Advance Review: ‘Blood & Thunder’ #7 Ends In A Bizarre Way
by Tom Smithyman
Regular readers of Blood & Thunder will remember bounty hunter Blood ended the last story arc by failing to bring in her prey — the galaxy’s most dangerous fugitive. She’s back now chasing the beast, who is nowhere to be found.
In the creature’s place is some missing exposition and bizarre ending to this first issue in the new arc.
Blood has tracked the fugitive to a snow-covered planet, where she’s apparently been for some time. She’s also befriended a pregnant robot (and least it seems to be a robot) and men are trying to kill her. What does any of this have to do with the plot? Good question. If there are answers forthcoming, you won’t find them in this issue.
Instead, writer Benito Cereno gives readers some clever enough observations from Blood about living planetside instead of her regular hangout on an asteroid. She’s never had to cook in her life, since all her food is replicated. (Interestingly enough, she hasn’t even chewed.) Even gathering wood for a fire is foreign to her.
Cereno also gives us some more of Blood’s backstory, particularly her parents. Mom is a retired missionary and dad was a cop whom she constantly looks up to. Blood’s sentient gun, Thunder, seems to be holding back some of the truth about dear old dad, though. In a flashback, Blood relates a story about dad, but it strangely ends in the middle. It’s not a cliffhanger; it’s more like the creative team ran out of pages. It feels like poor planning instead of a deliberate storytelling choice.
E.J. Su does a fine job with the artwork. Su doesn’t go in for the intricate details — which is difficult enough on a snow planet — but it’s enough to move the story along.
If only the story were moving along. First chapters of new arcs can be tough to pull off. And there’s something to be said for leaving readers guessing about circumstances. But leaving them guessing about the ending is just weird and off-putting.
Blood & Thunder #7 will be available in comic book stores and on digital platforms Wednesday from Image Comics.
Overview
There’s a lot left unexplained in this first issue of a new story arc. But the biggest mystery is why this issue ends bizarrely in the middle of a flashback. It’s not a cliffhanger; if just feels like poor planning.
