REVIEW: Blood Hunters #1

Hawkeye, Man-Wolf, and Dagger separately navigate through the Vampire Apocalypse in Blood Hunters #1. What roles will these unique heroes have to play in Marvel’s mega Summer event?

Zero-hour of the vampire attack on New York City continues to be explored in this issue featuring quick solo adventures starring the three aforementioned heroes. First off is Hawkeye. Fugitive Clint Barnes is moments from capture when he’s saved by the bell…and by bell we mean the blotting out of the sun and vampires roaming the streets in the middle of the afternoon. Hawkeye is being Hawkeye here, cracking wise and sharpshooting with his trusty bow and arrow. Writer Mark Russell’s storyline serves as joke-filled yet earnest love letter to NYC and the resilience of the town and its people.

Man-Wolf’s tale comes next and follows John and his father J. Jonah Jameson as their lunch reservation is cancelled by the Vampire Apocalypse. Jameson steals the show as the newish version of his love-hate relationship with Spider-man has him constantly calling Spidey asking for his help…while also calling him names. Even within this serious situation, Jameson’s comic relief remains wholly on brand and hilarious. Christos Gage’s (writer) buddy action-comedy vibes match Hawkeye’s with some ramped up violence and the action one would expect from a werewolf throwing down with vampires.

The final story features Dagger, minus her usual partner in crime, Cloak. This one is a return to the daker, more serious tone of the overall series. Dagger’s intimate knowledge of the Darkforce which is causing this invasion means she’s not surprised nor fearful of what’s to come. Bust still, Dagger is a character known to be a tortured soul and she is struggling here to stop the vampires without killing them with the big picture goal of finding a way to save Cloak. The tonal shift may through some readers off but viewed on its own merits, writer Erica Schultz has created a story that is set up to be quite an intriguing and emotional ride.

On the art side, each story is done by a different art team, all of whom bring their creative A games. Bob Quinn and Matt Milla bring some brightness and even some “fun” into Hawkeye’s segment. Javier Garron and Morry Hollowell interestingly walk the line between light adventure and brutal action with Man-Wolf. And Bernard Chang and Marcelo Maiolo bring the noir vibes for Dagger’s tale. Each one is a looker and brings something unique visually to the issue.

Perhaps surprisingly, this is one of the best issues in the Blood Hunt series to date. At minimum, the variety in the art and the storytelling combine to make Blood Hunters #1 the most original issue thus far. All the characters are on separate missions spread throughout New York. Will they meet up? Only one seems to have a plan so far, so what are their roles in the larger conflict? There are a lot of questions and even more directions these heroes can go in. It will be interesting to see what happens next.

Writing – 4.5 Stars
Art – 4.5 Stars
Coloring – 4.5 Stars

Overall
4.5 Stars

Written by; Mark Russell, Christos Gage, Erica Schultz
Art by; Bob Quinn, Javier Garron, Bernard Chang
Colors by; Matt Milla, Morry Hollowell, Marcelo Maiolo
Letters by; Joe Caramagna
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.