Tasha Thornwall is on a mission. Her life has never been the same since encountering Al Simmons. He ruined her life by outing her CIA work. Fueled by revenge, Thornwall has been surviving as a mercenary. She has been honing her skills for the chance to take Simmons down once and for all.
10 years later, her day has finally arrived. Simmons has returned as SPAWN. He is a being of immense power. That isn’t deterring Thornwall. She has some new tricks up her sleeve to take down him down for good.
BLOODLETTER #2 by Joseph Illidge, Tim Seeley, Christian Rosado, DC Alonso & AndWorld Design continues the violent path of vengeance.
Let’s take a closer look at what is transpiring now.
BLOODLETTER #2 by Joseph Illidge, Tim Seeley, Christian Rosado, DC Alonso & AndWorld Design (Image Comics)
*** POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING ***
Thornwall’s quest goes on a detour packed with deep rooted emotion. Her precision attack on The Scorched sends a loud message early. The writing takes the readers through the conflicts to a more conflicted area. Most of the Hellspawn team is just business to Thornwell. One member breaks that mold. It also gives the chapter some much needed depth to offset events.
The interactions with Jessica Priest (She-Spawn) offers some insight into the past. Readers watch as Priest is responsible for molding the broken Bloodletter. It is a long painful process for Thornwall to endure. The comparisons between past and present give a clearer picture of Priest’s influence. Their dialogue is tough and blunt. Both hold nothing back on the lines given. Thornwell drives this point home in her destructive methods. It leads into a very solid close. Readers see many different sides as Thornwall prepares for what’s next. Whether she survives of not remains to be seen.
Rosado & Alonso gives each matchup with the Scorched its’ own aura. Reedemer’s has a more majestic sense while Haunt is more grimy. Medieval Spawn has a classic sense to this visuals. The distinctions helps to add more importance to each fight. While brief, they set the stage for the book’s true main event.
The fight between Priest and Thornwall kicks off with an explosive full page panel. Each expression given tells of the deeper history. This segways to the flashback points. With each panel, readers watch as Tasha evolves to an unbreakable force. This is mirrored in the present timeline. It sets a fast moving pace. The timing translates into a duel of supernatural skills. Readers watch as Tasha holds her own in strong fashion. The panels start building the thought she can actually take out Spawn. This carries the momentum into the final pages. Once here, the panels show how one lesson is learned and another one is about to be taught. There’s no rest for the weary in this series.
OVERALL GRADE: 8.4
Tasha Thornwall’s violent path of rage takes on a massive hurdle for this go-around. Illidge & Seeley mix in a tough reset of spirit in-between the conflicts. Rosado & Alonso bring the pain with some intense throwdowns. Readers watch the emergence of a new contender for the Spawn Universe crown.
Let me know in the comments below your thoughts on Bloodletter #2. Thanks for reading!