In a sea of amazing comics, a new series has to find a way to immediately stand out from the crowd and showcase what makes it special. Image Comics and Skybound look to do just that with its new series Blood & Thunder, pairing the core elements of a buddy cop movie with the lovely insanity that is the world of Metro 1. Oh, did we mention that the buddy cop of it all is actually a cop and her sentient gun? Yeah, that’s right, and it’s where the series not only gets its name but also where it gets its sense of charm, humor, and history, making for one of the most delightful debuts of 2025 so far.
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Before we get to the two protagonists, we need to first highlight the insanely cool world that the team of Benito Cereno, E.J. Su, Msassyk, and Rus Wooton have brought to life. Metro 1 is a tiered city where life gets progressively more difficult and challenging as you continue to go through each tier, and there’s also another city on the other side of the planet that seemingly has its own tiers, though we don’t get to see much of that yet.
If that sounds like an idea rife with possibilities, it absolutely is, and the first few pages set about introducing you to the various structures and way of life on various tiers. Meanwhile, Su and Msassyk make a grand first impression with a two-page spread that is just absolutely stunning, instantly giving you a sense of this mysterious place without even setting foot on it. Their work continues to impress throughout the issue, with each tier conveying its own distinct personality even in the briefest of appearances.
Their work is also impressive in the characters that populate this world. While there are humanoid-looking characters and actual humans living in the city, there are a host of other aliens that call this place home, and their character designs don’t just feel like human offshoots with a different coat of paint. Some of the designs are really creative, and it bodes well for what we’ll see from the series as it progresses.
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While the world is fantastic, it doesn’t matter if you aren’t compelled by the book’s main heroes, and that’s where Blood and Thunder come in. Blood is a bounty hunter who excels at operating in the lower levels, and she uses a gun named Thunder. The thing is, Thunder is a full sentient gun who talks to Blood, and this forms the buddy cop dynamic throughout the series. The opening fight sequence is fun to watch from an action perspective, but the dynamic between the two is what really makes these sequences shine, as Thunder continues to want to use non-lethal measures whenever possible, and Blood is a bit more on the aggressive side.
That ties into a key point of history with Blood, as Thunder was her father’s old weapon before he died, and he was also a part of the IPPF (the police force on Metro 1). That promises to be rich with complex issues for Blood, as she holds her father in high esteem, and while her mother is hinted at here, there’s a lot said in what is unsaid if that makes sense. That’s even before we get to bigger mysteries revealed towards the end of the issue, so the future is quite bright.
There are a few odd moments in regards to facial expressions, but that’s a relatively minor nitpick. One thing I would have loved to see is more time with Blood and Thunder after the big action sequence. All that amazing world-building at the beginning has to trade off somewhere after all, but I’m sure we’ll get plenty of time with them as we continue the series.
It’s not easy for a new series to truly showcase who it is and who it wants to be in just one issue, but Blood & Thunder did that exceptionally well, and it’s created an adventure full of action, charm, and mystery that already has its hooks in. If you give it a try, I think it just might hook you, too.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Published by Skybound and Image Comics
Released on May 7, 2025
Written by Benito Cereno
Art by E.J. Su
Colors by Msassyk
Letters by Rus Wooton
What did you think of Blood & Thunder #1? Let us know in the comments, and you can talk all things comics with me on Bluesky @knightofoa!
