Blade Runner
Stakes are high in Bloodline: Daughter Of Blade
AS A LONG-TIME FAN of Wesley Snipes’s bigscreen vampire hunter, being asked to write Bloodline: Daughter Of Blade was a childhood dream come true for Danny Lore. “I’ve been a fan of Blade for longer than I’ve even known he was a Marvel Comics character – seriously!” laughs Lore. “I first saw the movie as a kid and had somehow ignored or missed the opening title card, and it was only a little while afterwards that I learned his origins. “In addition, Blade has a lot of emotional connections for me with my father, the person who introduced me to most comic characters. For me, getting the chance to create a character in the Marvel universe, let alone a legacy character, is such an honour. My goal is to do the Daywalker legacy justice, as well as creating, in Brielle, a character folks can see themselves in.” As a high school student, Blade’s daughter has a lot to learn when she initially begins to develop vampiric superpowers. “Brielle is figuring things out pretty early in the series, but fortunately she’s not going to be alone when she does so,” says Lore. “It was important for me to give her the kind of support that I want for girls like Brielle, as well as giving her the freedom to explore like teenagers need to. “Her mom is, after all, Blade’s iconic and wonderful old flame, so she’s got someone at home happy to help her. And when things get too much, maybe there’s someone else out there as well…” With Lore admitting that “it would be really rude to tease Daddy Daywalker on the cover and not deliver, wouldn’t it?”, Brielle’s hometown also plays a vital role. “I enjoy writing Brielle’s friends and interactions in school, but for me the heart of it is that wherever she is, she’s in Atlanta,” explains Lore. “The city is this amazing location with a creative and exciting presence, while also having a long history of supernatural occurrences and superstition.” Brielle debuted in Marvel’s 2022 Free Comic Book Day title Avengers/x-men issue one, and also appeared in last Halloween’s Crypt Of Shadows one-shot, but this new monthly will start afresh. “We wanted the Free Comic Book Day and Crypt Of Shadows stories to stand on their own, so we’re getting a new antagonist in the main series,” explains Lore. “Very quickly, Brielle will be thrown into not just being a supernatural badass, but we’ll also find out what that means when the outside world makes assumptions about what she’d do with that power.” Lore has formed a strong partnership with artist Karen S. Darboe. “Karen brings the heat and the style!” he says. “Seriously, Karen has such a great sense of flair and fashion, so we could have a cool aesthetic from the jump. In addition, she’s great at all these delightful expressions of comedy and tenderness that always delight me when I get back her pages!” Bloodline: Daughter Of Blade issue one is out on 1 February.