Bloodline: Daughter of Blade #5 Review

 

Writer: Danny Lore

Artist: Karen S. Darboe

Colorist: Cris Peter

Letterer: Joe Sabino

Cover Artists: Karen S. Darboe & Cris Peter

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $3.99

Release Date: June 21, 2023

 

Deacon Frost wanted Blade's blood to empower his followers. When that didn't work, he let Brielle's mom escape, then sent his posse in pursuit. Will Saffron lead Deacon's vampires directly to Brielle? Let's Hack And Slash into Bloodline: Daughter of Blade #5 and find out!

 

Story

Jay and Rebecca realize Brielle's in trouble. So her friends stick by her side. Saffron finds them where Blade trained Brielle. With the high stakes, our pink-haired dhampir spills what she's been going through as Whitney and her clone daddy's vampires arrive.

 

Saffron doesn't want her daughter to fight. Rebecca knows better. With her help, Brielle subdues Whitney and hacks and slashes vampires. Now she's got to rescue Blade from Whitney's foster daddy before he succumbs to a bestial rage.

 

Sadly, I learned no more about vampire cloning in Bloodline: Daughter of Blade #5. Might another Frosty Clone appear in Marvel's upcoming Blade series? As a newbie, I wondered why Blade struggled to prevent transforming into The Incredible Dhampir. If there was an explanation in earlier issues, I missed it. My biggest question about the series regards Brielle's pink hair. In issue #3, black cornrows surround her head. Yet when she goes outside, she's got straight pink hair. When a vampire grabs her by the hair, she yells, "Yeow!" No wig flies off. Am I just clueless about wig attachments and quick-acting dyes?

 

Despite my insatiable curiosity Danny Lore fulfilled all the individual character arcs in Bloodline: Daughter of Blade #5. Now I don't need to rush to the vitamin cupboard for a handful of iron pills!

 

Art

In the first panel of the first page, Jay, Rebecca, and Brielle look like they've emulated the fan who wanted to look more like Red Skull. Later profile depictions reveal the characters didn't visit Dr. Schlotkin. Citizens of Druidia: relax. You're in no danger of losing your oxygen.

 

In the last panel of the first page—a profile shot of Brielle and her mother—Saffron looks angry at Brielle. She's probably just upset that Deacon endangered Blade and her daughter. Still, I thought, "'Don't tell Bri off! She's doing her best!"

 

There were a few other irritants in Bloodline: Daughter of Blade #5. Saffron's car looked like a sedan in one panel and a crossover SUV in others. (It's probably the tilted camera views). The Incredible Transforming Blade resembles a Claymation figure. But by and large, Karen S. Darboe's art depicts action well, and the characters' emotions shine like beacons in Deacon's mausoleum hideout. While she probably draws digitally, her signature splatter gives the comic a hand-inked look.

 

When Darboe's noseless panel made me stumble, Cris Peters’ coloring helped me keep my feet. The headlights from Saffron’s car/SUV reflect off the front edge of Jay's headphones and one lens of his glasses. The harsh lighting makes the trio's teeth glow and overexposes their faces. I like how she brushes pink shadows around Jay and Rebecca's eyes and across the trio's neck. A reflection slashes across the vehicle windscreen. A brush streaks purple above Saffron as she hugs her daughter. The moonlight plays across the fabric of Whitney's black Emma Peel catsuit, dapples Brielle's hair, and washes out the vampires' stark features. Need I go on about the coloring in Bloodline: Daughter of Blade #5?

 

Joe Sabino’s uppercase black lettering in white dialogue balloons is easy to read and follow. Sound effects were balanced and effective in style, spelling, and frequency. I wasn't sure the few times characters used small font merited lowered voices. Still, his efforts helped bring this series to a satisfying conclusion.

 

Final Thoughts

Bloodline: Daughter of Blade #5 sinks its claws into your heart and doesn't let go until the final page. Fueled by devotion to family and responsibility for others, readers depart enamored by Brielle and thirsting for more pint-sized dhampir adventures.

 

Rating 8.3/10

 

To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

Bloodline: Daughter of Blade #4 Review

 

Writer: Danny Lore

Artist: Karen S. Darboe

Colorist: Cris Peter

Letterer: Joe Sabino

Cover Artists: Karen S. Darboe & Cris Peter; Betsy Cola; David Mack; Joshua “Sway” Swaby

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $3.99

Release Date: May 17, 2023

 

The teen years can be rough. But no one's life has changed more radically than Brielle's. Thankfully, her father has entered her life and explained her dhampir heritage. Can Blade help her hone her newfound powers to become a legendary monster hunter like him? Grab your wooden stakes, leap into Bloodline: Daughter of Blade #4 with me, and let’s find out!

 

Story

Who hasn’t lost someone important to them and wanted them back? In Brielle’s case, it’s a father she’s never known. Suddenly he’s there for her when she needs him most. He trains her to use her new powers and gives her presents. (Well, warrior presents). She can even hug him, and he'll hug back. Now she's got a real family like everyone else. Only she hasn't. Someone abducted her mom!

 

Blade plays the responsible dad and sends her to school the next day. Her friends Jay and Rebecca are there for her, but New Girl Whitney provokes her. Catfight! Meanwhile, Blade’s got his knives out at a cemetery. He may have more experience than Brielle, but neither fight goes according to plan in Bloodline: Daughter of Blade #4.

 

I had trouble understanding the events following Brielle and Whitney's fight. One aspect concerns Whitney. The second is how the school enforces the principal's decision. There's also a mention of cloning. Huh? Tell me more about how that works, please! Still, the biggest mystery is why Blade—a dhampir or Daywalker—wears his Sunglasses At Night.

 

What’s that? So he can keep track of the visions in his eyes? Thanks for that, Corey Hart!

 

 

 

 

Art

Karen S. Darboe certainly likes her inks. Instead of drawing fully-realized backgrounds, she often delivers black splatter. Some panels remind me of watching an inker apply inks mixed with varying amounts of water to paper at a recent convention. The effect suggests shadows, dirt, and smoke. She often centers smaller panels on pages. I found this distracting on one page, as Brielle’s black boot frames the left side of the page, and Whitney’s yellow tennis shoe stands out on the right. Still, showcasing the latter allowed her to capitalize on it in the bathroom scene.

 

Jay and Rebecca are Brielle's friends and her primary support group. Yet their features always look a little blurry to me. Likewise, Blade and Brielle's battles often blur, as if vampires and monster hunters move too fast to capture. Still, I liked how Darboe shows Brielle's emotions in the opening scenes as twinkling stars, an ellipsis, and a dragonfly. I also enjoyed how she shows Brielle's reflection in Blade's sunglasses.

 

 

 

The coloring in Bloodline: Daughter of Blade #4 is fiery, feisty, and fun. You’ll see that immediately with Brielle’s purple and pink hair. Cris Peter paints scenes and characters in appealing colors and disguises all-too-many blank backgrounds with a textured color wash that seems like a colorist's response to an artist's love of ink blotting and spattering. Perhaps the white tears on Brielle's dark face aren't realistic, but they communicate.

 

Joe Sabino’s uppercase black lettering in white dialogue balloons is easy to read and follow. He displays Brielle's thoughts in pinky-purple narrative boxes that contrast with the black lettering. I particularly enjoyed how he expresses Brielle's shock at the damaged, blood-splattered kitchen.

 

As with the story, I didn't understand the art in a few panels in Bloodline: Daughter of Blade #4. These chiefly involved Blade. I don't want to throw out any spoilers, but twice he screams (or yells—sorry, Real Vampire Hunters don't scream). I'm not sure why. Was Blade in pain or merely trying to distract Deacon Frost?

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Bloodline: Daughter of Blade #4 delivers a teen-friendly story of family, empowerment, and the supernatural in an appealing, all-ages package. With a new Blade series hitting comic shops this July, there’s never been a better time to discover the world of Marvel’s night-stalking Daywalker.

 

Rating 8/10

 

To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

Bloodline Daughter Of Blade #1

 

Bloodline Daughter of Blade #1 is a fun opening installment of a new series. Think of Bloodline as a black Buffy, and you won't be far off. Like Buffy, she's just learning about her powers, and wondering how she fits in. But after a vampire attack on her and her mother, the latter informs her that she knows all about vampires.

"What? Mom! How could you know this might happen, and not tell me?"

This sets up an interesting dynamic as the story unfolds. There's also her friends at school who don't understand why she's suddenly dropping out of her extracurricular activities, and a new girl in town who will play an important role in Bloodline Daughter of Blade #2. The series also provides links to Black Panther, Blade, and perhaps even Dracula, so that's a lot to look forward to.

The coloring is fun--much of it in purples and pinks. While a little on the smaller side, the lettering is easy to read. This is a long read for a #1, but not overly talky. 

I haven't reviewed either the first or second issue. There's a lot I'm still learning about in the wonderful world of comics. But I'm keeping my eye on this series, and suggest you check it out. After all, you can never get enough of great vampire stories, can you?

For interior art, see the preview at Comic Book Dispatch.