REVIEW: Blade #1

One the baddest men in all of comics begins a brand-new adventure in Blade #1. The half-man, half-vampire is once again ready to do his thing. And this time, all he has to do is stop and mysterious new enemy from ending all of existence, no biggie.

Blade deals in the darkest corners of the world (literally and figuratively) and is certainly no stranger to danger. So, a find the girl, protect the girl mission seems nondescript enough. Of course, the girl is no simple wallflower and the mission doesn’t go according to plan and a potential globe-trotting mission to save the worlds of man and vampire/werewolves from an immortal god that wants to wipe out everything.

Blade is cool, we all know this. Writer Bryan Hill absolutely nails the character’s cool factor. First off, his initial appearance in the issue is so player you immediately know some A+ Blade-ness is about to go down. And that’s exactly what takes place throughout the rest of the issue. Blade’s constant struggle as a man trapped between two worlds is present here but it’s not overdone. As a matter of fact, the balance between subtly and all-out crazy is extremely well done throughout.

It’s a new Blade story and the classic character has a new look thanks to the art team of Elena Casagrande and Jordie Bellaire. Shades; check. Flat top and goatee; check. Trench coat; check. Blade is more svelte than most other versions, but overall, it’s one cool-looking Blade. The overall art of the comic is unique. The coloring is slightly awash (a stylistic decision) and gives everything s film-grain type look and feel. There’s blood but it isn’t overly explicit. There is style and pop to the action and its art and there are several absolutely stunning full-page panels.

It’s the beginning of a new arc for one of Marvel’s most well-known yet underutilized heroes. And the creative team looks to be tapping into some of the things that make Blade, Blade (vampires and werewolves, guns and swords, etc.) while presenting new enemies and allies to take the character in potentially new directions. The first issue grabs the reader’s attention and is something both Blade fans and action comic fans should be on the lookout for.

Writing – 4 Stars
Art – 4 Stars
Coloring – 4 Stars

Overall – 4 Stars

Written by; Bryan Hill
Art by; Elena Casagrande
Colors by; Jordie Bellaire
Letters by; Joe Sabino
Published by; Marvel Comics

Author Profile

Christopher R. Ford

Writer, author, and blogger. Published author of three children's books and also writes for the boy Creators For The Culture. Part-time sneaker head, full time nerd.