Stray Dogs: Dog Days #1 (Review)
With Sophie and the other dogs finally escaping from their murderous new owner, we wonder what happened that brought all of them together in the first place. This issue focuses on how Roxanne, Killer, Aldo, Other Henry, Gucci, and Imogene were captured and brought into the pack. The new series continues to deliver the same traumatic and emotional perspective as the original.
Image Comics
Words by Tony Fleecs
Art by Trish Forstner
Color by Brad Simpson
Dog Days allows the readers to learn the fate of the other dogs and their owners. This look allows for a deeper connection to the dogs and the life they lost. As the series touches upon the emotional relationships between owners and pets, it’s great to see the other dogs with their original owners before adapting to their new surroundings.
Breaking up the story into separate segments allows the origin of each featured dog not to be lost with the other ones. Fleece’s choice to break it down this way keeps it different from the original series. The only downside is how little we saw of a few dog owners and their origin.
The art is excellent for how expressive the dog’s emotions come through. The series touches upon some dark themes, and having that come through from the dogs’ feelings sets that theme perfectly. Forstner can balance themes and emotions from pure terror to total oblivious happiness.
Final Thoughts on Dog Days
Stray Dogs: Dog Days is an excellent way for readers to get a backstory on their favorite character. Some of the segments felt flat or vague, as good as the issue was. With how great Other Henry and Roxanne were, others like Aldo and Killer didn’t connect or add anything new to them. This unbalanced narrative doesn’t affect the trauma felt but cheapens the experience for fans of those dogs.
Overall, Dog Days is a solid issue and brings something new to the fans of the series. We are shown how some of the dogs were abducted, and the after-effects show why Stray Dogs is one of the best new comics.