Advance Review — ‘Blood & Thunder’ #8 Has Some Significant Structural Issues
by Tom Smithyman
Stories — whether they be in comic books, movies, or television — have standard structures. In comics, it typically following this formula: introduction/resolution of the previous issue’s cliffhanger, exposition, additional plot development, followed by a new cliffhanger of sorts.
We don’t usually realize that structure when we’re reading a comic — think most background music in movies. But when something is off with that structure or pacing, it can be noticeable. In the right hands, it can be a very effective storytelling technique. When it is mishandled, it leaves readers scratching their heads.
This is the problem with Blood & Thunder’s current story arc. The tale of interstellar bounty hunter Blood and her sentient AI gun Thunder is supposed to be about hunting down a bad guy on a remote snow planet filled with, among other things, robot exotic dancers who apparently can get pregnant. It’s an interesting concept, but writer Benito Cereno plays with structure so much, it’s getting in the way of effective storytelling.
Instead of ending with an exciting battle that leaves the hero in peril, the previous issue unveiled a predictable flashback that just sort of ended. This latest chapter starts with Thunder telling Blood: “Anyway. That’s what happened.” It’s not exactly the most exciting way to kick off a comic.
If that weren’t bad enough, Cereno commits the same sin at the end of this issue, with Thunder and some new alien allies plotting an attack on the baddies. There’s no suspense or even a big splash page from artist E.J. Su. It’s literally a panel that takes up one-eighth of the last page with Blood saying: “Let’s get it done.” It’s not nearly enough to get people to pick up the next chapter.
It feels like the creative team wanted to create a triple-sized issue, but then had to haphazardly convert it into the standard number of pages. Regardless of the reasons behind the decision, readers are the ones being punished.
Blood & Thunder #8 will be available in comic book stores and on digital platforms on Wednesday from Image Comics.
Overview
Whether we realize it or not when we’re reading them, most comics have a standard structure to them. Disrupting that structure is either incredibly effective or immensely confusing and unsettling. Unfortunately, this issue, like the one before it, suffers from its non-standard storytelling approach.
