Comics
Review: “The Last Fall” # 1
Kevin Eastman’s variant cover for “The Last Fall” #1 promises a gritty, action-packed story in a sci fi setting, steeped in the horrors of war. That was probably the intent. Sadly, it is not the execution.
WRITTEN BY: Tom Waltz
ART BY: Casey Maloney
PUBLISHER: IDW Publishing
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: July 16, 2014
Review By: Ooknabah
“The Last Fall” is a five issue mini series that details a war between two planets, Krovin and Merkonia. Urged on by their needing the precious fuel resources of the planet and spurred on by religious justifications, the Krovinites have commenced a war of conquest against the more primitive Merkonians, which has now stretched out years with no seeming end in sight. Sergeant Marcus Fall is our protagonist, a man fighting for revenge after experiencing personal losses yet to be fully explained. And so, we follow Fall as he pushes forward in his quest for vengeance.
The allusions here are not difficult to see, and come across rather heavy handed. (While it is only implied in the issue for instance, solicitations openly state that Fall’s family were murdered in a retaliatory suicide bombing) This sets up a rather humorless and dark tone, with a flat protagonist to boot. Other than his tragedy and rage, over the course of the issue there is little learned about Fall, and less still that isn’t rote cliche. Obviously the intent is to set up the changing of circumstances to come, but there is little to entice readers to continue onwards.
Casey Maloney’s art is unhelpful to that end. His round, cartoonish characters make the battles and wars at large feel like a child’s pantomime with action figures, rather than a life-or-death struggle, let alone a deadly blood feud. While Fell is supposed to be a battle-hardened veteran, he often looks as if he is a fresh-faced teenager. This may be commentary, but seems at odds with the story that is trying to be told. The bright, primary colours by Dusty Yee don’t help either,making the designs look as if they are from a rejected version of the Power Rangers.
Maybe future issues will add additional appear to this title: There are successful moments, like the beautiful skyscapes or the varied and highly cinematic layouts. But on the whole, The Last Fall is boring, cliche and and otherwise a disappointment.
Recommended to avoid.
Ooknabah AKA Brent Hirose is a writer, actor and gigantic nerd from Vancouver B.C. You can listen to his podcast about that at HugeNerds.Podomatic.Com or check out his many other projects at BrentHirose.com
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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