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Review: ‘The Strain: The Fall’ #4

Published

11 years ago

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Kicking things to high gear, “The Strain: The Fall” #4 continues to be an awesome thrill-ride that refuses to slow down. After the “Twilight” franchise sucked all the fun out of being a vampire, “The Fall” reminds everyone why nobody should go anywhere near those bloodsuckers. Without a doubt, this is a terrific 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: Oct. 16, 2012

It’s time for humanity to fight back against the vampire plague that has taken over the city. But the heroes who are going to stand up aren’t the people you would normally expect. These are inner-city gang members who want to make money off of killing vampires. While the gangs of Jersey are slaying the bloodsuckers, Ephraim and his exhausted team have a plan that will definitely hit the Master where it hurts. Ephraim can stop the vampire plague from spreading if he can destroy the subway tunnels. With the clock ticking, will Ephraim and his teammates buy time for the human race to live another day?

What I continue to really enjoy about writer David Lapham’s adaptation is how he uses Del Toro’s social commentary about racism, minorities, and ethnic barriers. Gus and his teammates have added a new member to their crew, a retired Mexican wrestler named Angel. They have been pushed around because of the color of their skin. Now when their oppressors are screaming for help, it’s the unwanted class showing up for a fight.

What I liked about this issue is the return of Zachary, Ephraim’s son. Having lost his mother, Zach is looking for a parental figure to guide him. Never saying anything but always watching, Zach is slowly losing his father as he succumbs to alcoholism. It’s an interesting scene as Zach looks up to the professor, Abraham, for guidance. Because Abraham speaks to Zach as an adult, they can have a personal discussion about prayer and God.

In his artwork, Mike Huddleston sure knows how to add shock value to his vampire attacks. In a wide shot, the vampires have a victim surrounded as they kick him down onto the pavement. The violence isn’t aimed to be pretty as a bunch of naked freaks are plunging their long, forked tongues into a guy’s chest. Because the face is shaped to look like a skull, Huddleston’s character design of The Master resembles closely to the Grim Reaper.

My favorite part of Huddleston’s illustrations is when Gus and his crew start shooting in the streets of Spanish Harlem. Gus and his gang are firing bullets everywhere, always aiming for the heads of the vampires. All in a single panel, Huddleston has Gus, Angel, and another gang member all doing something as they take on the bloodsuckers Heightening the shock value, Angle rips the head off of a vampire with his bare hands.

Readers will definitely have tremendous fun with “The Strain: The Fall” #4. This is how you make vampires scary again.

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

Published

5 days 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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