Marvel’s summer event, Blood Hunt, kicked off last week, so now it’s time for the tie-ins to descend into comic shops. That includes Blood Hunters, a new anthology tie-in series. With two self-contained stories and an ongoing one, comic creators explore the happenings of New York with vampires in the streets and the sun blotted out. Sounds like a bloody good time, right?
Kicking off this issue is the story “The City That Never Weeps” by Mark Russell and Bob Quinn. This creative team is a great pairing since they’re both good at comedy, and the story definitely leans into goofy areas. It opens with Hawkeye attempting to be incognito, but he’s only grown a mustache to hide his identity. Before the cops can arrest him, however, vampires burst through the window, and all hell breaks loose in the streets. Who better to rally New Yorkers than Hawkeye, the man of the people?
Captions highlight the comical edge of Hawkeye well, with some good teamwork from a surprisingly eclectic group of civilians. You may never think of puppetry therapy the same way again. Quinn does an excellent job with the various characters, but his art takes the cake with Hawkeye’s mustache. It’s pretty hilarious.
Next is “Blood Relations” by Christos Gage and Javier Garron, which pairs J. Jonah Jameson and his son, who happen to be together when the vampire attack occurs. Thankfully for them, Jonah’s son is also a werewolf, which Gage and Garoon lean into for supernatural horror hijinks. Gage does a great job playing with Jonah’s new dynamic with Spider-Man while plucking at the believable relationship between son and father.
Sorry to…drop in!
Credit: Marvel
Garron gets to design three standout vampire looks while pushing the limits of the art. The book is definitely horror-influenced, with a big chomping bite taken out of a vampire in one scene.
Closing out the issue is “Once More Into the Darkness Part 1” by Erica Schultz and Bernard Chang. Focused on Dagger, she’s on her own due to the circumstances surrounding Cloak’s powers and the attack. Schultz leans into the stakes of the situation as Dagger must make a hard choice regarding a person she knows who turns. It’s cool to see how Dagger’s powers are used against vampires and how she can hold her own in a fight. The story will make you wonder why she doesn’t have an ongoing miniseries.
All three stories in Blood Hunters help convey the dangers heroes face in New York and the unique ways they must act to survive. These tales may not tie into the larger plot, but it’s fun to see heroes not necessarily on the front lines affected by a vampire uprising. With events, what more can you want than a little fun?
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