Flesh and Blood does its best to combine a lot of the classic monster tales, whether they be books or films, and create a linked original storyline that brings all your favorites together in one place.
Book two of the series picks up where the first left off and doesn’t bother to hold your hand explaining itself either, which could be a bad thing if you haven’t read the first volume.
Robert Tinnell wrote the comic and Neil Vokes drew the series and together they work like a well oiled machine. I will say that storytelling wise the story is lopsided. The first half of the book works very well with some confusing plot points and artwork that isn’t totally clear and the second half is a revisit of the plot for Dracula which falls into your lap immediately after an abrupt ending to one plot. This kind of knocks the whole flow of the story off its balance when reading it but the ending ties it all up wonderfully. When you get to the ending it will all make sense which can be nerve wracking but gives you an appreciation for the whole story and make you eager for book three.
Vokes’ art style is rather cartoon-y in nature which could be a turn off to hardcore monster enthusiasts but it works for this story and the violence in the comic isn’t over the top or goofy. The first book of the series had more instances where the animated style stuck out but the second book is immersed in the monster movie style and at no time do you think this is a Disney comic. This comic isn’t for the feint of heart as it includes some pretty gratuitous violence and sex, and you’ll love every minute of it.
This is a really fun graphic novel. The story gets you interested and invested because you’re familiar with the characters and it’s not something you’ve really seen before (most of it). Not only is it a fun comic, Flesh and Blood is also a ’70s horror magazine disguised as a graphic novel. While 90-percent of the trade is the Flesh and Blood story, the rest is filled with shorter comic stories, essays, and other monster pictures. If you’re pining for the days of Creepy and Eerie magazine but would rather have something easy to hold and in color, this should be in your bag.
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