Midnight Suns: Blood Hunt #3 - Marvel Comics

MIDNIGHT SONS: BLOOD HUNT No. 3, September 2024

It’s probably a fair bet that many a reader was rather disappointed with Bryan Hill’s script for Issue Three of “Midnight Sons: Blood Hunt”, considering that the vampireless comic doesn’t contain any sort of showdown between Blade and his former comrades whatsoever. In fact, up until this twenty-page periodical’s conclusion – which frankly feels like a bolt-on when the American author realised his ‘play by the numbers’ plot was going to fall significantly short - there’s not even a glimpse of Eric Brook’s sword-slashing alter-ego to be found despite its publisher’s pre-print solicitation promise to the contrary.

Instead, any bibliophiles picking this mini-series’ final instalment up will be faced with the “now (mostly) banded together” titular characters disconcertingly confronting a demonic clown in an Illinois hospital. Admittedly, this bemusing twist definitely contains a few terrifying scenes as Danny Ketch, Vicki Montesi and Johnny Blaze all appear to abandon a local nurse to a gruesome fate (possibly worse than death). But such is the team's confidence to trounce the worm-infested walking cadaver that the storytelling quickly becomes almost sedentary once it becomes clear that the petrified health worker was simply being used as bait; “You are bound. Embodiment of darkness. Bound in this form. And once banished, never shall you return.”

Furthermore, for some utterly bizarre reason Tamlyn Hamato seems to leave the paranormal super-heroes to the battle by ‘exiting stage left’ just as the fearsome fight begins. This baffling departure ‘off-screen’ debatably makes a complete mockery of just why Tulip was brought into the book in the first place, as the three devil-hunting comrades-in-arms all seemed perfectly willing to be drawn together without her influence anyway. Indeed, somewhat uncharitably, the Chicago-born screenwriter could be criticised for including the Japanese arms dealer simply so he could pointlessly pen her walking the sun-drenched streets of Chiang Mai, Thailand some “weeks after the defeat of Varnae and his blood hunt” and finding a heavily-bearded Blade.

Possibly just as perturbed by this bizarre sequence of events as the audience is German Peralta, who pencils some rather lack-lustre, lifeless panels depicting Montesi trying the convince Julie that she needs to face her greatest fear so it can physically manifest itself in our dimension. Some of the illustrator’s panels genuinely look like reused sketches from earlier in the layouts (or even page), and debatably lack a lot of dynamic energy any onlooker might expect from a frightful undead fun-fair attraction stalking the living.

The regular cover art to "MIDNIGHT SONS: BLOOD HUNT" #3 by Ken Lashley & Juan Fernandez

Midnight Suns: Blood Hunt #2 - Marvel Comics

MIDNIGHT SONS: BLOOD HUNT No. 2, August 2024

Despite starting with a scene seemingly stolen straight out Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 psychological horror film “The Shining”, there’s arguably still plenty to enjoy with Bryan Hill’s narrative for Issue Two of “Midnight Sons: Blood Hunt”. Indeed, no sooner has the audience waded through Victoria Montesi’s blood-drenched nightmare, than they are whisked away to the vampire-stalked corridors of a partially-deserted hospital in Springfield, Illinois for an enjoyable, pulse-pounding confrontation with a skin-shredding revenant; “I have so much pain inside me… Pain I want to share… with you.”

This tense, adrenalin fuelled chase scene genuinely doesn’t look good for the poor female nurse who finds herself at the fanged fiend’s not-so-tender mercy, and right up until the flame-fuelled Ghost Rider makes an impressive last-minute appearance, everything penned by the American author appears to lead the understandably terrified woman towards a truly grisly demise. Likewise things look similarly glum for the titular characters when their former friend Eric Brooks shocking crashes into the middle of their latest congregation and appears on the verge of dispatching at least a couple of the super-powered protagonists with his deadly sharp sword.

Quite possibly this twenty-page periodical’s best moment however, doesn’t come until its very end, when it’s revealed that Blade was merely trying to lure his ex-team-mates away from the infirmary so that some unseen demonic “sleeper of Hell” could cross over into our dimension. So disconcerting a plot twist really is very well delivered by the Chicago-born writer, and debatably occurs just as the audience are probably expecting the supernatural troupe to somehow follow their one-time mentor straight out of the clinic’s smashed multi-storey window.

Proficiently pencilling all this action is German Peralta, whose sketches of the aforementioned vampire literally clawing his flesh off of his head are well worth a “parental advisory” warning alone. Furthermore, the Argentinian artist does a cracking job in making the reader drop their guard with the ‘quiet’ of the hospital’s empty canteen. This serene atmosphere is disconcertingly peaceful, and resultantly makes the Daywalker’s dramatic entrance all the impactive as it completely shatters the calm nature of the moment in an instant.

The regular cover art to "MIDNIGHT SONS: BLOOD HUNT" #2 by Ken Lashley & Juan Fernandez

Blood Hunt: Red Band #4 - Marvel Comics

BLOOD HUNT: RED BAND No. 4, August 2024

Arguably crammed full of more surprises than those found inside presents sat around a Christmas Tree, Jed MacKay’s narrative for Issue Four of “Blood Hunt” surely must have caused a few gasps of amazement in its audience – especially from those readers who had been struggling to keep up with the plethora of tie-in publications which separates this edition from its predecessor. Indeed, straight from the comic’s start events have clearly moved on somewhat since Blade miraculously slammed the Temple of the First Blasphemy smack into the middle of New York City, with both Stephen Strange and his wife Cleo shockingly appearing ‘cap-in-hand’ before Doctor Victor Von Doom in Doomstadt, Latveria.

To further confound and befuddle the readers’ senses though, within a handful of panels it is revealed that Eric Brooks is not in fact the traitor this unwholesome event has portrayed the Avenger to be. But has disconcertingly been possessed by Varnae, the first vampire ever to walk the planet. Such an admission is probably not too great a surprise to those bibliophiles more familiar with the Dhampir’s usual preference to stake any blood-drinker in sight. But the notion that “one who has survived the death of continents” intends to use the Daywalker as a vessel so he can merge with “an entire dimension of darkness” is impressively grandiose in design if nothing else.

Likewise the sub-plot of Hunter’s Moon teaming up with Tigra and the super-villainous Wrecker so as to free Khonshu from his prison on Asgard proves to be a real eye-opener. The resultant hordes of mummified “dead fists” pitching themselves headlong against every vampire across the globe is pulse-poundingly penned, and probably the stuff fans of the old Hammer House of Horror movies would die for; especially when the Moon God decides to seemingly also resurrect Marc Spector’s crime-fighting alter-ego simultaneously.

More than helping to sell all these story threads are Pepe Larraz and colour artist Marte Gracia, who together manage to imbue all the lead characters with the solemness or sparks of indignation an onlooker would expect from those living through such cataclysmic times. In fact, one of this comic’s best moments comes when Doctor Doom makes it clear to a truly startled Master Of The Mystic Arts that he had already foreseen the vampire’s planetwide upheaval, and taken plenty of steps to ensure his dictatorship was not affected by it; “Ah, the Darkforce. I have precautions for that as well, of course. It was only a matter of time, after all.”

The regular cover art to "BLOOD HUNT" #4 by Pepe Larraz & Marte Gracia

Blood Hunt: Red Band #3 - Marvel Comics

BLOOD HUNT: RED BAND No. 3, August 2024

Disconcertingly containing barely a punch in anger, Jed MacKay’s dialogue-driven and somewhat sedentary storyline for Issue Three of “Blood Hunt” probably didn’t live up to the expectations of an audience whose desire to read more about Blade’s vampire uprising made the title the “top advance-reordered comic book” in early May 2024 (at least according to “Diamond Comic Distributors”). True, the twenty-one page periodical does contain a savage attack upon the Avengers by a brainwashed Miles Morales inside the supposedly safe Sanctum Sanctorum. But this ferocious ambush is quickly quelled once Clea Strange traps the fanged fiend within the Crimson Bands of Cyttorak, and her deceased husband rids Spider-man of his devilish influence via the Eye of Agamotto.

Instead, the reader is subjected to several grand speeches throughout the Canadian writer’s script, with Sam Wilson’s twelve-panel tour-de-force as Captain America being the longest and most memorable of them. This repetitious rhetoric certainly has its place within the narrative, most notably poor Brielle Brooks’ reaction to discovering that her own father is at the heart of the planetary problem and discovering that Count Dracula plans for the young girl to assassinate her parent. However, to simply plonk one word-heavy discussion after another into a single edition completely saps any pace out of this publication’s plot, and quite literally leaves any bibliophile desperately wanting events to considerably move on just so both opposing forces can once again battle one another; “Do not presume to lecture me, Spider-Man, I will not let my one hope of victory just run away --”

Desperately trying to inject some energy into this lack-lustre lethargy is Pepe Larraz, who pencils some excellent shots of the chaos being caused by Blade's minions whilst Wilson waxes lyrical about the Avengers saying “No” to the vampires' demands. These pulse-pounding pictures cover a variety of locations, from Halifax and Manhattan through to the Sahara Desert and Mexico City, so resultantly do a good job of depicting the violence stretching right across the world. Yet, any momentum which they generate is then swiftly scotched by Carol Danvers spending what seems like an eternity singing Sam’s praises, and Eric Brooks unconvincingly having a major hissy fit because he feels the super-group should “lie down and die.”

The regular cover art to "BLOOD HUNT" #3 by Pepe Larraz & Marte Gracia

Midnight Suns: Blood Hunt #1 - Marvel Comics

MIDNIGHT SONS: BLOOD HUNT No. 1, July 2024

It is difficult to imagine that many fans of action and terror were truly satisfied with Bryan Hill’s narrative for Issue One of “Midnight Sons: Blood Hunt”, no matter how hopeful the American Author was during this mini-series’ pre-publication launch interview in February 2024. True, the thirty-page periodical definitely contains some high-octane action sequences, alongside a disconcertingly dark journey into a haunted cave in El Fasha, Iraq. But considering that large chunks of this comic consist of little more than conversational pieces, a lot of the storytelling’s dynamism has arguably already been negated by the time Tulip encounters a warband of vampire mercenaries in the desert.

Indeed, so much of this book appears to simply depict Tamlyn Hamato just nonchalantly talking to the likes of Danny Ketch and Johnny Blaze as part of her recruitment drive to tackle an utterly villainous Blade, rather than the tale actually explaining just how the “clairvoyant Japanese arms dealer” knows where to find the former super-team’s members, or that the Daywalker has even turned treacherously rogue. Much of this legwork was presumably obtained ‘off-screen’ and through her numerous contacts in the underworld. However, this unwillingness on the part of the writer to even summarise any of this, and instead simply signpost that Eric Brooks has been empowered by Dracula, debatably smacks of an assumption on Hill’s part that the reader has already consumed the entirety of his run as writer on the recently cancelled 2023 “Blade” series.

Such a shortfall of context also somewhat seems to permeate the Ghost Rider’s subsequent demand that Tulip help him first before the Midnight Sons will help her. Just why the Spirit of Vengeance and his predecessor need the help of a ‘mortal’, no matter how large the bazooka she carries into combat, is never explained, nor the reason behind why Blaze and Ketch needed to specifically destroy a thing from the Darkforce Dimension in the first place..? Unless they simply felt it was too dangerous a living weapon for the vampires to own..?

Ultimately, quite a bit of this comic’s palpable lethargy disappointingly also seems to stem from German Peralta’s layouts, which even when crammed full of explosions, flesh-tearing bullets and deadly sword slashes, seemingly lack the raw energy which so attracted Stan Lee to Jim Steranko’s artwork in the Sixties. Indeed, despite the Argentinian illustrator prodigiously pencilling an incredibly violent splash page showing the Ghost Rider riding straight through the aforementioned tentacled beastie from elsewhere, the picture appears to be devoid of the ‘oomph’ a bibliophile might ordinarily expect from such a sense-shattering shenanigan.

The regular cover art to "MIDNIGHT SONS: BLOOD HUNT" #1 by Ken Lashley & Juan Fernandez

Blood Hunt: Red Band #2 - Marvel Comics

BLOOD HUNT: RED BAND No. 2, July 2024

Pitching the surviving Avengers alongside Count Dracula himself in a highly unlikely team-up against a planetwide invasion of vampires, Jed MacKay’s script for Issue Two of “Blood Hunt” certainly seems to strike a much brighter note as to the Earth’s future fate than this summer event’s deeply dark preceding instalment. In fact, the absolute beating the likes of Bloodstorm One and Megrim take at the hands of Captain Marvel, the Vision and Captain America probably caused the odd reader to leap to their feet in order to cheer the protagonists on; “Here’s our philosophy: We have a lot to avenge.”

Enjoyably however, this twenty-one page periodical’s plot doesn’t simply rely upon an insane action sequence packed full of face-pummelling fisticuffs to entertain either, as the Canadian author also pens some intriguing plot progressions into the comic too – most notably the fact that Doctor Strange is still alive as a wandering spirit despite being disembowelled by Blade. These ‘quieter’ moments are especially impressive as they both provide the writer with an opportunity to bring any bibliophiles unwilling or unable to peruse the almost overwhelming number of tie-in titles bang up to speed with the overarching narrative, as well as provide a modicum of spotlight upon some of the Marvel Universe’s lesser known characters, such as Hunter’s Moon and the Daywalker’s daughter, Brielle Brooks.

Of course, it’s the aforementioned rematch between the “broken” Earth’s mightiest heroes and the Bloodcoven which most Marvelites will probably enjoy though. Having previously defeated the “all-star” supergroup, the vampiric villains are quick to forget that they had a distinct advantage over their opponents in their first fight, courtesy of a thorough briefing and the element of surprise. This time round the creatures of the night have no such benefits, and resultantly their arrogance is quickly silenced by the Vision’s ability to harness the power of solar energy.

Equally as intrinsic to this mini-series’ storytelling as MacKay’s contribution are the lavish layouts provided throughout by Spanish illustrator Pepe Larraz and Mexican colorist Marte Gracia. Together, the two artists genuinely depict a visual feast for the eyes, with perhaps Carol Danver’s socking Vlad Dracula’s gigantic clone squarely on the jaw being this apocalyptic publication’s most noteworthy smackdown.

The regular cover art to "BLOOD HUNT" #2 by Pepe Larraz & Marte Gracia

Blood Hunt: Red Band #1 - Marvel Comics

BLOOD HUNT: RED BAND No. 1, July 2024

Touted by its New York City-based publisher as “the bloodiest Marvel event ever”, Jed MacKay’s storyline for Issue One of “Blood Hunt” definitely lives up to its promise of vampires slaughtering nearly everyone that they can get their sinisterly sharp claws on. Indeed, whilst many a bibliophile might feel the comic’s ‘explicit content’ sealed polythene bag and repeated ‘mature reader only’ warnings are rather gimmicky, this thirty-two page extravaganza soon causes its audience to be up to their necks in severed limbs, torn-off heads, spilling intestines and literal rivers of icky human ichor.

Furthermore, for those onlookers able to withstand such a stomach-churning assault upon their senses, the Canadian author arguably leaves the best until almost last, by pitching the Earth’s Mightiest Heroes against the “mysterious and deadly vampire faction” known as the Bloodcoven. This battle is as brutal as it is (perhaps somewhat) disappointingly one-sided, with the likes of Iron Man, Vision, Black Panther, Captain Marvel, Scarlet Witch, Thor and Captain America all getting their proverbial clocks cleaned by a strike force specifically designed to exploit each hero’s unique set of vulnerabilities; “Or was a match, I guess. This isn’t conjecture. The Avengers are down.”

However, it isn’t arguably the notion that Stan Lee’s co-creations are soundly defeated which comes as such a surprise. But rather the truly gruesome manner in which it all occurs. Whether it be as a result of a thousand cuts, a crystalline shaft straight through the brain, or a hand tunnelling its way through the stomach, these close combat conclusions are shockingly savage, and jam-packed full of gore-drenched innards. In fact, it’s probably difficult for long-term Marvelites to recall so much physical mutilation being on show this side of a “MAX Comics” imprint – at least until the attention shifts to Doctor Stephen Strange’s horrific evisceration at the publication’s conclusion.

Also presumably being constantly peppered by MacKay to add extra buckets of blood into his prodigious pencilling is Pepe Larraz, who does a stellar job of depicting the sheer scale of the voracious blood-drinkers’ assault across the world. Of particular note is the Spanish artist’s design work on the super-vampires, with Jed himself going on record to state it was the illustrator “who really brought these characters to (un)life, creating an extremely gnarly set of predators!”

The regular cover art to "BLOOD HUNT" #1 by Pepe Larraz & Marte Gracia

Blade #10 - Marvel Comics

BLADE No. 10, June 2024

Largely depicting a four-on-one fight between the titular character, his confidents and the Adana, Bryan Hill’s script for Issue Ten of “Blade” arguably contains an incredibly engrossing finale, which provides any casual reader with several exhilarating examples of all the new powers Eric Brooks now wields following the American author somewhat controversially placing Dracula’s blood in his veins. Indeed, the Daywalker has shockingly been made so powerful in this publication that the vampire-killer’s long-term fans may well be left questioning just what is left within the Marvel Universe’s horror-based roster to challenge the Dhampir in any future comic book series.

Possibly the best example of this near omnipotence occurs during the twenty-page periodical’s opening when the undead Londoner, Tulip, Rotha, and Draven are literally surrounded by a seemingly insurmountable number of thirsty blood-drinkers, who are desperately crawling up the sides of a multi-storey skyrise to kill all the protagonists. Initially, this awesome-looking conflict depicts the ‘friends’ bravely fending off their foes with a mixture of bullets, sword-strokes, and arrows. However, once it becomes clear the rooftop is about to be overrun, Blade simply turns into a cloud of smoke and disintegrates the rest of the fanged fiends in an instant.

Such a disappointing conclusion to so savage an early encounter debatably sticks to the rest of the storytelling like a glob of unwanted glue, and repeatedly resurfaces in the reader’s mind whenever Brooks subsequently utilises a power unconvincingly bestowed upon him by a certain centuries-old vampire from Transylvania. Indeed, the fact Eric even bothers using his famous sword at all makes little sense, if he can so easily rid the world of any and all opponents by just entering their bodies as a murderous mist, or transforming into a frenzied battalion of bats.

What does work however, are the excellent layouts of Elena Casagrande and colours of K.J. Diaz. The creative collaboration genuinely helps sell the sheer terror felt by a mortal Rotha when she believes their flank is about to fall to a ravenous horde of undead. Whilst the pair’s ability to imbue Blade’s battle against the Adana with plenty of pulse-pounding pace cannot be understated, making this final instalment to Hill’s “Mother Of Evil” highly memorable despite any reservations as to the Daywalker’s disconcerting deadliness.

The regular cover art to "BLADE" #10 by Elena Casagrande & K.J. Diaz

Blade #9 - Marvel Comics

BLADE No. 9, May 2024

Considering Bryan Hill’s storyline for this twenty-page periodical depicts Blade nonchalantly massacring the entirety of the Archives of the Second World without so much as getting a hair out of place, it’s probably crystal clear just why this is the penultimate issue of a title originally much-hyped as an “all-new ongoing solo series” which would dawn a “new age of vampire hunting”. True, the comic does contain a modicum of pulse-pounding action during its opening, when the werewolf Tanaka unsuccessfully attempts to evade capture from the Dhampir he was warned not to play games with. But this is incredibly short-lived, and everything which follows the lycanthrope’s beheading just seems to fall straight into Eric Brooks’ lap without rhyme, reason or even rationality.

Leading this conveyor belt of contrivances is arguably the sword-wielding slayer’s trip to the aforementioned Archives, which unsurprisingly are manufactured by the American author just for the titular character to annihilate in this book. Supposedly a highly secret location, packed full of ancient black magic tomes and protected by a thousand-year pact, this apex of stored dark knowledge would surely pose even the much-lauded Daywalker an almost insurmountable hurdle to overcome..? Yet the vampire-killer simply asks Satana “nicely” where it is and then toddles off to destroy it; “You cannot be here! You should not even know of this place!”

Correspondingly catastrophic is how Blade discovers the specific whereabouts of his arch-nemesis the Adana, with Draven apparently now able to conveniently burrow into any living being’s mind (even when they’re the undead) and suck them dry of information. This extremely useful power debatably springs out of nowhere, and disconcertingly allows the Chicago-born writer to have Brooks forgo any effort to track his main target down himself – albeit it does subsequently lead to penciller Valentina Pinti desperately having to sketch seventeen sedentary panels filled to the brim with poetic banter to presumably help pad out the publication.

Indeed, there’s a distinct feeling with some of this comic’s interior artwork that possibly its Italian Illustrator wasn’t always completely sold on Hill’s script, such as when Draven places his hand on Tanaka’s head, and instead of any surreal insight into the mental madness which the deceased assassin’s presence obviously causes, the reader is underwhelming just shown Rotha and Tulip watching on. Such a lack-lustre portrayal of events is disappointing, and greatly contrasts with the werewolf’s pulse-pounding flight just moments before.

The regular cover art to "BLADE" #9 by Elena Casagrande & K.J. Diaz

Blade #8 - Marvel Comics

BLADE No. 8, April 2024

Considering that this comic’s basic premise concerns the titular character journeying down into Hell so as to recruit an army of the Damned, Bryan Hill’s unsatisfyingly sedentary script for Issue Eight of “Blade” doubtless frustrated the vast majority of its action-anticipating audience. Indeed, despite Eric Brooks encountering the giant, one-eyed undead guardian known as Abrath the Collector, the Dhampir never even swings his famous sword in anger; “Something in the living world is upsetting the balance.”

To make matters worse though, none of the American author’s storyline arguably makes much sense whatsoever anyway, as it’s never made clear just why the Day-walker thought he’d have any leverage against the demonic deity he faces. Sure, the half-vampire might have a valid point that Adana might “replace this Hell with her own.” But that argument hardly seems persuasive enough to win him the legion of unholy warriors he urgently needs to send against an all-powerful foe who has already previously demonstrated her ability to massacre multiple supernaturally-enhanced opponents single-handedly.

Furthermore, Blade’s trip to the outskirts of the Circle of Desolation and back again appears remarkably easy to achieve, thanks to Satana Hellstrom simply performing “just a bit of magic.” So basic a ritual genuinely saps any excitement straight out of the narrative, and makes it appear that there is absolutely no cost or risk to the dangers both Brooks and the succubus are facing. In addition, it makes Rotha’s requirement to quietly sit alongside them in order for the young cultist-turned-assassin to tenuously tie Eric’s soul to the mortal realm a bit of a mockery, and appears to have just been crowbarred into the plot for the poor girl to shockingly see her dead father’s ghost appear at the book’s conclusion.

Sadly, Elena Casagrande’s artwork debatably doesn’t do much for this publication either, with the artist’s rather static-looking style failing to inject many a panel with any actual dynamism - even when the likes of Draven are momentarily tussling with Abrath. Such listless pencilling was debatably never going to succeed with so dynamic an anti-hero as Marv Wolfman’s co-creation. However, due to a fair bulk of this book lamentably relying upon various splash-pages to pad it out, the Italian illustrator’s layouts probably land even more disastrously.

The regular cover art to "BLADE" #8 by Elena Casagrande & K.J. Diaz

Blade #7 - Marvel Comics

BLADE No. 7, March 2024

On paper Blade teaming “up with the Hulk to tame the anger within” probably seemed like a good idea to Bryan Hill, especially as the American author sets the intriguing pair up against a town filled full of horned demons. But once it becomes clear that neither super-hero actually has the ability to successfully batter or slash their numerous opponents into defeat, the twenty-page plot arguably takes an unconvincing turn with Eric Brooks willingly allowing himself to be possessed by the central satanic antagonist; “Don’t look at me like that, Banner.”

Up until this point though, Issue Seven of “Blade” appears to contain everything a fright-fest fan would need to enjoy so cataclysmic a confrontation between the forces of good and evil, including it being set in a deserted backwater town in the Pacific Northwest. Indeed, at the book’s start, it genuinely appears that the Daywalker will spend a good portion of his time gallantly helping the settlement’s cursed population stay safe from the horde of fanged Hellish horrors roaming just outside the boundary of its municipal church.

This premise though disappointingly soon shifts once Brooks confesses to a desperate Bruce Banner that the emaciated scientist needs the help of Doctor Strange to deal with young Ronny’s bedevilment by a foul fiend from the woodlands, not his. This admission results in a new change of plan which sees an entirely unmolested Eric somehow just walk up to where the boy’s haunted form is being held and convince the foul entity to enter his undead body instead. So sedentary a resolution debatably comes as a major anti-climax considering this publication’s previous build-up, especially when the half-human vampire hunter simply coughs the demon out later on so it can be pulverised by the Hulk.

Sadly, Valentina Pinti’s pencilling becomes similarly dissatisfying once the comic gets going, despite a strong start which sees the Italian illustrator sensationally sketch Banner’s monstrous alter-ego getting outnumbered by a forest full of horned nightmares. However, once Blade enters the fray the artist appears to disconcertingly struggle to stop making his head appear oddly angular, as if it isn’t quite connected to his neck and shoulders as it should be.

The regular cover art to "BLADE" #7 by Elena Casagrande & Romulo Fajardo Junior

Moon Knight [2021] #21 - Marvel Comics

MOON KNIGHT No. 21, May 2023

Somewhat side-lining the titular character in favour of his vampire-turned-secretary Reese, Jed MacKay’s narrative for Issue Twenty-One of “Moon Knight” is initially a little slower-paced than some of its readers were probably expecting. Indeed, the twenty-page periodical’s plot is completely devoid of any action whatsoever for its opening half, as the audience are shown just how a principled blood-drinker likes to spend a night out with friends; “You’re going out dancing! Living life! And old Jake’s found you the hottest ticket in town!”

Happily however, that doesn’t mean that the comic’s start isn’t intriguing, as the Canadian author does a nice job in penning just how Marc Spector’s fanged confidant is coping with being an undead creature, and what life-style changes she has accepted so as to carry on ‘living’ as normal a life as possible. Considering just how violent her savage transition was, this development makes ‘Draculady’ even more admirable a cast member than before, especially when she ensures the less-experienced Soldier drinks up all his plasma before ‘hanging around humans’.

Furthermore, “Let’s Dance” provides Jake Lockley with some enjoyable spotlight as the taxi driver enthusiastically conveys his employee and her pals to their nocturnal destination. Humorous and witty, the moustache-wearing cabbie injects every panel in which he appears with plenty of energy, even when he’s just talking to one of his other personas as to where he’s stashed the Fist of Khonshu’s costume.

Ultimately though this publication lives or dies upon the success of Moon Knight’s battle against “a sinister pied piper [who] plays a deadly tune”, and despite being rather abruptly resolved, courtesy of Reese transforming into a cloud of mist and falling upon her attacker, there’s still enough fisticuffs on show to arguably please the majority of perusing bibliophiles. In fact, this book’s ending, with the vampire actually being gunned down by one of the deadly deejay’s shotgun-wielding minions, probably left most looking forward to a dramatic re-match.

Adding a distinctly disconcerting red gleam in the personal assistant’s eyes are artist Alessandro Cappuccio and colorist Rachelle Rosenberg, who together imbue even the most mundane, dialogue-driven scene, with lots of flashing lights and noise. Of particular note is the creative pair’s ability to have the loud music inside the disco literally pop off the page, and then replace it with the sound of shouts, screams and punches, as the dance floor descends in chaos.

Writer: Jed MacKay, Artist: Alessandro Cappuccio, and Color Artist: Rachelle Rosenberg

Blade #6 - Marvel Comics

BLADE No. 6, February 2024

For those readers able to ‘stomach’ the titular character’s alliance with his arch-nemesis, Dracula, Bryan Hill’s penmanship throughout Issue Six of “Blade” was probably perfectly palatably. Indeed, the American author’s pitch that the undead Transylvanian nobleman would help Eric Brooks “unlock new powers of vampirism” arguably makes for a pretty engrossing experience, especially when the pair later spar with one another, and Gerry Conway’s Marvel Comics version” of Vlad the Impaler demonstrates just how much more his special abilities exceed those of the supposedly formidable Daywalker; “I’ve seen what I needed to see. And I know why you failed.”

Sadly though, some bibliophiles will surely struggle to shake-off the belief that the shades-wearing Dhampir would never ally himself with “his sworn enemy”, no matter what the reason, and this deeply disconcerting contrivance debatably permeates every scene within the twenty-page-periodical. Sure, some within this comic’s audience might claim that the plot points at just how desperate the Midnight Sons member has become to defeat the Adana. But others may well be disappointed by the Chicago-born writer’s decision to suddenly ‘up-gun’ the Sheriff of Vampire Nation with the power of Dracula himself, courtesy of Brook shockingly drinking his eternal foe’s blood.

In fact, this particular instalment of “Mother Of Evil” could cynically be seen as Hill rather lazily shortcutting “generations” of tutelage under Vlad in order for Eric to instantly “awaken what you’ve hidden inside of you” simply so the vampire-killer is apparently 'more in tune with his imminent Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) reboot.' Such lackadaisical ‘modernisation’ genuinely grates upon the senses, and smacks of the New York-based publisher's unhappiness at having to work within the long-established limits of Blade’s reliance upon man-made weapons to overcome his supernatural enemies.

However, what this book possibly lacks in convincing commotion, it does make up for with the prodigious pencilling of artist Lee Ferguson. The illustrator does a terrific job in imbuing both this comic’s two leads with plenty of restrained dynamism whilst they fight against blood zombies, the walking undead, vampire bats and each other. Furthermore, despite the rather emaciated, sombre appearance of Dracula, the figure moves throughout his stronghold in Chernobyl with all the regal haughtiness one would expect from a Fifteenth-century Wallachian prince.

The regular cover art to "BLADE" #6 by Elena Casagrande & Jordie Bellaire

Moon Knight [2021] #20 - Marvel Comics

MOON KNIGHT No. 20, April 2023

Featuring one of Speedball’s less formidable foes from the Late Eighties, it’s difficult not to imagine a fair share of this comic’s readers feeling rather disenchanted with Jed MacKay’s conclusion to Issue Twenty of “Moon Knight”. True, the Canadian author’s build-up is enjoyably intriguing as numerous informants from the titular character’s past start falling like dominoes during the course of a single, crimson-splattered night. Yet, this momentum is arguably soon lost once Marc Spector determines his opponents are just the badly brainwashed Harlequin Hit-Men; “8-Ball called you a couple of jokes. 8-Ball.”

Indeed, the Fist of Khonshu defeats Herb Hollister and his wife Sheila single-handedly without even breaking a sweat, before begrudgingly handing them over to Doctor Andrea Sterman and the appropriate authorities. This all-too abrupt ending is clearly penned to provide the Gemini Award-nominee’s mysteriously manipulative “Ghost In The Telephone” with some extra awe and murderous menace – presumably for a future narrative featuring them. However, it also disappointingly shuts down any meaningful sense of dramatic closure for this particular twenty-page-periodical, as the crescent crusader simply walks away despite the brainwashed assassins having cold-bloodedly gunned down, garrotted, and blown up several members of the Shadow Cabinet.

Luckily, Alessandro Cappuccio does provide some rather theatrical layouts for this publication, which readily draw any perusing bibliophile into Moon Knight’s desperate attempt to rescue his former ‘friends’. Of particular note is the Italian illustrator’s marvellous splash-page showing the route through Manhattan Island cab driver Jake Lockley mentally envisages whilst trying to determine who will be the Harlequin Hit-Men’s next victim. Many of these panels genuinely help drive home the increasing sense of helpless loss the ex-West Coast Avenger is feeling as the corpses mount up, and additionally imbues the search for survivors by Tigra and Hunter’s Moon with some vibrant pace.

Much more action-packed and debatably entertaining though, is this publication’s celebration of Black History Month, “Moon Debt” by Danny Lore and prodigiously energetic penciller Ray-Anthony Height. Featuring “the Sheriff of the Vampire Nation”, Blade, with one of Marc’s cowled predecessors from the Mid-Seventies, this ‘secondary short’ provides a thrillingly violent insight into the Egyptian Moon God’s eternal battle against fanged blood-drinkers who stalk “the innocents walking the night.”

Writer: Jed MacKay, Artist: Alessandro Cappuccio, and Color Artist: Rachelle Rosenberg

Blade #5 - Marvel Comics

BLADE No. 5, January 2024

Disconcertingly skipping the much-hyped fight between the titular character and the Adana, this twenty-page periodical’s plot probably had many within its audience surreptitiously double-checking to make sure they hadn’t missed an instalment of Bryan Hill’s lengthy “Mother Of Evil” narrative within mere moments of starting it. True, Issue Five of “Blade” does contain a confrontation between the Daywalker and his supernatural nemesis. But it’s disappointingly set in the aftermath of the pair’s highly anticipated ‘off-screen’ skirmish, and rather disagreeably ends with an utterly impotent Eric Brooks being cast back to our present reality with his tail well and truly tucked between his legs; “Our business is done. This is goodbye.”

To make matters worse though, Marv Wolfman’s co-creation has apparently learnt absolutely nothing from the hell-creature easily breaking his wrist and seizing Lucifer’s Sword – apart from perhaps an ability to behave in an incredibly dislikeable manner towards the Sorcerer Supreme. Everything bad which happens in this book has been as a result of Dhampir’s arrogance and unwillingness to listen to the advice of Doctor Strange. Yet just as soon as the half-vampire can stand again he is threatening to unheroically scythe down the Master of the Mystic Arts because he arrogantly still believes he knows how to defeat the “indescribable, overwhelming power” of his foe.

Perhaps this comic's biggest headscratcher though comes at its confounding conclusion, when Blade willingly kneels in supplication at the feet of Count Dracula, and offers the blood-drinking fiend Lucifer’s Sword if the Transylvanian nobleman will help him better understand himself. This bizarre scene was presumably penned by the American author so as to tap into the old proverb of ‘the enemy of my enemy is my friend’. However, whilst Hill has clearly conjured up a formidable rival for Brooks to battle in the Adana, a partnership with the vampire-killer’s biggest adversary, Vlad the Impaler, is arguably pushing this ongoing series’ logic a little too far..?

Disappointingly, this script’s unwillingness to portray the savage carnage of Eric’s ferocious struggle against werewolf, cultist and demon-spawned creature also means that Elena Casagrande has little to do except pencil him getting madder as he talks with either Stephen Strange or the Adana. This genuinely feels like a real waste of the Eisner Award-winning artist’s talent, which is debatably only given room to manoeuvre when it comes to pencilling the incredibly painful internal struggle taking place between Tulip and the devil now physically residing inside her body.

The regular cover art to "BLADE" #5 by Elena Casagrande & Romulo Fajardo Jr.

Blade #4 - Marvel Comics

BLADE No. 4, December 2023

Arguably using Stephen Strange’s guest star appearance as an opportunity to bring any new readers to this ongoing series bang up to speed with the storyline’s past events and characters, this comic’s “high-speed heist” certainly promises plenty of sense-shattering shenanigans. But whilst the vast majority of the twenty-page periodical does focus upon a bullet train whose “chassis is made of adamantium” and which “rarely slows below 180 miles per hour”, its perplexing plot may well prove just a little too bemusing for many a perusing bibliophile to properly enjoy.

Foremost of these oddities in "Mother Of Evil" is probably the absence of the Master of the Mystic Arts himself, who despite conjuring up a portal to allow Blade access “into the armoured fortress of a weapons collector”, doesn’t actually then fight alongside the vampire. Instead, the Sorcerer Supreme simply informs the titular character from a notable distance that Adana will “destroy reality as we know it” if not stopped, and then later adds that the only “sword of unknown power” which can apparently kill her will prove equally as dangerous to the Daywalker if he succeeds in appropriating it.

Similarly as disappointing though has to be the much-anticipated confrontation between Eric Brooks and Hamilton Achilles, which ends with the powerful, master criminal somewhat ridiculously tearing his own head in half as a sacrifice to Adana. Considering that the thick-set blood-drinker clearly doesn’t want this comic’s titular character to steal Lucifer’s infamous hand-weapon, this suicidal behaviour is debatably an incredibly peculiar move, and one that sadly smacks of contrivance so as to simply propel Blade into the lengthy narrative’s final instalment suitably well-armed; “That weapon has the will of the Lightbringer. It will change you…”

Sadly, such a confounding scenario also seemingly appears to have detrimentally affected the book’s illustration team, with both Valentina Pinta and Elena Casagrande pencilling a series of surprisingly stagnant layouts featuring wooden figures and lack-lustre action scenes. Indeed, Achilles’ aforementioned death may well strike many within this publication’s audience as appearing like something out of a cartoony Japanese anime show, with the wide-eyed vampire’s inexplicable self-immolation being difficult to visualise without repeated visits to the panel apparently depicting it.

The regular cover art to "BLADE" #4 by Elena Casagrande & Jordie Bellaire

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

Blade #2 - Marvel Comics

BLADE No. 2, August 2023

Perhaps somewhat disconcertingly reminiscent of the Wachowskis’ “Matrix” franchise more than Stephen Norrington’s 1998 American superhero movie “Blade”, Bryan Hill’s script for “Mother Of Evil” surely still provided its readers with plenty of high-octane set-pieces and gratuitous violence. In fact, the action rarely stops to allow this comic’s audience to catch its breath as the Daywalker repeatedly attempts to foil a series of assassination and abduction attempts on “a high-end supernatural arms dealer” turned hostile ex-girlfriend.

Foremost of these pulse-pounding predicaments is probably a gun-toting helicopter’s endeavour to riddle Tulip with enough lead to sink a steamship whilst the woman is busy bedding the dhampir in her high-rise Japanese apartment. Sporting a serious exchange of bullets between the two warring factions, the fracas does somewhat incongruously show Eric Brook’s favouring a demonically possessed machine gun rather than the titular character’s famous hand-made sword. But despite this ‘mismatch’, the sequence still packs an exhilarating punch – especially once Lord Daido’s armed forces pour in through the front door and blast Blade out through the bedroom’s already shattered glass window through sheer force of firepower.

Rather enjoyably though, this issue isn’t simply about the feisty gunrunner’s perilous plight either, as the American author also pens plenty for Rotha to do during this publication’s second half. True, the mystic cultist does spend much of this book’s storyline tied to a post in the Daywalker’s Minka. However, once she is released the angry ‘sidekick’ soon sets about Daido’s contingent of personal bodyguards with a flurry of well-aimed arrows to the head; “I really hope they were bad people.”

Notably adding some extra “Thok” to the deadly bolts of the vampire’s Cambodian compatriot, as well as some impressive zip to all the gunshots sounding off throughout this comic’s layouts, is Elena Casagrande. The Italian illustrator does a particularly good job of imbuing Blade with all the athleticism a bibliophile would expect from Marv Wolfman’s co-creation, most notably when the anti-hero leaps aboard a soldier-filled rotorcraft and mercilessly guns down the elite, special forces inside at extreme close range within a single, mouth-wateringly good splash page. In addition, the artist does a stellar job of showing the wounds Eric incurs when his body plummets numerous floors to the sidewalk and is then savagely thrown back up into the air by the impact of the hitmen’s getaway car.

The regular cover art to "BLADE" #2 by Elena Casagrande & Jordie Bellaire

Blade #1 - Marvel Comics

BLADE No. 1, September 2023

Heralding the return of the New York City-based publisher's "slickest vampire hunter… in a brand new ongoing” series, Bryan Hill’s narrative for Issue One of “Blade” must surely have pleased any fan of Marv Wolfman and Gene Colan’s creation with a pulse-pounding script that simply doesn’t skimp on intrigue, action and black-hearted treachery. Indeed, the thirty-page periodical’s plot even manages to convey some of Eric Brook’s surprising naivety as to the underhandedness of his supernatural world in a similar way to that depicted when the Daywalker first encountered his long-thought dead mother in Stephen Norrington’s 1998 motion picture; “I get it. I was set up. And you’re bad. Fine.”

Quite possibly the biggest of this “explosive” comic’s successes lies in its pacing, with the American author rather nicely mixing up the vampire hunter’s sense-shattering swordplay with some much slower, sedentary exposition. Furthermore, even when things are a little dialogue-heavy, the Chicago-born screenwriter still manages to inject plenty of energy into the scene by suddenly having something unexpected shockingly occur, such as the titular character’s conversation with Werewolf Nation’s Tanaka being interrupted by Dana Smith’s heavily skewered boyfriend transforming into an undead weapon.

Similarly as well-penned though are the book’s action sequences, which do an excellent job in illustrating just how violent (and fast) the Dhampir needs to be in order to survive his various rescue missions. Hill’s opening, focusing upon a young girl quietly drinking during a concert in a public house and then dramatically facing a coven of savage blood-drinkers when the music stops, genuinely sets a high bar of sense-shattering shenanigans for the rest of the publication to follow, and is probably only bested by Blade’s battle against “the only person in the world who can destroy” Adana.

However, Elena Casagrande also arguably needs a mighty pat on the back for helping make “Mother Of Evil” as engaging a reading experience as it is, with her prodigiously pencilled panels. The Italian artist does a first-rate job of permeating Brooks’ demeanour with all the confident, slightly arrogant, physicality of Wesley Snipes’ big screen portrayal, making “probably Marvel’s number one horror hero” dominate each and every scene in which he appears.

The regular cover art to "BLADE" #1 by Elena Casagrande & Jordie Bellaire

Avengers [2018] #12 - Marvel Comics

AVENGERS No. 12, March 2019

Whilst “Marvel Worldwide” wanted this title’s audience to believe that “it’s hard to run the Avengers without a support staff”, it was probably a whole lot harder for many of this comic’s 52,427 readers to process the plethora of comic book super-heroes Jason Aaron desperately tried to crowbar into his narrative. In fact, at its most basic level the American author’s storyline for “The Agents Of Wakanda” is arguably little more than a twenty-page procession of some of the New York-based publisher’s lowest-tiered crime-fighters and anti-heroes; “As for the others… How are there not better available candidates than this? Was there recently a super hero massacre of which I was not made aware of?”

Admittedly, having recently become the leader of “Earth’s Mightiest Heroes”, King T'Challa’s desire to create a network of “intelligence gatherers” makes considerable sense if “the most powerful super-team in recent memory” are actually going to become an international resource for truth and justice, as opposed to it simply being a ‘puppet’ for S.H.I.E.L.D. or the United States Government. But so bizarre are some of the Inkpot Award-winner’s choices that the roster debatably smacks of the writer simply throwing out a plethora of seldom-seen characters, such as American Eagle, Broo and Doctor Nemesis, in the hope that the odd “agent” will somehow resonate with this book’s bibliophiles.

Aaron also seems to have taken a fair few disagreeable liberties with the personality of Ka-Zar, questionably turning the once proud Lord of the Savage Land” into an unrecognisable foil for Okoye, leader of the Dora Milaje and Director of the Agents of Wakanda. Kevin Plunder's history dates back as far as the mid-Sixties and resultantly has provided him with a proven track record working alongside some of the greatest super-heroes known. Yet, in this story, the eldest son of a British nobleman has to first pass an audition so as to be deemed worthy to join a ground crew which has already recruited Gorilla-Man as the Chief of Security for Avengers Mountain apparently without any trial being warranted..?

Luckily, this publication’s puzzling plot does ‘enjoy’ the visual stimulus of Ed McGuinness and Cory Smith’s pencilling, which in the majority of cases makes the word-heavy discussions between Black Panther and the likes of Odin, at least pleasantly palatable. However, the artwork does suffer from some noticeable inconsistencies, courtesy of editor Tom Brevoort apparently employing three different inkers in order to ensure the book made its deadline at the Printers.

Writer: Jason Aaron, Artists: Ed McGuiness & Cory Smith, and Color Artist: Erick Arciniega