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The Strain (Collected editions)
The Strain: Mister Quinlan - Vampire Hunter
Mr. Quinlan, a product of a hellish vampiric ritual gone wrong, seeks to destroy the Master, the powerful vampire who sired him. After he is forced into hiding in the ancient Roman hillsides, he is captured and raised in the arenas as a gladiator. Winning his freedom as a champion against the will of the emperor, Mr. Quinlan is smuggled to Africa to battle foreign hordes. He must survive long enough to carry out his mission--but then his target begins hunting him.Acclaimed comics writer David Lapham traces the dark origin tale of the popular character from the television series The Strain. This volume collects issues #1-#5 of The Mr. Quinlan.
128 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 19, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
June 12, 2018
Okay, before I get on with the review, I need to state some facts.
1. I absolutely loved the series. Yes, there were some unfortunate elements that would momentarily lose my interest or downright make me feel like giving up, but, a few of the characters made it more than simply enjoyable to watch.
2. I'm not a huge comic fan. In fact, it's been years since the last time I read one and I haven't kept up with the styles or the different publishing houses.
3. I'm a sucker for QdT. I mean, sure, he's done a few things I'm not a fan of, but, generally speaking, I will always grab something of his to watch or read with a positive mentality. Similarly, there are other creators with whom, although talented or even celebrated, I always start off negative and then slowly warm up to them.
Right. So, what about the book?
I sincerely liked it. It lays a VERY GOOD and PLAUSIBLE origin story for Quinlan (arguably one of the best characters in the series), sprinkled with historical facts that actually work in the story's favour.
What I didn't particularly love is that, at points, conversations felt disjointed; as I said though, I'm not a huge comic reader so, maybe, that's something common in the comic form? Maybe there's just so much frame real estate that longer conversations are just not possible.
In any case, I loved the tale and the drawing style, the colours were popping and, perhaps the greatest elements of any origin story, the conflict and emotional torture, were evident throughout the story.
I do think I will have to invest in the other books of the series. If only my TBR list was shorter or if I could just read a bit faster. Oh well, one day...
Oh, by the way [not sure if what follows constitutes a spoiler so... read/skip in your own volition], the final page of the comic hijacks a huge historical fact in such a way that you will either love it or find it tacky and hate it. I did like it. I actually had to go back and go over the last few frames again to make sure that it was really what I thought it was, but I decided I liked it :)
1. I absolutely loved the series. Yes, there were some unfortunate elements that would momentarily lose my interest or downright make me feel like giving up, but, a few of the characters made it more than simply enjoyable to watch.
2. I'm not a huge comic fan. In fact, it's been years since the last time I read one and I haven't kept up with the styles or the different publishing houses.
3. I'm a sucker for QdT. I mean, sure, he's done a few things I'm not a fan of, but, generally speaking, I will always grab something of his to watch or read with a positive mentality. Similarly, there are other creators with whom, although talented or even celebrated, I always start off negative and then slowly warm up to them.
Right. So, what about the book?
I sincerely liked it. It lays a VERY GOOD and PLAUSIBLE origin story for Quinlan (arguably one of the best characters in the series), sprinkled with historical facts that actually work in the story's favour.
What I didn't particularly love is that, at points, conversations felt disjointed; as I said though, I'm not a huge comic reader so, maybe, that's something common in the comic form? Maybe there's just so much frame real estate that longer conversations are just not possible.
In any case, I loved the tale and the drawing style, the colours were popping and, perhaps the greatest elements of any origin story, the conflict and emotional torture, were evident throughout the story.
I do think I will have to invest in the other books of the series. If only my TBR list was shorter or if I could just read a bit faster. Oh well, one day...
Oh, by the way [not sure if what follows constitutes a spoiler so... read/skip in your own volition], the final page of the comic hijacks a huge historical fact in such a way that you will either love it or find it tacky and hate it. I did like it. I actually had to go back and go over the last few frames again to make sure that it was really what I thought it was, but I decided I liked it :)
January 22, 2017
I want more Mister Quinlan :)
Read
February 11, 2018Fun story to read after watching the tv show. It stays in a short period of time. Would have liked to see it cover a bigger time span.
November 28, 2017
Odd and interesting take on vampires. Good plot and nice art. I will definitely check out other volumes to see if the story remains interesting. Recommended
November 3, 2020
Mixing vampires and ancient Rome was very original and entertaining. Quinlan was only able to have one lifetime of peace during his immortality.
March 12, 2019
A decent backstory but not quite satisfying. How Quinlan came to be has been a long mystery to me. All I knew (based on the TV series) was that his pregnant mother was attacked while carrying him. The actual circumstances were never revealed until now. Maybe it has been mentioned in the novel trilogy? I have yet to check them out.
For a graphic novel, I was expecting a much darker tone for the artwork. But it was too colorful, if you ask me. And some of the Roman-age dialogue felt out of place. I don’t think expressions such as “giving a rat’s ass…” was common at that time.
For a graphic novel, I was expecting a much darker tone for the artwork. But it was too colorful, if you ask me. And some of the Roman-age dialogue felt out of place. I don’t think expressions such as “giving a rat’s ass…” was common at that time.
August 11, 2017
Can't wait to see how this ends.
November 25, 2021
Love this graphic novel. While it is short + easy to read it is a good book to have. I love his origin stories. I'm glad it is in my little library of books that I can read whenever I like.
April 2, 2025
slay i love him
June 18, 2019
Whilst reading the three Strain books I always wanted to comprehend more about Quinlan; and this side story surely delivers. Adds lore and character development to a few main characters in the series.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews