The Sun Will Come Out, Tomorrow? — Reviewing ‘Blood Hunt’ #2

Darkness has fallen, vampires have consumed the world, and the world’s heroes are scrambling to find (questionable) allies and solutions.

As the new Vampire Lord’s army grows, the heroes strike some blows of their own, as Blood Hunt #2 ups the ante for the event of the summer. Marvel’s streets run red with blood in the next chapter from Jed MacKay, Pepe Larraz, Marte Garcia, and Cory Petit.

Through and through, I’m on board with this premise. Heroes up against the rails, vampires all over, just a pure comic booky event that knows what it is and embraces that. All that being said, I do have a gripe to get out off the top. If you’ve yet to read these first two issues (what are you doing here then?!?), turn back now. Spoilers are bursting in because they were invited.

<Spoilers follow>

So, at the end of the previous issue we saw Blade revealed as the Vampire Lord as he stabbed Strange. Then over in Doctor Strange #15 (also a book I review), we followed up on this as Blade transformed Strange so that he and Clea could be too distracted to cast the vampire destroying spell Strange cast in the past.

Yet, even as all the heroes descend upon the Sanctum Santorum, not once does Strange bother to tell them that it’s one of their own doing this. Maybe it happened off panel, but this is the type of reveal that should be seen and carry weight. Especially since this is only a 5-issue series, and we’re already through 40% of the main event (not counting tie-ins and side stories).

A minor quibble, but maybe not minor at the same time. Either way, doesn’t detract from how fun this story continues to be.

MacKay has done the work, seeding pieces for this story through numerous titles over the years. Whether this was the endgame that whole time or not (comics as an industry rarely works out that way), it’s working.

Even when there are cliché events that I saw coming a mile away…like the transformation of Miles…it still works. Because the characters feel authentic and true, a trademark of MacKay’s writing, and the stakes are real but low key enough that we know how it works in comics. Never is MacKay pretending that any of these deaths (they are deaths) are real or sticking or that this event will “CHANGE THE MARVEL UNIVERSE AS WE KNOW IT!”.

Basically, this is a summer blockbuster in every factor that we attribute to that phrase and I’m here for it.

Helps when we get to witness gorgeous sexy moody artwork from Larraz and Garcia. A duo that goes together even better than peanut butter and jelly or peanut butter and chocolate or peanut butter and…gosh I’m really hungry right now. One could say…ravenous.

Anyway…let me talk and gush about this artwork.

Superhero poses and iconic scenes are common but the right combo of elements create the ones we remember years (even decades) later. Our Avengers team triumphantly bathed in a beam of pure sunlight as they run off the Blood Coven, oh yeah that’ll do. Create a framed poster print of that page and it’s going on my wall and staying there. So, I can look at it, nod, and smile every time I walk into the room or wake up.

Stories of this nature, that encompass the majority of this universe of characters, need to feel epic. Larraz always answers that call wearing his finest, dazzling the masses with charisma and charm on the page. Plenty of really weighty depth in every panel, giving the world the lived in feeling it has and needs. Little shifts here or there to make sure that every space has its own look and energy, rather than being so similar it’s hard to discern what is going on.

As noted, there is plenty of action found here. It bounced around, feeling ordered but just frantic enough to accurately represent what a fight of this nature might be like.

A sense of heaviness is already there but is taken a step further with the heavier colors Marte employs here. Plenty of shadows, naturally for the story reasons, linger on every page giving the requisite ominous feeling. A more toned-down palette is in play in many respects, keeping things in the space where the surrounding world and many characters are in line with the “world outside your window” effect.

Sequences like that aforementioned sunlit Avengers beat are where the brighter colors come into play. Costumes, powers, and other elements getting the pop to keep them fantastical compared to the buildings or spaces the characters exist within.

MacKay’s character development knack is top tier, and having a letterer like Petit matches that energy as he brings their voices to the page. Allowing unique voices to really thrive thanks to changes to fonts, bubbles, and more. Keeping the denser beats of text from overwhelming or distracting from what’s on the page.

Slipping in little things here or there that give words a more ominous feeling, while also allowing things to still tap into that comic book fun.

Blood Hunt #2 is now available from Marvel Comics.