Bloodborne, Vol. 5: Lady of the Lanterns

Bloodborne

by Cullen Bunn, Piotr Kowalski (Illustrator)

From the world of the award-winning videogame, comes a haunting new graphic novel. When the siren’s call of blood sends Yharnum into a frenzy, families and faith will be tested…

Delve into the city of Yharnum through the eyes of its citizens, when new Hunters take to the streets to fight against the cruel and unusual epidemic that has gripped the once-great city.

Amid the chaos, a family cowers in the safety of their home – until fate pushes their path into that of the Great Hunt.

Deep in the bowels of the Healing Church, a priest faces a dark truth about his faith – and may have to sacrifice it all to save those who will not repent.

And under the lights of the pale moon and lanterns, monsters roam the streets, stalking their next victim…

Bloodborne Vol. 5 Collects Bloodborne 1-4, plus material from the Free Comic Book Day 2022 special edition.

Genres: Comics, Horror, Graphic Novels, Video Games, Fantasy, Comics Manga

128 pages, Paperback

Published June 20, 2023

About the author

Cullen grew up in rural North Carolina, but now lives in the St. Louis area with his wife Cindy and his son Jackson. His noir/horror comic (and first collaboration with Brian Hurtt), The Damned, was published in 2007 by Oni Press. The follow-up, The Damned: Prodigal Sons, was released in 2008. In addition to The Sixth Gun, his current projects include Crooked Hills, a middle reader horror prose series from Evileye Books; The Tooth, an original graphic novel from Oni Press; and various work for Marvel and DC. Somewhere along the way, Cullen founded Undaunted Press and edited the critically acclaimed small press horror magazine, Whispers from the Shattered Forum.

All writers must pay their dues, and Cullen has worked various odd jobs, including Alien Autopsy Specialist, Rodeo Clown, Professional Wrestler Manager, and Sasquatch Wrangler.

And, yes, he has fought for his life against mountain lions and he did perform on stage as the World's Youngest Hypnotist. Buy him a drink sometime, and he'll tell you all about it.

Visit his website at www.cullenbunn.com.

Reviews

[Edward Dippolito · Rating 1 out of 5]

Bloodborne deserves so much better than this.

[Urbon Adamsson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bloodborne hasn't disappointed so far.

It's just fun and gloomy. I love it.

[Caleb Likes Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another very enjoyable graphic novel!

Much like the previous four, this one takes a unique approach to the world and story of Bloodborne. In previous ones we saw the life of a hunter, the religious aspect of Yharnam and some backstory on the plague, a deep dive into madness, and more. This one takes the approach of focusing on the intersection between a Yharnam family and a group of hunters, feeling like a very personal, intimate sort of story compared to previous ones. While other graphic novels have focused on the horror of Bloodborne, or the insanity, or the lore, this one focuses on the intense sadness and melancholy that permeates this world. I really enjoyed this aspect of the graphic novel, as it’s not only well done but takes things from a slightly different angle, which is one thing I think all these graphic novels excel at. It’s quite an emotionally evocative story, despite its shortness. I also really liked the way this story implemented the titular Lady of the Lanterns, giving a unique spin on one of the most frightening creatures in Bloodborne. The art, as usual, is also fantastic, blending a fair amount of visceral action scenes with quieter moments of despair.

Overall a very solid and enjoyable graphic novel. I don’t think it’s my favorite, but I really enjoyed the unique approach it took to this world and the tone of it.

Rating: 9/10

[Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Feels like more of a return to form after Volumes 3 and 4 tried more experimental forms of storytelling that felt more in line with the games, whereas this is a safer, more easily digestible and anthological story with a lot of dialogue exchanges between characters and a very clear story. I think I'm a bigger fan of the Experimental style of writing that was previously employed for this comic series but this works quite well too: giving various views of yharnam during the night of a hunt through different characters stories that all connect very well and ends satisfyingly. Art is of course very good and the action is well drawn and exciting, and Seeing this story's interpretation of the winter lantern enemies is really interesting. Good stuff, excited for whenever the next Bloodborne comic comes out

[OmniBen · Rating 3 out of 5]

(Zero spoiler review) 2.75/5
The inconsistent Mr. Cullen Bunn strikes again. A man whose disappoints severely outweigh his successes by this point, to the extent where, once I saw his name on this book, it significantly lowered my enthusiasm. And if there is one thing Omni Ben is enthusiastic over, it's Bloodborne. Sure, the comic books have bene hit and miss, with some fairly unimpressive, even dire efforts over the years. Though considering how long it's been since we've had one a new one, I was perhaps a little more excited then I should have been. But like I said, all that unearned optimism took a knock when I saw who was writing it.
But hey, we did get Petr Kowalski on art, which can never be a bad thing??? It's been quite a while since I reread any of the previous issues, but this really does feel like some of his weakest work. I'm not sure if the colouring or the inking, (which I believe he did himself) has let him down this time, but it really does feel a little too clean and messy all at the same time. Don't get me wrong, it was fine, and had it been coupled with a stronger narrative, it would have been even better, but Bunn wasn't exactly firing on all cylinders. I would give my left nut and one, if not two vital organs to write a Bloodborne comic. Titan Comics, if you're out there, give me a call. Or at least give me an oversized hardcover collection of this series. The series, as well as this arc, might be pretty hit and miss, but I do love me some Bloodborne. 2.75/5


OmniBen.

[Emily Salowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVEE. The Winter Lanterns have always been so interesting to me, and the way they were shown in this Volume was so enlightening! I loved Abraham, Gretchen, Barnabus and Wilhelm’s group, I can’t wait to see more of them together! Bunn definitely brings a new energy to this series that left me feeling excited rather than confused.

[Thurm · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best parts of Bloodborne is perhaps how much is left shrouded in mystery or only hinted at. A piece of literature like this then violates that rule by its very existence, but it manages to retain the spirit of the game and provide an interesting if simple handful of stories about the hunters of Yharnam.

[P Roberge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic story, and gorgeous art!

[Skejven · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great art which nails the atmosphere of Bloodborne. Too many characters and too low page count makes it unable for the plot to be really fleshed out and interesting but it was a fun read nonetheless
7.5/10

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the issue I (and possibly you) have been waiting for. One common complaint I've seen from reviews of the Bloodborne graphic novels is the lack of Lovecraftian horror the game was known for. All previous issues have focused more on the character's madness and coming to terms with their reality, taking the stories in the direction of Poe instead of Lovecraft. Lady of the Lanterns brings us back to Lovecraftian horror.

The story focuses on the Lady of the Lantern, an Eldritch Abomination haunting the streets/sewers of Yharnam. She sings her songs of madness which inspires madness in people, hunters, and monsters alike. A rag tag group of individuals, who barely survive their own encounters with the Lady, band together and bring the fight to her.

What this issue excels at is bringing together each individual chapter, which focuses on a new character of the group, together perfectly. Despite each chapter being short, the story is told in such a way that you as the reader have a strong connection with each character.

My take away from Lady of the Lanterns is that the story runners are listening to the reviews of the readers and adapting. After this issue I am eager for what is to come. Solid 4/5.

[Maciej Matusz · Rating 2 out of 5]

After Bloodborne: Lady of the Lanterns. I were disappointed and expected a bit more from it. Especially since the previous four volumes matched the game’s atmosphere much better. The game itself is quite enigmatic, horror-like, full of ambiguity, and the earlier stories captured that feeling. Even when one of them focused on a character appearing in the game, we still didn’t learn much more. On top of that, hunters were scarce.

In this story, however, the focus shifts more towards action, which in a comic about a world that’s a blend of Lovecraft and gothic horror feels like wasted potential. While reading, I felt nothing. What’s more, this comic features more hunters than the previous ones. Personally, I liked the vision where they were rare, almost an endangered species, solitary figures who rarely worked together.

The best part of the comic, though, is the artwork, since nothing has changed in that aspect of the creative team. It does a great job of capturing the emotions and the grimy atmosphere of Yharnam

[Chloe Fandom Queen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much better than the last two volumes!

Lady of the Lanterns proves that the mystery and Lovecraftian horror of Bloodborne can be combined with a strong narrative and clearly defined characters to make for an enjoyable graphic novel. Is it perfect? No. But the poor illustrator isn't carrying the whole thing on his back in this one. It's fast-paced, compelling and beautiful to look at. A great companion story that gives me renewed hope for future instalments.

[Casper Paaske · Rating 3 out of 5]

You can feel the switch in writer immediately, for better and worse. While it is nice to have a more tangible and actual story, this one feels less authentic to the source material. One thing the previous writer nailed was the lovecraftian elements of the world, where in this volume, these seems to be almost none existent. I personally did not like the implementation of the cover monster.

[Yoshiro · Rating 5 out of 5]

POPKulturowy Kociołek:
Album Bloodborne tom 3: Dama z latarnią składa się z pięciu historii, których częścią wspólną jest zarówno tytułowa kobieta, jak i miasto Yharnam. W kolejnych zeszytach ponownie zanurzamy się w mrokach wspomnianej metropolii, gdzie ulice pokryły się krwią niewinnych, a na każdym kroku czuć strach, niepewność i piętrzącą się nienawiść. W takich realiach mogą funkcjonować jedynie najlepsi łowcy potworów, ale nawet oni mogą nie być wstanie zatrzymać postępującej zarazy i związanego z nią szaleństwa.

Autorem scenariusza jest Cullen Bunn, znany z takich serii jak Hrabstwo Harrow czy Deadpool. Udowodnił więc on już wielokrotnie, że potrafi pisać naprawdę ciekawe i mocno angażujące scenariusze i tak też jest w przypadku tego tytułu. Udaje mu się tu znakomicie połączyć fantazyjność, grozę i masę ludzkich emocji w pełną napięcia i mroku opowieść, po którą może sięgnąć każdy. Pomimo tego, że mamy tu do czynienia z trzecią odsłoną serii album może funkcjonować jako osobny byt. Komiks sprawdzi się również w przypadku osób, które nigdy nie miały do czynienia z growym pierwowzorem, ale lubią mroczne graficzne opowieści.

Scenarzysta umiejętnie splata tu wiele gatunków horroru, tworząc coś naprawdę wyjątkowego. Ogólna narracja i zaprezentowana architektura nadają komiksowi gotyckiego klimatu. Nawiązania do tytułowej Damy z latarnią przypominają zaś opowieści ludowe z dreszczykiem. Jakby tego było mało, całości dopełnia postapokaliptyczna otoczka, gdzie ludzkie emocje i przerażenie odgrywają znaczącą rolę. Ten splot różnych form grozy sprawia, że historia jest niezwykle intensywna i mocno oddziaływuje ona na czytelnika.

Troszkę mniej entuzjastycznie można się za to wypowiedzieć na temat pojawiających się tu bohaterów. Są oni dość różnorodni i z ciekawością obserwuje się zachodzące między nimi interakcje, ale brakuje im większej wyrazistości. W historii występuje pięciu głównych bohaterów, co w połączeniu z ograniczoną ilością stron sprawia, że żaden z nich nie jest dopracowany. Nie mamy tu okazji, aby naprawdę dobrze ich poznać, gdyż fabuła szybko mknie do swojego wielkiego finału....

https://popkulturowykociolek.pl/blood...

[Rizzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The original 4 volumes of Bloodborne were a pleasant surprise. It's not often that a media tie-in comic has any value, but the creators clearly had a good enough grasp on the lore and tone of the game that they were able to deliver something that I feel genuinely added to the experience. I especially enjoyed the creative way in which the three standalone stories were tied together thematically by the fourth volume. It was unexpected, but felt so perfect for the kind of storytelling that Miyazaki games are beloved for.

All of this is to say, that when a new Bloodborne comic was announced with a new writer, I was a bit worried. Then I found out it was Cullen Bunn, and was even more worried. All I've read from him is part of his Aquaman run, which was really lame. So I basically just assumed this would be disposable, much like the Dark Souls comics that have also been released by Titan.

But I was wrong! This was actually quite enjoyable. Not as good as the Kot run before, but certainly worth your time if you happen to be a Bloodborne fan. It's a bit more standard in its structure and narrative, but still manages to capture the creeping hopelessness of Yharnam well, thanks in no small part to returning artist Piotr Kowalski. I enjoyed the way different characters' subplots began to interact as the story went on. The characters were each fairly memorable, though not so distinct as to betray the central concept of this doomed world. My only real gripe is that the ending showed Bunn's superhero origins a little too plainly, as it is not nearly as bleak as I would tend to desire for a Bloodborne tale. I much preferred Ales Kot's impersonal take on the hunters and their futile struggle, compared to Bunn's treatment of them as badass heroes. Still, it wasn't anything too egregious. What bothered me more, honestly, was the "to be continued" tag at the end, because I felt that the story had reached its perfect conclusion, and I don't have any desire to see these characters again. We'll see I guess.

[Ryan McNie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Goodness me I do love Bloodborne.

Not content with spending hours playing the game I thought I would dedicate more time to the cursed city of Yarnham by diving into the most recent graphic novel. What a treat.

This series has been a bit hit and miss for me. The artwork is always incredible, a perfect match to the bleak gothic horror of the stories, but the stories themselves don't always have an easy hook to latch onto. Sometimes they're more experimental and abstract whereas others more grounded. The Lady of the Lanterns in the latter with good strong characters and a nice showcase of one this universes more disturbing enemies. Each part focuses on a different character or set of characters whose paths end up crossing as the story continues. Each feel unique with very different personalities and it is a pleasure to have them interact with each other towards the end even if it is only brief.

As always, there are plenty of Easter eggs for those that have played the game but none of them are essential for enjoying the story.

The Lady of the Lanterns is definitely one of the stronger volumes in the Bloodborne comic series, if not the strongest. By focusing on character work and building up a true monster bit by bit the story feels as if it is much grander than some of the previous entries. In fact, it would be nice to see the characters introduced here in future volumes of the series. Speaking of future volumes, I hope there will be many because, as always with this franchise, I am starving for more.

[Noah Zaccarelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

A man is walking around the street, singing a song. when he hears a voice. he follows and sees a glowing person. which then someone talks to him. he looks back at the figure and to his surprise, she vanished. these 2 people are going to fight a great battle.

In my opinion, this book is amazing. based on the game by FromSoftware called Bloodborne where you (the hunter) must investigate the city of Yharnam and fight your way through enemies because its the night of the hunt to stop the infection from plaguing every mind. it has good art and I loved the battle scene. I don't see any bad side in my opinion other than the sad part at the end. (you gotta read it yourself to see why)

I have played both the game and now read this book in the series. Its a great book in my opinion and I would recommend reading it and the other books. You will hear of great adventures of hunters and battles. 10/10 book.

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four issues exploring the streets of Yharnam from the perspective of a variety of characters, all united by the eerie song of the Lady Of The Lantern, who we all know is definitely not a lady and certainly not someone you want to hear singing.

The first three issues feel a little disjointed, but by the end of the third you can see where everything's all going to come together, and the ending is both satisfying at closing down this story while promising more to come. I'd like to see more of what Cullen Bunn can do with this setting, so that's good.

Returning from the last Bloodborne series is artist Piotr Kowalski, who has this uncanny way of making the mundane appear terrifying and then the terrifying even more terrifying, which is perfect for the world of Bloodborne.

A quick read, but a worthwhile one.

[Jayme · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is how it's done. This is what a Bloodborne comic can do.

Introduce genuine characters with actual personalities, characterise the hunters differently, intertwine their individual stories for a pay-off, utilise the four-issue setup as a narrative device to your advantage, set up a continued narrative, don't piss out a cop out "OoooOOOOoooOO wHaT's ReAl?!?!" lame ass story -- basically just do what you would normally do for a spin-off comic but set in the world of Bloodborne. THIS is what I read through the previous 4 volumes for (though 1 & 2 were great, 3 & 4 were disappointing).

These characters continue into the next volume, too. Very excited. This is the blueprint. This is the one volume (maybe #2 also) that I'll recommend to Bloodborne lovers.

[Zach · Rating 2 out of 5]

Going into this I didn’t know it was the 5th volume in the series. I don’t know if the volumes stories connect so I will just be going off this volume.

One of the things I really appreciated was Bloodbornes dark and cold art style. While the art style in this book sometimes conveys those feelings most of the time I was dissatisfied. Characters look generic and lack detail but the environment is nicely designed. Also the artist needs to chill with the shading!

The writing and story in this book was decent enough aside from the one guy killing himself for no reason. I can’t stand when characters just decide to sacrifice themselves! Prob won’t check the other books in the series out but glad I checked it out!

[Rebeca F. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a huge fan of Bloodborne and actually enjoyed the graphic novels, as obscure and disjointed as they felt, the atmosphere and universe were just right. So I was pretty excited when I finally got this one I preordered ages ago on the mail. It's still pretty nice, but to me it's the weakest one of the collection. I think it's the one that's more traditional in terms of storytelling, it actually has a pretty straightforward story that follows different characters and an unlikely group of hunters on a night of the hunt in which the figure of the winter lantern, which to me it's still one of the most terrifying enemies in the game, looms heavily over the city.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Excellent artwork, but as a *huge* fan of Bloodborne and its lore, something about this just felt… off. I think at the end of the day I just prefer the more cryptic storytelling method of the source material. Wasn’t a huge fan of the characters either, except Wilhelm. I also found myself a little frustrated with the dialogue sometimes; felt like every panel aimed to have dialogue even if silence would’ve felt better.

Still gets 3 stars from me though because it’s nice to see more official Bloodborne artwork lol.

[Ramon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quinta entregade la series de comics basado en el juego Bloodhorne.

Tengo que decir que aunque las historias son simples , el dibujo es cargado linea. No especialmente bueno a mi gusto.
Lo que se consigue con este tipo de historia y dibujo es algo asfixiante. Ese dibujo tan detallado en las construcciones pero tan poco expresivo genera una sensación de pobredumbre, de atmosfera insana.

El juego de tintura creo que es parte de este efecto. La mayoria de páginas optan por un color y variantes cromáticas y se mueve en ese punto. Generando esta sensacion onírica que tiene el comic.

[Ricky · Rating 1 out of 5]

My least favorite so far (read 1-3, but still looking for 4). I did not find the story to be engaging whatsoever. It went so fast that I really didn't care about any of the characters except the two children waiting for their Father to return. The rest was just very bland to me and the way it was written did nothing to demand my attention. I was surprised to find such high reviews but to each their own, of course.

[Viktor Logi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bloodborne being my favorite game of all time, I had to read these comics.

So far it's just fine and fun. Nothing mandatory for lore but just fun world building.

I do however wish that the art was a bit more creepy! The game is gross and creepy in the best way but this doesn't really try to capture that same feeling!

If you love Bloodborne, sure give it a read, I'll be reading all of them regardless. I just want more Bloodborne!

[Tazin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Been a fan of the Bloodborne games for so many years and had spent countless hours digging into lore and having discussions with friends and members of the community. This book was my first pick up from the comic book series and had a blast reading each page getting more details into the universe I loved so much. Great visuals, very interesting story premise, and I highly recommend it to any Bloodborne fans!

[Cozmo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: [C+]

This was an enjoyable read, especially the second issue. It's good to see different writing that wants to tell a story within BB that isn't vague as mist.

The action is definitely better than the first volume, but there is still room for improvement. Some of the beasts looked a bit funky, but I'm glad it's back to the more scratchy style. Still quite boring panel composition, but I've come to expect that from this series.

[gee ☽ (IG: momoxshi) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 out of 5 stars

A solid plot compared to the more creative/experimental turn of the other volumes, though slightly a bit too fast paced.

I did like the design and the story behind the antagonist for this volume. Definitely intriguing and the mini twist at the end was a treat. Art, as always, is superb.

[Anwar Vázquez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un padre, una hija y un hijo. Cazadores y la plaga. Esta historia tiene lo necesario para ser interesante.
El viaje argumental del niño es sencillo y predecible, pero no deja de atraer el como se va formando.
La dama de las linternas tiene un diseño muy bien logrado, inquietante e incómodo de ver.

Me gustó, la disfruté de inicio a fin.

[Playstail · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really fun non-canon story based on Bloodborne. All of the action is good and the story it tells is good, while leaving enough room for more story.