From writer Chris Condon and artist Jeffrey Alan Love comes a creepy and striking take on nuclear weapons in News From the Fallout #1. Featuring lettering from Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou, this debut issue presents readers with some familiar tropes shown in atmospheric and unique visual fashion and a sense of horror unlike what is usually seen in these kinds of stories. With a sharp, tense script and utterly fantastic visual work, News From the Fallout is off to a phenomenal start.
“In 1962 Nevada, a nuclear bomb test goes horribly awry and unleashes a contaminate into the atmosphere that turns people rotten. Otis Fallows, a private in the U.S. Army who is present for the test and is the only known survivor, flees the secret army base in search of a safe haven—but does such a place exist?”
Writing & Plot
Chris Condon’s script in News From the Fallout #1 works so well because of how much he *doesn’t* write. The main premise of the comic – insane general uses nuclear experiment to turn soldiers into monsters – isn’t especially unique. However, the tension introduced through Condon’s slow buildup and lack of exposition in the earlier pages of the story makes the issue much more visceral than you may expect. Fallout takes place from the perspective of one gasmask-laden Private who becomes woefully aware of the danger he and his comrades are in being so close to this strange nuclear blast. Condon keeps the story moving at a breakneck but decisive pace, keeping the reading experience taut from beginning to end. His dialogue feels naturalistic yet intentionally stereotypical. The General and all of the other soldiers speak exactly how you’d expect run-of-the-mill characters such as these to speak. This really isn’t of much importance, as all the the book’s most important moments have no dialogue in the first place. What makes this issue work so well is how Condon allows the art to tell the story, with the dialogue writing just adding a bit of context and flavoring.
Art Direction
Speaking of the art, Jeffrey Alan Love’s visual work is the true feature that will draw readers to News From the Fallout #1. His signature charcoal and fully blacked out character work brings this nuclear sci-fi horror story to life in all its dreary tension. Despite his art’s monochrome appearance, there’s a deceptive amount of detail in Love’s work. His close-up details of the General as the story commences immediately sets the tone, showing that some horribly wrong is occurring on this military base. Private Fallows’ gasmask-covered expression still showcases fear, with Love utilizing that Batman: The Animated Series style of white-eye coloring to show the protagonist’s range of emotions. Granted, that emotion is mainly fear. When the main horror of the story sets is, Love crafts fantastic and utterly unnerving panels with his specific style. His work reminds me of a mix between Stephen Gammell’s Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark and Manu Larcent’s adaptation of The Road. Adding to the impeccable presentation is Hassan Otsmane Elhaou’s lettering – specifically his scrawled SFX work. His style in these moments resembles carving message in wood with a razorblade, and they add even more atmosphere and tension to this comic. News From the Fallout’s stark presentation makes it one of the most visually compelling horror comics in recent years.
Verdict
News From the Fallout #1 is a surprisingly unnerving and striking first chapter to this new sci-fi horror series. Chris Condon’s script relies primarily on the art to tell the story, utilizing his co-author’s skill to craft something special out of a familiar premise. Love’s art, then, is a darkly unique and wonderfully compelling take on horror comics art, with his stark black and charcoal gray presentation making for one of the coolest-looking comic books in recent memory. Be sure to grab this debut issue when it hits shelves on June 25!
