Blade: Red Band #1 Review – Blade Lacks Bite

Eric Brooks has been having a tough go of things in recent Marvel Comics days. Thanks to the events of Marvel’s Blood Hunt, Blade has found himself shunning society thanks to being possessed by the first vampire, Varnae. While Marvel’s most popular vampire hunter was able to escape the crossover without shedding this mortal coil, Blade finds his life at an impasse as he attempts to figure out what to do next. Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately for Blade, his next big challenge falls at his doorstep in the form of a mysterious group that are hoping the vampire hunter will give them some major assistance.

Obviously, Eric isn’t exactly in the best of moods at the moment, not that Blade has ever been known for his sunny disposition. Taking refuge on “Lupui Island” in Southeast Asia, we see Blade living off the land, forging new swords, and being presented with an “opportunity” by a mysterious organization known as the Spellguard. The common thread of this cult appears to be sewing members’ eyes shut, adding a creepy unease to the first meeting. Believing they have a common enemy, the Spellguard and Blade don’t have the most beneficial of meetings to cap off the first episode.

To start, Blade: Red Band feels like a story of missed opportunities. There’s a lot of story to explore with Blade going from the Marvel Universe’s big bad to a hero who is living in isolation. Would superheroes be gunning for him? Would the vampire world be more welcoming thanks to his turn as a result of Varnae’s possession? How does he interact with his daughter? Unfortunately, none of these aspects are tackled here and instead, we’re given something of a “run-of-the-mill” Blade story. That’s not necessarily a bad thing when all is said and done, there’s always fun to be had when it comes to Marvel’s resident vampire killer staking night stalkers but it feels like well-worn territory at this point.

The big “hook” of the first issue is in its cliffhanger, presenting a vampire lord that is also apparently a “Van Helsing”. Merging the two eternal enemies into one has some story potential, along with the ravages left behind by “Father Pontius”. There are some interesting foils for Blade here and his struggle with his own anger, I just once again wish that this new mini-series focused a little more on the fallout from Blood Hunt and Blade’s place in the Marvel Universe as a result.

On top of this, the issue is given the title of a “Red Band” coming, leading one to believe that this will be a far more “mature” and “anything goes” type of affair. While readers here are able to see Blade take quite a few heads of those unfortunate enough to get in his way, it doesn’t necessarily feel that much different from what we’ve seen the vampire hunter do in the past in all-ages iterations.

This isn’t to say that the issue is an entirely mediocre one as it still does some worthwhile digging into Blade’s character here. Bryan Edward Hill clearly had some ideas for how he would approach Brooks and the new challenge in front of him is an interesting one. The Spellguard is a creepy enough visual and I’m looking forward to seeing the role that they have to play in this five-issue mini-series.

On the art front, C.F. Villa has a great output here in not just capturing the quieter moments of Blade’s new status quo, but capturing the frantic energy that is an inherent part of his bloody battles. Blade’s world here is a bustling one and Villa’s art works well in tandem with Hill’s script. The premiere issue also gives us some of the best fights that I’ve seen Eric Brooks take part in, proving once again why Blade has become Marvel’s most successful night stalker.

Blade: Red Band has a solid enough start but is missing out on some key ingredients that could really bring a new side of Blade to the Marvel Universe. Hill and Villa are able to create another worthy tale to the Vampire Hunter’s roster of stories but ultimately don’t bring enough new elements to the table here. Blade’s anger is something that has been a part of the character for quite some time but digging further would help add some new, interesting elements to his first “Red Band” outing.

Published by Marvel

On October 9, 2024

Written by Bryan Hill

Art by C.F. Villa

Colors by Java Tartaglia

Letters by VC’s Clayton Cowles

Cover by C.F. Villa & Federico Blee