Sometimes, the divide between fantasy and reality is shaky. We try to make sense of the world around us, only for that world to change at a moment’s notice. The ground shifts from underneath our feet as we acquire new, contradictory information. Reading Stray evokes much of the same feeling. Written and drawn by Eric Gay, Stray is the story of Soul, a strange girl from another world. A character named Tabitha narrates the story, who recalls her encounter with Soul in a letter. Much of the action occurs in a cave, where Soul looks back at the events of how she came into “the Dream”. The Dream is the forest where most of the action takes place.
In Soul’s recount, she meets Mal, who guides her to Mal’s home. Suspicious of Soul at first, the villagers warm up to her once they decide their goddess has sent Soul to them. They choose Mal to journey into the waking world. All of the villagers, a species called naopary, question Soul, causing her to lash out. With that, she finishes her story, and Tabitha helps her to change her name to Sole before moving on and leaving the Dream. Tabitha grows frustrated that she still does not know the truth of what happened with Sole and the naopary. But yet, she is unable to find more answers.
The drawing style is clear and crisp, with bright, oversaturated colors. Everything is well-rendered, and the art is a nice balance between cartoonish and lifelike. At times the plot gets a bit muddled, since there are so many different elements to it. On occasion the story within a story framework appears overwrought; elements of the comic such as the naopary remain unexplained, creating extra uncertainty. But overall, this structure works well and allows Soul to be an unreliable narrator. Stray creates an air of uncertainty around all of the actions taking place. On occasion, we are unsure of whether Tabitha is even telling the truth. This makes the story much more intricate.
Even the landscape of the Dream shifts, leaving both Tabitha and the reader anticipating what will happen next. This comic is rife with mysteries; all of the questions Tabitha asks herself are questions that the reader has to ask as well. The lack of clarity can make Stray a confusing read. However, going back and rereading it does not make things any more obvious. Because Stray relies on its uncertainty and mystery, reading it requires letting go of some skepticism in order to properly enjoy it.
Coming to the realization that we as humans will never have all of the answers to life can be terrifying. Stray attempts to address this by examining the ways in which different people approach life. Tabitha, Soul, and the naopary each look at the world in a unique way; all of them seek answers to questions that haunt them. Tabitha’s quest is ultimately unsuccessful. She does, however, manage to provide some solace to Soul, who is plagued by questions over her identity. While Tabitha never finds the answers she seeks, she helps another achieve peace. Stray teaches the important lesson that sometimes, the most important thing people can do is to help others, no matter how confusing the world around them is.
What was your favorite twist in Stray? If you haven’t read it yet and are curious to see all the mysteries that await, Stray is now available to purchase on Comixology. Sound off in the comments for all your Stray thoughts, or send a tweet on Twitter!
