Courtesy of Titan Comics
So it’s finally here! I’ve been eagerly anticipating the arrival of Bloodthirsty #2 because I was left literally trying to scroll down at the end of the page hoping against all hope (and reason) that there was more to tide me over. Talk about a cliffhanger! But it’s finally here, and I’m still hooked.
The second issue of Bloodthirsty, out today via Titan Comics, does what any good comic does after leaving in suspense after reading the first issue: It provides just enough answers to sate your curiosity while creating new questions and delving deeper into the mystery presented. Basically, writer and creator Mark Landry is keeping the reader interested.
Courtesy of Titan Comics
In the first issue, Virgil Lafleur lost his career and lost too many people he loved and cared about, and he was convinced that something sinister was afoot. Now, in the second issue, he has a glorious, yet vengeful new purpose, as he investigates the circumstances surrounding the death of his brother. He decides the perfect time is when he must deliver the item that cost his brother his life to the mysterious masked agent of evil that attacked him in the first issue. Now, I’ll tell you right now that this agent of evil is a badass cross-dresser named Mother Taneesha and she has a team of equally deadly femme fatales called the Hell’s Belles. But like I said, Virgil is not going to hand over the goods that easily, and he damn sure won’t do it without a fight, so he brings Mother Taneesha a little something when he goes to meet her at the former Catholic church that is now a nightclub and den of every iniquity you can imagine. There Virgil meets with his brother’s former lady friend Mary who tells him what really happened to his brother and the part she played. Just as Virgil demands that she give him the name of the person responsible, he remembers the volatile package he brought for Mother Taneesha and that’s when all hell breaks loose. Of course, Mother Taneesha doesn’t take this lightly, so Virgil is even more marked than ever before.
Courtesy of Titan Comics
Where the first issue of Bloodthirsty was about shock and righteous indignation, Bloodthirsty #2 is all about taking that indignation and turning it into action, and the buildup is sublime. The plot continues to thicken and readers are thrust deeper into the mystery of what’s happening in New Orleans. You’ll want to know why, and who Mother Taneesha works for… Hell, you’ll want to know more about Mother Taneesha and Mary and how she got caught up in all this mess. Landry has created a man that has lost and seen others lose everything but he’s not okay with the prospect of starting all over again after riding off into the sunset. Virgil wants answers and he’s going to get them by any means necessary, and he refuses to make things easy for the shadowy cabal behind his and everyone else’s suffering and misfortune. In doing so, Landry continues to cement Virgil as someone we are rooting for because, in the end, we all hope that we would go as far as Virgil does; that we would do anything to fight back against any force or forces that would harm the people we love. Virgil is actually doing something about it, and while the means are controversial, at least he’s fighting for those who cannot speak and those who are not heard.
Courtesy of Titan Comics
I truly believe that the artwork, that is, the colors and the pencils are what help to immerse the reader in this comic. Bloodthirsty #2 is visually stimulating in that I could fully immerse myself in the story. Artist Ashley Witter really brought the idea of letting the good times roll with bright pops of color in the club where Mother Taneesha and her Hell’s Belles purvey all manner of debauchery. Witter did a fantastic job of creating the inverse of a house of worship with rich neons and secondary colors bathing the inside of the club and the clubgoers within in hues like cyan and hot pink. The characters are well drawn and realistic looking, especially when they need to emote like when Virgil’s brother Trey realized he was set up, for example. Witter doesn’t rely on shadows, instead she opts for white in areas where other artists would use black to shade the characters. I actually liked this because it added a sense of realism to the art in the comic. After all, these are areas where the light would hit most of us in real life. And while Witter’s art is good overall, she really shines when it’s time to draw the darker, seedier, more nefarious underbelly of a city like New Orleans.
For now, Virgil has more questions that need to be answered, and I’m right there along for the ride with him. Well, I’m here for it… Laissez les bons temps rouler!
BLOODTHIRSTY #2 (OF 5)
WRITER: Mark Landry
ARTIST: Ashley Witter
COVER: Ashley Witter
PUBLISHER: Titan Comics
PAGE-COUNT: 32PP
PRICE: $3.99