Blade #3 - Marvel Comics

BLADE No. 3, November 2023

Crammed full of magical mumbo jumbo and some extraordinarily violent set-pieces, fans of Marv Wolfman’s co-creation from the early Seventies must surely have enjoyed Bryan Hill’s narrative for Issue Three of “Blade”, even if Eric Brooks’ fanged alter-ego has been somewhat modernised in line with actor Wesley Snipe’s depiction of the Daywalker throughout New Line Cinema’s big screen franchise. Furthermore, the American author has the titular character appear disconcertingly naïve when it comes to his supernatural world and the lore which created it. So much so in fact, that the vampire killer must rely upon the knowledge of “his arms-dealing ex-friend” to ‘fill him in’ on both the enchanted hand-weapon needed to defeat his immortal foe, and where to find it; “You killed Daido. I forked out million-dollar intel. We’re even. Good luck.”

Happily however, such unfamiliarity when it comes to outmanoeuvring “our collision course with Armageddon” is easily set aside due to the sheer pace with which “Mother Of Evil” races along. Whether it be a group of sorcerers in Romania being immolated by Adana, a long-lived Japanese gangster literally exploding into pieces whilst trying to possess Blade, or a flurry of arrow-firing cultist ninjas swarming the diner where Brooks is subsequently eating, this comic rarely gives its readers any opportunity to pause for breath. Indeed, even Tulip’s rather word-heavy explanation as to the creation of Lucifer’s flaming sword, and its fall into the hands of a train-travelling hoodlum who is “never in a country for more than a few days” is told at such speed that the twenty-page plot never falters.

Similarly as successful as this twenty-page-periodical’s penmanship though is the impressive pencilling of Elena Casagrande and Valentina Pinti, who between them add plenty of eye-watering gratuitous aggression to the fighting scenes featuring Adana, Eric and “some literal headhunters.” In addition, the ongoing series’ regular Italian Illustrator also imbues all of this comic’s central cast with some palpable interpersonal tension whenever they are thrown together, especially when one of them is simply trying to quietly consume their bowl of wheat noodles whilst fruitlessly being ‘guilt-tripped’ into helping Blade defeat his new formidably-powered nemesis.

Writer: Bryan Hill, and Pencilers: Elena Casagrande with Valentina Pinti