Oct 29

Spillblood #1 Personifies a Level of Decay in Its Heavy Metal Inspired Artwork and Untempered Violence

About Spillblood #1

Writer: Jonathan Hedrick Artist: Stefano Cardoselli Colorist: Stefano Cardoselli Letterer: Leo McGovern Publisher: Keenspot

Cover Art: Stefano Cardoselli

Publication Date: October 16th, 2024

Spillblood #1 Review:

I often find myself coming back to the works of Jonathan Hedrick’s comics. Easily one of the more interesting creators to emerge out of the burning smoke pile of indie comic creators, Hedrick jumps into mini-series that are often celebratory of the darkness inherent in the human psyche. Though thankfully, his re-emergence from the redundant unimaginative schlock of his peers is anything but - as Spillblood #1 continues to demonstrate.

Teaming with artist Stefano Cardoselli (Don’t Spit in the Wind), Spillblood ushers in a world so overcome in its darkness and depravity that only a supernatural being seething with divine vengeance can cure what ails the victims in Hedrick’s wake. Cardoselli opts for the black, white and red storytelling format. A style exceptionally utilised in the Harley Quinn Black + White + Red trade paperback which, in the case of Spillblood #1, characterises the entire issue.

A comic book starting with a narrative that feels like an old Hammer House of Horror mystery before it delves into the religious underpinnings of Catholicism. Motivations which drive the thoughts and feelings of the characters trapped within this decaying world of corruption. It’s Cardoselli’s artwork that personifies a level of decay through its orgy of Heavy Metal (the mag not the music)-inspired artwork and untempered violence.

There's a style here consumed by the kind of darkness present in Frank Miller’s Sin City. Except, where Miller left time for nuance and reprieve, Hedrick and Cardoselli give no chance for any sort of emotional connection with the characters in the Spillblood world. You’d be misguided to think here’s another Crow or Spawn copy. Sure, the Priest turns into a "spirit of vengeance" to some degree, but he is to those characters just as Alex di Campi and Erica Henderson’s titular Dracula is to vampires in “Dracula, Motherfucker.” He’s a storm, a force, an unfathomable and unstoppable being of irredeemable nature.

A nature that, while this could’ve gone in the direction of bleak and grim dark, is balanced by Leo McGovern’s degree of nu-blaxploitation which he’s somehow managed to harness. And this is why Spillblood is my kind of weird.