Daddy Issues And Big Time Speeches: Reviewing ‘Blood Hunt’ #3

While constant darkness and vampires running rampant isn’t common, apocalyptic threats that endanger Earth or universe are practically weekly events. Like actually, they probably are because of the sliding timescale and the time condensing effect it has on Marvel.

Anyway, the latest event has reached the midpoint with Blood Hunt #3, just in time for revelations, speeches, and bold moves. A less blood-soaked issue from Jed MacKay, Pepe Larraz, Marte Garcia, and Cory Petit.

If you’re hoping for some hero slaying vampire action of epic event proportions, this isn’t that type of issue. On the other hand, if you’re hoping for some big-time setup alongside some dramatic character emotional seeding and a big speech to inspire hope, well I’ve got some good news for you. This is your issue then.

As noted above, this is very much a middle issue, which is neither a good nor a bad thing. It’s the eye of the storm, the preamble between musical sets, or whatever analogy or turn of phrase suits you best. It’s very much a setup issue, but because it’s MacKay (master of character moments) and the series knows what it is at its heart, the semi-pause works.

Honestly, I love the beat where Captain America, my boy Sam Wilson, lists off all the other recent events that put the world at risk. It points to not only what the world has overcome through the years, but in a way pokes at the absurdity of rampant comic book events. Look around and there is no indication that the whole of NYC and the world have been through invasion after invasion after invasion or world ending event.

Hell, Damage Control must be the richest company in the whole universe just from the number of times they’ve quickly rebuilt New York City.

Whether there is action or not, it’s a damn good looking comic.

Let Larraz and Garcia loose to get all moody and tonally perfect and we’re eating good. Everything is just so well-crafted and breathes, moving through the page, even as characters are just standing around speaking. Just the splash following the Blade revelation is pure fire, laying out the whole event in just one easy to follow montage page.

Every character and space has weight and presence under Larraz’s care. The world at large having depth and layers that allow it to feel like the lived-in space that we know and love. Even though the whole event is very dark, with heavy shadows everywhere (there is a Darkforce night, after all) Garcia finds ways to drop in pops of color.

All of the settings have their own lighting effects that give them a more distinct appearance. The Impossible City, the Sanctum, and all around do not feel nor look alike and nor should they. As a duo, Larraz and Garcia just work so smoothly, enhancing each other beat for beat.

As noted it’s a talky issue, but not an overly talky issue. Every word is provided with intent and purpose and delivered similarly. Petit handles that bit, making sure to bring modifiers into play which let the worlds burrow right into our brains. From the big logo name drop of Blade (love a good logo drop in dialogue) to various colors swirled into the words and bubbles. It all just adds to the distinct visual appeal of the book while making voices stronger and louder in our minds.

Oh, there is also a moment where a character drops a reference to something that could pay off the theory that myself and others have about Blade. Captain Marvel says about Blade, “But that thing up there, wearing his skin, whatever it is…” My theory being that this wasn’t just Eric Brooks going off the deep end but actually possession by some other older vampire, likely a lord.

Previously my thought was that it was Lord R’ym’r, an energy vampire that Blade and Spider-Man (Miles) fought and re-imprisoned together recently, but the latest Miles Morales: Spider-Man issue sort of squashed that notion.

Possession or mind control drops into villain hood aren’t anything new for comic books. They provide not only an easy way to make heroic characters break bad momentarily, but also helps provide a get out of jail for free card to whatever atrocities were committed. Blade will just be following in the footsteps of Wolverine, Bishop, Tony Stark, and others before him having their (often) massive sins wiped away instantly.

Unless you’re Wanda Maximoff who was derided by comic book characters for almost two decades before Leah Williams and others came to her rescue.

Blood Hunt #3 is now available from Marvel Comics.