Jon Sable, Freelance: Bloodtrail

(IDW, 2005-2006)
™ and © 2005 NightSky Sable LLC & Idea + Design Works LLC

Jon Sable: Bloodtrail is a good example of Mike Grell’s ability for packing a massive amount of story into a normal monthly comic. Sable is, of course, Grell’s African hunter who turned mercenary after the murder of his family. The premise allowed Grell and others to produce a wide range of different types of stories, from private eye to international espionage to war stories, in the more than 80 issues released by First Comics, starting in 1988. This diversity is reflected in Bloodtrail #1, in which Sable deals with, not only a Russian Mafia gang in New York, but also an assassin stalking an old acquaintance, now a diplomat, from Africa. And he deals with problems in his personal life. Grell does all of this with lots of great visual storytelling and a minimal use of talking heads. While there is almost too much packed into this issue, making for a few tricky transitions, the first issue does a masterful job of reintroducing key characters and beginning what promises to be an exciting six–issue mini–series.

— George Hagenauer

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