When reading Bloodline: Daughter of Blade #1, it’s hard to not think of a series like Buffy the Vampire Slayer. They’re both kids in high school fighting vampires while trying to balance a normal life. And like Buffy, there’s a bit of pop fun about the series and a bonus in that it adds a little more to the concept than we’ve seen before.
Written by Danny Lore, Bloodline: Daughter of Blade #1 is a fun start and its focus is what makes it really work. Brielle is your average girl… beyond that whole Blade being her dad. She’s grown up and now experiencing strange powers which is helpful because there’s vampires all around she needs to deal with. Then there’s Brielle’s mom… who also knows there’s vampires and is an ass-kicker herself!? Wait, what?
Lore switches up the formula we’ve seen so many times with Bloodline: Daughter of Blade #1 and it works really well. Instead of a teenage superhero gaining their powers and hiding them, the series folds in the parents early to create a different dynamic than we’re used to. It’s a surprising twist that makes the debut stand out from what could easily have been a standard concept. They mother/daughter relationship is what makes this debut so well in that it extends to school and an administration that’s a little hostile towards Brielle. It takes familiar concepts and ideas and twists them more than enough to make things really interesting.
The art by Karen S. Darboe with color by Cris Peter and lettering by Joe Sabino helps with the concept. The style is one that I’d expect more in a BOOM! comic than Marvel and it works so well for the story and focus. There’s a look to it that fits its youthful focus and it does an excellent job of going from 0 to 60 turning mother/daughter time into mother/daughter kicking ass time. There’s also a solid focus on the reactions of everyone from a look on their face to the body language to drive home what’s on their mind.
Bloodline: Daughter of Blade #1 is a fun debut with some youthful energy and story decisions that makes it stand out. Instead of going the familiar route, it changes things up keeping readers on their toes. Blade and the Vampire Nation have been getting more of a focus lately and here’s to hoping this series continues the solid storytelling they’ve been delivering so far.
Story: Danny Lore Art: Karen S. Darboe
Color: Cris Peter Letterer: Joe Sabino
Story: 8.25 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.25 Recommendation: Buy
Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
Purchase: TFAW – Zeus Comics – comiXology/Kindle
Source: Graphic Policy
