Blade, Vol. 1: Undead Again

Blade (2006)

by Marc Guggenheim, Howard Chaykin (Illustrator)

Join Howard Chaykin (Avengers, American Flagg) and Marc Guggenheim (Wolverine, CSI: Miami) for a new series starring the popular character who's launched three movies and a TV series. Featuring Spider-Man, Dracula, Dr. Doom, Wolverine... and Santa Claus? Plus: a look into Blade's mysterious past! Collects Blade #1-6.

Genres: Comics, Marvel, Graphic Novels, Vampires, Horror, Superheroes, Fiction

144 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2007

About the author

Marc Guggenheim grew up on Long Island, New York, and earned his law degree from Boston University. After over four years in practice, he left law to pursue a career in television.

Today, Guggenheim is an Emmy Award–winning writer who writes for multiple mediums including television, film, video games, comic books, and new media. His work includes projects for such popular franchises as Percy Jackson, Star Wars, Call of Duty, Star Trek, and Planet of the Apes.

His next book, In Any Lifetime, coming from Lake Union Publishing on August 1st.

Guggenheim currently lives in Encino, California, with his wife, two daughters, and a handful of pets.

Keep up to date on his latest projects with LegalDispatch, a weekly newsletter where he shares news and notes about writing, comics, and the entertainment industry.

Reviews

[Sam Quixote · Rating 1 out of 5]

Books like Marc Guggenheim and Howard Chaykin’s Undead Again are why you don’t see many Blade comics out there: it’s AWFUL and shows that he’s just not that interesting a character. On paper he sounds good: a vampire hunter who’s also a vampire - but in practice, you get garbage like this.

Blade fights some vampire SHIELD agents, there’s some rubbish about Blade travelling back in time to save Doom’s mother, he fights a possessed mall Santa, more stakings, and he pointlessly tangles with Wolverine. It’s such unmemorable, meandering and boring drek! And Howard Chaykin’s art looks like shit, as always.

There’s probably a creative team out there who could make a great Blade book but it’s definitely not this one!

[Edward Gwynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great comic with some fun cameos.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not awful, but hardly leaving me...THIRSTY...for more.

[Dan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Absolutely hated this series. I can't stand Howard Chaykin's art, I have no idea why people like him so much. And did Marc Guggenheim really write for Law & Order and CSI: Miami? Cause he sucks at writing comics! He didn't do any research on the history of the character, or even research on vampires. The guy's kind of an arrogant jackass too. No wonder this series got cancelled. The only good thing about this book were the covers by Marko Djurdjević.

[Gavin · Rating 1 out of 5]

My god. Sooooo bad. Awful. Terrible.

The only salvage is the strangely unrelated Casualties of War Civil War aftermath...SHIELD hires Blade to kill Wolverine, turns out he can't...cause Wolverine saved his ass in ye olden days.

So fucking bad. Howard Chaykin's artwork is so wrong for this book. I cannot stress that enough.

Guggenheim was tolerable on Wolverine run, but this? Ugh.

Avoid like a dog rape.

[Judah Radd · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a breath of fresh air, especially after the horrendous last Blade trade (98 and 99).

I dig the Guggenheim run. It reads easy, and feels like part of the Marvel universe (unlike the last series). I really like it.

The art is adequate. Nothing mind blowing, but it tells the story and isn’t distractingly weird or bad.

Blade’s personality is cool. He reminds me of Snipes Blade. Normally I hate “synergy,” but in this case, it’s a good thing. There are some fun cameos from Maria Hill, Doctor Doom... hell, even a certain “per*snikt*y” canadian shows up. This volume is mostly one-and-done single issue stories, and it works. Also, while there are these stories, there are flashbacks to early Blade, and they are actually pretty fun.

I love where this is going, and I’m excited to read the next book of this series!

[Devero · Rating 1 out of 5]

Lo ammetto, ho recuperato per sbaglio questo TP dedicato a Blade.
Veramente poco leggibile come storia, per di più c'è anche Chaykin ai disegni, che a mio parere resta inguardabile di suo.

[Roman Zarichnyi · Rating 3 out of 5]

З Блейдом, культовим мисливцем на вампірів, можна познайомитися українською у коміксі «Блейд: Знову нечисть», який заглиблюється у його минуле поміж історій в теперішньому. Ерік Брукс, більш відомий як Блейд, завжди був одинаком з похмурим світоглядом, але тут він ізольований як ніколи. Адже його хочуть вхопити й використати всі, кому не лінь.

Комікс знайомить із різними персонажами, де кожен випуск — це зазвичай якийсь "марвелівський" супергерой. Хоча ці концепції мають потенціал, історія часто здається протоптаною стежкою. Хоча це і розважає, але втрачається шанс глибше зануритися в психіку персонажа і наслідки його минулого.

Зосередження на внутрішній боротьбі Блейда з його вампірською сутністю, замість того, щоб покладатися на появу великих персонажів Marvel, таких як Росомаха, Людини-Павук чи Доктор Дум, могло б підняти історію на вищий щабель. Їхня відсутність дозволила б повністю охопити особистість Блейда як вбивці нечисті, а не впасти в стандартні супергеройські рамки.

Художник Говард Чайкін створив досить непоганий малюнок, який добре проявляється, як у батальних сценах, так і спокійних із добре проробленим інтер'єром та екстер'єром. Але його стиль може сподобатися не всім. Та мене загалом він не відштовхує. Тому все було добре.

Підсумовуючи, «Блейд: Знову нечисть» не є новаторським коміком. Хоча його епізодична структура мене відштовхувала, але творча команда створила просту історію про те, як Блейд робить те, що вміє найкраще — полює на монстрів. Або ж на Росомаху. Якщо ви шукаєте якоїсь глибини, то вам точно не сюди. Якщо бажаєте почитати щось незвичне про давно знайомого героя, то забігайте в цей кривавий човен.

[Alex Sarll]

From about a decade ago, a series which I think is retooling the half-vampire vampire-hunter's origin. Except that I don't really know what it was beforehand, nor whether any of this still applies, so that doesn't necessarily have a great deal of impact for me. Still, some of the flashback stuff works, when it's things like early training rather than tired 'I am your father!' big reveals. In the present, too, there's a tension between solid Blade stories, and too many guest appearances breaking the flow - Wolverine, Doom, and daftest of all, Spider-Man who's a vampire but only briefly because his radioactive blood will purge the enzyme, which feels like a throwaway line that, properly pursued, could cause way more problems than it fixes. Maybe this is why we don't really see many Guggenheim comics anymore. Though of course I'm mainly here for Chaykin's art, and if his default lead is a bit stockier than I normally picture Blade, the glint in his eye is perfect.

[Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wanted to check out Blade comics after having just re-watched the movie trilogy, and this was a pretty fun place to start! Lots of fast paced vampire action, exploration of Blade's origins, and crossovers with Doctor Doom and Wolverine that were especially fun since, due to the nature of movie rights, I'd not seen Blade interact with the wider Marvelverse before. It loses points for ending in a cliffhanger way, but such is the nature of serial stories I suppose!

[Mykhailo Gasyuk · Rating 2 out of 5]

Кілька коротких історії із життя дампіра Блейда, перемішаних з флешбеками про походження героя. Намальовано не на мій смак, верстка та переклад страждають.

Сюжети коротких історії цибають з одного на інше, самі себе заганяють в моральний кут та використовують спогади про минуле як виправдання.

Явно не кращий початок нової серії (ну, як нової… Нової в 2006-му!) про класичного мисливця на вампірів. Гачок про глобальну всеприсутність кровопивць закинули, а порухати вудкою забули.

[Collier Jennings · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great intro for a great character.

Though the writing is sharp and I enjoy the flashbacks to Blade's past (a trick Guggenheim would later employ on Arrow) Chaykin's art is an acquired taste. If you're looking to learn more about Blade, start here.

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought I'd like this one because Blade interested me unlike the superhero universe that's very on trend these past years. This did include things like Spider-Man, Wolverine and S.H.I.E.L.D though and I found it a little boring and a little odd at times.

[Randy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first time reading Blade and it was enjoyable. I think it did a good job with flash backs and giving history into the character. (Shocking it doesnt match the movies!) All and all a good first couple of chapters with some cameos from Maria Hill & Wolverine.

[Edwen Quinonez]

Very good book there is a lot of mystery to the character and the book keeps you hooked by slowly revealing more and more about him as a person and his past and also showing him in lots of action scenes.

[Porsha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blade. Always, #Blade. Took awhile for me to fall into this one, but once I got going? It was ALL to the good! 👏 ⭐ 😉 Moral to the Story? Don't give up too quickly on this one! �� !!! 😏

[Doctor Doom · Rating 4 out of 5]

was not expecting to like this as much as I did- well written, good art, interesting story.

[Bekka · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favourite, it was alright, but a bit of a mixed bag, to be honest.

[Kai Charles(Fiction State Of Mind) · Rating 3 out of 5]

New adventures with the undead as Blade rejoins the Marvel Universe

[Connor · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are some fun little stories here, connected by some flashbacks to Blade's early life and his parents actions.

[Louis Skye · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good story but the lack of female characters was jarring. The art wasn’t great. Everyone’s face was a rectangle. Otherwise, the story itself and Blade”s history were fascinating.

[Hana · Rating 2 out of 5]

This volume just feels like one giant fever dream

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

These are mostly one off stories compiled into one book. Not overly impressive.

[Anga Kyla · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didnt like the art and the story was kinda boring.

[M.i. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Blade’s got more personality than I thought. Solid collection of short stories, fun read.

[Cris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Iba a ponerle 3.5 pero le subo media estrella SOLO por el mini arco con Wolverine en el #4, así de poderoso fue

[Kris · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fine for what it is, Blade running around the Marvel universe with a bit of an arc plot around a prophecy. Nothing special but not awful either.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blade

What a great read. Blade is on the hunt and in the end meets his dad, but doesn't believe a word he says. Next book please.

[Art · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned a bit more about Blade here. I would like to know even more. Looking forward to the next volume.

[Patrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 Stars