Movie fans may have to wait until late 2024 for Marvel Studios’ Blade to hit theaters, but for comic book fans the adventures of the Daywalker will continue very soon indeed. Courtesy of Marvel Comics, Polygon can reveal that a new Blade series kicks off this summer in comic shops everywhere.
Bryan Hill (Killmonger, Batman and the Outsiders) is set to write the new ongoing series, with art by Elena Casagrande (Black Widow, Trial of the Amazons) — and that’s a pretty good combo. Hill is a great adventure writer with a smart sense of character; Casagrande draws some of the best fight scenes in modern superhero comics.
“I think that the first goal of drawing a fight scene is to let it be powerful and fluid at the same time,” Casagrande told Polygon via email. “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.”
What’s up with Blade in Marvel Comics today? Well, he was sheriff of Chernobyl for a bit, after Dracula finagled the disaster site into becoming a sovereign vampire nation. And he just met his secret daughter, Brielle Brooks, who’s growing into her very own vampire slayer powers. Judging by Marvel’s official summary of the first issue, this series will be blazing a new trail, with Blade “unknowingly” unleashing a “dark, ancient power” and having to deal with the consequences — but we won’t know for sure until Blade #1 hits shelves in July.
“Blade is a treasured character for me,” Hill told Polygon. “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.”
Check out the full solicit and cover for Blade #1 below, courtesy of Marvel Comics:
Marvel’s slickest vampire hunter returns in a brand new ongoing by Bryan Hill (KILLMONGER) and Elena Casagrande (BLACK WIDOW)! True evil is patient. And a dark, ancient power has been simmering quietly for centuries…and when Blade himself is the one to unknowingly unleash it, Marvel’s entire supernatural underworld will come out of hiding to demand he handle it. Or pay a pound of flesh for his mistakes. Bloodbaths, blackmail and Blade – you won’t want to miss the explosive first issue of this new volume!
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24543367/BLADE2023001_cov.jpg)