By J.M. DeMATTEIS, KENT WILLIAMS (Epic Comics; 1987)
A four-part comic book saga that appeared in 1987, a boom time for adult comics. The previous year saw the bow of Frank Miller’s seminal BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS, Alan Moore’s WATCHMEN and the lesser known but equally revolutionary MOONSHADOW, from scripter J.M DeMatteis. Excellent company to be in, and the odd and mysterious BLOOD: A TALE, which was also dreamed up by DeMatteis, is a worthy addition.
This particular “Tale” takes place in a surreal, mythological landscape, and freely interweaves dreams, hallucinations and all manner of highbrow references (note the chapter headings, containing words like Uroborous and Communion). It’s a bit of a head-scratcher overall, and demands extremely close attention (not to mention at least two readings), which I realize will put off quite a few potential readers. Those up to the challenge, however, will be adequately compensated.
The tale—actually two interrelated tales—begins with a dying king being told an apparently made-up story by a young woman. That tale is continued by a voice emanating from within the king’s body, and eventually by a talking crow and dove. The story is about the adventures of a soulful vampire named Blood, so named by an old man in the “Valley of Pain.” There the old man conjures a dream in which Blood shoots him—although just where that dream ends, or if it even concludes at all, is left obscure.
Other things I’m unclear on include “Little One,” a floating robot something-or-other who accompanies Blood and his vampire girlfriend on their travels; a mid-narrative sojourn Blood takes in a modern city where he grows to be an old man, and then abruptly returns to his former incarnation to resume his journey; the birth of an apparently mutant baby that may or may not facilitate the death of Blood’s GF; and the bewildering conclusion, containing a twist that justifies the Uroborous chapter heading but otherwise isn’t too conclusive.
The saga is packed with literary and mythological allusions, some of which I caught (such as the tale of Icarus and the overriding theme of MELMOTH THE WANDERER), although I’m sure I missed a fair amount. Oh, well.
The gorgeous watercolor artwork of Kent Williams is stunning, creating dimly glimpsed images that bleed into one another with hallucinogenic fluidity. Particularly striking is a “wall” that consists of a giant statue of a woman with open legs that disgorge a torrent of blood. Add to that some startlingly graphic T&A that would doubtlessly get BLOOD: A TALE an NC-17 rating were it a movie, and you’ve got…well, I’m not quite sure. I like it, though.