The Strain: The Night Eternal [2015] David Lapham | Mike Huddleston

A worldwide war breaks out between nations as the vampires rule over the eternal night that follows the nuclear winter. The Master was the youngest of the Ancients however he does not know the location of his origin site, which is supposedly within the Occido Lumen. After the Fall, Quinlan has arrived to reclaim it from Fet the Exterminator. Now Fet and Dr. Goodweather unite with Gus to break Nora out of Camp Liberty with Quinlan. Gus breaks Nora out of Camp Liberty as a space station crashes to Earth. Dr. Goodweather finally discovers the Master’s origin site to stop him by realizing the Occido Lumen is supposed to be read in the sunlight. 

The origin of Master is told starting when he was the adviser to Emperor Caligula in 40 AD. He infects a woman who gives birth to a vampire who can withstand the son – Quinlan. The Master wanted his son to unite with him and take down the Ancients. We discover the first vampires were angels who coveted God’s creation. A rogue angel named Ozryel betrayed the angel Michael and drank his blood to be closer to God. The angel Gabriel arrives with others and tears Ozryel apart into the oceans and stay until the Day of Judgment. However the blood rose from the ground and became the Ancients.

Nora and Gus find Zack and take him back to his father Dr. Goodweather. However finding Zack was a trap leading to an army of vampires to their doorsteps. Zack’s mother Kelly arrives and Dr. Goodweather kills her before heading out and delivering the bomb at the origin site to finally stop the Master.

Dr. Goodweather heads to the origin site with Quinlan while the Master and Zack follows them. The final confrontation between Quinlan and the Master takes place while Zack and his father face each other for the final time. The Master kills Quinlan as Zack realizes the love between him and his father. Dr. Goodweather detonates the bomb at the origin site and frees the world of the Master and his followers.

RECOMMENDED – 4 OUT OF 5

The Strain: The Fall [2013-2014] by David Lapham | Mike Huddleston

THE STRAIN VOLUME 3: THE FALL

A mysterious book the Occido Lumen was deciphered from ancient tablets in the Middle East. The vampire Eichorst wants billionaire Palmer to obtain the book for them.  A turf war between the vampires erupts after the Master crosses into the US to carry out his plans. Now they hire Gus who puts a crew together to take on the Master and his minions. The Master and his vampires have crossed from New York and into New Jersey through the tunnels which need to be destroyed. Meanwhile Dr. Goodweather plans to assassinate Palmer. 

THE STRAIN VOLUME 4: THE FALL

The Exterminator is affected with the vampire virus however he burns it off with his lighter. Now he and Abraham teams up with Gus and the vampire sect. Dr. Goodweather is captured by the FBI and is taken to Palmer while Abraham gets the book the Occido Lumen at an auction for $32 Million. Dr. Goodweather is rescued with the help of Gus and reunited with the Exterminator and Abraham who has the book.

Zack Goodweather is kidnapped by his vampire mother, Palmer is killed by the Master and the book contains the locations of the Origin Sites of the Ancients. The Master used Palmer to build nuclear plants on these locations to melt them down to kill the Ancients. Now Abraham faces both Eichorst and the Master as the nuclear plant explodes. The Master transfers himself into this son Gabriel after Abraham poisons his blood. Zack is brought to Gabriel who make him his slave.

RECOMMENDED – 4 OUT OF 5

The Strain Book One [2011-2012] by David Lapham | Mike Huddleston

THE STRAIN BOOK ONE HC

The TV series of the same name premiered in 2014. The comics expand on how the story is told with background information to enhance the story. The story begins in Romania in 1927 where Jusef Sardu the son of a polish nobleman becomes a monster. In the present at JFK International Airport, a plane lands with no communication and the CDC are called. They discovered survivors inside and most of the passengers appear to be dead however later they are coming back to life. The plane also contains an undocumented coffin which mysteriously disappears.

Abraham Setrakian reveals to Dr. Ephraim Goodweather and Nora Martinez there are seven original vampires called the Ancients. A schism left three in the old world and three in the new world. One is a rogue called the Master. Stoneheart Group helped bring the coffin and the Master to the US. In 1937 Romania the Master Jusef Sardu continued to plague the weak and it was Setrakian who created the coffin. Dr. Goodweather and Setrakian discovers there is a connection between the virus and the Stoneheart Group. 

Dr. Goodweather and his group team up with Vasiliy Fet to find the Master’s lair. They find and confront the Master who gets away. Since the Master broke the truce the Ancients of the New World are also finding a way to fight back. The series has a beginning, middle, and ending which make the reading easy.  Some publishers like to milk a series however creator-owned series has a separate life of its own. 

This hardcover collects

The Strain #1-11

RECOMMENDED – 4 OUT OF 5