REVIEW: ‘Bloodline: Daughter of Blade,’ Issue #1

Bloodline: Daughter of Blade #1 is written by Danny Lore, illustrated by Karen S. Darboe, colored by Cris Peter, and lettered by VC’s Joe Sabino. It’s published by Marvel Comics. At first glance, Brielle Caulder seems like any other teenager. She’s struggling to find her identity, first in sports and then in music. Despite appearances, she loves her mother Saffron dearly. But Brielle is starting to have bursts of superhuman strength and agility that pop up when she encounters vampires. There’s a good reason for that: her father is the legendary vampire hunter Eric Brooks or, as we know him, Blade.

2023 marks Blade’s 50th anniversary and, in my opinion, this book couldn’t have come at the perfect time. Lore has previously written stories focused on Blade, and they have a clear understanding of what makes the Daywalker and his progeny tick. Though Blade doesn’t appear until the very last page, his presence is felt throughout the book and in Brielle’s life. Like her father, she has the strength and speed to deal with the undead, and in the same way that Blade is driven to hunt vampires over the loss of his mother, Brielle fights to protect her mother from the darkness. Where Lore chooses to shake things up is adding the high school element. While teenagers fighting against the forces of darkness isn’t an entirely new trope, seeing a Black teenager dealing with these problems adds a new dimension to the said trope. I also love Brielle’s interactions with her friends Jayden and Rebecca, which provide some much-needed levity to the story.

Darboe’s art will probably be the main reason why a lot of folks pick up this book, and for good reason. Her pencils bring a fluid, striking dynamic to the page that feels reminiscent of manga – especially in the fight scenes. Blade even performs the infamous “dash and slash” that many a swordsman has pulled off, and it’s amazing! But Darboe’s real gift is in the expressiveness of her characters. Brielle, especially, runs the gauntlet of emotions from shock at discovering vampires exist to fear when she kills one. It adds a level of humanity to the book, keeping it from being just another superhero tale.

Finally, Peter and Sabino round out the creative team with some excellent coloring and lettering. Peter’s colors enhance the environment, adding menace in the shadows of an abandoned house or warmth to Brielle and Saffron’s home. This extends to the characters themselves, especially Brielle. Her bright purple hair and eyes immediately draw the reader’s eye, and like her father, she’s taken to wearing all black. Sabino chooses to separate vampires from humans by giving the bloodsuckers jagged word balloons, making them feel even more inhuman.

Bloodline: Daughter of Blade #1 celebrates the Daywalker’s legacy while delivering a supernatural coming-of-age story. Fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Teen Wolf will no doubt race to pick this up, while longtime Marvel fans will have a new heroine to call their favorite. Either way, this is a book that’s been a long time coming – and one you don’t want to miss.

Bloodline: Daughter of Blade #1 is available wherever comics are sold.