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Nocturna Vol. 1 (2013)

by David Lapham(Favorite Author)

3.79 of 5 Votes: 4

languge

English

genre

Horror

publisher

Panini Comics

series

The Strain

review 1: Having read the entire series when the books were first released, this reading of the graphic novel was nothing more than an opportunity to see the story in pictures, as Guillermo Del Toro imagined it to be as he was writing the novels. Anyone else looking to do the same will not be disappointed. Similarly, fans of horror will find much to love about the graphic rendering of this creepy story.It must be stated that while Del Toro himself calls this a vampire story, the illustrations prove without a doubt that these nasty creatures are not vampires. The tentacles protruding from their mouths are all the visual proof one needs to realize this. Then there is the method by which the creatures reproduce. Again, this has nothing to do with the vampire mythology but more with the... more zombie myths. If anything, to call this series a vampire story does the series a disservice because the creatures are much nastier than any of the vampire iterations established throughout the years.One other thing to strike readers perusing the graphic novel is the characters themselves. There is an otherworldly aspect about all of the illustrations that hints at the darkness to come, both literally as the story progresses and figuratively in the characters’ actions. All of the characters appear larger than life, more cartoonish than realistic, but rather than making them clownish, these details help showcase the stakes each character faces and the huge leaps of faith and development they must make if they stand a chance of survival.The graphic novel version of The Strain is a faithful rendering of the original story with the added bonus of terrifying images sanctioned by the authors. These illustrations drive home the point that these things are no longer human and a true scourge on society. Having the visual cues to coincide with the written ones makes The Strain one of the scarier novels to read. In other words, it is something true horror fans should not miss.
review 2: Now that I've had time to calm down from my earlier excitement over this graphic novel, I think I'm finally ready to review it. Being totally honest, I'm a sucker for all things vampire related. Wait, no. That's not entirely true. I don't do sparkly vampires. Ever. Everything else is fair game though, and I especially love when something new and different comes along. Which is why I was so excited over The Strain. I had no idea this was a book first, but based off the cover art alone I knew I was going to want to devour this. I was right.I absolutely adored the art style in this one. It has these perfectly dark and gritty illustrations that do a great job of evoking the madness of this story line. Be warned, this graphic novel has it's fair share of blood and gore. Then again, any good vampire story does so I was expecting it anyway. It's not overly gratuitous bloodshed, honestly. In fact, it helps draw the line between good and evil in the panels. I think some of those illustrations might haunt my nightmares for a bit though.It was the story itself that really caught my attention though. This is a much different vampire story than I'd been told before. Granted it does share some of the same origin stories, but the twist on this just deliciously, well... twisted. If you're like me, and you haven't read the book yet, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at what you find between these pages. If you'll permit me a small tangent, my husband isn't a big reader but he loves graphic novels. I know that one I'm reading is really good if he steals it from me. This one? He took it away after I'd only read 10 pages, and didn't give it back until he was done. It has the hubby seal of approval.So, yes, I loved this! It was just the type of story I was hoping to get lost in, with the type of illustrative work that I just can't get enough of. I'm so thrilled that I had the opportunity to receive a review copy of this, and I can't wait to find out what happens next! That ending. Oh, that ending. I'll be here mourning my lack of the next installment if you need me. less

Download links for: Nocturna vol. 1

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