JENNIFER BLOOD (VOL. 2) #1, available from Dynamite Comics on October 6th, 2021, resurrects the mob-daughter-turned-vengeful-assassin to lay waste to the witness protection town of Bountiful where unsavory characters believe they’ve escaped the consequences of their misdeeds. They’ll soon find they’re dead wrong.
The Details
- Written By: Fred Van Lente
- Art By: Vincenzo Federici
- Colors By: Dearbhla Kelly
- Letters By: Simon Bowland
- Cover Art By: Lucio Parillo (cover A)
- Cover Price: $3.99
- Release Date: October 6, 2021
Wait! Don’t Forget To Sign Up For The Comical Opinions Newsletter.
It’s 100% FREE. Sign up NOW!
Was It Good?
Combine this comic with last week’s release of Gun Honey #1 from Titan Comics and this is quickly turning into the year of top-notch Femme Fatale comics. In other words, this is a great first issue in the latest volume in the Jennifer Blood canon.
As the blurb lays out, Jennifer Blood (in case you’re new to the character) is an uber assassin out for revenge against the men who killed her mob boss father. If you know DC characters, there are many parallels to the Huntress without the flashy costume.
What I like beyond the main character’s abilities is the way Van Lente addresses her reputation as a sort of criminal Boogey(wo)man. Even the worst of the worst criminals speak about Blood in fearful tones as though she’s a supernatural force. This is the one circumstance where “telling” is just as effective as “showing” because the choice of words from these hardened criminals attributes a mythological air to the character. It also helps that Blood’s victims are shown being executed in a way that’s as much performance as punishment, and she ensures the death will not be quick or painless.
Federici’s art is quite good. Where this title differs from Gun Honey #1 is the decided lack of cheesecake from the main character. Her movements are quick and deliberate, and there’s never a point where you feel like Blood is unrealistically stronger than ten men. She uses weaponry and stealth to get the job done, and the way she uses the weapons at her disposal to maximum effect makes the character that much more relatable.
Great story. Great acting. And great art. This is an excellent first entry from a long-absent character.
What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
We begin with a card game in the quiet town of Bountiful. What the random passerby might not know is Bountiful houses the worst of the worst criminals from across the country living a peaceful life under the government witness protection program. Unfortunately for them, residents of Bountiful are starting to turn up murdered in gruesome ways, and whispers have started that Jennifer Blood is back from the dead to finish what she started years ago.
As the card game plays out, Marco, the last surviving member of the Blute crime family, recounts Jennifer Blood’s history and her mission to kill everyone involved in her father’s murder. Having heard enough, the other players excuse themselves to visit a new, female resident to Bountiful whose arrival just so happens to coincide with the recent killings.
We conclude the issue with an unannounced housewarming visit going terribly wrong, the revelation that the new woman in town is not Jennifer Blood but may be someone much worse, and the end of the current sheriff to be quickly replaced with a new sheriff.
Final Thoughts
JENNIFER BLOOD (VOL. 2) #1 is everything you could possibly want in a vengeful assassin comic. The deaths are brutal with a touch of black wit. The character is not only an effective killer but she’s talked about with an air of myth and legend. And the art feels gritty and kinetic. This is a highly recommended first issue.
Score: 9.5/10
We hope you found this article interesting. Come back for more reviews, previews, and opinions on comics, and don’t forget to follow us on social media:
If you’re interested in this creator’s works, remember to let your Local Comic Shop know to find more of their work for you. They would appreciate the call, and so would we.
Click here to find your Local Comic Shop: www.ComicShopLocator.com