Comics
Review: ‘Bad Blood’ #4
Jonathan Maberry’s “Bad Blood” is hands down, one of the coolest, freshest vampire stories on the market. Each month this comic gets more intelligent, more unique, and more exciting. With its brand new vampire mythology and hyper-real human elements, it’s a comic that stays with you long after you read it.
WRITTEN BY: Jonathan Maberry
ART BY: Tyler Crook
PUBLISHER: Dark Horse Comics
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: April 2, 2014
When last we saw our heroes, they had found their world-weary vampire hunter, Jonas Vale, via Craigslist and they began their journey in learning how to fight their foe. Issue #4 picks up mid-fight with Vale watching over, guiding, and ultimately stepping in to save Trick and Lolly.
Vale is the Mr. Miyagi of Vampire Hunting. He’s the strong, philosophical-type. He has all the information and skill to back it up. He’s not going to put up with any irresponsible, 21st century bullshit and Trick and Lolly are extremely lucky for it. Without Vale and his wise guidance, they’d be toast. Although the vampires can no longer safely feed on humans, Vale has had to step in several times to kill the vampires mid-fight.
We spend the majority of this issue watching our heroes train and it’s honestly super fun. There’s a certain amount of humor and heart in the training scenes. It’s like a really well done film montage. It swiftly moves us through a natural progression of the characters, taking us from sickly, drug-addicted kids to smart, strengthened adults ready to fight for something important. Maberry excels at character development. He writes the hell out of these characters, making it impossible not to care.
In true form for Maberry, he even excels at making us care about the villain. Not care FOR but care about. Lord Sturge is a fantastic villain. He’s exciting to watch on the page and interesting to get to know. Sturge is getting worse from his initial attack on Trick and the subsequent illness he’s inflicted with. He’s afraid to hunt which, as I’ve mentioned in earlier reviews, is truly the brilliance of this comic. The idea that a vampire’s very drive in life—to drink blood—is the one thing that will kill it is phenomenal.
Toward the end of this issue, we get to the real heart, Trick says, “Becoming strong is scary as hell. Facing vampires is easier.” Out of context, it sounds a bit cliché, I’ll admit. But in the world of Trick and Lolly, it’s heartbreaking and hits a nerve. I can only pray that Maberry explores this sentiment a little more in next month’s issue—the final issue.
The ending of this issue is so strong it makes me want to weep. Not out of sorrow but out of pure excitement. It’s one of those satisfying cliffhangers that makes you want to laugh like a maniac, it’s so good. Though I understand the need for this comic not to drag out forever, the fact that there is only one issue left leaves a little hole in my heart.
4.5/5 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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