REVIEW: 'Drawing Blood' #2 by David Avallone, Kevin Eastman, Ben Bishop, and Troy Little

 

DRAWING BLOOD #2

Writer: David Avallone, Kevin Eastman

Artist: Ben Bishop, Troy Little

Publisher: Image Comics

Release Date: May 29, 2024

Cover Price: $3.99

The saga of Shane "Books" Bookman continues: the one-time mega-successful comic book creator falling on hard times finds those times getting even harder. With his back to the wall, Books fends off mobsters, stars in a documentary, falls in love, and sells his soul... and it's only the second issue!

Score:

★★★★☆ (4/5)

QUICK REVIEW: 'Drawing Blood' is a charming dramedy that mirrors the tone of a movie like 'Get Shorty' which deals with a gangster getting into the movie business but here you have a comic creator dealing with gangsters because his late co-creator saddled him with a large debt. The passionate but beleaguered "Books" Bookman is juggling a disastrous stage play while starring in a documentary and fending off Lithuanian mobsters. It's not easy for the co-creator of the wildly popular IP Radically Rearranged Ronin Ragdolls, an ode to Kevin Eastman's own TMNT, and the series playfully skewers the reality of selling off a winning property.  Eastman and co-writer David Avallone create a well-paced story with stakes and drama that doesn't feel heavy or cynical. It's lighthearted but entertaining and with the art of Ben Bishop and Troy Little, it strikes an indie spirit befitting the legacy of Eastman and Peter Laird. An offbeat and amiable story that blends crime, comedy, and comics in one entertaining package.