Comics

Review: ‘The Strain: The Fall’ #3

Published

11 years ago

September 19, 2013

Never missing a beat, “The Strain: The Fall” #3 continues to be thrilling roller-coaster ride for horror fans. After “Twilight” sucked all the fun out of being a vampire, “The Fall” reminds horror fans why they are so freaking scary. This is an awesome adaptation of the best-selling trilogy of novels by Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan.

WRITTEN BY: David Lapham
ART BY: Mike Huddleston
PUBLISHER: Dark Horse Comics
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: September 18, 2012

The vampire plague has run rampant in the inner-city. Knowing there is a lot of money to be made, local gangs have teamed up to take on the parasitic bloodsuckers. Not only are the gangs getting involved, the average Joe has taken up the fight too. Because of his nonstop drinking, Ephraim though has given up the good cause and watches as his colleagues continue with the war against vampires. Humanity has a bigger chance of winning if they locate the ancient book that will end this demonic strain. But, who will get to this sacred book first, the humans or the vampires?

Writer David Lapham’s continues to employ social commentary about racism and ethnic barriers, which was a big part of the originally trilogy. This is about the portrayal of the so-called “last dregs of society” as heroes. These are minorities, the unwanted, taking charge during the apocalypse. Lapham doesn’t hide away from this theme but rather revels in it. You have interesting characters, such as the ex-wrestler The Angel and the gang leader Gus, who unexpectedly turn out to be the last hope of humanity.

At times, the subplot about Ephraim’s downfall isn’t as interesting as the round-up of the local gangs. As the subplots switch back and forth, I wanted the narrative to go back to Gus and his gang. I feel this is something I haven’t seen in the vampire genre. Then again, it seems Lapham is also aiming to bring both subplots together so hopefully the narrative will gain speed as these different personalities clash.

Mike Huddleston builds a suspenseful and eerie atmosphere as the cities suffer from the vampire attacks. Huddleston presents readers with wide shots of the destruction of Harlem. In these panels, buildings are lit up on fire and the hot dogs stands appear abandoned in the middle of the streets. Readers get a sense of what is going on without the vampires being on the page.

Huddleston knows how to make the action sequences exciting, without going over-the-top. The Angel is depicted as a washed-up old-man, whose wrestling has been over for a long time. When he is being chased by the vampires, the Angel’s body shifts in rough and slow movements. Knowing his age is an issue, the Angel uses his physical attributes for self-defense, never to attack.

Exciting at its core, “The Strain: The Fall” #3 keeps the story moving with an engaging cast of unlikely heroes. If you’re a fan of the novel, you’ll definitely enjoy how the book’s prose is brought to life in the comic book page.

4/5 Skulls

Reviewed by – Jorge Solis

Lonnie Nadler

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Comics

‘Witchblade’ is Getting Resurrected This Summer in New Comic Series from Top Cow and Image Comics

Published

6 days ago

April 18, 2024

Meagan Navarro

Witchblade, the popular comic series that initially ran from 1995 to 2015 and launched a TV series, is getting resurrected in a new comic series from Top Cow and Image Comics. It’s set to unleash heavy metal, black magic and blood this summer.

Look for the new Witchblade series to launch on July 17, 2024.

In Witchblade #1, “New York City Police Detective Sara Pezzini’s life was forever fractured by her father’s murder. Cold, cunning, and hellbent on revenge, Sara now stalks a vicious criminal cabal beneath the city, where an ancient power collides and transforms her into something wild, magnificent, and beyond her darkest imaginings. How will Sara use this ancient power, or will she be consumed by it?”

The series is penned by NYT Best-Selling writer Marguerite Bennett (Animosity, Batwoman, DC Bombshells) and visualized by artist Giuseppe Cafaro (Suicide Squad, Power Rangers, Red Sonja). The creative duo is working with original co-creator Marc Silvestri, who is the CEO of Top Cow Productions Inc. and one of the founders of Image Comics. They are set to reintroduce the series to Witchblade’s enduring fans with “a reimagined origin with contemporary takes on familiar characters and new story arcs that will hook new readers and rekindle the energy and excitement that fueled the 90’s Image Revolution that shaped generations of top creators.”

Bennett said in a statement, “The ability to tell a ferocious story full of monsters, sexuality, vision, and history was irresistible.” She adds, “Our saga is sleek, vicious, ferocious, and has a lot to say about power in the 21st century and will be the first time that we are stopping the roller coaster to let more people on. I’ve loved Witchblade since I was a child, and there is truly no other heroine like Sara with such an iconic legacy and such a rich, brutal relationship to her own body.”

“The Witchblade universe is being modernized to reflect how Marguerite beautifully explores the extreme sides of Sara through memories, her personal thoughts, like desire and hunger, in her solitude and when she is possessed by the Witchblade. So, I had to visually intersect a noir True Detective-like world with a supernatural, horror world that is a fantastic mix between Berserk and Zodiac,” Cafaro stated.

Marc Silvestri notes, “This is brand new mythology around Sara, and I can’t wait for you to fall in love with her and all the twists and turns. Discover Witchblade reimagined this summer, and join us as we bring all the fun of the 90s to the modern age and see how exciting comics can be. I can’t wait for you to read this new series.”

Witchblade#1 will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, July 17th, for $4.99 for 48 pages. And it’ll come with multiple cover variants.