The Strain #6
Publisher: Dark Horse
Writer: David Lapham
Artist: Mike Huddleston (cover by E.M. Gist)
Colors: Dan Jackson
Since the beginning issue of this series, one thing has been a constant. The tag-line for this series has been: “They have always been here. VAMPIRES. In secret and in darkness, WAITING. Now their time has come. In one week, Manhattan will be gone. In one month, the country. In two months – the world.” Now, this has been mostly theory up until now. For the past couple of nights, since the airplane landed and brought this plague to New York City, the vampires have been multiplying at an astounding rate. It seems humanity’s only hope is Dr. Setrakian. He shows Dr. Goodweather and Dr. Martinez from the C.D.C., that this is not some normal plague, and is in fact the sinister work of a rogue vampire called “The Master.” Setrakian explains that he’s been fighting this infestation since WWII, and that this vampire has an accomplice that is human.
This series epitomizes what every horror series should be. Great script/writing, solid artwork, and an all around creepy feel to it! Lapham’s work (Del Toro and Hogan’s script) is fantastic. He relays a feeling of pure dread through the dialog. The characters are all deeply rooted in this story, and not only provide sufficient reason to read on, but also make readers care what happens to them no matter how trivial. Setrakian is the most intriguing character, to be sure. The depth of that character and his old school feel when he speaks is fabulous. The two doctors from the C.D.C. are also quite good, and one can’t shake the feeling that one of them is bound for some great tragedy by the end of the series.
Mike Huddleston has really created something with his artwork in this book so far. He does a fine job knowing when to be dark, and when to be very specific with his characters and settings. The book is a very dark one, but it doesn’t hinder the story, rather it adds to it very significantly. The vampires in this story are not your traditional ones, but the version is certainly original, and very cool. The cover is very striking, too, and that is credited to E. M. Gist (World of Warcraft, Game of Thrones). His work is very detailed, and only adds to the fantastic book that is The Strain! Rating 4.5/5
Billy Dunleavy
billy@comicattack.net
