Blade #8 Review

Written by: Bryan Hill
Art by: Elena Casagrande
Colors by: KJ Díaz
Letters by: VC’s Cory Petit
Cover art by: Elena Casagrande
Cover price: $3.99
Release date: February 14, 2024

Blade #8 gets more desperate to put an end to the Adana’s plan for Armageddon when he reaches out to a dangerous acquaintance for assistance getting into Hell – Satana Hellstrom.

Is Blade #8 Good?

After reading the last few issues from Bryan Hill, you get the distinct impression Hill is killing time on this title until he either hits a specific issue count or something more interesting comes along. Blade #8 isn’t a terrible comic, but there’s very little setup to bring readers along on Blade’s journey, and the path to defeating the Adana is turning into a succession of trial-and-error developments. In short, this series started with direction and purpose, but both have fallen away.

When last we left Blade, he teamed up with Hulk to try out his Dracula-enhanced powers by defeating a demon who possessed a young man. Somehow, Blade’s team-up with Hulk gave him the inspiration to pursue a new lead in his fight against the Adana.

Now, Blade visits Satana Hellstrom for assistance getting into Hell. We don’t know how Blade got the idea to visit Satana, but Blade somehow concluded he could enlist an army of damned souls if he can get to Hell. Satana agrees and sends Blade to Hell. The Grim Reaper isn’t interested in helping, but Blade crosses paths with Draven, the monk he mistakenly killed in issue #1, who agrees to come back to Earth in spirit form to finish what he started.

What’s great about Blade #8? Blade’s trip to Hell is visually engaging when he lands in front of a (literal) wailing wall, and the Angel of Death decides to make an example of Blade’s impertinence. Draven’s return also fills out the team in a pleasantly unexpected way, so the future potential is exciting.

What’s not so great about Blade #8? The series feels directionless. Blade hops from one eclectic character to another in his attempt to find a way to beat the Adana, only coming up with the next step in his journey by happenstance. If Hill has a direction for this series, he needs to give these issues more form and function.

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 #8 finds the titular Daywalker stumbling upon another potential aid to defeating the Adana. Casagrande’s art depicting Hell is imaginative, and the new addition to the team is a surprising twist, but Hill’s path to defeating Adana feels like Blade is stumbling around in the dark.