I’ve struggled to find the words in the past to explain exactly what Bloodhound is about, but I love the way it’s explained on the cover of this comic: “Have you ever wondered what The X-Files would be like if Mulder was Conan the Barbarian?” Thank you Justin Jordan, that is exactly what this comic is like.
You remember the third x-men film? Yeah, sorry for reminding you all of that, but bear with me, you don’t need to think about it for much longer. You remember how they were offering a cure? Now reverse that and offer normal people artificial powers in order to stand a better chance against genuine supers. In a world where supers tend to be nothing but trouble. A world where Travis Clevenger is the one man capable a standing between supers and those who would become their victims.
I find it intriguing that I actually like this series. You see, I like my classic hero comics. Gold or silver age comics. This is much more of an iron age story. Grit and blood and so forth. Heroes get injured more easily, even Clev for all his durability gets hurt from time to time. And some how I really like these comics despite not usually being my style.
As far as issues #1’s go, this is one of my favorites I’ve read in a while. Issue #1 is the introductory issue, the one intended to tell you who the hero is and what his or her world is like. Unfortunately, this often leads to a slow start, in my opinion. It’s the same reason I try not to judge movies like the Amazing Spiderman and other first-of-a-series films too harshly; they must establish everything for those unfamiliar so that future movies can build off of it. This one is unusual in that it doesn’t use some cardboard cut-out plot. I was actually thinking that the introduction plot was going to lead straight into the over-all story arch, but it hung a left turn and blindsided me with a completely different approach.
This comic isn’t for everyone. But if you are the type that likes bloody stories of heroes firmly in the grey area of life, it’s great. If you like X but there’s a little too much blood (not that you don’t like blood, just that some pages are practically all red…) then this is exactly what you’re looking. I’m a little dismayed that it’s $3.99, a price usually reserved for extra long comics, but I still think it’s worth it if the above sounds like your tastes.
Matthew Bryant, a.k.a. Baker Street Holmes, is a writer and the lead editor for the Red Shirt Crew. As much as he loves the idea of super powers, he would never want to get a chip surgically installed to grant powers. He’s a little too paranoid of mind control and is afraid the powers might be something like the ability to sweat cheese. You can follow him on Twitter at @BStreetHolmes or email him at HMCrazySS@gmail.com.
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