Review: The Strain #5

I have to say David Lapham is all over the place lately and personally if he could handle it I’d have him writing more.  His adaptation so far has been incredible!  He’s built up suspense and given us the glimpses of what is to come as well as Abraham’s background in pretty good detail.  It’s that background information that makes what is happening in the here and now that much more terrifying.
 
I’ll say this though Sardu, the vampire, is no myth his Bubbeh told true stories in the old world. 
From generation to generation stories were told, word of mouth wise that have some shred of truth to them.  Sure the “telephone/telegraph” effect was in play but still all stories are based on some factual events.  I miss the old Jewish lore stories from my own Bubbeh’s and this one while infinitely scarier makes me remember them fondly and that is much appreciated.
 
It’s even more terrifying to think that Sardu is visiting the Nazi concentration camps helping them cull the herd.  Albeit unknowingly helping them for if they knew of his existence I doubt he would have lived long had he not bent to their will or vice versa you never know.
 
This issue turned into something so much more than I was expecting and I’m not sure how I actually feel about that.  This time in history took many of my relatives, not all were lucky enough to escape.  So listening to this monster tell Abraham that his god abandoned him is tough.  Mind you it fits in the story and for those that this doesn’t touch personally it will be dramatic indeed it’s even more so for those of us who’ve lost. 
 
By sheer luck Abraham’s encounter with Sardu didn’t end in his death just the crushing of his hands and for a woodworker that was just as bad.  Being seen as crippled and useless he was almost executed by a Nazi Soldier when the camp experienced a riot allowing him to escape.  Into the woods, ending up at Sardu’s home where the coffin he had been working was now housed.
 
Sardu wasn’t there it was one of his underlings.  Abraham killed the creature the man had become.  This brings us to the present he’s in jail telling this story to one of the men who were attacked by the naked vampire in the streets.  It’s quite amusing actually and the thug is enjoying the story and doesn’t want to leave.  Though as the two men go he gives that ominous warning if you love your friend kill him he’s turning.
 
This really is some seriously messed up shit.  Sorry for my language but this really isn’t for the feint of heart.  The story is psychologically doing a number on the reader, in this case me, so I can understand it’s too intense for a monthly book, and hence it’s bi-monthly nature.  However I do want this to come out more often cause it’s just that damn good.  Give some major credit here too to Mike and Dan without whom the mood and tone wouldn’t be as creepy as it is.  The overall effect here is just perfect and I would suggest that anyone wanting to do a horror series check this one out first and see how it should be done.