REVIEW: Bloodlines #1 of 6

Script: J.T. Krul
Pencils: V. Ken Marion
Inks: Sean Parsons
Colors: Andrew Dalhouse
Review: Art Bee

You may have gathered that I am not much of a DC fan. Looking back through my other reviews, I only noticed two DC reviews in my three years with the HCB. At my LCBS I happened to notice Bloodlines #1 and #2 from DC sitting on the shelf. The covers were striking, and after flipping through the first issue, I decided to give this six part mini-series a try.

Honestly, my opinion on this book is really split. It has an average story, intriguing characters, and some amazing artwork but has some faults as well. I will warn you now, there is going to be a couple of minor spoilers.

The first thing I would point out is towards the editing. On page 6 in the last panel, one of the main characters says, “You don’t want my back. Trust me. Five more years, it’s going look like a pretzel.” It should read ". . . it's going TO look like a pretzel." This is the second time in a month I have addressed editing issues in comics, although the other one was in a comic book from the late 90s.


The first issue is almost completely centered on the character of Eddie, even though other characters are introduced. Eddie is a former skateboarding teen on crutches after some kind of accident that left him partially paralyzed. He is introduced after the opening scene sitting as he is getting up for a day at school. The writer and artists do an incredible job of communicating so many details with just a few panels. The scene and dialog between Eddie and his mother indicate three major things about Eddie and their relationship. First Eddie is eating Chocolate Cookie Blast cereal while there is a plate of various fruit, bagels, and orange juice on the table. The second is Eddie’s mother is leaving for work early in the morning and tells him that she will be home late at night. This is an indication of a single mother working two jobs. The third is Eddie’s depressed mood. When his mother leaves and says she loves Eddie, the artist conveys the boy’s mood extremely well in his face when he says he loves her too.

Throughout the comic book each character is created and woven into the story well. Each is likable and unlikable according to their traits, but I have an issue with Eddie’s. At the end of issue one, when something bad happens to Eddie’s best friend, Graham (a super likable character by the way), Eddie transforms into a big blue brute when he gets upset. Does that sound familiar to anyone? That’s right. It sounds like and resembles the Hulk. Granted he gets this ability from completely different means (revealed in issue #2), but it still seems like a steal from Marvel, whom is beating DC in the Box Office, TV, and comics.

The artwork is just beautiful throughout each issue. The three artists seem to have a massively successful collaboration. My favorite panel is the one introducing Haley. Their work with her has made me have a small crush on this fictional character. That’s right; laugh it up, guys. Each artist is focused on details in characters, objects, and backgrounds. Everything is fantastic.

This mini-series has a very intriguing story developing, and I am interested in seeing where it goes. It is added to my pull list, so I can see how much more DC is robbing from Marvel, whom is still under my embargo for treating readers like dumbasses. Check it out and see for yourselves. It is nice to see something fresh come out of DC. To me their brand has always seemed a little stale, like an old man that is comfortable with a certain status quo.