REVIEW: Blade #5

If you thought things had already gone from bad to worse for Blade, you haven’t seen anything yet. Welcome to Blade #5, aka Blade’s worst nightmare come to life.

Blade has failed…big time. Adana fooled him and used him to reach near full power. She’s now trying to turn everyone on earth into monsters by awakening the darkness lying in wait inside each of us. And Blade wants revenge. Dramatic right? Dr. Strange arrives to try and “help” but he and Blade butt heads and the tension between them is so thick, it can be cut with a knife. The evolution of Blade as a character throughout this run is one of the most impressive things about it. He has transformed from his traditional smooth, stoic hero with witty one-liners and all the answers into a more nuanced man who is emotional and can make mistakes…all while still being uber cool. Hill is officially in his bag now writing Blade. And he takes Blade and readers to some dark places literally and figuratively.

And those dark places are beautifully recreated through the art of Elena Casagrande (art) and Jordie Bellaire (colors). From a destroyed battlefield to literal hell, the environments are properly drab and give serious vibes of despair. The coloring remains stylishly awash retaining it’s film-grain aesthetic. The Blade/Strange face-off is a particular highlight with extreme close-ups of their faces showcasing exactly how close they are to throwing blows. Adana and Blade’s one-on-one is also an artistic standout as she is in her full, terrifying form. There’s blood but just like previous issues, it’s there for a reason and isn’t overly explicit. There is also style and pop to the action and its art and it all matches the tone of the storytelling.

Even near defeat, Blade is as cool as they come. Last issue he was humbled but he’s bouncing back here, to the verge of being confident to a fault again. That is until he finally realizes what must be done. Swallowing his pride, he turns to the last person anyone would expect in a twist for the ages. This issue flies by with action, intrigue, and amazing dialogue. Last issue was a wild ride and while this one takes it down a notch so Blade can regroup, it quickly ramps things back up and sets up a potentially even more explosive next act. Overall, this has been one of the best Blade runs in a very long time and Blade #5 keeps up the story’s strong momentum.

Writing – 5 Stars
Art – 4.5 Stars
Coloring – 4 Stars

Overall
4.5 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.