Comics
Review: ‘The Strain: The Fall’ #9
An action-packed finale, “The Strain: The Fall” #9 closes its latest chapter with tons of bloody thrills. Every subplot has been geared up for the mind-blowing finish. With the conclusion of “The Fall,” readers will be amped up more for Guillermo Del Toro’s TV series to surface this summer.
WRITTEN BY: David Lapham
ART BY: Mike Huddleston
PUBLISHER: Dark Horse Comics
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: March 19, 2014
The bloodsuckers will sacrifice themselves in order to bring about world destruction. The Master knows that in order to strike down all his enemies, he must destroy the power plant. With the power plant explosion, humans will suddenly fear the never-ending terrorist attacks. With Ephraim searching for his lost son, Abraham and his small army have to do everything they can to stop the nuclear explosion. The key to humanity’s salvation lies hidden inside the ancient text that has never been translated.
What I particularly enjoy about David Lapham’s adaptation is how the writing captures on the essence of the tragic hero. In the war between humans and vampires, Ephraim is still fighting, even though his wife and son have been taken from him. Abraham, who has been hunting the Master since WWII, is just a heart attack away from dying. Then, there’s the Sapphires gang who are slaughtering the bloodsuckers, in hopes of making money. But in the end, what kind of profit will they stand to make when the rest of the world is gone?
Lapham emphasizes the novel’s themes during the last climatic pages. Because Lapham doesn’t shy away, the concluding tone is bleak and pessimistic. Since the beginning, Abraham knew he was too old and sick to stand up against The Master. When he was really needed in battle, Abraham had to fall back and find his pills for his heart condition. Abraham knew he was going to die, but his ending had to be on his own terms.
In his artwork, Mike Huddleston captures the nerve-wracking suspense and action during the power plant attack. Using crooked angles, Huddleston makes the action sequences seem heightened and exaggerated. During the climatic conclusion, one of the Sapphires gang members takes out a rocket launcher and blows away the bloodsuckers. You do ask yourself, where the hell did he get that? Huddleston’s fantastic artwork makes you forget logic and just enjoy the ride.
Huddleston’s artwork really shines during the pulse-pounding confrontation between the Master and Abraham. Because Huddleston designed the Master as the Grim Reaper, the illustrations make great use of shadows and height differences. The Master looms tall and large over the small and withering Abraham as he extends his long arms. Death is coming for Abraham and there is no stopping him.
Readers won’t know what hit them with the last pages of “The Strain: The Fall” #9. I can’t wait to see how writer David Lapham and artist Mike Huddleston will adapt the concluding part of the trilogy, “The Night Eternal.”
4/5 Skulls
Reviewed by – Jorge Solis
Comics
‘Curse of the Where Wolf’ Bites Into August Release With Trio of Werewolf Theatrical Screenings [Exclusive Preview]
Larry Chaney‘s hairy misadventures are continuing in the sequel graphic novel Curse of the Where Wolf from creative team Rob Saucedo, Debora Lancianese, and Jack Morelli, and its author is celebrating with a trio of horror’s greatest werewolf films.
The Curse of the Where Wolf hits shelves on August 7 from Encyclopocalypse Publications.
That coincides with the launch of a theatrical screening event in Houston, Texas, featuring a trio of seminal werewolf flicks turning 45 this year: The Howling on August 7, Wolfen on August 14, and An American Werewolf in London on August 21.
Each screening features a “werewolf in film” presentation as well as a book signing from Where Wolf author and River Oaks Theatre artistic director Rob Saucedo.
In the new graphic novel, “Being a werewolf sucks. Reporter Larry Chaney wanted to be a hero. Instead, he became a werewolf. Now, caught between incredible new powers and a desire to eat everything (and everyone) in sight, Larry must find a cure for his curse. Or die trying.”
“With Where Wolf, I wanted to tell a whodunit set in a furry convention, so the story was pretty contained within a very specific setting and genre. With Curse of the Where Wolf, I wanted to celebrate everything I love about the possibility of comic books. Curse of the Where Wolf is a funny book, in every sense of the phrase, but it’s also an earnest look at a person’s struggle to become a better version of themselves, especially when the alternative is to become a literal monster,” Saucedo says of Curse.
The original graphic novel was previously serialized as the first webcomic hosted on Fangoria before being collected by Encyclopocalypse Publications in 2023 and has already been optioned for film, podcast, and television development ahead of launch by producers James Fino (“The Freak Brothers” for Tubi, “Rick and Morty” for Adult Swim) and Charles Horak (First Date for Magnolia Pictures).
Expect Larry to find himself in even weirder situations in the 362-page full color sequel; Saucedo has provided Bloody Disgusting with exclusive art pages from the upcoming graphic novel that showcase lupine humor.
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