The Strain: Mister Quinlan #1 (comic) Review

The Strain has been a popular comic series as well as a TV series. Dark Horse comics now takes us into some of the history in The Strain: Mister Quinlan.

The Strain: Mister Quinlan Origins

If you have followed The Strain at all, you are aware that Mister Quinlan is no slouch. He’s a well trained soldier, and a force to be reckoned with. But how did this come to be?

Well, I will try to avoid spoilers here, but there are just some things we know. He’s a vampire. He’s old. No, I mean, really old. His story goes back to the era of Caligula in Rome. That’s nearly two thousand years ago. In a nutshell, Mister Quinlan seeks to take down the monster that sired him. That never goes well, does it?

The Plot Goes To…

Being born a mistake, hunting your creator, only to find that your creator is hunting you. Sounds like a slight twist on some of the stories we’ve heard before. Though I like how Mister Quinlan works with his own kind, while also hunting. This is a fresh take on some of the vampire mythos of days gone by.

And The Writing Has…

There is plenty of narration to go with this story, intertwined nicely among the vampiric gore. The writing here has the typical feel of a flashback, being told from Quinlan’s own perspective. What is refreshing for such a flashback is his recollection of things happening prior to his own birth. It’s entertaining to think that a wacky Roman emperor would keep a vampire aide, Thrax, to take care of things he was unable to. The rabbit hole continues from here, as we learn that Thrax is responsible for Quinlan.

Finally The Visuals…

The gang here definately know how to creep you out, as well as portray a good story. Blood, guts and gore, not to mention the definition and detail as portrayed in the attached images. Some of the best images in this chapter are the stark black-on-white with just little sections of color. Take that cover art. That is excellent. I could easily see that framed and hung on a wall. Some of the images of young Quinlan with his mother are equally as deep. Though few are more chilling than seeing that pathogen crawling into her eye.

The Strain: Mister Quinlan is my first experience with The Strain, and it has inspired me to want to find a copy of the first season of the show, so I can know more about what is going on here. What is Mister Quinlan putting himself through these days?

If like me, you find yourself drawn in and want to know more,  you can start by picking up a copy of The Strain: Mister Quinlan #1 — Vampire Hunter at your local bookstore, comic shop, or even online for $3.99 US.