30 Days of Night: Falling Sun #1 – Feeding on the Past

Barrow remains in the cross-hairs of Vampires! Almost two decades have passed and the last vampire attack is barely remembered. New faces may populate the town of Barrow, Alaska, but old grudges never die. No one is prepared for the bloody vengeance tearing its way towards them. 30 Days of Night: Falling Sun begins!

• Written by Rodney Barnes
• Story Consultant Steve Niles
• Art by Chris Shehan
• Colors by Xenon Honchar
• Letters by Alex Ray
• Edited by Thea Cheuk & Ellen Boener

Barrow is Not Ready For Another 30 Days of Night

The story from 30 Days of Night continues in the Little Alaskan town of Barrow! Who better to take this story on it’s next adventure than one of the best horror writers there is, Rodney Barnes? The story continues when vampires from the past with a grudge against the events that transpired in Barrow are resurrected. This group is lead by the brother of the Vicente, Vladmir, seeking the remains of his brother and an urge to put humanity in their place.

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We’re immediately introduced to Jalen, a young man running from his troubles in LA to stay with his uncle. At the same time we also follow along with a local, Ernestine. Ernestine’s mother remembers that first attack and prays to keep the evil away. Ernie and her mother are our string from the past that will intersect with the present in Jalen and his Uncle.

Character Development in 30 Days of Night

Barnes does a magnificent job in building the foundations of these two protagonists. He fleshes out who they are and what their environment has done to make them who they are without any flashbacks or weighty exposition. I’m invested in both of them by the end of the issue.

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Speaking of character development, we also get a look behind the Vampire veil as well. Romania is the origin of our antagonist monsters. We get to see a ritual for the revival of Vladmir that shows us brief look into his past. After that it’s full speed ahead as Vladmir is built to be a killing machine, but with a purpose. He’s not just out to feed, he’s out to punish.

30 Days of Night: Fallen Sun Artwork

The art in 30 Days of Night: Fallen Sun is beautifully done. The watercolor like aspect of it brings a dream like feeling to the story, or in this case, more like a nightmare. It’s done through minimalism, yet it shines in the right details. I can’t help but dive into the visuals of every panel. It feels dark, cold and dangerous, yet there’s a warmth to it. It perfectly matches the tone of the story.

Overall Grade: 9/10

30 Days of Night: Falling Sun builds a new and intriguing horror story on the foundations of one of the best. This one reads so well with amazing pacing and some engaging characters. It’s brutal, bloody, and pulls no punches with it’s violent imagery. This was a great way to kick off the next chapter of 30 Days of Night!