Union Jack The Ripper: Blood Hunt #3 - Marvel Comics

UNION JACK THE RIPPER: BLOOD HUNT No. 3, September 2024

Skewered straight through the torso by an enormous vampire, and then chomped in the neck by the self-same blood-sucker, it’s probably a good bet that many bibliophiles experiencing Cavan Scott’s early plot for Issue Three of “Union Jack The Ripper: Blood Hunt” thought the titular character was well and truly sunk. But whilst Joseph Chapman’s “one man war” momentarily appears to have come to a tragic conclusion, this twenty-page periodical does a terrific job in snatching a costly, bitter-sweet victory from the savage jaws of defeat; “’E felt it. The boss. Every time we got ‘it. My ‘and, ‘Elen and the pretty boy. Even told Eddie ‘bout it. ‘Bout the pain Joe caused ‘im.”

Indeed, poor possessed Bulldog’s horrendous sacrifice is arguably one of the saddest affairs to have occurred during the entire “Blood Hunt” crossover event by “Marvel Worldwide”, and will surely have traumatised this book’s audience as much as it clearly does Union Jack when the surviving super-hero wearily sinks down to his knees in abject grief over his gore-covered team-mate’s mutilated corpse. Such a sad, long-lingering impact is genuinely rare for a secondary cast member, and goes to show just how well-penned the member of the Britannia Project’s story-arc was.

Impressively however, this sense-shattering shenanigan is just one of many to pack a phantastic, pulse-pounding publication, with the startling appearance of the undead lord Hunger, a truly treacherous betrayal by Alan, and Police Constable Mara Syal getting beaten within an inch of her mortal life, being just a few of them. Furthermore, the “New York Times bestselling comic writer” also even manages to provide tiny Judy with a genuinely innocent moment, as the child naively refuses to believe her former friends-turned-vampires will actually hurt her, or that Chapman’s alter-ego will let anyone do the young girl harm. 

Also helping to make such an emotionally-charged tour-de-force occur are Kev Walker, inker Craig Yeung and colourist Java Tartaglia, who combine together to create as much mayhem as a “Parental Advisory” book can allow. In fact, the sheer noisy brutality of the central protagonists’ desperate conflict against a literal cacophony of living corpses and unrelenting evil is debatably what makes this narrative’s more quieter moments, such as Winston’s aforementioned death and Judy’s unwavering belief in Union Jack, so incredibly impactive.

The regular cover art to "UNION JACK THE RIPPER: BLOOD HUNT" #3 by Rod Reis

Union Jack The Ripper: Blood Hunt #2 - Marvel Comics

UNION JACK THE RIPPER: BLOOD HUNT No. 2, August 2024

Whilst on the face of it Cavan Scott’s script for Issue Two of “Union Jack The Ripper: Blood Hunt” simply consists of the “New York Times bestselling comic writer” demanding artist Kev Walker pencil more and more gore with each passing panel, there’s actually a lot of intriguing interpersonal relationships taking place inside Joseph Chapman’s compromised secret head-quarters. In fact, one of the most enthralling elements of this book comes with the revelation that a master vampire mysteriously known as The Hunger, is actually able to telepathically contact those infected with his undead curse – even one such as Bulldog, who the titular character is desperately trying to find a way to save.

Similarly as well-penned though is arguably the Bristol-born author’s use of poor Edward, who was so tragically chomped to death in this mini-series’ previous instalment. Now undeniably one of the Nosferatu, the fearsomely fanged amateur actor adds tons of flair to this publication’s twenty-page long proceedings, courtesy of some well hammed-up Shakespearean quotes and repartee. Indeed, in some ways it is actually a pity the grotesque ghoul is ultimately torn asunder by Joey’s grisly team-mate, as the blood-drinking brood leader had all the hallmarks of a truly memorable long-term nemesis.

Delightfully, Scott isn’t shy on giving plenty of this comic’s supporting cast some welcome spotlight either, with Alan bravely battling to his last breath so as to buy young Judy some valuable time to get to safety. So noble a sacrifice is genuinely quite moving, and additionally provides the aforementioned Edward with the opportunity to double-down as the ‘villain of the hour’ when he nonchalantly stomps the already dying hero to death; “’Fraid you don’t get any choice in the matter, Matey-Jim.”

Enthusiastically immersing the audience in all this gratuitous, physical mutilation, are Walker’s layouts, which alongside Craig Yeung’s inks and Java Tartaglia’s colours, completely bombard each and every bibliophile’s senses from all angles. True, some of the action sequences, such as Bulldog literally having his eyes gouged out, might be a bit too much for the faint-hearted. But there can be no doubting the lightning fast speed which the vampires can move at, or the deadliness of a well-swung sword blade as it eviscerates any torso foolish enough to get in its way.

 The regular cover art to "UNION JACK THE RIPPER: BLOOD HUNT" #2 by Rod Reis

Union Jack The Ripper: Blood Hunt #1 - Marvel Comics

UNION JACK THE RIPPER: BLOOD HUNT No. 1, July 2024

Undeniably living up to its pre-publication promise of Union Jack painting the United Kingdom red, courtesy of poor English teacher Edward Hardcastle quite literally having his throat torn out by a hungry vampire, Cavan Scott’s thirty-page long trip to Manchester, England, also clearly deserves its “Parental Advisory! Not For Kids!” cover warning on account of its expletive-laden dialogue as well. Sure, most of the actual swear words are scribbled out by the letterer. But even that step doesn’t completely stop the odd coarsely-chosen cuss word from appearing in some of Police Constable Mara Syal’s speech balloons.

In addition, the sheer gratuitous violence on show within this comic greatly outweighs any offense a reader might take from the cast’s verbal improprieties. The gory demise of the aforementioned “Shakespeare nut” is just the tip of the iceberg as far as penciller Kevin Walker’s panels are concerned, especially once Joey Chapman’s alter-ego makes a well-timed appearance and simply coats anyone around him with human gore and mutilated body parts. Indeed, the sheer number of heads which are subsequently lopped off or blown to pieces is probably only matched by the number of bullets the titular character sprays at his blood-drinking enemies.

Astoundingly however, despite this charnel house-like chaos, the Bristol-born author impressively still manages to imbue both the dislikeable Knight of Pendragon and his unlikely entourage with some intriguing character development – most notably one of Greater Manchester Police’s few surviving officers. Furthermore, the sheer presence of presumably orphaned infant Judy (complete with cuddly doll Britannia), appears to repeatedly succeed in adding an extra air of tension to the publication’s already tense proceedings whenever the child is given the spotlight; “I’ll check. You wait here. No running off now.”

Easily this book’s biggest draw though has to be the energetic artwork by its British illustrator. Walker’s incredible eye for dynamic action is easily epitomised by the man’s layouts depicting Union Jack going toe-to-toe with a coven of vampires during an all or nothing rescue mission. Armed with a submachine gun and a double-handed sword, the anti-hero comes across as a homicidal killing machine, who completely loses any sense of humanity due to his battle lust – even when facing certain death having been dreadfully wounded by one his foes.

Writer: Cavan Scott, Penciler: Kev Walker, and Inkers: Craig Yeung & Belardino Brabo