Review – Blood Stained Teeth #2

Review – Blood Stained Teeth #2

Creator, Writer, Designer, Cover Artist, Variant Cover Artist: Christian Ward

Creator, Artist, Variant Cover Artist: Patric Reynolds

Colourist: Heather Moore

Lettering: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou

Publisher: Image Comics

Release Date: 25th May 2022

Issue #2 – Duke Ellis

After the last issue’s shocking revelations, vampire-for-hire Atticus Sloane is in trouble. Now, he’ll have to use all his guile to stay ahead of the First Born Council and the murderous Mr Tooth. Unfortunately, that also means going head to head with vicious cage-fighting vampire Duke Ellis.

Writer: Christian Ward

After the shocking end to issue #1, where Mr Tooth defanged Atticus, the issue starts with a potential new Sip looking to pay for the gift, but the shop is shut and Sloane is way too busy planning out how to take out the violent cage fighter Duke Ellis. Ellis was already a psychopath before being turned and is now almost unstoppable. Not only that Atticus is hallucinating that his dead Sip friend is still with him. One great detail is the cow panels, where we find out that Duke is responsible for draining local bovines for blood.

The fight is very one-sided once we get into the ring with Duke, but the sting is perfectly timed.

Ward’s writing is perfect for this issue, finding just the right angle to add a new dimension to vampires without trying to fully reinvent them. Anti-hero Atticus gets everything he deserves and more but deep down we all know that if we were offered immortality who would turn it down and Sloane is just a product of the system.

Artwork, Colouring & Lettering

A good script is nothing without artwork, colouring and lettering and Ward has chosen a hell of a team here. As with the last issue, Reynolds’ artwork is stunning but with the added dimension Moore colours add it takes on a grungy, neon style. With the final perfect touches provided by the God of Lettering Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou, the pages crackle with energy, pathos and a cathartic joy that many attempt, but few achieve. Have a look at this perfect panel that shows the harmony at work. Take the colouring and lettering away and the image would be a basic kick panel.

Overall Thoughts

A good second issue embeds the plot and introduces new characters and this does a perfect job with an interesting cliffhanger on the final pages to create an additional thread to the plot. As with issue one Moore and Otsmane-Elhaou are the real reason to read these issues for their glorious colouring and lettering.

Artwork – 10, Writing – 9, Colours – 10+, Lettering – 10+

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As usual, have at our preview of the first few pages to whet your appetite