Blade #3 Review

Written by: Bryan Edward Hill
Art by: Elena Casagrande, Valentina Pinti, Roberto Poggi
Colors by: KJ Diaz
Letters by: VC’s Cory Petit
Cover art by: Elena Casagrande, Jordie Bellaire
Cover price: $3.99
Release date: September 27, 2023

Blade #3 pits Blade against Lord Daido in a fight to the death. Meanwhile, Tulip may have a lead on a weapon to destroy Adana, but getting it may be next to impossible.

Is Blade #3 Good?

Bryan Hill continues to impress with a slick, tough, sharp entry in the series. Blade #3 is exactly the kind of comic that reminds you why Blade always was and always will be a badass.

When last we saw Blade, he was snatched up by the demonic Lord Daido. Tulip squelched on a deal with Lord Daido, who wanted a pound of flesh in return, but Blade intervened because he needed Tulip’s arcane weapons knowledge to find a way to stop Adana. Now, Blade puts Lord Daido in his place (permanently) so Tulip can offer a lead on the only weapon that could put down Adana if it truly exists – Lucifer’s Lightbringer sword. But before Blade and Rotha can depart to find the one man who might have it, Rotha’s cult shows up to put Blade down.

For all the buildup in issue #2, Lord Daido gets dispatched quickly. In the hands of another writer, the speed of Lord Daido’s demise might seem like a shortcut, but Hill makes it work and elevates Blade’s prowess in the exchange. Generally, I like where this story is going, I like how Hill is telling it, and I’m invested in learning what happens next.

What’s great about Blade #3? Hill paints a perfect persona in Blade. Adana is shown to be a credible threat in the opening prologue, and the story direction is clear, concise, and interesting. Hill covers all the basics of a proper adventure and adds oodles of personality for good measure.

What’s not so great about Blade #3? Except for her participation in Blade’s release in issue #1, Rotha appears to have no person other than to marvel at the world outside her monastery. At some point, Rotha either needs to be useful, or she’ll become a bizarre hindrance in a way that doesn’t fit Blade’s no-nonsense way of doing things.

How’s the art? Casagrande, Pinti, and Poggi’s combined art style is super clean and light. When Blade hits, he hits hard, but he does so with a smoothness that elevates the choreography of every panel. This art team isn’t producing the typical Marvel house style, but it looks great in its own way.

About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.

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Bits and Pieces

Blade #3 continues to impress. Bryan Hill presents a Blade that’s a spiritual successor in every way to Wesley Snipes’s badass rendition, the story is getting more interesting by the minute, and the cool, slick art is not your typical Marvel fare.