Advance Review: ‘Blood & Thunder’ #2 Meanders Too Much And Too Soon
by Tom Smithyman
Sophomore outings are difficult by any stretch of the imagination. If a creative team has done a good job in the introductory chapter, the second installment must build on it yet still be different enough to keep readers engaged.
Blood & Thunder’s introduction was fine – nothing earthshattering story-wise but the imagery was strong – but its follow-up issue can’t decide which path it wants to take. There’s a few flashback sequences. Some derision over immigrants. A murderous alien that seems hellbent on wrecking human’s financial system. And, to make matters worse, the issue just seems to end.
Bounty hunter Akeldama “Blood” Bledsoe and her AI-powered gun Thunder reminisce at the book’s open (setting up some oddly timed exposition that will hopefully be paid off soon), only to be alerted about an escaped prisoner capable of killing a lot of people on their asteroid home. That escapee, meanwhile, is fixated on society’s lack of physical currency as it kills indiscriminately.
If all of that feels like an odd combination, it is. And it doesn’t really work well. There’s clearly a longer-term story that writer Benito Cereno is building to, but getting there is not half the fun.
Artist E.J. Su is a bit hit or miss this time out. A few of his pages – the double-page spreads and splash pages in particular – are amazing. The more routine panels are just OK. And his Prisoner from Cell Block X (the creature is annoyed that police officials haven’t told officers its real name) is big but doesn’t look like it can live up to its reputation as the most dangerous creature in the universe.
If this title is to continue in the longer term, it needs more focus and consistency from the entire creative team. An established title can afford to meander a bit. But newer stories need their time to hook the audience. Blood & Thunder isn’t there yet.
Blood & Thunder #2 will be available at comic book shops and digital platforms on Wednesday, June 11, 2025, from Image Comics.
Overview
It’s one thing for an established title to lose a little focus and meander a bit. Doing so in a series’ second issue though, is a great way to lose readers before they become loyal. Add to that some inconsistent visuals, and it’s not the best follow-up issue.
