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Review: ‘The Strain: The Fall’ #5

Published

10 years ago

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Never slowing down, “The Strain: The Fall” #5 delivers a twisted roller-coaster ride at full speed. While anxiously awaiting for the TV series to surface on FX, fans will have to settle for this amazing 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: Nov. 20, 2012

With so much burden resting on his shoulders, Ephraim has to give up the only thing he truly cherishes before he can go after The Master. Unable to protect him as a father and a hero, Ephraim has to let go of his son, Zack, and send him off to safety. While Ephraim is saying his last goodbyes, Vasiliy the exterminator has to set off bombs down below the subway tunnels. As the clocks starts ticking, Vasiliy has to make sure this is a deep wound in the Master’s plans, without actually getting himself killed in the process. But with Manhattan surrounded by vampires, how long does humanity have before The Master covers the entire planet in darkness?

What I particularly liked about David Lapham’s adaptation is how the writing jumps back and forth between subplots in a nonlinear fashion. Though we don’t see the much-talked about subway explosion, you can tell Vasiliy caused so much destruction to himself and the vampires. I wouldn’t think of this as a cheat because the narrative focuses on its themes about consequences and redemptions. Lapham follows the ensemble cast as they react out of desperation when they are pushed into a corner.

Ephraim’s downfall is spiraling out of control in this installment. Without his son by his side, Ephraim has no one to hold him back as he succumbs to the bottle. No longer sober, Ephraim forces his son to leave before he sees him as a truly fallen hero. While Ephraim loses himself to alcoholism, Nora jumps into the forefront. Though she is not related to Zack, she leaves behind Ephraim and protects Zack as if he were her own child.

In his artwork, Mike Huddleston heightens the suspense during the dramatic high points of Ephraim’s narration. While Ephraim is describing how the demons of the past affect the future, Huddleston illustrates the Brooklyn Bridge wrapped in fire and smoke. Ephraim has given up on hope and Huddleston conveys that emotional loss through extreme close-ups. As the camera closes in on their faces, Ephraim is on the brink of losing his mind while Nora is trying to hold back tears.

My favorite part of Huddleston’s illustrations is the railroad massacre, which has no dialogue whatsoever. There is no emphasis on sound effects, nor on the screams, as the vampire wipe out the train passengers. Huddleston wants you to see the panic on the faces of the passengers as they run from one train car to another. Aimed at shock value, Huddleston illustrates the bloodsuckers tearing at the necks with their long serpent-like tongues.

It looks like Ephraim and the rest of his team are on a losing streak in “The Strain: The Fall” #5. I really can’t wait to see what happens next issue.

4/5 Skulls

Reviewed by – Jorge Solis

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

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1 day ago

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April 18, 2024

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Witchblade cover

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.

  • Cover A: Marc Silvestri and Arif Prianto (Full Color)

  • Cover B: Giuseppe Cafaro and Arif Prianto (Full Color)

  • Cover C: Blank Sketch Cover

  • Cover D (1/10): Dani and Brad Simpson (Full Color)

  • Cover E (1/25): Marc Silvestri and Arif Prianto, Virgin Cover (Full Color)

  • Cover F (1/50): J.Scott Campbell (Full Color)

  • Cover G (1/100): Bill Sienkiewicz. (Full Color)

  • Cover H (1/250): Line art by Marc. Virgin Cover, Inks (B/W)

Witchblade #1 will also be available across many digital platforms, including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Google Play.

Witchblade comic panel Witchblade #1 cover image

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