The Strain: The Fall #1
Story by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan
Illustrated by Mike Huddleston
Letters by Clem Robins
Colors by Dan Jackson
Covers by E.M. Gist
Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: July 17, 2013
Cover Price: $3.99

The Strain is a series of vampire novels by visionary Renaissance man Guillermo del Toro (perhaps best known for directing tiny little films like the Hellboy series) and Chuck Hogan, who previously penned The Town. Last Fall we received news that a made-for-television series is being developed for the FX Network, now this month we are treated to the first issue for series two of the ongoing comic adaptation from Dark Horse Comics.

There is a government conspiracy, a really nasty virus, and a bunch of modern day folks trying to survive something so large and complex in scale, they cannot possibly understand all its implications yet. The clichés don’t even stop there. However, it’s due to the stellar writing that I am willing to walk this rather pessimistic and possibly predictable comic journey a few more miles. Thank goodness for del Toro and Hogan.

The True Lives Of The Fabulous Killjoys #1
Written by Gerard Way and Shaun Simon
Illustrated by Becky Cloonan
Colored by Dan Jackson
Lettered by Nate Piekos of Blambot
Covers by Becky Cloonan, Gabriel Ba and Gerard Way
Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: June 12, 2013
Cover Price: $3.99

Dark Horse has just released The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys #1. This bizarrely fashioned post-apocalyptic superhero story is written by Gerard Way and Shaun Simon with art from Becky Cloonan. Check out my thoughts below:

Here’s what we know: The superhero team known as The Killjoys fought against Better Living Industries “” an evil mega-corporation shedding individuality from the citizens of Battery City. The Killjoys also protected a young girl whom they believed to be a messiah of sorts; however, The Killjoys were all killed and only the girl survived. Now, twelve years later, the Killjoys’ followers, The Ultra V’s “” a group of reckless, careless punk teenagers “” are in the midst of continuing the fight against the B.L.I. and anyone else who might get in their way. The nameless girl wanders the streets with her cat and a radio, avoiding danger at all costs. When she meets up with The Ultra V’s, she quickly learns that the term “superhero” does not have quite the same meaning as it used to and that the B.L.I. are on her trail.

The Strain, Vol. 2
Story by Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan
Script by David Lapham
Illustrated by Mike Huddleston
Colored by Dan Jackson
Lettered by Clem Robins
Covers and Chapter Art by E. M. Gist
Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: June 05, 2013
Cover Price: $19.99

Adapted from the novel by Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan, volume two of the comic series The Strain has just been released by Dark Horse. Written by David Lapham, with art from Mike Huddleston and color by Dan Jackson, this action-packed thriller has really picked up the pace and shed some new light into the mystery of the vampire plague. Read on to find out my thoughts!

Dr. Ephraim Goodweather is on the run and wanted for murder. He and his partner Nora have teamed with the aging Jewish vampire hunter, Abraham Setrakian, to get the truth out about the vampire Sardu and human cohort Eldritch Palmer’s devious plans for world domination. Setrakian knows all about the vampire catastrophe hitting New York, as he has a long history with Sardu dating back to his time in a concentration camp; and for certain reasons, Setrakian feels it is his fault for ushering in the oncoming apocalypse. It’s a race against time as a disease is spreading through the five boroughs of New York City and other players are beginning to make themselves known, including other original vampires called The Ancients.

Robert E. Howard’s Savage Sword, Volume 1
Written by Paul Tobin, Scott Allie, Mark Finn, Marc Andreyko, Joe Casey, Robert E. Howard, Jeremy Barlow, David Lapham, Joshua Williamson, Dave Land, Peter Doree
Art/Illustrations/Pencils/Inks/Colors by Wellington Alves, Ben Dewey, Greg Scott, Pop Mhan, Tony Parker, Fabio Cobiaco, Patric Reynolds, M.S. Corley, Sean Phillips, Tim Bradstreet, Tim Seeley, Robert Atkins, Rebecca Buchman, Michael Atiyeh, Dave Stewart, Grant Goleash, Michelle Madsen, Jose Villarrubia, Brian Miller, Hi-Fi Colour Design, Dan Jackson
Letters by Richard Starkings and Comicraft
Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: January 9, 2013
Cover Price: $17.99

Okay, first off, the individuals listed above were done so in the order in which their stories were placed in the anthology, subdivided by the type of work they contributed. No offense was implied towards any person who might have been placed incorrectly in this review. There, I’ve been about as politically correct as I can be. All characters are based upon the work of Robert E. Howard. This is, after all, Robert E. Howard’s Savage Sword, Volume 1.

Kirby Genesis: Silver Star #6
Written by Jai Nitz
Art by Johnny Desjardins
Colors by Vinicius Andrade
Letters by Simon Bowland
Cover by Alex Ross
Dynamite Entertainment
Release Date: June 27, 2012
Cover Price: $3.99

In Kirby Genesis: Silver Star #6 there’s a LOT going on. Unfortunately, I didn’t like much of it, to be honest. While it was a good effort, I found myself SO lost in this comic, that I almost gave up reading it. But for you, dear readers, I stuck with it.

Writer Jai Nitz had me SO confused with this issue I don’t know where to start. This comic is ALL over the map, it seems there’s more than a handful of Silver Stars and a number of his villains (who are also all the same person), that I really had a problem knowing just who was who and who I should be routing for. There’s also a little girl, that I THINK turns into a love interest in the end, but I honestly don’t know. I’m afraid this comic falls victim to some VERY confusing storytelling. A narrative or re-cap paragraph would’ve helped immensely here.