Marvel Reveals New Blade Series Coming This Summer

Marvel has revealed a new Blade series is coming this summer. The new Blade comic book has the creative team of Bryan Hill (Batman and the Outsiders) attached as a writer, with Elena Casagrande (Black Widow) as the artist. 

The synopsis for Marvel's Blade series (2023) is below, via Polygon:

Marvel's slickest vampire hunter returns in a brand new ongoing by Bryan Hill (KILLMONGER) and Elena Casagrande (BLACK WIDOW)! True evil is patient. And a dark, ancient power has been simmering quietly for centuries...and when Blade himself is the one to unknowingly unleash it, Marvel's entire supernatural underworld will come out of hiding to demand he handle it. Or pay a pound of flesh for his mistakes. Bloodbaths, blackmail, and Blade – you won't want to miss the explosive first issue of this new volume!

"Blade is a treasured character for me," Bryan Hill told Polygon. "Here, we have an opportunity to explore his history, reveal new aspects of his world, and create a story that's brutal, sexy, and bold as it travels into the world of monsters and magic."

In recent years, Marvel has re-positioned Blade as a mainstay player in the Marvel Comics Universe. In fact, during the "Heroes Reborn" crossover event, Blade was the main character who was aware of a change in the reality of the Marvel Universe and fought to get his original world back. After doing a stint as an Avenger, Blade ultimately left the team in order to become the "sheriff" of the new Vampire sovereign nation inside of the irradiated lands of Chernobyl. It's that change in status quo that makes this new Blade series an intriguing read. Rather than rest on the laurels of seeing Blade try to live amongst vampires, it looks like Hill will open the door to a whole new kind of supernatural adventure for the character – possibly a new era of Marvel's supernatural underworld. 

For her part, Elena Casagrande is just excited to get into some action within the world of Blade: 

"I think that the first goal of drawing a fight scene is to let it be powerful and fluid at the same time," Casagrande said to Polygon in a message. "I see fighting like dancing, so my first thought is always about choreography and then the movements that I need to make strong. Obviously, every character needs a different choreography, a different way to fight — it's fun to personalize it — and with Blade, I'm happy to have the chance to use the swords and showcase his strength."

Marvel's Blade (2023) will release issue #1 this summer. Meanwhile, Marvel's Blade reboot film is still in development, and Blade's daughter Bloodline is currently starring in her own series, as well.