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Blood Hunt #2 keeps up the surprises and delivers memorable moments

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Blood Hunt #2

The vampires’ first strike has laid low the world, and their endless legions run riot across the planet. The broken Avengers join the fighters of the Midnight Mission and unlikely allies Bloodline and Dracula in seeking out the one man who can do something about this: Doctor Strange. But after the apocalyptic events of Blood Hunt #1, what is left of Earth’s Sorcerer Supreme? Blood Hunt #2 keeps up the quality, fun, and surprises of the first issue in another fantastic chapter.

While there’s some formula to it, Blood Hunt #2 is another impressive chapter that keeps readers on their toes and keeps up the hope that this is Marvel’s best event in a while. Things look grim and hope is slim as the world has been plunged into darkness and Blade has lead the vampire nation into dominance. Writer Jed MacKay is delivering bangers with each issue and this one is packed with “hell yeah” moments that remind you why the Avengers are the Earth’s Mightiest. There’s battles. There’s surprises. There’s more unexpected moments all delivered with a flair that emphasizes the epic nature of it all.

The art by Pepe Larraz is fantastic. It features multiple moments and panels that make the Avengers badass and will give readers pause. It’s all helped by the color of Marte Gracia which keeps things dark but not too dark to drawn out the visuals. The lettering by Cory Petit delivers an emphasis on the characters and where they stand in a way. It all comes together to deliver a comic that has so many cool moments punctuated by the art.

Blood Hunt #2 is a hell of a second issue that eases the fears the event would start with a bang and quickly wither. There’s another great surprise here that feels like it comes out of nowhere in a good way. There’s also some fantastic moments in battle that really show off how amazing the Avengers are. It’s an event that feels like Marvel is at the top of its game again. Here’s hoping it keeps up.

Story: Jed MacKay Art: Pepe Larraz
Color: Marte Gracia Letterer: Cory Petit
Story: 8.5 Art: 9.0 Overall: 8.5 Recommendation: Buy

Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle

Blood Hunt (Red Band) #1 delivers a bloody surprise and a solid a debut

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The skies have gone dark, the sun hiding its face from the carnage to come. The children of the night, the vampires, have risen from the dark and hidden places of the world as one to drown the Marvel Universe in blood. Earth’s final night has fallen – can even the heroes of this doomed world stem the tide of blood that is to come?

Story: Jed MacKay
Art: Pepe Larraz
Color: Marte Gracia
Letterer: Cory Petit

Get your copy now! To find a comic shop near you, visit http://www.comicshoplocator.com or call 1-888-comicbook or digitally and online with the links below.

Blood Hunt #1
Zeus Comics
Kindle

Blood Hunt #1 Red Band
Zeus Comics

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Blood Hunt #1 Sinks its Fangs as Marvel’s Big Event

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Blood Hunt #1

With the sun disappearing, the Marvel universe slowly enters a never-ending state of darkness. With a perpetual night, vampires come out to attack and feed on heroes and villains to take over the planet. With no sign of the light to come, can the heroes power through the onslaught of bloodthirsty creatures killing and turning every living being in sight? Jed MacKay and Pepe Larraz invite readers to bathe in the blood of Blood Hunt #1 and pray that the Marvel universe can survive through the endless night and potentially see daylight.

As the big summer event, Blood Hunt #1 kicks off with a massive bang as Darkforce users magically become portals to the Darkforce dimension and plunge the world into darkness. MacKay portrays these massive threats grandiosely through the slow reveal of darkness covering the earth before the vampires come out and take over the planet. Despite primarily focusing on the Avengers, the event picks up on threads from his Moon Knight and Doctor Strange series, where he showcased the rise of the new vampire cult while they waited for their time to strike. I have always loved MacKay’s fascination with the mystical and supernatural side of the Marvel Universe, which is on full display here. Outside of his work, MacKay also picks up on threads from similar stories that contribute to the massive stakes they need to overcome. Considering previous events have focused on massive cosmic stories, I appreciate this supernatural-heavy focus.

MacKay and Larraz introduce a new leading group of villains called Bloodcoven, who significantly differ from traditional vampires in appearance and abilities. Existing as brutal antagonists for each Avenger, MacKay demonstrates how the heroes will need to find support outside of their traditional circles to deal with these unfamiliar threats. Paired with Larraz’s gorgeous art, the Bloodcoven instantly becomes a recognizable and exciting villain for the event. I am interested in seeing how the group will develop over Blood Hunt and hope they will be individually defined more as the event goes on. Due to Blood Hunt # 1 being their first appearance, MacKay and Larraz present them as exciting villains that the readers want to learn more about.

To fully showcase the story as a massive supersized event, Larraz is the only artist who can pull that off. With his slick and blockbuster art, he effortlessly combines the traditional superhero visuals with the supernatural and mystical elements of the narrative. Blood Hunt #1 is another lovely feather in his already-filled hat. Considering how comic book stores will have the exclusive red band version of the issue, the extra blood, extra art, and similar materials not available in the digital or regular edition will be a strong selling point for buying the physical issue. Since the story focuses on vampires, I am excited about seeing the expanded and unedited horror art of Larraz. Lastly, colorist Marte Gracia and letterer VC’s Cory Petit make the issue sing and work well with MacKay and Larraz. Every bit of the comic is as beautiful as it is horrific.

Blood Hunt #1 by MacKay and Larraz plunges the Marvel characters and readers into one of the darkest nights of comics. With vampires overtaking the world and a new leader ruling them, the Avengers must resort to mystical and supernatural forces to combat the undead threat. As the endless night continues, the Marvel universe must survive against the vampiric horde or never see daylight again.

Story: Jed Mackay Art: Pepe Larraz
Color: Marte Gracia Letterer: VC’s Cory Petit
Story: 8.7 Art: 9.4 Overall: 9.1 Recommendation: Read

Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle

Marvel’s heroes pay a heavy price to bring down the vampire’s reign in Blood Hunt #5

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On May 18, the next Marvel Comics crossover epic begins! From Avengers and Moon Knight scribe Jed MacKay and acclaimed X-Men artists Pepe Larraz and Marte Gracia comes the bloodiest event in Marvel history–BLOOD HUNT! The saga kicks off when eternal night washes over Earth, and vampires, united by a single vision for the first time in millennia, emerge from the shadows. To keep them at bay, a new world order may need to be put in place… Today, fans can get a peek at the final issue of the main series, on sale in July.

In Blood Hunt #5, Doctor Strange is presented with a dread bargain to gain a chance to save the world. The Avengers ride into a battle they cannot win. The dead battle the undead across the globe. Will it be enough? Will the world be saved, and how will it be changed if it is? Featuring a dramatic shift for the future of the Marvel Universe!

Check out the Blood Hunt #5 cover and pick up the debut issue on May 1.

Blood Hunt #5

Jed MacKay reveals more details about Blood Hunt including an art preview!

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In a recent retailer conference, writer Jed MacKay spilled details about the upcoming Marvel Comics event, Blood Hunt. The scope of the saga, big mysteries, and the lasting impact were all discussed including a tease of some of the art.

The event kicks off when various vampire factions, united for the first time in millennia, engineer a global attack using Darkforce energy to block out the sun. Having lurked in the shadows of the Marvel Universe since its very beginning, vampires are now unleashed on humanity as heroes and villains alike fall prey to their overwhelming bloodlust. WHO WILL BITE IT?

Blood Hunt is an epic saga that’s been seeded in Marvel stories for decades. Recent buildup includes MacKay’s current run of Moon Knight, recent issues of Miles Morales: Spider-Man, last year’s Bloodline: The Daughter of Blade, and more! In the grand tradition of events like Civil War and Secret Invasion, Blood Hunt will be rewarding to longtime Marvel readers while also serving as a thrilling entry point into Marvel Comics for newer fans!

The event is the natural rise of all of the vampire threads MacKay and others have been weaving into their tales over the years.

Blood Hunt #1 will also see a “Red Band” edition that is promised to be more grisly and will only be available in print.

Blood Hunt #1 takes a bite out of shelves on May 1.

Even an Android can bleed in Peach Momoko’s Blood Hunt #1 variant cover

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Who will bite it? This May, the Marvel Universe runs red in Blood Hunt, the upcoming crossover epic where eternal night descends on Earth and vampires reign! Blood Hunt will be unfold in main event series by Jed MacKay, Pepe Larraz, and Marte Gracia before spinning out into a blood-soaked tapestry of spinoff limited series, one-shots, and tie-in issues of ongoing series.

Today, fans can see visionary artist Peach Momoko’s haunting variant cover for Blood Hunt #1 spotlighting Vision! Currently serving as one of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes again in Jed MacKay’s hit run of Avengers, the powerful android will be one of the many doomed heroes on the frontlines of this vampiric war, trying desperately to stem the tide of blood to come!

Check out Momoko’s cover below and preorder Blood Hunt #1 at your local comic shop today!

Blood Hunt #1 Peach Momoko variant cover

The Bloodcoven make their deadly debut in Blood Hunt #1

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Who will bite it? Over the last few weeks, fans have discovered the full scope of Blood Hunt, the upcoming Marvel Comics crossover event launching May 1st. Centered around a main event series by writer Jed MacKay and artist Pepe Larraz with color by Marte Gracia, Blood Hunt will see a cursed eternal night wash over Earth, allowing vampires, who have lurked in the shadows since the earliest days of the Marvel Universe, emerge to satisfy their blood lust like never before! Recent tie-in announcements have revealed which heroes will play pivotal roles in this latest Marvel epic, but the key villains of Blood Hunt have been shrouded in darkness—until now! Meet the BLOODCOVEN!

The Bloodcoven are a mysterious and deadly vampire faction consisting of Megrim, Cruel, Unusual, the Damascene, Smoke Eater, and their leader, Bloodstorm One, a clone of Dracula created by Hydra. The group’s motives, powers and abilities will strike unfathomable fear into the hearts of your favorite heroes and their bloodlust is only matched by their extreme brutality and an undying commitment to a dark master…

Blood Hunt The Bloodcoven

Larraz has shed light on his design inspiration for each member of this shadowy faction:

Cruel
“This one was pretty straightforward, a character wrapped in razor wire by his own will is terrifying enough, so that is what I did. I added the cloud of wires at his feet and neck, always moving like some kind of metal gorgon.”

Smoke Eater
“The idea is that he inhales ghosts to acquire their strength in combat, so I made a physical representation of that. He becomes the unification of multiple beings, therefore the multiple limbs, which makes his silhouette pretty recognizable in battle scenes, and makes him one of the heavy hitters of the team. The idea is that he shows all the eyes of the ghosts on his forehead. I have a thing with eyes–on my designs, I either put none or too many!”

Damascene
“My initial idea was to make them bi-dimensional, like a paper sheet that will cut you when you try to grab it, but it was very difficult to convey that idea in comics, without movement. So I did his body absolutely geometrical to remark the sharpness of the body. Again, I decided to put no face. Expressionless beings are more scary, in my opinion.”

Megrim
“Probably the most vampire-looking of the litter. I hid her face on red cloth but my idea is that the cloth was always drenched in blood. The skirt’s folds make shapes like faces screaming of pain. Everything is super intense with her. She must be unbearable.”

Unusual
“The initial idea by Jed was to make him a collage of old engravings, always changing, like some kind of sinister Max Ernst picture in movement, but that would present a copyright issue so I came up with a weird idea. I started with a bunch of parallel lines and used a liquify tool from Clip Studio to make shapes with those lines, and finally adapted these shapes to a human silhouette. It’s probably the weirdest and fastest design I’ve even done.”

Bloodstorm One
“I gave him a lot of thought because I didn’t want to do a vampire super hero, but a true monster, who is scary enough that he’s even scared of himself. He hides his true nature under a perfect human shell, like some kind of Michelangelo’s David which is rotten inside, twisted, homicidal. The worst monster of all is the one who wants to look as the perfect human. The armor is an homage to Vlad Tepes’ armor from Coppola’s Dracula film, which seemed to me like a proper reference.”

Get your first glimpse at the Bloodcoven above and learn more about their secrets, origins, and their cruel master when Blood Hunt kicks off in May!

The undead lay siege to the Marvel Universe in the Blood Hunt trailer!

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Who will bite it? This May, Blood Hunt takes hold of the Marvel Universe with its own main limited series by Jed MacKay, Pepe Larraz, and Marte Gracia, as well as a bloodbath of tie-in issues, spinoff limited series, and one-shots. 

As eternal night descends, an overwhelming army of bloodsucking terrors will emerge from the shadows, united by a single vision for the first time in millennia. Can even the heroes of this doomed world stem the tide of blood that is to come? Join the Avengers, Blade, Bloodline, Spider-Man, Hunter’s Moon, Tigra, Doctor Strange, Clea, and more as the dance of death begins.

Get a new glimpse at the horror that breaks out during Earth’s final night in an all-new Blood Hunt trailer. Featuring never-before-seen artwork, the trailer spotlights the Avengers’ opening battle against the blood sucking hordes as well as some of the thrilling upcoming tie-ins.

When the vampire’s reign begins, fans can look the part by visiting participating comic shops and picking up special vampire teeth! These teeth will be available in-stores on the same date of Blood Hunt #1, May 1, while supplies last. And that’s not all: Each pair of teeth will come packaged with an EXCLUSIVE Blood Hunt trading card!  

Marvel’s Blood Hunt gets gory with special Red Band Editions

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The bloodiest event in Marvel history will be even BLOODIER than you imagined! Blood Hunt, the upcoming event series by Jed MacKay and Pepe Larraz, will be available expanded and unexpurgated in special Red Band Editions. Labeled with a Parental Advisory and polybagged to keep those weak of heart from experiencing its intensity, the Red Band Editions will contain additional pages and more graphic art too explicit for the regular edition. Blood Hunt will mark the first time that a different edition of the same Marvel comic book is produced for more mature readers, fitting for this blood-soaked saga where vampires will viciously sink their teeth into your favorite heroes!

Blood Hunt will unfold across the main five-issue limited series, tie-in issues, and spinoff limited series. Fans have witnessed the thrilling buildup in various titles the past few years, and now it’s time for the vampires of the Marvel Universe to emerge from the shadows and plunge the world into endless darkness. As the streets run red with blood, maestro of mayhem Pepe Larraz will depict the full terror of the vampire’s savagery, offering new vistas of carnage with these unique Red Band Editions.

The skies have gone dark, and the sun is hiding its face from the carnage to come. The children of the night, the vampires, have risen from the dark and hidden places of the world as one to drown the Marvel Universe in blood. Earth’s final night has fallen – can even the heroes of this doomed world stem the tide of blood that is to come? Join the Avengers, Blade, Bloodline, Spider-Man, Hunter’s Moon, Tigra, Doctor Strange and Clea as the dance of death begins.

Stay tuned in the weeks ahead for more Blood Hunt announcements, including tie-in and limited series announcements. Inquire with your local comic shop regarding preordering the regular OR Red Band edition of Blood Hunt #1 today! 

Blood Hunt #1 Red Band Edition

Vampires close in on the Avengers in Javier Fernandez’s Blood Hunt #1 Foil Cover

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Vampires have lurked and plotted in the shadows of the Marvel Universe for decades. This May, they make their move in Blood Hunt, the upcoming Marvel Comics crossover event that sees the world plunged into eternal darkness!

Blood Hunt will unfold gloriously across a main series by Jed MacKay, Pepe Larraz, and Marte Gracia, as well as various limited series, one-shots, and tie-in issues. Like other classic Marvel crossover events, Blood Hunt has been naturally building over the last few years in various titles, especially MacKay’s hit runs on Moon Knight, Avengers, and Doctor Strange. The stakes are higher than ever as the vampire legions of earth unite for the first time in millennia and launch an invasion that will profoundly affect your favorite heroes. After each twist, turn, and shocking betrayal, readers will be left wondering what—or who—can possibly reverse the Marvel Universe’s terrifying fate…

Blood Hunt #1 promises to be the most monumental issue of the year and it’ll catch eyes on comic stands with a special Foil Variant Cover. The show-stopping piece by acclaimed artist Javier Fernandez shows current Avengers Thor, Scarlet Witch, and Vision, along with Spidey, hopelessly surrounded by an unquenchable army of bloodsuckers!

Check out Fernandez’s cover now and stay tuned next week for a blood bath of Blood Hunt tie-in announcements!

Blood Hunt #1 Javier Fernandez foil cover
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