Posted in: Comics, Review | Tagged: action, ales kot, Bloodborne, Brad Simpson, fantasy, FromSoftware, horror, Piotr Kowalski, Titan comics

Bloodborne #2 Review: More Resistant to Newcomers but Still a Beautiful Comic

The Hunter and the Paleblood child make their way to the wilderness, and the Hunter faces down snake beasts before finding a secret passageway to Iosefka's clinic and passing out. Iosefka watches over the child while the Hunter seeks answers from Gerhman in the Hunter's Dream.

The first issue of Bloodborne succeeded in its straightforwardness. While it did arguably get flighty in explaining the resurrection of the Hunter after death, a newcomer could still glean what was going on.

Here, the introduction of the Hunter's Dream and namedropping characters that have not appeared in the comic, like Logarius and Eileen, complicates matters a bit. Eileen and Logarius are referenced like the reader should know who they are. The Hunter's Dream is such a bizarre concept that deserves at least some explanation for those who have not played Bloodborne.

That said, the comic still gets by on its endlessly macabre atmosphere, tight pacing, and stunning fight sequences. The Hunter is interesting in how obscure they are, and Gehrman's appearance is a mysterious an eerie encounter.

For those of us who are lovers of Bloodborne, the comic continues to show a deep knowledge of the game's lore and even the map. The connection between the Forbidden Woods and Iosefka's Clinic holds true to the game. An unnerving cameo from another character is made in the Hunter's Dream. This comic seems intent on revealing a heretofore unseen mystery of Yarnham and the hunters.

The art from Piotr Kowalski once more captures the macabre and gory beauty of Bloodborne. The world is all at once foreboding, gorgeous, and oddly peaceful, even when unholy monsters are roaming about. The gore and impact of the battles hold together well. Brad Simpson's colors uphold the atmosphere of damnation and terror with ceaselessly dark shades balanced only by the bright red of bloodshed.

Bloodborne #2 continues to entice the fan in me, even if I must count off for the inorganic integration of things like the Hunter's Dream in the narrative for those unfamiliar with the game. That aside, the tight pacing, cold personality given to the Hunter, and the stunning artwork from Kowalski and Simpson more than make up for that shortcoming. This one earns another recommendation. Give it a read.

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