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Review: ‘Bad Blood’ #4

Published

10 years ago

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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

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Comics

‘Witchblade’ is Getting Resurrected This Summer in New Comic Series from Top Cow and Image Comics

Published

14 hours ago

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April 18, 2024

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Witchblade cover

Witchblade, the popular comic series that initially ran from 1995 to 2015 and launched a TV series, is getting resurrected in a new comic series from Top Cow and Image Comics. It’s set to unleash heavy metal, black magic and blood this summer.

Look for the new Witchblade series to launch on July 17, 2024.

In Witchblade #1, “New York City Police Detective Sara Pezzini’s life was forever fractured by her father’s murder. Cold, cunning, and hellbent on revenge, Sara now stalks a vicious criminal cabal beneath the city, where an ancient power collides and transforms her into something wild, magnificent, and beyond her darkest imaginings. How will Sara use this ancient power, or will she be consumed by it?”

The series is penned by NYT Best-Selling writer Marguerite Bennett (Animosity, Batwoman, DC Bombshells) and visualized by artist Giuseppe Cafaro (Suicide Squad, Power Rangers, Red Sonja). The creative duo is working with original co-creator Marc Silvestri, who is the CEO of Top Cow Productions Inc. and one of the founders of Image Comics. They are set to reintroduce the series to Witchblade’s enduring fans with “a reimagined origin with contemporary takes on familiar characters and new story arcs that will hook new readers and rekindle the energy and excitement that fueled the 90’s Image Revolution that shaped generations of top creators.”

Bennett said in a statement, “The ability to tell a ferocious story full of monsters, sexuality, vision, and history was irresistible.” She adds, “Our saga is sleek, vicious, ferocious, and has a lot to say about power in the 21st century and will be the first time that we are stopping the roller coaster to let more people on. I’ve loved Witchblade since I was a child, and there is truly no other heroine like Sara with such an iconic legacy and such a rich, brutal relationship to her own body.”

“The Witchblade universe is being modernized to reflect how Marguerite beautifully explores the extreme sides of Sara through memories, her personal thoughts, like desire and hunger, in her solitude and when she is possessed by the Witchblade. So, I had to visually intersect a noir True Detective-like world with a supernatural, horror world that is a fantastic mix between Berserk and Zodiac,” Cafaro stated.

Marc Silvestri notes, “This is brand new mythology around Sara, and I can’t wait for you to fall in love with her and all the twists and turns. Discover Witchblade reimagined this summer, and join us as we bring all the fun of the 90s to the modern age and see how exciting comics can be. I can’t wait for you to read this new series.”

Witchblade#1 will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, July 17th, for $4.99 for 48 pages. And it’ll come with multiple cover variants.

  • Cover A: Marc Silvestri and Arif Prianto (Full Color)

  • Cover B: Giuseppe Cafaro and Arif Prianto (Full Color)

  • Cover C: Blank Sketch Cover

  • Cover D (1/10): Dani and Brad Simpson (Full Color)

  • Cover E (1/25): Marc Silvestri and Arif Prianto, Virgin Cover (Full Color)

  • Cover F (1/50): J.Scott Campbell (Full Color)

  • Cover G (1/100): Bill Sienkiewicz. (Full Color)

  • Cover H (1/250): Line art by Marc. Virgin Cover, Inks (B/W)

Witchblade #1 will also be available across many digital platforms, including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Google Play.

Witchblade comic panel Witchblade #1 cover image

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