With News From The Fallout, Chris Condon (That Texas Blood) and Jeffrey Allan Love (The Thousand Demon Tree) deliver an unforgettable, chilling sci-fi horror that’ll leave you craving more.
Image Comics has been absolutely knocking it out of the park with their roster of original comics this year. Some personal highlights have been Assorted Crisis Events and You’ll Do Bad Things. Another comic you now need to add to your pull lists is News From The Fallout, a breathtakingly-illustrated dark horror sci-fi comic from Chris Condon and Jeffrey Allan Love.
News From The Fallout takes place in 1962 Nevada, where a nuclear bomb test fails to enormously disastrous consequences. The only survivor from the epicentre of the test is U.S. Army private Otis Fallows. As the immense fallout unleashes a wicked contaminate into the atmosphere, powerful enough to turn people rotten monsters, Otis flees the scene. With this comic, we’re talking about a blend of The Crazies with a bit of zombie substance mixed in; but it’s very much its own thing.
As a lover of anything remotely apocalyptic, this comic was right up my alley, and it didn’t disappoint. The comic transports the reader into the era of 60s horror, feeling quintessential of genre stories from the period. The narrative is gripping from the first page. Condon’s pacing is deliberate, it builds immense suspense and tension, but doesn’t hold back on quickly throwing punches. This is coupled with the fact that there’s little dialogue, just a constant, unnerving and looming sense of dread. It primarily sets its exposition through a foreboding atmosphere, using visual fear — especially through facial expressions — rather than words.
The concept of nuclear disasters bringing about monsters is hardly unique. I mean, this is one of the most overused tropes in all of pop culture. Look no further than examples like The Hills Have Eyes, or even The Incredible Hulk. While News From The Fallout very much falls into a similar bracket, the thing that sets it apart is the breathtaking artwork from Jeffrey Allan Love. His rough black-and-white illustrations create an eerie, foreboding atmosphere. The lack of colours adds an uneasiness — the style achieves the same goal as George A. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead. The letters, too, courtesy of Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou, are fantastic, perfectly encapsulating fear.
Overall, this is a fantastic start to the series. News From The Fallout looks to be another jewel in the crown of Image Comics. The ending of issue #1 had me desperate for more.
Rating: 4 out of 5 — News From The Fallout #1 is a chilling and unforgettable debut, delivering a gripping and visually haunting sci-fi horror set in 1960s Nevada.
News From The Fallout #1 goes on sale June 25, 2025 from Image Comics.
