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Review: ‘The Strain: The Fall’ # 2

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11 years ago

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With tons of rip-roaring vampire action, there is no way in hell that ‘The Strain: The Fall’ #2 will disappoint horror fans out there. “The Fall” attacks the vampire genre with plenty of action, suspense, and humor. This is one helluva comic book 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: August 21, 2012

After being released from jail, Gus Elizalde was suddenly kidnapped and held hostage by a group of vampires. A hidden breed of ancient vampires has had it with The Master and his growing plague of parasites. This secret ancient race has chosen Gus to destroy their own kind. If Gus succeeds, he will become richer beyond his imagination. But if he fails, the bloodsuckers will murder his mother and make him watch. Now that the vampires have overrun Manhattan, Gus needs help from the local gangs to take back the streets.

What I really enjoyed about writer David Lapham’s adaptation is that he kept Del Toro’s commentary about social and ethnic barriers. The storyline moves away from Manhattan and into the inner-city of New Jersey. It turns out the local gangs are the only ones tough enough to go head-on with the vampires. There is an interesting scene between Gus and two gang members because the conversation goes in-depth into personal motivations. The gang members aren’t interested in saving the world; they just want their money.

The subplot continues with Ephraim’s downfall as he fails to stick to his sobriety. While on guard duty, Ephraim takes a quick shot of liquor to cool his nerves. Rightfully so, Vasiliy, the bulky-sized ex-terminator, looks at Ephraim with real worry. As a constant reminder, Ephraim has to provide hope for his son, but he can’t do that if he’s drunk all the time.

In his artwork, Mike Huddleston builds a suspenseful atmosphere in the opening pages through the camera shots. Using crooked angles, readers will get the feeling of paranoia and disorientation that Gus is going through. As the suspense heightens, Huddleston focuses on Gus’ facial expressions through close-ups. In a later scene, Huddles makes great use of shadows, using the streetlight as his only source, during Gus’ conversation with the gang members.

Huddleston knows how to make his illustrations exciting when it comes to action. As Ephraim and Vasiliy find themselves cornered by the vampires, this is where the panels get all bloody. Letting loose, Vasiliy lifts up his nail-gun and starts shooting, aiming for the bloodsucker’s forehead. The bloodsucker’s face is screaming with his mouth wide open as Vasiliy chops off the head with his sword.

Chilling at its core, “The Strain: The Fall” #2 keeps the story moving with such a fast drive. If you’re a fan of the novel, you will be immensely pleased with how the artwork brings to life the book’s prose.

Rating: 4/5 skulls.

Reviewed by Jorge Solis

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Comics

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

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2 hours 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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