Blood Stream

(Image, 2004)
™ and ©2004 Adam Shaw and Penny Register

For people browsing through the comics racks, Blood Stream will be a treat to view, because the cover features an eye-catching painting of a naked woman holding guns over her breasts. Great painted art continues on the inside—but, unfortunately, the story does not live up to its end of the bargain.

Blood Stream tells the story of Amber, an exotic dancer who is kidnapped and taken Heaven knows where to be tested by a bunch of scientists, who are trying to accomplish Heaven knows what. The vague nature of the story is the main problem with Blood Stream's debut issue.

Moreover, that story abruptly ends in mid-conversation between two scientists—and it’s not even an interesting conversation. There is a “to be continued” notice, but little besides the art would make a reader want to pick up a second issue.

Shaw’s painting is excellent and helps to move the slow story along; it would be interesting to see what Shaw could do with more of a story—or, possibly, with Blood Stream as it progresses. But how well will it progress? While the first issue shows promise in places, the final three could either fall flat—or drag the mini-series out of a mediocre debut performance.

— Nate Melby

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