What happens when you upset your owner? You get taken behind a shed. But then what? How can you escape under the control of a serial killer? For the dogs in 'Stray Dogs' the truth about their owner continues to peel away like an onion. It's all coming to a head in issue four.  STRAY DOGS #4 Writer: Tony Fleecs Artist: Trish Forstner, Brad Simpson Layouts: Tone Rodriguez Flatter: Lauren Perry Publisher: Image Comics Release Date: May 19, 2021 Cover Price: $3.99 PENULTIMATE ISSUE! Time is running out. Hackles are raised, tensions are high, and nobody's had a thing to eat. When the Master's away, the dogs will drag everything awful into the light. And the awful truth is nobody's coming to set them free. Score: ★★★★★ (5/5) 'Stray Dogs' continues to be an excellent suspense thriller. Each issue reveals darker and darker truths about the dogs' current owner. As the series enters the penultimate issue, more and more dogs remember their previous owners a...

  STRAY DOGS: DOG DAYS #1  Writer: Tony Fleecs Artist: Trish Forstner, Brad Simpson Layouts: Tone Rodriguez with Mike Vasquez Publisher: Image Comics Release Date: December 29, 2021 Cover Price: $4.99 Critic Reviews: 5 A series of vicious short stories howling straight out of the pages of STRAY DOGS, 2021's surprise cartoon/horror smash hit! In DOG DAYS, each stray will get their moment to shine-questions will be answered, mysteries will be solved, and old wounds will be torn open. Starting this December...every dog has its day. REGISTER PITCH: The Lady and the Tramp meets Silence of the Lambs horror-thriller that took the industry by storm is back in this standalone spinoff. Score:  ★★★★1/2 (4.5/5) One of our year's Best Comics titles , 'Stray Dogs' gets a spinoff in 'Stray Dogs: Dog Days' filling in the backstories to many of the dogs from the bestselling series. Creators Tony Fleecs and Trish Forstner return with colorist Brad Simpson providing their ado...

 MINISERIES FINALE STRAY DOGS #5 Writer: Tony Fleecs Artist: Trish Forstner, Brad Simpson Layouts: Tone Rodriguez, Chris Burnham Flatter: Lauren Perry Publisher: Image Comics Release Date: June 23, 2021 Cover Price: $3.99 Time's up. No more sniffing around, no more barking, no more hiding. The dogs have to get out of this house. Now. But standing between them and freedom is their best friend...and their worst nightmare. They say there's no such thing as a bad dog, just bad owners. Score:   ★★★★★ (5/5) What was thought to be an adorable Don Bluth-inspired romp with a scary undertone became a full-out chilling Hitchcock-like thriller. 'Stray Dogs' has kept readers on the edge of their seats over the last four issues of this five-issue miniseries culminating in this finale that nails the landing. It's another tension-filled page-turner with an ending that satisfies, allowing readers to finally catch their breaths.  When we last saw our fearless pooches, they had dis...

Under the farmhouse, something rots. And no matter how well they’re trained, dogs will be dogs. Now they’ve uncovered something that can’t just be buried again. STRAY DOGS #3 Writer: Tony Fleecs Artist: Trish Forstner, Brad Simpson Layouts: Tone Rodriguez Flatter: Lauren Perry Publisher: Image Comics Release Date: April 21, 2021 Cover Price: $3.99 Score: ★★★★☆ (4/5) With each issue another layer of the mystery is revealed, another piece of evidence is uncovered. Issue three of 'Stray Dogs' gets a little darker as another dog confirms how dangerous the man that's caring for them is. One of the best suspense thrillers in comics continues with another nail-biting installment.  In the last issue, Roxanne remembered her owner. The memory of her murder confirmed what Sophie had been alleging happened to her owner. There was little doubt their new owner was a serial killer but they still needed to prove it. Not all the dogs believe Sophie, they think she's stirring trouble ...

Something doesn't smell right! None of the dogs know what happens behind that door at the end of the hallway. All they know is there's a punishment for sniffing around it. What secrets are hidden in the Master's Forbidden Room? STRAY DOGS #2 Writer: Tony Fleecs Artist: Trish Forstner, Brad Simpson Publisher: Image Comics Release Date: March 24, 2021 Cover Price: $3.99 Score: ★★★★☆ (4/5) One of the best suspense stories in comics is as adorable as 'Lady and the Tramp' and as tense as 'Rear Window.' 'Stray Dogs' debuted a month ago and was an instant hit. The combination of Don Bluth-style character designs from Trish Forstner juxtaposed with Tony Fleecs' chilling script was the perfect remix for an entertaining thriller. Issue two continues the mystery as Sophie and Rusty investigate as best they can despite her short-term memory.  Rusty has been giving Sophie the benefit of the doubt regarding her claims that their master killed her owner. Wit...

It what could be the best year in independent comics in sales and quality, here are some examples of what made 2021 in comics so entertaining, funny, exciting, thrilling, and thought-provoking.  Rumors of the death of the comic industry have been wildly exaggerated. Despite what some angry internet trolls may have posted, the comic book industry is alive and well, thriving in 2021. In fact, since 2012 , book sales have steadily climbed every year becoming a billionaire dollar industry with no sign of stopping. Bolstered by manga, middle-grade publications, and graphic novels, comics are as healthy as ever.  I've been lucky to read and review so many wonderful independent comics thanks to the generosity of comic book publishers, public relations agencies, and creators themselves that reach out and/or agree to provide copies. The truth is, there are too many great comics to not only read but to review in a timely manner. It can be overwhelming, especially for a one-man operat...

  FERAL #1  Writer: Tony Fleecs Artist: Trish Forstner, Tone Rodriguez Publisher: Image Comics Release Date: March 27, 2024 Cover Price: $3.99 Series Premiere. A new horror from the creators of Stray Dogs! 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. Score: ★★★★☆ (4/5) QUICK REVIEW: If you're already familiar with the previous collaboration of Tony Fleecs, Trish Forstner, and Tone Rodriguez on 'Stray Dogs' you know they take the adorable look of Disney animated animals and put them through some seriously dangerous storylines. 'Feral' follows that hit series about a serial killer with a new story that takes a new cast of characters through a zombie...

  FERAL #3  Writer: Tony Fleecs Artist: Trish Forstner, Tone Rodriguez Letters: Brad Simpson Publisher: Image Comics Release Date: May 22, 2024 Cover Price: $3.99 More animal horror in this ongoing series from the creators of Stray Dogs! Elsie, Lord, and Patch learn the rules for survival, but will they follow them? In a forest infested with rabid monsters, the indoor cats can't afford to make any mistakes. But mistakes are Lord's specialty. Don't get bit. Don't get scratched. Don't become... feral. SCORE: ★★★★☆ (4/5) QUICK REVIEW: 'Feral' #3 by Tony Fleecs, Trish Forstner, and Tone Rodriguez hits another gear in this issue with wall-to-wall action. The tension builds throughout as the band of felines flee from infected woodland creatures and trigger-happy animal control personnel. Elsie, Lord, and Patch must learn the rules of survival from the outdoor cats that have kept them one step ahead from infection or death so far. It's a breathtaki...