Via Polygon, Marvel Comics have announced a new, ongoing “Blade” series, written by Bryan Edward Hill (“Angel”) with art by Elena Casagrande (“Black Widow”). Starting in July, the comic will see Blade/Eric Brooks pursue an ancient evil he has accidentally unleashed, while “Marvel’s entire supernatural underworld [comes out] of hiding to demand he handle it. Or pay a pound of flesh for his mistakes.”
The book will coincide with the 50th anniversary of Blade’s first appearance in Marv Wolfman and Gene Colan’s “Tomb of Dracula” #10, and mark his first solo series since Marc Guggenheim and Howard Chaykin’s 2006 run (which lasted 12 issues.) Hill states, “Blade is a treasured character for me. Here, we have an opportunity to explore his history, reveal new aspects of his world and create a story that’s brutal, sexy, and bold as it travels into the world of monsters and magic.”
Casagrande highlighted the fight scenes, saying, “I think that the first goal of drawing a fight scene is to let it be powerful and fluid at the same time. I see fighting like dancing, so my first thought is always about choreography and then the movements that I need to make strong. Obviously every character needs a different choreography, a different way to fight — it’s fun to personalize it — and with Blade, I’m happy to have the chance to use the swords and showcase his strength.”
The comic will begin a month after the conclusion of Danny Lore and Karen S. Darboe’s five-part miniseries “Bloodline: Daughter of Blade,” which, as its name suggests, introduced Blade and Safron Caulder’s daughter, Brielle Brooks. Its timing should also mean Marvel will have at least two new trade paperbacks in bookstores before the release of the new Mahershala Ali movie, due out in theaters September 6, 2024.
