The comic book version of Guillermo del Toro’s “The Strain Trilogy†has proven to be quite a well made endeavor. It’s true to the story despite some problems with the art. Now that Dark Horse Comics started to print the second book in the trilogy “The Fall†there’s plenty of hype to live up to. Volume #1 does not disappoint.
It has been a week since the vampires have claimed New York as their home. Professor Setrakian recounts the history of a book called “The Occido Lumen.†This book is a manuscript that’s a translation of tablets that were found in a cave in Mesopotamia. Throughout history there have been outbreaks because of this book.
Meanwhile, the other characters have a little moment to develop their relationships with each other. Yes, the story may be a vampire apocalypse, but there has to be room to develop these faces- make them human and not just some plot devices. Del Toro acknowledges this in the book and it’s a smart thing that David Lapham kept these scenes in the comic version of the novel.
One noticeable thing is that the art is a vast improvement over the previous issues. Gone are the awkwardly cartoonish facial expressions when there’s a far shot of the characters. The characters also look a lot smoother and have a much better flow to them. The art seems to have gotten much darker in appearance which is perfect considering the situation the world is in now.
There is still that little quirk where the characters’ faces are completely blank in some shots. Not only is this disturbing, it’s also a really cheap way to speed up the drawing process.
Volume #1 in “The Fall†arc has started off the right way. True to the source material, it’s well-written and features a vast improvement to the art. This is a comic that’ll satiate the blood thirst of any vampire fan.
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