BLOOD ON SUNSET #2 – Review

BLOOD ON SUNSET #2, from Source Point Press on February 9th, 2022, continues Clint Braddock’s search for who (or what) killed Bugsy Siegel and tried tor frame him for the murder.

The Details

• Written By: Mark D’Anna
• Art By: Arjuna Susini
• Colors By: Vittorio Astone
• Letters By: Andworld Design
• Cover Art By: Arjuna Susini
• Cover Price: $2.99 (digital)
• Release Date: February 9, 2022

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Was It Good?

BLOOD ON SUNSET #2 is another fine entry in the detective-noir-with-monsters story set in 1940s Los Angeles. All the snappy tropes we liked in the first issue are just as present here, more morsels of the mystery are dropped to engage the readers’ desire to solve puzzles, and we get more insight into the main character’s backstory. There’s plenty of meat on this bone, making for a high-quality issue.

Again, this is a detective noir mystery. That particular brand of subgenre needs certain tropes to be present to feel authentic – shady characters, misdirection, a femme fatale who can’t be trusted, and a mystery that can only be solved by finding the truth under a mountain of lies. It’s all here, and D’Anna does an excellent job of interweaving the supernatural elements into the mystery without overpowering the noir-ish elements.

That said, the low point in the writing is the lack of clarity about the creatures involved in the story. Are they vampires? Are they ghouls? Are they a murderous brand of creatures unique to this story? Is there more than one kind of monster in this story? The characters throw street slang around such as “eaters” and Clint uses the word “vampire” at one point but it’s unclear if the characters are talking about the same thing. We’re never in favor of spoon-feeding, but D’Anna is playing a little too coy with clarity about the monsters.

The art style works well with the seedy, gritty tone of the story. Susini plays up the shade and shadows as much as possible, even in broad daylight, to maximize the sultry mood required for a detective noir story. To be fair, Susini’s lines aren’t as clean or as crisp as they could be, but again noir is all about mood, so it works here.

Keep scrolling for a closer look at the covers, or Click Here to jump right to the story description with some spoilers.

What’s It About?

[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]

If you’re not sure how Clint Braddock got himself in hot water, first read our BLOOD ON SUNSET #1 review.

We begin with a flashback to Clint’s time when he was still a beat cop on the police force. The details of the scene show how Clint first encountered Tommy Geiger, the same day they both died.

Now, Clint stakes out Bugsy Siegel’s house to get a lead on anyone who might have been involved in Bugsy’s murder and wanted to frame Clint for it. The gangsters who show up to the house all have something to gain from Bugsy’s death but nothing conclusive comes from the stakeout.

Later, Clint meets with an informant who tells him about the toughs killed in an alley the night before and about a crime boss named Meyer Lombardo. The informant relays rumors that Lombardo is sadistic and he employees “eaters”. A low-level enforcer who used to work for Lombardo, Rick Owens, is in prison, and the informant suggests Clint visit him.

We conclude the issue with the prison visit not paying off as intended, another flashback to Clint’s death and “resurrection”, and the return of a familiar face.

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