Image Comics from Diamond Distributors for March 11, 2020

IMAGE COMICS

JAN200108    DECORUM #1 (OF 8) CVR A HUDDLESTON (MR)    $4.99
JAN200109    DECORUM #1 (OF 8) CVR B HUDDLESTON (MR)    $4.99
JAN208126    DECORUM #1 (OF 8) CVR C MCKELVIE (MR)    $4.99
JAN200274    MANIFEST DESTINY #42 (MR)    $3.99
JAN200277    MOONSHINE #17 (MR)    $3.99
JAN200190    PRETTY VIOLENT TP VOL 01 (MR)    $14.99
JAN200286    REAVER #7 (MR)    $3.99
JAN200291    SFSX SAFE SEX #7 (MR)    $3.99
JUL190160    SNOTGIRL #15 CVR A HUNG    $3.99
JUL190161    SNOTGIRL #15 CVR B OMALLEY    $3.99
JAN200292    SONATA #9 CVR A HABERLIN & VAN DYKE (MR)    $3.99
JAN200293    SONATA #9 CVR B HABERLIN & VAN DYKE (MR)    $3.99
JAN200138    STEALTH #1 (OF 6)    $3.99
OCT190161    WICKED & DIVINE HC VOL 04 (MR)    $64.99

Review: POWERS OF X #1

POWERS OF X No. 1
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Jonathan Hickman
PENCILS: R.B. Silva
INKS: R.B. Silva and Adriana Di Benedetto
COLORS: Marte Gracia
LETTERS: VC's Clayton Cowles
EDITOR: Jordan D. White
EiC: Akria Yoshida a.k.a. “C.B. Cebuski”
COVER: R.B. Silva with Marte Gracia
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Mark Brooks; Joshua Cassara with Rachelle Rosenberg; John Tyler Christopher; Stephanie Hans; Jack Kirby with Edgar Delgado; Mike Huddleston; George Perez with Jason Keith; Dustin Weaver; Skottie Young
56pp, Color, $5.99 U.S. (September 2019)

Rated T+

The X-Men created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby

“The Last Dream of Professor X”

The X-Men are a Marvel Comics superhero team.  Created by editor Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the X-Men debuted in the comic book The X-Men #1 (cover dated: September 1963).  The focus of that comic book was Professor Charles Xavier a/k/a “Professor X” and his small circle of students.  Each student had a unique power or ability granted to them because each student was a mutant, and each had a code name.  The students were Scott Summers (Cyclops), Jean Grey (Marvel Girl), Warren Worthington III (Angel), Henry “Hank” McCoy (Beast), and Bobby Drake (Iceman).

From time to time the X-Men concept is changed in some way via a relaunch or revamp.  The most famous revamp was and still is the “new X-Men,” which debuted in Giant-Size X-Men #1 (cover dated: May 1975).  Once consistently among the bestselling comic books in the United States (and often the bestselling comic book), the X-Men have fallen on hard times.  The editorial powers that be at Marvel Comics have spent much of the last two decades revamping, relaunching, and remaking the X-Men.

The latest remodeling comes via a pair of six-issue miniseries written by Jonathan Hickman.  The first is House of X, and the second and the subject of this review is Powers of X; they are being published biweekly on an alternating schedule.  Powers of X is written by written Jonathan Hickman; drawn by R.B. Silva (pencils) and Silva and Adriana Di Benedetto (inks); colored by Marte Gracia; and lettered by Clayton Cowles.

Powers of X #1 (“The Last Dream of Professor X”) takes place in four time periods.  The title, “Powers of X,” means “Powers of Ten” – 1; 10 x 1 is 10; 10 x 10 is 100; 10 x 100 is 1000.

X0 is The X-Men, Year One, “The Dream.” X1 is The X-Men, Year Ten, “The World.”  X2 is The X-Men, Year One Hundred, “The War.”  X3 is The X-Men, Year One Thousand, “Ascension.”

In X0, Charles Xavier meets Moira MacTaggert, who has a history to share with Xavier.  In X1, on the mutant sanctuary homeland of Krakoa, Professor X obtains the data Mystique and Sabertooth stole (as seen in House of X #1).  In X2, Rasputin and Cardinal find their teammate, Cylobel, in trouble, so Rasputin launches a one-woman rescue operation to keep her friend from falling into the clutches of Nimrod.  In X3, humanity, mutant-kind, who is left?

That Powers of X #1 takes place in four time periods is not confusing.  That each time period can only tease the story to come is irritating.  I found writer Jonathan Hickman's work in House of X #1 quite intriguing, and I find his offerings in Powers of X #1 intriguing, but a less satisfying read than House of X #1.

The work of colorist Marte Gracia and letterer Clayton Cowles turns out to be just as stellar in Powers of X #1 as it was in the first issue of House of X.  The art of R.B. Silva and Adriano Di Benedetto, with its clear storytelling, is pretty, especially the illustrations for the last two chapters.  When combined with Gracia colors, Silva and Di Benedetto's Powers of X art is flat-out gorgeous.

So I assume the second issue will justify Hickman's approach to Powers of X #1.  I know, however, that good ideas for stories can lose their luster because of poor execution in the storytelling.  We'll see.

7 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2019 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.


-------------------------

Review: HOUSE OF X #1

HOUSE OF X No. 1
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Jonathan Hickman
ART: Pepe Larraz
COLORS: Marte Gracia
LETTERS: VC's Clayton Cowles
EDITOR: Jordan D. White
EiC: Akria Yoshida a.k.a. “C.B. Cebuski”
COVER: Pepe Larraz with Marte Gracia
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Mark Brooks; Marco Checchetto; John Tyler Christopher; Dave Cockrum with Jesus Aburtov; Mike Huddleston; Joe Madureira with Peter Steigerwald; Phil Noto; Sara Pichelli with Dean White; Humberto Ramos with Edgar Delgado; Skottie Young
56pp, Color, $5.99 U.S. (September 2019)

Rated T+

The X-Men created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby

“The House That Xavier Built”

The X-Men are a Marvel Comics superhero team created by editor Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby.  The X-Men debuted in the comic book, The X-Men #1 (cover dated: September 1963), and the focus of that comic book was Professor Charles Xavier a/k/a “Professor X” and his small circle of students.  Each student had a unique power or ability granted to them because each student was a mutant, and each had a code name.  The students were Scott Summers (Cyclops), Jean Grey (Marvel Girl), Warren Worthington III (Angel), Henry “Hank” McCoy (Beast), and Bobby Drake (Iceman).

From time to time, the X-Men concept is changed in some way via a relaunch or revamp.  The most famous was the debut of the “new X-Men” in Giant-Size X-Men #1 (cover dated: May 1975).  Once consistently among the bestselling comic books in the United States (and often the bestselling comic book), the X-Men have fallen on hard times, especially over the last decade.  Part of the problem is that the editorial powers that be at Marvel Comics have spent much of the last two decades revamping, relaunching, remaking the X-Men, and especially involving the X-Men line of comic books in ultimately pointless title crossover events.

However, fans and readers have hope for this new X-Men thing.  The latest remodeling comes via a pair of six-issue miniseries, House of X and Powers of X, published biweekly on an alternating schedule.  The first to debut is House of X.  It is written by written Jonathan Hickman; drawn by Pepe Larraz; colored by Marte Gracia; and lettered by Clayton Cowles.

House of X #1 (“The House That Xavier Built”) opens on a world that has changed.  In the last half year, Professor Charles Xavier (a.k.a. “Professor X”) has been rolling out his master plan for mutant-kind.  Xavier wants to bring mutants out of the shadow of mankind and into the light once more.  On the island of Krakoa is a home for mutants only, a place where they can be safe.

As a gift to the ever-suspicious humanity, Xavier is offering miracle pharmaceuticals.  However, seeing Armageddon in this new world order, a secret organization of humans has activated the “Orchis protocols.”  Plus, the activities of Sabertooth and Mystique earn the attention of the Fantastic Four, and this issue story also stars Magneto, Cyclops, and Jean Grey to name a few.

“Did you honestly think we were going to sit around and take it forever?” is what Cyclops asks the Invisible Woman during a standoff between the X-Man and the Fantastic Four.  Fight the power, indeed, but this first chapter of House of X is as much about evolution as it is about self-defense.  In Jonathan Hickman's radical revamp of Marvel's X-Men franchise, the mutants of the Marvel Universe have more than a sanctuary; they have a home.  Apparently, they are going to spend their time in their new home being great and striving for greater – socially and scientifically, and that is making humans, especially certain human interests, suspicious and preparing for war.

I don't know where Hickman is taking Marvel's X-Men line, but, in House of X #1, he has created the kind of first issue that makes readers so curious that they just have to come back for more.  At the local comic shop I visit, all issues of House of X and Powers of X have been sellouts.

In this first issue, the art by Pepe Larraz is pretty, but the graphical storytelling does not come across as being as striking and as radical as Hickman's script is.  However, Marte Gracia's coloring is a glorious display, and Clayton Cowles' lettering keeps the shifting ground of House of X #1's story and book design coherent.

Will House of X #1 be a seminal moment in the history of X-Men comic books?  We will see, but it is a must-read for anyone who has ever been a fan of X-Men comic books.

8.5 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2019 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and  syndication rights and fees.


-----------------------------

Dark Horse Comics from Diamond Distributors for December 27, 2017

DARK HORSE COMICS

OCT170028    BPRD DEVIL YOU KNOW #5    $3.99
AUG170025    BPRD HELL ON EARTH HC VOL 01    $34.99
AUG170089    DRIFTERS TP VOL 05 (MR)    $13.99
NOV170044    ELFQUEST FINAL QUEST #23    $3.99
JUN170121    NGE LEGEND PIKO PIKO MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS TP VOL 02    $11.99
NOV170015    RASPUTIN VOICE OF DRAGON #3 (OF 5)    $3.99
NOV170016    RASPUTIN VOICE OF DRAGON #3 (OF 5) FRANCAVILLA VAR    $3.99
NOV170035    USAGI YOJIMBO #165    $3.99

Dark Horse Comics from Diamond Distributors for November 15, 2017

DARK HORSE COMICS

SEP170055    BRIGGS LAND LONE WOLVES #6 (OF 6)    $3.99
SEP170056    BRIGGS LAND LONE WOLVES #6 (OF 6) VAR    $3.99
JUL170193    CALL OF DUTY ZOMBIES TP    $19.99
SEP170035    JENNY FINN #1 (OF 4)    $3.99
SEP170045    NEIL GAIMAN AMERICAN GODS SHADOWS #9 (MR)    $3.99
SEP170046    NEIL GAIMAN AMERICAN GODS SHADOWS #9 VAR (MR)    $3.99
SEP170033    RASPUTIN VOICE OF DRAGON #1 (OF 5)    $3.99
SEP170034    RASPUTIN VOICE OF DRAGON #1 (OF 5) VAR    $3.99

Dark Horse Comics from Diamond Distributors for August 20, 2014

DARK HORSE COMICS

JUN140015     BPRD HELL ON EARTH #122     $3.50
JUN140028     BRAIN BOY MEN FROM GESTALT #4     $2.99
JUN140023     BTVS SEASON 10 #6 MAIN CVR     $3.50
FEB140110     CLASSIC MARVEL UNCANNY X-MEN 94 #2 WOLVERINE     $49.95
JUN140010     DARK HORSE PRESENTS 2014 #1     $4.99
JUN140079     EYE OF NEWT #3     $3.99
APR140075     SECOND CHANCE AT SARAH HC     $14.99
JUN140069     STAR WARS DARTH MAUL SON OF DATHOMIR #4     $3.50
JUN140009     STRAIN NIGHT ETERNAL #1     $3.99
JUN140014     WITCHFINDER MYSTERIES OF UNLAND #3     $3.50

Comics Review: THE STRAIN #6

THE STRAIN #6
DARK HORSE COMICS – @DarkHorseComics

STORY: Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan
SCRIPT: David Lapham
ART: Mike Huddleston
COLORS: Dan Jackson
LETTERS: Clem Robins
COVER: E.M. Gist
28pp, Color, $3.50 U.S. (July 2012)

Part 6: “Dear Ones”

Some time ago, Dark Horse Comics made PDF copies of all 11 issues of its horror comic book series, The Strain, available to its media mailing list.  This was part of DHC’s promotional effort for the follow-up series, The Strain: The Fall.  Between those PDFs and hard copies, I was able to review all 11 issues of The Strain for the ComicBookBin.

I have previously posted my reviews of The Strain, issues #1 through 5, here on the “I Reads You” blog.  Over the course of the coming weeks, I will post the reviews of issues 6 to 11 on this blog in conjunction with the broadcast of “The Strain,” the television adaptation of the novel that is the source material for both the TV series and Dark Horse’s comic book.  The first episode aired on Sunday night, July 13, 2014 on cable channel, FX, with each new episode airing the following Sunday.

---------------------

The Strain is an 11-issue comic book adaptation of The Strain, a 2009 vampire novel from filmmaker Guillermo del Toro and novelist Chuck Hogan.  The adaptation is scripted by David Lapham, drawn by Mike Huddleston, colored by Dan Jackson, and lettered by Clem Robins.

In the story, Dr. Ephraim “Eph” Goodweather of the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) heads the Canary Project, a rapid-response team that investigates biological threats.   With his second-in-command, Nora Martinez, Eph has found such a threat at J.F.K. International Airport in New York City.  There, a Boeing 777 went dead silent after landing, while inside, almost all the passengers and crew were dead.

As The Strain #6 opens, Eph and Dr. Martinez tentatively take Professor Abraham Setrakian’s claims seriously.  Someone is going to use the “v” word.  The scientists go to Setrakian’s antique shop, where they visit his basement and see the thing the old man keeps in a jar.

Next, Eph, Martinez, and Setrakian search for the “dear ones,” in a bid to track the path of the strange virus that could destroy life in New York City.  Meanwhile, Eldritch Palmer, CEO of the Stoneheart Group, tries to resolve some loose ends in the part he plays in the growing horror.

It has been two months since I last read the fifth issue of The Strain, and it is still good as I remember.  By now, this series is a back issue, with second trade due to arrive and the second series (entitled The Fall) preparing to launch.  New release or back issue, The Strain is a great read.

If The Strain does not become a perennial or backlist favorite, then, the comic book gods must be crazy.  Lapham and Huddleston’s efforts have earned readers’ notice.  Fans of horror comic books should get The Strain.

A+

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for syndication rights and fees.

Review: THE STRAIN #5

THE STRAIN #5
DARK HORSE COMICS – @DarkHorseComics

STORY: Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan
SCRIPT: David Lapham
ART: Mike Huddleston
COLORS: Dan Jackson
LETTERS: Clem Robins
COVER: E.M. Gist
28pp, Color, $3.50 U.S. (June 2012)

Part 5: “Origins”

Dark Horse Comics previously made PDF copies of all 11 issues of its horror comic book series, The Strain, available to comic book reviewers on its mailing list.  This offer was part of DHC’s promotional effort for the follow-up series, The Strain: The Fall.  I took up that offer and reviewed all 11 issues of The Strain for the ComicBookBin.

I have previously posted my reviews of The Strain, issues #1 through 4, here on the “I Reads You” blog.  Over the course of the coming weeks, I will post the reviews of issues 5 to 11 on this blog in conjunction with the broadcast of “The Strain,” the television adaptation of the original novel.  The first episode aired on Sunday night, July 13, 2014 on cable channel, FX, with each new episode airing the following Sunday.

Thus far, I think the first two issues The Strain comic book were better than the first two episodes of “The Strain” TV series.  However, I found that the third episode, “Gone Smooth,” (Sunday, July 27, 2014) matched the intensity of the comic book.

--------

Published by Dark Horse Comics, The Strain is an 11-issue comic book adaptation of the 2009 vampire novel, also entitled The Strain, from filmmaker Guillermo del Toro (Blade II, Hellboy) and novelist Chuck Hogan (Prince of Thieves).  The adaptation is scripted by David Lapham, drawn by Mike Huddleston, colored by Dan Jackson, and lettered by Clem Robins.

The Strain’s lead character is Dr. Ephraim “Eph” Goodweather of the CDC (Centers for Disease Control).  Eph heads the Canary Project, a rapid-response team that investigates biological threats.   With his second-in-command, Nora Martinez, Eph has found such a threat.  It begins at J.F.K. International Airport in New York City, where a Boeing 777 went dead silent after landing, while inside, almost all the passengers and crew were dead.

The Strain #5 opens at the 17th Precinct Headquarters in a holding cell.  There, Professor Abraham Setrakian tells fellow cellmate, Gusto, a story that takes them back in time.  It begins in 1927 in Romania.  Young Abraham is a woodworker whose life is about to be turned upside down by the Nazis.

Moving forward to 1942, Abraham is imprisoned at the Treblinka Death Camp.  His skills keep him alive, but he discovers another threat – the monstrous Sardu.  That’s where the battle between good and evil really begins, and where Abraham’s bid for freedom will determine the fate of many.

Writing comic book reviews of the various issues of The Strain have been easy.  Writer David Lapham and artist Mike Huddleston are a good team.  Lapham decompresses the story, but the narrative pace moves with ever increasing urgency, heightening the sense of drama, especially the moments of violence.  Huddleston brings it to life with compositions full of details that create atmosphere, but most especially embody what each moment is supposed to be.

Lapham and Huddleston’s efforts have earned readers’ notice.  Fans of horror comic books must try The Strain.

A+

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for syndication rights and fees.

Comic Book Review: THE STRAIN #4

THE STRAIN #4
DARK HORSE COMICS – @DarkHorseComics

STORY: Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan
SCRIPT: David Lapham
ART: Mike Huddleston
COLORS: Dan Jackson
LETTERS: Clem Robins
COVER: Mike Huddleston
28pp, Color, $3.50 U.S. (March 2012)

Part 4: “Conspiracy”

Early in 2013, Dark Horse Comics made PDF copies of all 11 issues of its horror comic book series, The Strain, available to comic book reviewers on its mailing list.  This offer was part of DHC’s promotional effort for a second maxi-series, The Strain: The Fall.  I took up that offer and reviewed all 11 issues of The Strain for the ComicBookBin.

I have previously posted my reviews of The Strain, issues #1 through 3 on my “I Reads You” blog.  Over the course of the coming weeks, I will post the reviews of issues 4 to 11 on this blog in conjunction with the broadcast of “The Strain,” the television adaptation of the original novel.  The first episode aired on Sunday night, July 13, 2014 on cable channel, FX, with each new episode airing the following Sunday.

Thus far, the first two issues The Strain comic book are better than the first two episodes of “The Strain” TV series.

------------------

The Strain is the 11-issue comic book adaptation of The Strain, a 2009 vampire novel from filmmaker Guillermo del Toro and novelist Chuck Hogan.  Hogan’s 2004 novel, Prince of Thieves, became the Ben Affleck film, The Town.  Published by Dark Horse Comics, The Strain comic book is scripted by David Lapham, drawn by Mike Huddleston, and colored by Dan Jackson.

The Strain follows Dr. Ephraim “Eph” Goodweather of the CDC (Centers for Disease Control).  Eph heads the Canary Project, a rapid-response team that investigates biological threats.   With his second-in-command, Nora Martinez, Eph has found just that kind a threat.  It begins at J.F.K. International Airport in New York City, where a Boeing 777 went dead silent after landing.

The Strain #4 opens at the Stoneheart Group Headquarters in Manhattan.  There, CEO Eldritch Palmer begins to orchestrate his part in the madness that has already begun.  Eph’s son, Zack, witnesses something frightening.  Exhausted, Eph struggles to discover the secrets of what looks like an epidemic, while Nora comforts him.

Gabe Bolivar, rock star and survivor of the Boeing flight, gets a visit from his manager, Rudy, a visit that leaves the visitor stunned.  The wife of Ansel Barbour, another survivor, seeks comfort in “The Lord’s Prayer.”  Eph and Nora have a completely unexpected encounter with the third survivor, Captain Redfern.

The Strain #3 was f’ing awesome, and so is #4.  Artist Mike Huddleston has complete control of this narrative’s pace.  He draws out the coming horror in a measured pace that tries one’s nerves.  Could I take the heat?  Then, Huddleston unleashes brief action scenes that hit the viewer like a mean action movie.  Every one page of action feels like three pages.  Many media properties would be well served by a Mike Huddleston as their comic book artist.

Fans of horror comic books must have The Strain.

A+

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for syndication rights and fees.

Review: THE STRAIN #3

THE STRAIN #3
DARK HORSE COMICS – @DarkHorseComics

STORY: Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan
SCRIPT: David Lapham
ART: Mike Huddleston
COLORS: Dan Jackson
LETTERS: Clem Robins
COVER: Mike Huddleston
28pp, Color, $3.50 U.S. (February 2012)

Part 3: “First Night”

Dark Horse Comics made PDF copies of all 11 issues of its horror comic book series, The Strain, available in early 2013 to comic book reviewers on its e-mailing list.  This PDF release was in anticipation of the follow-up series, The Strain: The Fall.  I was able to review all 11 issues of The Strain for the ComicBookBin.

I have previously posted my reviews of The Strain #1-2 on this, the “I Reads You” blog.  Over the course of the coming weeks, I will post the reviews of issues 3 to 11 on this blog in conjunction with the airing of “The Strain,” the television adaptation of the original novel.  The first episode debuted on Sunday, July 13, 2014 on cable channel, FX.

---------------

The 2009 vampire novel from filmmaker Guillermo del Toro and novelist Chuck Hogan, The Strain, became a comic book miniseries.  Beginning in 2011, Dark Horse Comics began the 11-issue comic book adaptation, also entitled The Strain, with script adaptation by David Lapham and art by Mike Huddleston.

The Strain’s central character is Dr. Ephraim “Eph” Goodweather of the CDC (Centers for Disease Control).  Eph heads the Canary Project, a rapid-response team that investigates biological threats.   With his second-in-command, Nora Martinez, Eph may have found such a threat at J.F.K. International Airport in New York City, where a Boeing 777 went dead silent after landing.

As The Strain #3 opens, elderly Professor Abraham Setrakian noisily confronts Eph and Nora, warning of the coming abomination.  Unlike the characters in so much of horror fiction and storytelling, Eph and Nora pay attention to the warnings… somewhat.  They may be just a little late to stop the supernatural disaster.  Two of the survivors of the Boeing 777 are exhibiting strange behavior.

Last issue, Ansel Barbour had a special meal with the family dogs.  This issue, rock star, Bolivar, freaks out his threesome partners.  Meanwhile, in Manhattan, someone goes streaking through Times Square, perhaps like no other streaker has before him.  Also, eight-year-old Emma Gilbarton visits her grieving father.  With all the strangeness happening, NYPD still has time to racially profile and stop-and-frisk a brown person.

If The Strain maintains the level of quality that permeates this third issue, I’ll run out of good things to say by the time I get to issue #11.  The Strain #3 is f’ing awesome.  The Strain is the great horror comic book that the original 30 Days of Night should have been.

A+

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for syndication rights and fees.

Review: THE STRAIN #2

THE STRAIN #2
DARK HORSE COMICS – @DarkHorseComics

STORY: Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan
SCRIPT: David Lapham
ART: Mike Huddleston
COLORS: Dan Jackson
LETTERS: Clem Robins
COVER: Mike Huddleston
28pp, Color, $3.50 U.S. (January 2012)

Part 2: “The Occultation”

Early in 2013, Dark Horse Comics made PDF copies of all 11 issues of its horror comic book series, The Strain, available to comic book reviewers on its mailing list.  As an incentive, Dark Horse offered to give any reviewer who reviewed all 11 issues of The Strain copies of the two trade paperbacks that collected the series.  This offer was part of the promotional effort for the follow-up series, The Strain: The Fall.  I took up that offer and reviewed all 11 issues of The Strain for the ComicBookBin.

I have previously posted my review of The Strain #1 also on my “I Reads You” blog.  Over the course of the coming weeks, I will post the reviews of issues 2 to 11 on this blog in anticipation of “The Strain,” the television adaptation of the original novel.  The first episode is scheduled to debut on Sunday night, July 13, 2014 on cable channel, FX.  [By the way, Dark Horse reneged on that offer of the free trade paperbacks, at least to me.]

----------------

The Strain was a 2009 vampire novel from filmmaker Guillermo del Toro and novelist Chuck Hogan.  It was the first book in The Strain trilogy.  Back in 2011, Dark Horse Comics began producing a comic book adaptation of the first book, also entitled The Strain, with script adaptation by David Lapham and art by Mike Huddleston.

The central character of The Strain is Dr. Ephraim “Eph” Goodweather of the CDC (Centers for Disease Control).  Dr. Goodweather is the head of the Canary Project, a rapid-response team that investigates biological threats.  Goodweather and his second-in-command, Nora Martinez, may have found such a threat at J.F.K. International Airport in New York City.  That’s where a Boeing 777 went dead silent after landing, with window shades pulled down and all lights out.

As The Strain #2 opens, Goodweather and Martinez are examining a strange container that was found on the Boeing.  Does it have something to do with the 206 people found dead on the plane?  Meanwhile, the three people who were the sole survivors of the flight grow restless.  They are also useless to Goodweather and Martinez when it comes to solving the mystery of what happened on that flight.

New players enter the story.  Mysterious plutocrat, Eldritch Palmer, and the elderly Professor Abraham Setrakian head to New York City.  As the Big Apple prepares for a rare event, the Occultation, something deadly begins to claim its first victims.

This review comes over a year after The Strain #2 first reached comic book shops, but a horror comic book this good will be worth reading years after its publication.  Writer David Lapham delivers a page-turner that rages like the latest pot-boiler on the bestsellers list.  This tale grows more chilling and riveting with each scene.

Artist Mike Huddleston continues to deliver potent graphical storytelling, and his control over atmosphere grows with each page.  Yes, he’s still on the way to being a master of horror, and we benefit from it with a great horror comic book.  I am chomping at the bits to read the third issue of The Strain.

A

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for syndication rights and fees.

Dark Horse Comics from Diamond Distributors for June 18 2014

DARK HORSE COMICS

APR140024 1 FOR $1 STRAIN #1 $1.00
APR140054 AXE COP AMERICAN CHOPPERS #2 $3.99
FEB140025 BLOODHOUND TP VOL 02 CROWBAR MEDICINE $19.99
APR140014 BPRD HELL ON EARTH #120 $3.50
APR140038 BRAIN BOY MEN FROM GESTALT #2 $2.99
APR140020 BTVS SEASON 10 #4 MAIN CVR $3.50
FEB140086 CHRONICLES OF KING CONAN TP VOL 08 ROAD EMPIRE $19.99
FEB140079 CLOWN FATALE TP (MR) $17.99
FEB140078 CRIMINAL MACABRE EYES OF FRANKENSTEIN TP $17.99
APR140074 EYE OF NEWT #1 $3.99
JAN140221 LEGEND OF KORRA PATCH AIR $4.99
JAN140220 LEGEND OF KORRA PATCH EARTH $4.99
JAN140222 LEGEND OF KORRA PATCH FIRE $4.99
JAN140223 LEGEND OF KORRA PATCH WATER $4.99
FEB140107 NGE SHINJI IKARI RAISING PROJECT TP VOL 14 $9.99
FEB140087 PORTENT TP ASHES $17.99
APR140057 STAR WARS DARTH MAUL SON OF DATHOMIR #2 $3.50
APR140072 WITCHER #4 $3.99
APR140012 WITCHFINDER MYSTERIES OF UNLAND #1 $3.50

Review: THE STRAIN: The Fall #1

THE STRAIN: THE FALL #1
DARK HORSE COMICS – @DarkHorseComics

STORY: Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan
SCRIPT: David Lapham
ART: Mike Huddleston
COLORS: Dan Jackson
LETTERS: Clem Robins
COVER: E.M. Gist
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (July 2013)

Part 1

Guillermo del Toro has directed such movies as Blade 2, the Hellboy movies, the Oscar-nominated Pan’s Labyrinth, and the new release, Pacific Rim.  Chuck Hogan wrote a novel entitled Prince of Thieves, which Ben Affleck took and adapted into the Oscar-nominated film, The Town (2010).

In 2011, Dark Horse Comics began an 11-issue comic book adaptation of Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan’s 2009 vampire novel, The Strain, the first book in The Strain Trilogy.  Now, the second book in the trilogy, The Fall (2010), is also getting the comic book treatment.

The Strain: The Fall is produced by the same team behind The Strain comic book series.  David Lapham is writing the comic book adaptation.  Mike Huddleston is the artist with colors by Dan Jackson and letters by Clem Robins.

The Strain’s central character is Dr. Ephraim “Eph” Goodweather, head the CDC’s Canary Project.  Eph began tracking a mystery illness at J.F.K. International Airport in New York City, after a Boeing 777 landed with everyone aboard dead, except for three individuals.  That was the beginning of a plague of vampires.

In The Strain: The Fall #1, the war against The Master, the dark lord behind this vampire invasion continues.  Eph, Nora Martinez (his second-in-command), Professor Abraham Setrakian (an aging Holocaust survivor familiar with The Master), and Vasiliy Fet (the rat exterminator) prepare to make their next move.

The Professor tells Vasiliy the centuries-spanning tale of the Occido Lumen, the book that might have the answers to stopping the Master.  Meanwhile, Eph’s ex-wife, Kelly, now a vampire, stalks her “dear one,” their son, Zack.  Eldritch Palmer, the CEO who helped the Master, makes his strongest demand yet for his reward.

Not that it is a bad thing, but The Strain: The Fall simply continues the earlier series.  In fact, The Strain: The Fall #1 could well be The Strain #12.  But that is a good thing.  The Strain is one of the best comic books of the last two years and is also a superb horror comic book.

David Lapham and Mike Huddleston are maintaining the high-quality that has become a hallmark of this comic book adaptation of The Strain Trilogy.  I will say that this first chapter seems like too small a slice of a larger story, as if issue #1 was holding off before beginning the real drama of this new series.

A-

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux

Review: The Strain #1

STRAIN #1
DARK HORSE COMICS – @DarkHorseComics

STORY: Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan
SCRIPT: David Lapham
ART: Mike Huddleston
COLORS: Dan Jackson
LETTERS: Clem Robins
COVER: Mike Huddleston
VARIANT COVER: Steve Morris
32pp, Color, $1.00 U.S. (December 2011)

Guillermo del Toro is a filmmaker known for directing such movies as Blade 2, the Hellboy movies, and the Oscar-nominated Pan’s Labyrinth.  Chuck Hogan is an American novelist, and he wrote Prince of Thieves, the novel that Ben Affleck adapted into the Oscar-nominated film, The Town (2010).

Together, del Toro and Hogan produced The Strain, a 2009 vampire novel, the first installment of The Strain trilogy.  I’m assuming that Hogan did the actual prose writing for The Strain, but del Toro’s hand in this concept is clear.

Beginning in 2011, Dark Horse Comics began publishing an 11-issue comic book adaptation of the book, also entitled The Strain.  David Lapham wrote the script adapting the novel, and Mike Huddleston drew the series, with colors by Dan Jackson.

The Strain #1 begins in Romania, 1927.  A grandmother tells her young grandson a frightening fairy tale over dinner.  It is the story of Josef Sardu, a 19th century Polish nobleman, afflicted by gigantism, and a disastrous hunt of which he was part.

The story jumps to the present day and finds Dr. Ephraim “Eph” Goodweather of the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) trying to spend some quality time with his son, Zach.  Work, however, intrudes.  Dr. Goodweather is the head of the Canary Project, a rapid-response team that investigates biological threats.

Apparently, there is a big threat brewing at J.F.K. (John F. Kennedy International Airport) in New York City.  That’s where a Boeing 777 went dead silent with window shades pulled down and all lights out.  With his second-in-command, Nora Martinez, at his side, Goodweather makes a bizarre discovery.  Meanwhile, a Nazi concentration camp survivor recognizes something bad.

I hope that Dark Horse Comics’ decision to offer this first issue at a $1 cover price paid off for the publisher in sales.  The Strain #1 is good.  It reminds me of a Mike Mignola comic book or at least one created under his supervision.  That would make sense with the del Toro-Mignola connection on the Hellboy movies.

Lapham has fashioned a chilling tale in which the sense of dread grows with each new scene.  He drags you along into a riveting story that will take you to a bad place, but the kind that’s fun if you’re reading about it.  This is well-written enough that any veteran comic book artist with experience in horror comic books could be the series artist.  That is no swipe at artist Mike Huddleston, however.  He’s good here, and creates atmosphere without artistic bells and whistles.  If the series maintains a high level of quality, Huddleston might end up being called a master of horror for it.

Fans of horror comic books, particularly titles like Hellboy and BPRD, will like The Strain.

A-

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux

Dark Horse Comics from Diamond Distributors for July 17 2013

DARK HORSE COMICS

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Review: THE HOMELAND DIRECTIVE (OGN)

THE HOMELAND DIRECTIVE

TOP SHELF PRODUCTIONS
WRITER: Robert Venditti
ARTIST: Mike Huddleston
LETTERS: Sean Konot
ISBN: 978-1-60309-024-7; paperback
144pp, B&W, $14.95 U.S.

Rating: Young Adult (13+)

Robert Venditti is a comic book writer and graphic novelist best known for The Surrogates (2005-06), drawn by Brett Weldele. The miniseries, which was collected as a trade paperback, was adapted into a 2009 Bruce Willis movie, Surrogates.

Venditti’s new graphic novel is The Homeland Directive and is drawn by Mike Huddleston. A comic book artist, illustrator, and concept designer, Huddleston has drawn for DC Comics (Harley Quinn and Gen13) and created The Coffin with Phil Hester.

The central character of The Homeland Directive graphic novel is Dr. Laura Regan, a researcher for the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (C.D.C.) and one of the world’s foremost authorities on viral and bacteriological studies. She is one of the good people, but after her research partner is murdered, Laura finds herself accused of the crime and on the run. Unbeknownst to Laura, she is at the heart of a vast and deadly conspiracy, and a shadowy assassin, who uses several identities, is assigned to kill her.

Luckily, Laura gets her own shining knights in the form of three rogue federal agents: Nathan Pollack of the FBI, Gene Robillard of the U.S. Secret Service, and Theodore “Ted” Wychek of the Bureau of Consumer Advocacy (BOCA). Can Laura expose a sinister plot before law enforcement, deadly mercenaries, and a government team of cyber-detective eliminate her?

Even without the science fiction, futurist, and allegorical elements that he used in The Surrogates, Robert Venditti has written a riveting cautionary tale full of omens and portents about the day after tomorrow. The Homeland Directive is in the vein of classic conspiracy thriller movies (like The Parallax View), and is also a witty twist on the bodyguard story.

For all its action movie/suspense thriller theatrics, The Homeland Directive is more than just eye-candy thrills. It certainly is addictive; I could only stop reading it once, and that was because I had an errand to do. It is a page-turner just as stimulating as a summer potboiler novel, but it is more than mere stimulation. The Homeland Directive is practically a screaming tract about the dangers of technology and about how personal privacy and national security are threats to one another. How do you balance the two? Can you balance the two? This graphic novel is not paranoid. It’s worried.

Artist Mike Huddleston does more than just tell the story. Combining graphic design, cut-and-paste, and drawing, Huddleston creates a world that seems disjointed, although it is one that is supposed to be more connected because of technology. The environments in this story are well lit, but there are shadowy plots and adversaries everywhere. Huddleston calms the story’s fast (even manic) pace and reveals what Venditti crafted underneath the fast-moving set pieces of this story: a cautionary tale about the ever-hungry, ever-expanding Big Brother.

The Homeland Directive is one of 2011’s best graphic novels.

A