Blood Hunt (comics)

Blood Hunt
Publication information
PublisherMarvel Comics
FormatLimited series
Publication dateMay 2024
No. of issues5
Main characterSee below
Creative team
Written byJed MacKay
PencillerPepe Larraz
ColoristMarte Gracia

"Blood Hunt" is an American comic book crossover storyline written by Jed MacKay with art by Pepe Larraz and Marte Gracia, published in 2024 by Marvel Comics. The event involves the rise of the Vampire Nation, which is united by a single vision for the first time in millennia.[1]

Blood Hunt #1 was dedicated in memory of Paul Neary, with various other issues and tie-ins being dedicated in memory of Jeffrey Veregge, Don Perlin and Ray Chan.

Publication history

At the New York Comic Convention in October 2023, Marvel Comics teased "Blood Hunt" as the next major crossover event that will command its own main limited series, as well as tie-in issues and spinoff limited series.[2]

Blood Hunt is announced as a five-issue limited series written by the current Avengers scribe Jed MacKay debuting in May 2024. The series is a culmination of a building story about the vampire apocalypse involving the Avengers, Blade, Bloodline, Spider-Man, Morbius, Hunter's Moon, Tigra, Doctor Strange, and Clea.[3]

Plot

Lead-Up

As Spider-Man fights a villain named Doctor Dark who has Darkforce abilities, he witnesses Doctor Dark suddenly vomit Darkforce energy, which rises into the sky. Meanwhile, Mister Fantastic and Invisible Woman notice numerous dimensional breaches, including a breach in the Darkforce dimension. In Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan, Daredevil senses the change caused by the Darkforce and springs into action against the attacking vampire forces, saving as many civilians as he can. In an alley, Blade's daughter Bloodline fights a group of vampires. She kills some of them until Dracula appears. He states that the world is ending and advises her to come with him to save it.[4]

Main plot

The Darkforce dimension empties onto Earth, blocking out the Sun and allowing vampires to attack worldwide. As the Avengers are fighting off vampires, Blade contacts them and says he has information and to meet up at the Avengers' base, the Impossible City. The Avengers are ambushed by Bloodstorm One, Megrim, Cruel, Unusual, Damascene, and Smoke Eater, who manage to overwhelm them. Thor and Scarlet Witch are incapacitated, with Black Panther sacrificing himself to have the rest of the remaining Avengers evacuated. Blade tells Strange and Clea that the vampires have become organized under the Structure, which caused the Darkforce users to blot out the sun, the global uprising, and the Avengers being attacked by the Bloodcoven, a group of vampires who feed on superhuman blood. When Strange asks if Dracula is the leader of the Structure, Blade stabs Strange and states that he is the leader.[5][6][7]

At the Impossible City, Thor and Scarlet Witch have been restrained while Black Panther has been turned into a vampire. As Bloodline and Dracula prepare to fight the Bloodcoven, they are greeted with the remaining Avengers (Captain Marvel, Captain America, Iron Man, and Vision). Vision overpowers the Bloodcoven with solar energy, forcing them to retreat. After arriving at the Sanctum Sanctorum, Dracula, Bloodline, and the Avengers meet with Strange, Hunter's Moon, Miles Morales, and Tigra. Bloodline expresses relief about meeting with Miles again, while telling him that she cannot find her father. Just as she says this, Miles suddenly turns into a vampire.[8]

At the Sanctum Sanctorum, a vampiric Miles begins to attack only for Vision to subdue him and Doctor Strange's astral form and Clea to restore his mind to normal. Dracula informs Bloodline that Blade is the new lord of the vampires and that she must be the one to strike him down and stop him. When Bloodline runs off, Dracula and Miles Morales go after her. Tigra and Hunter's Moon state that the Midnight Mission will put together an army that cannot be killed or turned, but that they need one more to join their party. The Avengers plan to face off against the Blade and the Bloodcoven, but realize they need to draw him out. Captain America broadcasts a speech worldwide, stating that they have fought worse opponents that tried to take over Earth before and won and that the world should tell the vampires that they cannot have it. After the broadcast, Captain America states to Iron Man that it was the same speech he gave to the Impossible City and hoped that Black Panther would recognize it.[a][9]

At the Temple of the First Blasphemy, Black Panther meets up with Blade and the Bloodcoven. When Black Panther asks if the man he is speaking with is actually Eric Brooks, it is revealed that Blade is possessed by Varnae. Back in Doomstadt, Doom informs Strange and Clea about Varnae and how Marie Laveau had failed to make Blade the host of Varnae the first time,[b] but now has succeeded the second time around. Doom reveals that he has a plan to get rid of the Darkforce covering Earth in exchange for Strange giving up his title of Sorcerer Supreme. At the Temple of the First Blasphemy, the Varnae-possessed Blade tells Black Panther that he has the power of a god and the living Darkhold in his possession, which he needs to complete his ritual. Black Panther reveals to Varnae that the heart-shaped herb has been healing his vampiric infection bit by bit as he frees Thor. The rest of the Avengers show up as Varnae dares them to face the Unliving Darkforce.[10]

Thor remembers the last time he fought Varnae[c] as he fights him without Mjolnir, which is still in orbit. In Latveria, Doom and the Strange Academy students begin casting a spell to eliminate the Darkforce. Bloodline and Miles attack Blade, allowing Scarlet Witch to free him from Varnae's possession. Doctor Strange expects Doom to follow his oath of returning the Sorcerer Supreme mantle to him, but he refuses. While still a vampire, Miles finds himself unfazed by the sun. Dracula states that the sun has lost its effect on the vampires and that they have a new dawn ahead of them.[11]

Main characters by series

Series Characters
Main series
Blood Hunt
Ongoing series tie-ins
Vengeance of the Moon Knight (vol. 2)
The Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 6)
The Avengers (vol. 9)
Doctor Strange (vol. 6)
Venom (vol. 5)
Fantastic Four (vol. 7)
Miles Morales: Spider-Man (vol. 2)
  • Blade
  • Spider-Man (Morales)
  • Bloodline
  • Hightail
  • R'ym'r
  • Dracula
Limited series tie-ins
Blood Hunters
Dracula: Blood Hunt
  • Bloodline
  • Dracula
  • Varnae
Strange Academy: Blood Hunt
  • Darkhold
  • Doctor Doom
  • Doyle Dormammu
  • Germán Aguilar
  • Guslaug
  • Pia
  • Shaylee Moonpeddle
  • Toth
  • Zoe Laveau
The Amazing Spider-Man: Blood Hunt
Union Jack the Ripper: Blood Hunt
Black Panther: Blood Hunt
Midnight Sons: Blood Hunt
Wolverine: Blood Hunt
One-shots
Hulk: Blood Hunt[d]
  • Hulk
Werewolf by Night: Blood Hunt
X-Men: Blood Hunt – Jubilee
X-Men: Blood Hunt – Magik
X-Men: Blood Hunt – Psylocke
X-Men: Blood Hunt – Laura Kinney The Wolverine

Issues involved

Prelude issues

Title Issues Writer Artist Colorist Release date
Free Comic Book Day 2024: Blood Hunt/X-Men 1 Jed MacKay Sara Pichelli TBA May 4, 2024[12]

Main series

Title Issues Writer Artist Colorist Debut date Conclusion date
Blood Hunt 1–5 Jed MacKay Pepe Larraz Marte Gracia May 1, 2024[3] July 24, 2024[13]

Tie-in issues

Limited series

Title Issues Writer(s) Artist(s) Colorist Debut date Conclusion date
Blood Hunters 1–4 Mark Russell
Christos Gage
Erica Schultz		 Bob Quinn
Javier Garrón
Bernard Chang		 TBA May 8, 2024[14][15][16] July 17, 2024[13]
Dracula: Blood Hunt 1–3 Danny Lore Vincenzo Carratù July 3, 2024[13]
Strange Academy: Blood Hunt Daniel José Older Luigi Zagaria July 24, 2024[13]
The Amazing Spider-Man: Blood Hunt Justina Ireland Marcelo Ferreira May 15, 2024[17][18] July 17, 2024[13]
Union Jack the Ripper: Blood Hunt Cheryl Lynn Eaton Farid Karami July 10, 2024[13]
Black Panther: Blood Hunt Cavan Scott Kev Walker May 29, 2024[19][20] July 3, 2024[13]
Midnight Sons: Blood Hunt Bryan Hill Germán Peralta July 24, 2024[13]
Wolverine: Blood Hunt 1–4 Tom Waltz Juan José Ryp June 5, 2024[21] July 24, 2024[13]

One-shots

Title Writer Artist Colorist Release date
Hulk: Blood Hunt Phillip Kennedy Johnson Danny Earls TBA July 10, 2024[22]
Werewolf by Night: Blood Hunt Jason Loo Adam Gorham July 3, 2024[22]
X-Men: Blood Hunt – Jubilee Preeti Chhibber Enid Balám June 12, 2024[23]
X-Men: Blood Hunt – Magik Ashley Allen Jesús Hervás June 26, 2024[23]
X-Men: Blood Hunt – Psylocke Steve Foxe Lynne Yoshii July 3, 2024[23]
X-Men: Blood Hunt – Laura Kinney The Wolverine Stephanie Phillips Robert Gill July 17, 2024[23]

Series tie-ins

Title Issues Writer(s) Artist(s) Colorist Debut date Conclusion date
Vengeance of the Moon Knight (vol. 2) 5–7 Jed MacKay Alessandro Cappuccio TBA May 1, 2024[24] July 24, 2024[13]
The Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 6) 49 Zeb Wells John Romita Jr. May 8, 2024[24]
The Avengers (vol. 9) 14–16 Jed MacKay C.F. Villa May 8, 2024[24] July 10, 2024[13]
Doctor Strange (vol. 6) 15–17 Pasqual Ferry July 3, 2024[13]
Venom (vol. 5) 33–34 Al Ewing Juan Ferreyra June 5, 2024
Fantastic Four (vol. 7) 21–22 Ryan North Ivan Fiorelli June 12, 2024[24] July 24, 2024[13]
Miles Morales: Spider-Man (vol. 2) Cody Ziglar Travel Foreman July 3, 2024[13]

Collected editions

Title Issues collected Format Writers Artists Pages Released ISBN
Main series
Blood Hunt Blood Hunt #1-5 TPB Jed MacKay Pepe Larraz, Sara Pichelli 152 22 Oct 2024 Pepe Larraz cover: 978-1302957377
Blood Hunt: Red Band Blood Hunt: Red Band #1-5 OHC Jed MacKay Pepe Larraz, Sara Pichelli 160 5 Aug 2025 Pepe Larraz cover: 978-1302958534
Tie-ins
Amazing Spider-Man: Blood Hunt Amazing Spider-Man: Blood Hunt #1-3; Amazing Spider-Man (2022) #49; Miles Morales Spider-Man (2023) #21-22 TPB Justina Ireland, Zeb Wells, Cody Ziglar Marcelo Ferreira, John Romita Jr, Travel Foreman 144 5 Nov 2024 Marcelo Ferreira cover: 978-1302958619
Avengers by Jed Mackay Vol. 3: Blood Hunt Avengers (2023) #12-16 TPB Jed Mackay Francesco Mortarino, C.F. Villa 120 3 Dec 2024 Joshua Cassara cover: 978-1302958466
Blood Hunt: Marvel Universe Black Panther: Blood Hunt #1-3; Strange Academy: Blood Hunt #1-3, Hulk: Blood Hunt TPB Cheryl Lynn Eaton, Daniel José Older, Phillip Kennedy Johnson Farid Karami, Luigi Zagaria, Danny Earls 192 17 Dec 2024 Andrea Sorrentino cover: 978-1302958633
Blood Hunters: Once More Into Darkness Blood Hunters (vol. 1) #1-4 TPB Mark Russell Bob Quinn 160 12 Nov 2024 Greg Land cover: 978-1302958954
Blood Hunters Blood Hunters (vol. 2) #1-5 TPB Erica Schultz Robert Gill 120 24 Jun 2025 Ema Lupacchino cover: 978-1302958923
Doctor Strange by Jed Mackay Vol. 3: Blood Hunt Doctor Strange (2023) #11-18 TPB Jed Mackay Danilo S. Beyruth, Pasqual Ferry 176 26 Nov 2024 Alex Ross cover: 978-1302954802
Dracula: Blood Hunt Dracula: Blood Hunt #1-3; Union Jack The Ripper: Blood Hunt #1-3 TPB Danny Lore, Cavan Scott Vincenzo Carratu, Kev Walker 160 19 Nov 2024 Rod Reis cover: 978-1302963477
Midnight Sons: Blood Hunt Midnight Sons: Blood Hunt #1-3; Werewolf by Night: Blood Hunt TPB Bryan Hill, Jason Loo German Peralta, Adam Gorham 112 26 Nov 2024 Ken Lashley cover: 978-1302958626
Miles Morales by Cody Ziglar Vol. 5: Blood Hunt Miles Morales: Spider-Man (2022) #21-24; Miles Morales: Spider-Man Annual (2024) TPB Cody Ziglar, Curtis Baxter Brent Peeples, David Baldeón, Travel Foreman 144 18 Feb 2025 Federico Vicentini cover: 978-1302958459
X-Men: Blood Hunt X-Men: Blood Hunt - Jubilee (2024); X-Men: Blood Hunt - Magik; X-Men: Blood Hunt - Psylocke; X-Men: Blood Hunt - Laura Kinney The Wolverine; Wolverine: Blood Hunt #1-4 TPB Preeti Chhibber, Ashley Allen, Steve Foxe, Stephanie Phillips, Tom Waltz Enid Balam, Jesús Hervás, Lynne Yoshii, Robert Gill, Juan Jose Ryp 184 24 Dec 2024 Rod Reis cover: 978-1302958664

Reception

Blood Hunt received generally positive reviews from critics. According to ComicBookRoundup, the core miniseries received an average score of 7.9 out of 10 across 49 different reviews.[25]

Aftermath

Six months after the events of Blood Hunt and seizing the mantle of the Sorcerer Supreme, Doctor Doom emerges from Latveria and declares himself Emperor of the World, leading into the events of One World Under Doom.[26]

Notes

  1. ↑ As seen in Avengers (vol. 9) #1.
  2. ↑ As seen in Blade the Vampire Hunter #1.
  3. ↑ As seen in Marvel Comics Presents #63.
  4. ↑ Also called The Incredible Hulk: Blood Hunt.

References

  1. ↑ Wilson, Carl (2023), "Gaming and Vampires", in Bacon, Simon (ed.), The Palgrave Handbook of the Vampire, Cham: Springer International Publishing, pp. 1–19, doi:10.1007/978-3-030-82301-6_67-1, ISBN 978-3-030-82301-6, retrieved 2023-12-27
  2. ↑ "NYCC 2023: 'Blood Hunt,' Marvel Comics' Next Crossover Event, Revealed". www.marvel.com. Retrieved 2023-12-27.
  3. 1 2 "'Blood Hunt' Drags the Marvel Universe into Darkness". www.marvel.com. Retrieved 2023-12-27.
  4. ↑ Free Comic Book Day 2024: Blood Hunt/X-Men #1
  5. ↑ "Blood Hunt #1 Review: A Brutal Beginning For This Enticing Summer Event". ComicBook.com. May 1, 2024. Retrieved June 11, 2024.
  6. ↑ Jennings, Collier (May 1, 2024). "Blood Hunt #1 review". AIPT. Retrieved June 11, 2024.
  7. ↑ Marston, George (May 1, 2024). "Everything we expected about Marvel's Blood Hunt event just got turned upside down by the shocking reveal of its secret villain". GamesRadar+. Retrieved June 11, 2024.
  8. ↑ Jennings, Collier (May 22, 2024). "Blood Hunt #2 review". AIPT. Retrieved June 11, 2024.
  9. ↑ Blood Hunt #3
  10. ↑ Blood Hunt #4
  11. ↑ Blood Hunt #5
  12. ↑ "Marvel's 2024 Free Comic Book Day Titles Present the First Post-Krakoa X-Men Story, the Opening Kill of 'Blood Hunt,' and More". Marvel Comics. January 5, 2024. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 McMillan, Graeme (April 19, 2024). "Marvel Comics' July 2024 solicitations: X-Men, Spider-Man, Avengers and everything else, all in one place!". Popverse. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
  14. ↑ "Dagger Forms a Team of Vampire Slayers, Hawkeye Stands Against the Hordes, & More in 'Blood Hunters'". www.marvel.com. Retrieved 2024-02-14.
  15. ↑ "In 'Dracula: Blood Hunt,' the Lord of Vampires Takes the Daughter of Blade Under His Wing". www.marvel.com. Retrieved 2024-02-14.
  16. ↑ "'Strange Academy: Blood Hunt' Sends Marvel's Most Promising Magic Users After the Darkhold". www.marvel.com. 2024-02-14. Retrieved 2024-02-15.
  17. ↑ "'Amazing Spider-Man: Blood Hunt' Makes Morbius the Marvel Universe's Best Chance Against the Vampire Invasion". www.marvel.com. 2024-02-15. Retrieved 2024-02-16.
  18. ↑ "Union Jack Paints the UK Red in 'Union Jack the Ripper: Blood Hunt'". www.marvel.com. 2024-02-13. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
  19. ↑ "'Black Panther: Blood Hunt' Transforms T'Challa into a Vampire". www.marvel.com. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
  20. ↑ "'Midnight Sons: Blood Hunt' Reunites Marvel's Original Group of Supernatural Heroes". www.marvel.com. 2024-02-14. Retrieved 2024-02-15.
  21. ↑ "'Wolverine: Blood Hunt' Pits the Undead Against the Unkillable". www.marvel.com. 2024-02-15. Retrieved 2024-02-16.
  22. 1 2 "Hulk & Werewolf by Night Unleash Terror on the Vampire Hordes in 'Blood Hunt' One-Shots". www.marvel.com. Retrieved 2024-02-22.
  23. 1 2 3 4 "'X-Men: Blood Hunt' One-Shots Recruit Mutantkind for the War Against Vampires". www.marvel.com. Retrieved 2024-02-21.
  24. 1 2 3 4 "The Fantastic Four Race for a Cure, Cap Forms a Team of Avengers, & More in 'Blood Hunt' Tie-Ins". www.marvel.com. 2024-02-16. Retrieved 2024-02-21.
  25. ↑ "Blood Hunt (2024) Reviews". ComicBookRoundup.com. Archived from the original on 2024-11-26. Retrieved 2025-05-22.
  26. ↑ "Doctor Doom's Rule Begins in 'One World Under Doom' #1". www.marvel.com. Retrieved 2025-05-22.
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