Comics
Review: ‘Bad Blood’ #3
Jonathan Maberry’s “Bad Blood” #3 continues in the same vein of the previous issues, utilizing hyperrealism, meta elements, and ordinary tropes of our daily 21st century lives (mixed with a mild fantasy bent) to make this vampire comic nauseatingly lifelike. It’s going to be the drugs floating through blood that kills off the vampire race. It’s going to be the irresponsible club kids, the partying college kids, the terminally ill who will be their ultimate demise. This concept is so brilliant, it reminds me of T.S. Eliot’s famous line: This is the way the world ends, not with a bang but a whimper.
WRITTEN BY: Jonathan Maberry
ART BY: Tyler Crook
PUBLISHER: Dark Horse Comics
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: March 5, 2014
Issue #3 picks up right as a vampire attacks Lolly. Much to the chagrin of said vampire, it’s not just Trick’s chemotherapy drugs that hurt and potentially kill vampires but ALL drugs (see also: whatever it is that Lolly is pumping into her veins). The wounded vampires stew over the fact that the world changed while they slept—“The living are different now, they pollute their own blood.” But Lord Sturge—the vampire initially almost killed by Trick’s blood—feels more shame; he sees this as being “defeated by children.” If vampires are to survive as a race, they must study these Bad Bloods and find out how to prosper in a drug-soaked 21st century.
Meanwhile, Lolly and Trick take to Craigslist to find a vampire hunter. After sifting through a ton of crazies, they find one who appears to be legit. Thus begins the hunt, on both ends.
Maberry is killing it with this role reversal which is turing out to be so crucial to the plot and character development of “Bad Blood” #3. Old world vampires are having to learn how to acclimate to the 21st century to survive, while these millennials are seeking out centuries-old techniques and lore such as “vampire hunters” to survive. Instead of going with what they know, all parties involved must step outside of their comfort zone in order to defeat their enemy.
This is a crucial turning point. No one has the advantage here. In most vampire lore, the vampires are drenched in advantage. What with their ability to live forever, their superhuman strength and speed, their ruthless killing machine nature. But not now, now they are reduced to a scared puppy state, realizing they are coming up against starvation if they don’t figure something out very soon. Because this isn’t their ancestors’ world. And it’s this role reversal that makes “Bad Blood” so damn interesting to follow.
Maberry peppers in jokes about Van Helsing, Buffy, Angel, and Hellboy, among others. Adding a snarky meta element to the comic draws the reading in even more because, hey! we relate to those things. We watch those shows. We see those movies. It’s material like that, combined with the reality of Trick’s cancer and Lolly’s abusive childhood that keeps us firmly planted in the now, with present day pop culture and present day issues—despite the fact that a fantastical vampire plot is woven throughout.
4/5 Skulls
Reviewed by – Bree Ogden
Comics
‘Curse of the Where Wolf’ Bites Into August Release With Trio of Werewolf Theatrical Screenings [Exclusive Preview]
Larry Chaney‘s hairy misadventures are continuing in the sequel graphic novel Curse of the Where Wolf from creative team Rob Saucedo, Debora Lancianese, and Jack Morelli, and its author is celebrating with a trio of horror’s greatest werewolf films.
The Curse of the Where Wolf hits shelves on August 7 from Encyclopocalypse Publications.
That coincides with the launch of a theatrical screening event in Houston, Texas, featuring a trio of seminal werewolf flicks turning 45 this year: The Howling on August 7, Wolfen on August 14, and An American Werewolf in London on August 21.
Each screening features a “werewolf in film” presentation as well as a book signing from Where Wolf author and River Oaks Theatre artistic director Rob Saucedo.
In the new graphic novel, “Being a werewolf sucks. Reporter Larry Chaney wanted to be a hero. Instead, he became a werewolf. Now, caught between incredible new powers and a desire to eat everything (and everyone) in sight, Larry must find a cure for his curse. Or die trying.”
“With Where Wolf, I wanted to tell a whodunit set in a furry convention, so the story was pretty contained within a very specific setting and genre. With Curse of the Where Wolf, I wanted to celebrate everything I love about the possibility of comic books. Curse of the Where Wolf is a funny book, in every sense of the phrase, but it’s also an earnest look at a person’s struggle to become a better version of themselves, especially when the alternative is to become a literal monster,” Saucedo says of Curse.
The original graphic novel was previously serialized as the first webcomic hosted on Fangoria before being collected by Encyclopocalypse Publications in 2023 and has already been optioned for film, podcast, and television development ahead of launch by producers James Fino (“The Freak Brothers” for Tubi, “Rick and Morty” for Adult Swim) and Charles Horak (First Date for Magnolia Pictures).
Expect Larry to find himself in even weirder situations in the 362-page full color sequel; Saucedo has provided Bloody Disgusting with exclusive art pages from the upcoming graphic novel that showcase lupine humor.
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