Ferals #2 - No friends...

Ferals #2: When no one believes in Werewolves

BY 

WESLEY MESSER

 – FEBRUARY 12, 2012POSTED IN: AVATAR, COMIC BOOKS, FEATURED

I was surprised at how much I ended up liking the first issue of Ferals. It was my first time reading any of David Lapham’s work at Avatar and now I head into the second issue of Ferals. I was curious if I would end up liking the second as much if not more than the first issue. Gabriel Andrade was another part of why I had to hang on for another issue. This is my first time seeing his work and his art fits this story perfectly. Lapham’s story started as a murder mystery as Dale, A police officer, trying to figure out what happened to his friend, that reveals itself to be much more than just a murder mystery. Our second issue starts us off as Dale is recovering from his first meeting with the Werewolf. Dale’s world just gets messier from here.

As Dale resting in the hospital, the Werewolf factor is there yet just hovering in the background. David Lapham uses the classic, no one in the town believes that some animal killed these people story.  It works in this situation because when everyone that’s been killed is connected to you, no one is going to believe that you had nothing to do with it. Andrade’s way of showing Dale processing this make the scenes work that much more. As well as Andrade handles the Werewolf, he has a detailed, expressive style, that adds a quiet intensity to the person to person conversations. Dale’s escape scene from the hospital is a favorite of mine from the first half of the issue. painful to watch, yet you know it’s necessary.

As Dale is trying to figure out what’s happening, Lapham starts to reveal the changes that are happening within his character. When the Doctor looks him over, this is the beginning of you learning just what’s going on with Dale’s body. The changes are subtle, which I appreciate and you get the feeling you know how this is going to turn out. The doctor visit also has a sequence that if you’re squeamish you might not like. Though if you know what you’re in for already, it’s not too bad. The last part of Ferals is probably my personal favorite of the issue. An isolated police station, Dale trapped in jail, almost claustrophobic, and then the Werewolf makes an appearance. It’s visceral, powerful, and staged brilliantly. The ending of this issue, will have you wanting the next issue now.

To give a verdict on the second issue of Ferals, I liked it more than the first. Dale’s starting to become more fleshed out and therefore more interesting as a character. David Lapham is doing a take that’s a mix of police procedural, then diving into a twisted Werewolf tale. Now is it perfect? No, yet I find myself liking just what’s happening in this story. I’m interested enough to see just where this ends up going. Gabriel Andrade’s artwork is another aspect in why I like this as much as I do. Would I recommend this to everyone? If you like horror comics and don’t mind a good share of violence, you’ll more than likely like this book. If you’re squeamish, I wouldn’t recommend checking out Ferals. It’s not for the faint of heart. Outside I have to say, it is a good read. If you’re looking for a nice twist on the typical Werewolf story look no further than Ferals.