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