutes on Hoopla. And I liked it a lot: Disney/My Little Ponies mashed up with murder. A surprising mix!
If you want an indication of the nature of this tale and you have seen Sam Peckinpah's (violent) seventies film Straw Dogs, I think you are closer to the tone than, let's say, Bambi.
The dogs, as in 101 Dalmations, work to help solve a crime, moving from general denial to gradual recognition and panic to action. There's actually real emotional stakes in the story, pathos. Part of the plot turns on the issue of dog memory, which I think is both clever and then a bit of a stretch, but over all the story works well for me.
I had never heard of this, but I saw it on Sam Quixote's year-end list as one of his best, and read it in a manner of minutes on Hoopla. And I liked it a lot: Disney/My Little Ponies mashed up with murder. A surprising mix!
March 12, 2023
Based on the idea that dogs have short-term memory. All these dogs are living with their new master but aren't entirely sure how they got there... some seem to remember having previous owners. Did their new master adopt them or is there something more sinister going on?
It's a great premise and I love myself an adult-orientated talking animal story. It doesn't add up to much more than the elevator pitch though. Perfectly fine story, but not one that I found particularly engaging.
It's a great premise and I love myself an adult-orientated talking animal story. It doesn't add up to much more than the elevator pitch though. Perfectly fine story, but not one that I found particularly engaging.
November 24, 2021
I thought the Silence of the Lambs meets 101 Dalmatians concept was sort of clever, but I just did not buy the conceit about dog memory that so much of the story hangs on. We're told that dogs remember people and commands but not what happened last week, and sure, fine, but somehow they have a concept of murder and know how and why one dials 911? They can remember their past owner who has died, but developed no negative associative memories with the person who killed them? It just didn't make sense to me or seem to be applied consistently throughout.
The art was nice if a little too influenced by Disney animation model sheets. The G-rated illustrations did give a nice, unsettling contrast to the heavy and deadly storyline though.
The art was nice if a little too influenced by Disney animation model sheets. The G-rated illustrations did give a nice, unsettling contrast to the heavy and deadly storyline though.
September 25, 2021
Taking Disney-like art, and combining it with a taut thriller, this could've gone terribly wrong, cheaply going for the contrast between cartoon graphics with graphic violence - none of that! This combines the cute with the horrific with excellent skill.
The book takes dogs' flighty long time memories and weaponises them to create an almost Memento-like thriller, and it stays relevant during the whole story. It even makes the ending a lovely a bittersweet affair.
(Picked up a review copy through Edelweiss)
The book takes dogs' flighty long time memories and weaponises them to create an almost Memento-like thriller, and it stays relevant during the whole story. It even makes the ending a lovely a bittersweet affair.
(Picked up a review copy through Edelweiss)
February 15, 2022
Stray Dogs, written by Tony Fleecs and illustrated by Trish Forstner follows a group of canine friends that wouldn't be out of place in a G-rated movie. But instead of discovering the power of friendship, they use their limited detective skills to uncover that their new owner is in fact, a serial killer. Stray dogs, is a strange mix of a cute Disney movie, meets "Silence of the Lambs." The overarching mystery pulled me in instantly, and the hits kept coming.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 24, 2021
Wow this was great!
This little doggie Sophia gets introduced to a new home with SO many dogs. It seems like a fun experience for a new doggie to get a new home after being left behind. But soon Sophia stumbles on what REALLY happened to her after forgetting (like dogs normally do) and the use of dogs smelling sense to bring back memories makes for some shocking reveals.
This is a lot of fun with excellent art work. It goes into a direction I never expected and I was hooked upon finishing the first issue. I read this in one sitting in about 25 minutes and it was well worth it. Solid writing, excellent art, and great pacing. I don't even wanna give a hint of where this story goes but it's far more dark than I expected, check it out.
This little doggie Sophia gets introduced to a new home with SO many dogs. It seems like a fun experience for a new doggie to get a new home after being left behind. But soon Sophia stumbles on what REALLY happened to her after forgetting (like dogs normally do) and the use of dogs smelling sense to bring back memories makes for some shocking reveals.
This is a lot of fun with excellent art work. It goes into a direction I never expected and I was hooked upon finishing the first issue. I read this in one sitting in about 25 minutes and it was well worth it. Solid writing, excellent art, and great pacing. I don't even wanna give a hint of where this story goes but it's far more dark than I expected, check it out.
June 29, 2021
The premise never quite grabbed me - I couldn't stop thinking that these dogs were rather too smart and too capable. I guess clever animals work for more cartoony Disney classics and other such, but in a grim tense horror story, the suspension of disbelief is breached so much easier. These are different genre conventions, that don't mesh together without some toothing problems.
But it still had its moments. I got invested: my heart gripped in the right places, with the right emotions. I'm not sorry I read it.
But it still had its moments. I got invested: my heart gripped in the right places, with the right emotions. I'm not sorry I read it.
October 18, 2021
Very much in the same style as a Don Bluth movie, but even more traumatic. It's always difficult for me to rate/review something that makes me cry because it's obviously not a great feeling, but this was a good little series. I'm just particularly sensitive to anything with animals.
Individual issue reviews: #1 | #2 | #3 | #4 | #5
Total review score: 3.05
Individual issue reviews: #1 | #2 | #3 | #4 | #5
Total review score: 3.05
December 10, 2021
This comic had the vibes of those horror moments in Disney movies that scarred us as children. The premise is very interesting and original, and yes it's depressing but I mean, what did I expect from the plot lol. Definitely recommended.
October 8, 2021
4.25 stars. Man what a ride. There is this small dog, Sophie, who goes to the vet for a shot. Next thing you, she wakes up at a new house around all these other dogs. She can’t remember anything. The other dogs give her the tour or the house. She is nervous and shaking so the “master” gives her a scarf. However, it’s her owners scarf and upon smelling it, she remembers……she was taken!!! Fleecs does a great job building up the suspense and having me on the edge of my seat worrying about all these dogs. The artwork was amazing and the story just flowed effortlessly. I could see this being a Pixar movie. Highly recommended.
December 6, 2021
5/5⭐️
Cel mai bun comic citit de mine în 2021.
Review Soon
Cel mai bun comic citit de mine în 2021.
Review Soon
September 16, 2021
So Stray Dogs is a lighthearted thriller of sorts about a group of rescue dogs and when Sophie has doubts about her new owner, they have to investigate what’s going on.
Really liked the art style in this book, I thought that the dogs looked like Disney characters which was nice and the story keeps you on your toes the whole way through. It was also interesting how the dogs don’t have much long term memory, they need to be reminded of things and it makes for a good dynamic for the mystery aspect of what’s going on.
Overall I thought this was an enjoyable read, I don’t think this is a series but it would’ve been nice to see a series of this but I’ll take what I can get!
Really liked the art style in this book, I thought that the dogs looked like Disney characters which was nice and the story keeps you on your toes the whole way through. It was also interesting how the dogs don’t have much long term memory, they need to be reminded of things and it makes for a good dynamic for the mystery aspect of what’s going on.
Overall I thought this was an enjoyable read, I don’t think this is a series but it would’ve been nice to see a series of this but I’ll take what I can get!
December 13, 2021
★ 3.0 ★
This is a bit of a weird blend of cute and horror.
With the artstyle of Don Bluth's All Dogs Go To Heaven, mixed with the darkness of The Secret of Nimh, this story about dogs coming to the realization that their master is actually a serial killer, is a bit of a weird combo.
On one hand, the dogs are so cute; the artstyle looks like something made for middle schoolers - on the other hand, the subject-matter would be too scary for someone so young. So I don't really know what agegroup this is for exactly - it being almost too baby-ish for me... Still it was exciting enough, and I enjoyed the ending although it was a little bittersweet.
This is a bit of a weird blend of cute and horror.
With the artstyle of Don Bluth's All Dogs Go To Heaven, mixed with the darkness of The Secret of Nimh, this story about dogs coming to the realization that their master is actually a serial killer, is a bit of a weird combo.
On one hand, the dogs are so cute; the artstyle looks like something made for middle schoolers - on the other hand, the subject-matter would be too scary for someone so young. So I don't really know what agegroup this is for exactly - it being almost too baby-ish for me... Still it was exciting enough, and I enjoyed the ending although it was a little bittersweet.
December 3, 2021
This is hard to rate and review. Amazing and engrossing storytelling and artwork, but absolutely awful content. Stray Dogs tells the story of Sophie. A dog who can't remember what happened or where she is. There are a lot of other dogs in the house she is in and she doesn't know who any of them are.
A story that plays on the struggle for long-term memory of dogs. Creepy, upsetting, cry inducing, and ultimately pulls at your heart strings. Whether you have a pet or not.
Received via Edelweiss
A story that plays on the struggle for long-term memory of dogs. Creepy, upsetting, cry inducing, and ultimately pulls at your heart strings. Whether you have a pet or not.
Received via Edelweiss
March 11, 2022
I’ve read hundreds of graphic novels and I’ve never had one hit me so hauntingly hard before.
This graphic novel is harrowing, dark and made me gasp out loud several times. I was so hesitant due to the art style, I kept asking “how could this be horror?” and my question was answered.
I honestly can’t get over how f*cked up this was.
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This graphic novel is harrowing, dark and made me gasp out loud several times. I was so hesitant due to the art style, I kept asking “how could this be horror?” and my question was answered.
I honestly can’t get over how f*cked up this was.
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October 23, 2023
Pretty good and intense, but too short imo. Obviously, you never want to stretch a story out too far to the point where it drags, but even one more chapter could've added more depth.
Or maybe that's a long way of saying I didn't want it to end because I enjoyed it?
Either way, definitely give this a try for a nice, quick read, but don't expect a lot of meat on these bones. I did enjoy it a lot though.
Or maybe that's a long way of saying I didn't want it to end because I enjoyed it?
Either way, definitely give this a try for a nice, quick read, but don't expect a lot of meat on these bones. I did enjoy it a lot though.
July 3, 2021
I never expected to see anything like this. A bunch of cutesy dogs and how a dog's memory really acts. Combine that with a serial killer and you get a really suspenseful thriller. The way dogs act, how they become loyal, and how their short-term memory affects them. It all feels so tragic and eye-catching that you can't look away.
November 29, 2021
2.5* All Dogs go to Heaven but dark. I liked the premise and the style, but that's about it.
December 31, 2023
4.6/5.0
So simple, but absolutely terrifying on so many different levels. A brilliant exposé of what a thriller storyline should aim to be.
So simple, but absolutely terrifying on so many different levels. A brilliant exposé of what a thriller storyline should aim to be.
October 3, 2022
До стрімкого успіху лімітованої серії коміксів «Бродячі собаки», що виходив у видавництві Image Comics, Тоні Флікс і Тріш Форстнер були найбільш відомі своєю роботою над коміксами у світі «Мій маленький поні». Хоча «Бродячі собаки» також зосереджені навколо антропоморфних тварин, але це явний відхід від їхньої попередньої роботи. Як результат, комікс здобув багато схвальних відгуків. Навіть тепер отримає анімаційну адаптацію цього коміксу.
Софі — маленька, нервова собачка, яку ми вперше зустрічаємо під час звичайної поїздки до ветеринара для одного з її чергових щеплень. Вона є головною героїнею, боязкою і трохи вередливою, а її власниця доброзичливою людиною. Тут все відбувається з погляду собаки. Це цікавий вибір, оскільки він акуратно дає змогу використовувати один із чудових сюжетних гачків. Як інформативно розповідає ветеринар, собаки не здатні ненавидіти свого господаря й не мають такого ж опрацювання короткочасної пам’яті, як ми.
Коли Софі прокидається після відвідин ветеринара, уже інша людина веде її до нового дому, повного інших собак. Коли вона знайомиться зі своїми новими сусідами по кімнаті та намагається звикнути до свого дивного нового оточення, її час від часу переслідують спогади про те, як її першого власника вбив новий господар. Вона залучає кількох інших собак, щоби вони допомогли їй дослідити ці сумніви щодо власника цього їхнього дому. І собаки виявляють у будинку низку тривожних підказок, які вказують на те, що їхній люблячий господар набагато злісніший, ніж вони могли собі уявити.
Найбільшою родзинкою коміксу є не сама історія, яку я вважаю досить простою в плані сюжету, а малюнок. А точніше поєднання зворушливого і яскравого «діснеєвського» стилю (чи краще сказати, стилю Дона Блута) та жахливих горорних і кривавих сцен. Команда Тріш Форстнер і Бреда Сімпсона неперевершена в цьому плані. Вони створюють прекрасні сцени, викликають тривогу та показують жорстокість нового господаря, коли Софі прокладає собі шлях крізь цей новий світ. Малюнок дотепний, чарівний, але водночас вельми атмосферний і лячний. І дивно бачити такі речі на сторінках у поєднанні. Тому завдяки цій унікальній концепції, комікс, скоріш за все, і привабив стількох читачів.
Але, звісно, про сюжет та ідею не варто забувати, адже Тоні Флікс створив добре спланований і тривожний трилер, який став ще більш доступним і ефектним завдяки тому, що всі головні герої — чарівні собаки. Автор надає кожній собаці особливу індивідуальність, що дозволяє кожному учаснику цього складу героїв грати свою окрему роль у розповіді. Одним із найцікавіших і наймиліших елементів історії є те, як Флікс грає з мінливою природою спогадів і вірності собак. Вони створюють цікаві практичні та емоційні виклики та допомагають приземлити балакучих собак у сувору реальність.
Що ж, «Бродячі собаки» — це однин із найдивніших коміксів, які я прочитав за останні роки. Поєднавши «діснеєвський» стиль із жорстокістю, вийшло щось вельми цікаве. Спочатку я трохи сумнівався в тому, наскільки добре спрацює ця майже діаметрально протилежна пара. Але після прочитання всі сумніви розвіялися. Це чарівно жахливий комікс, який безумовно вартує вашої уваги.
Софі — маленька, нервова собачка, яку ми вперше зустрічаємо під час звичайної поїздки до ветеринара для одного з її чергових щеплень. Вона є головною героїнею, боязкою і трохи вередливою, а її власниця доброзичливою людиною. Тут все відбувається з погляду собаки. Це цікавий вибір, оскільки він акуратно дає змогу використовувати один із чудових сюжетних гачків. Як інформативно розповідає ветеринар, собаки не здатні ненавидіти свого господаря й не мають такого ж опрацювання короткочасної пам’яті, як ми.
Коли Софі прокидається після відвідин ветеринара, уже інша людина веде її до нового дому, повного інших собак. Коли вона знайомиться зі своїми новими сусідами по кімнаті та намагається звикнути до свого дивного нового оточення, її час від часу переслідують спогади про те, як її першого власника вбив новий господар. Вона залучає кількох інших собак, щоби вони допомогли їй дослідити ці сумніви щодо власника цього їхнього дому. І собаки виявляють у будинку низку тривожних підказок, які вказують на те, що їхній люблячий господар набагато злісніший, ніж вони могли собі уявити.
Найбільшою родзинкою коміксу є не сама історія, яку я вважаю досить простою в плані сюжету, а малюнок. А точніше поєднання зворушливого і яскравого «діснеєвського» стилю (чи краще сказати, стилю Дона Блута) та жахливих горорних і кривавих сцен. Команда Тріш Форстнер і Бреда Сімпсона неперевершена в цьому плані. Вони створюють прекрасні сцени, викликають тривогу та показують жорстокість нового господаря, коли Софі прокладає собі шлях крізь цей новий світ. Малюнок дотепний, чарівний, але водночас вельми атмосферний і лячний. І дивно бачити такі речі на сторінках у поєднанні. Тому завдяки цій унікальній концепції, комікс, скоріш за все, і привабив стількох читачів.
Але, звісно, про сюжет та ідею не варто забувати, адже Тоні Флікс створив добре спланований і тривожний трилер, який став ще більш доступним і ефектним завдяки тому, що всі головні герої — чарівні собаки. Автор надає кожній собаці особливу індивідуальність, що дозволяє кожному учаснику цього складу героїв грати свою окрему роль у розповіді. Одним із найцікавіших і наймиліших елементів історії є те, як Флікс грає з мінливою природою спогадів і вірності собак. Вони створюють цікаві практичні та емоційні виклики та допомагають приземлити балакучих собак у сувору реальність.
Що ж, «Бродячі собаки» — це однин із найдивніших коміксів, які я прочитав за останні роки. Поєднавши «діснеєвський» стиль із жорстокістю, вийшло щось вельми цікаве. Спочатку я трохи сумнівався в тому, наскільки добре спрацює ця майже діаметрально протилежна пара. Але після прочитання всі сумніви розвіялися. Це чарівно жахливий комікс, який безумовно вартує вашої уваги.
September 10, 2021
Stray Dogs begins when a new dog arrives at a group home for strays. Her arrival sends the entire group into upheaval, as they start to realise that the master they've been so loyal to may not be as angelic as they first thought.
Stray Dogs is heartbreaking, exciting, and never predictable. The storytelling from the animals' perspective is very well done, and it plays into their differences to humans (like how their memories work) to really keep the story moving. It's hard to say too much without spoiling it, but it's such a simple concept played out in such a clever way.
The artwork really helps sell it too. It borders on cutesy, but that means when things take a turn and the adrenaline kicks in, the disparity between the art and the story hammers home just how wrong things are in this book.
Give your furbaby a hug before, during, and after reading Stray Dogs - but make sure you read it, because it's well worth the emotional trauma.
Stray Dogs is heartbreaking, exciting, and never predictable. The storytelling from the animals' perspective is very well done, and it plays into their differences to humans (like how their memories work) to really keep the story moving. It's hard to say too much without spoiling it, but it's such a simple concept played out in such a clever way.
The artwork really helps sell it too. It borders on cutesy, but that means when things take a turn and the adrenaline kicks in, the disparity between the art and the story hammers home just how wrong things are in this book.
Give your furbaby a hug before, during, and after reading Stray Dogs - but make sure you read it, because it's well worth the emotional trauma.
March 4, 2022
Stray Dogs is a fast, troubling read that is not going to be enjoyable for dog lovers. Like: spoiler warning . For those who can stomach the book, it's a wild ride that I don't want to spoil. The basic gist is that stray dogs have been collected by one human and those dogs are starting to have some dark revelations about why they're all together.
The Disney-style artwork fights against the dark plot, but mostly works in a black humor sort of way. I blew through Stray Dogs in a half hour and mostly enjoyed the unsettling ride, but I'm not sure I'd go back.
The Disney-style artwork fights against the dark plot, but mostly works in a black humor sort of way. I blew through Stray Dogs in a half hour and mostly enjoyed the unsettling ride, but I'm not sure I'd go back.
August 30, 2024
If you’re a kid of the nineties, who grew up watching Disney movies, you’ll probably have seen the animated films by Don Bluth. Whilst his films weren’t as commercially successful as Disney’s, Bluth’s always had an edginess, leading to darker content that would scare the kiddies. He particular had a reputation of killing innocent characters in his films, from The Land Before Time to All Dogs Go to Heaven. The latter film I was reminded of when reading Image’s Stray Dogs, in which Don Bluth-drawn dogs are being plunged into hell.
Centring on a group of rescue dogs who live in the home of an unseen man, the latest member Sophie can't remember how she ended up in this house. After noticing a familiar scarf, she comes to the realisation that her new owner killed her previous one, something that all the other dogs share a similar memory.
Having previously worked as comic artists for My Little Pony, Stray Dogs is an opportunity for writer Tony Fleecs and artist Trish Forstner to be let off the leash (no pun intended) and wanted to tell a horror story for teenagers and upwards, instead a cutesy tale for the younglings. From an artistic standpoint, there is a cartoony aesthetic to the dogs themselves, not least in their expressive eyes, and yet they are placed in a situation that you associate in a horror movie.
Despite the diversity from the dogs, there isn’t a great deal of characterisation towards them, despite a page or two that flashes back to some of the dogs’ past. This is mostly Sophie’s story and we rarely get to know the other dogs, though one of them serves as an interesting minor antagonist. That said, considering the horrifying situation they are in, if you’re a dog lover, you don’t want to see anything bad happen to them.
Deliberately evoking the aforementioned Don Bluth, Forstner’s art does a great job of contrasting the cutesy dog designs with horror set-pieces that evoke The Silence of the Lambs. As the five issues progresses, the story builds to an intense climax that does get bloody and certainly when the killer’s face is revealed, there is nothing sinister about his appearance and that what is disturbing.
In those five issues, Stray Dogs tells a complete story that artistically does something unique with the horror genre that will certainly upset the dog-lovers.
Centring on a group of rescue dogs who live in the home of an unseen man, the latest member Sophie can't remember how she ended up in this house. After noticing a familiar scarf, she comes to the realisation that her new owner killed her previous one, something that all the other dogs share a similar memory.
Having previously worked as comic artists for My Little Pony, Stray Dogs is an opportunity for writer Tony Fleecs and artist Trish Forstner to be let off the leash (no pun intended) and wanted to tell a horror story for teenagers and upwards, instead a cutesy tale for the younglings. From an artistic standpoint, there is a cartoony aesthetic to the dogs themselves, not least in their expressive eyes, and yet they are placed in a situation that you associate in a horror movie.
Despite the diversity from the dogs, there isn’t a great deal of characterisation towards them, despite a page or two that flashes back to some of the dogs’ past. This is mostly Sophie’s story and we rarely get to know the other dogs, though one of them serves as an interesting minor antagonist. That said, considering the horrifying situation they are in, if you’re a dog lover, you don’t want to see anything bad happen to them.
Deliberately evoking the aforementioned Don Bluth, Forstner’s art does a great job of contrasting the cutesy dog designs with horror set-pieces that evoke The Silence of the Lambs. As the five issues progresses, the story builds to an intense climax that does get bloody and certainly when the killer’s face is revealed, there is nothing sinister about his appearance and that what is disturbing.
In those five issues, Stray Dogs tells a complete story that artistically does something unique with the horror genre that will certainly upset the dog-lovers.
January 3, 2024
Çok tatlı, adeta Disney animasyonu izliyormuşçasına güzel çizimlere sahip ama konu olarak tam tersi yönde duran, gerilim ve korku unsurları bulunduran bir hikaye. 101 Dalmaçyalı'da Cruella'nın çocuk kötüsü değil de yetişkin kötüsü olduğu bir hikaye gibi düşünün. Çok uzun bir hikaye olmadığı için hikaye öyle çok dallanıp budaklanmıyor ama hikayeye giren yeni unsurlar havayı sürekli taze tutuyor. Biraz tahmin edilebilir bir gidişatı olsa da hiç sıkılmadan bir solukta okudum.
July 15, 2022
Those reviews calling this a dark All Dogs Go to Heaven is pretty much accurate.
It's part murder mystery but from the idea of whether the dogs will discover it or not. It is a pretty good story if a bit predictable.
(Trigger warning - if you just lost a pet, you might want to avoid this).
It's part murder mystery but from the idea of whether the dogs will discover it or not. It is a pretty good story if a bit predictable.
(Trigger warning - if you just lost a pet, you might want to avoid this).
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April 19, 2022Whew. This one isn't for the faint of heart. 4.5 stars. If there's ever been a comic that I would love to see as an animated TV show/movie, this would be it. I heard a lot about Stray Dogs last year when it was coming out issue by issue. When it finally came out in trade, I made the decision to pick it up. There really isn't much that I can say about this one without spoiling it. The story focuses on a dog that gets a new owner, but realizes that she has trouble remember her life before. When she encounters an object, it becomes clear that this new owner is a little more sinister than she expected. This is dark and does feature some harm to animals so it may not be for everyone, but the storytelling and the art are AMAZING. I would also recommend checking out the variant covers.
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