JENNIFER BLOOD: BATTLE DIARY #2, by Dynamite Comics on 1/10/24, puts the lethal vigilante on the trail of Dame Friggin’s rival gang, the Crooked Cross.
The Details
- Written by: Fred Van Lente
- Art by: Robert Carey
- Colors by: Dearbhla Kelly
- Letters by: Jeff Eckleberry
- Cover art by: Joseph Michael Linsner (cover A)
- Comic Rating: Mature
- Cover price: $4.99
- Release date: January 10, 2024
Is JENNIFER BLOOD: BATTLE DIARY #2 Good?
Jennifer Blood is a tricky, tricky killer. In JENNIFER BLOOD: BATTLE DIARY #2, Fred Van Lente puts Blood’s gift for lying to good use by tricking Dame Friggin and her lieutenants into exposing one of their rivals and tricking the rivals into exposing themselves. Thankfully, all this deception is a lot of fun to read as it unfolds.
When last we left Jennifer Blood (Junior), she wormed her way into a white supremacist gang to destroy the group from the inside. To earn the gang’s trust, its matriarch sets Blood on a mission to kill a prison guard who won’t “play nice.” When Blood learns the prison guard is pregnant by the gang’s incarcerated patriarch, she pivots her mission of destruction into an ad hoc witness protection program.
Now, Blood keeps the prison guard, Megan, under lock and key while she works to take down a rival gang to gain Dame Friggin’s trust and take rival bad guys off the board.
If this all sounds like a lot, it is, but to Fred Van Lente’s credit, the plot moves smoothly and evenly. The overlapping plot points don’t step on each other, so you get a clear picture of what’s happening without the need to take notes.
What’s great about JENNIFER BLOOD: BATTLE DIARY #2? This issue is all about guile, deception, and trickery. Van Lente gets Blood to pit all players against each other and set herself up as the ally nobody can do without. The web of lies gets complex, but it’s fun to watch a master at work.
What’s not so great about JENNIFER BLOOD: BATTLE DIARY #2? Blood’s primary motivation is to destroy everyone involved or tangentially related to her mother’s death. Blood creates a con to destroy the Crooked Cross, but it’s not clear why going after the Crooked Cross was a priority or serves her on any level.
How’s the art? Robert Carey’s art style is an excellent fit for this script. There are several moments where Blood gives a sly side glance or subtle gesture to emphasize something sneaky is happening, and Carey makes sure each gesture draws your eye right to where it needs to go.
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What’s JENNIFER BLOOD: BATTLE DIARY #2 About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
Check out our JENNIFER BLOOD: BATTLE DIARY #1 review to find out how Jennifer Blood got in Dame Friggin’s good graces.
We begin with the cliffhanger from issue #1 where Volk, Dame Friggin’s spy for Jennifer Blood, was “accidentally” hit by a car. Blood quickly convinces Volk that he was attacked by a rival gang as he’s carted off to the hospital. With some clever manipulation, Blood gets Dame Friggin to divulge details about who may have a desire to harm Volk, giving Blood her next target lead.
Blood takes on the persona of Megan, a new girl in town who needs a waitressing job at the frequent watering hole of the Crooked Cross, a rival white supremacist gang. Blood finesses the bikers and uses convenient excuses to find out the Crooked Cross is staging a robbery.
We conclude the issue with baby talk, the curse of social media, and a fox.
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Final Thoughts
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JENNIFER BLOOD: BATTLE DIARY #2 showcases the deadly anti-hero’s gift for deception and manipulation to get the inside scoop on her next target. Van Lente’s script is exceptionally clever, and Carey’s art style is a perfect fit for the subtle acting needed to pull off this con. That said, Blood’s motives on this side quest are a little unclear.
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