Blood Syndicate #1 Review

Summary

Reporter Chaplick from the Chronicle Newspaper decides against her editors best wishes to go to Paris Island home of the Blood Syndicate for the exclusive story of a life time. After arriving they give her specific instructions to do as she’s told as she’s introduced to the whole team: Masquerade, Tech-9, Fade, Flashback, BrickHouse, DMZ, Holocaust and Wise son. Brickhouse and Wise son have a small scuffle over him using the word bitch to refer to women. They then dispatch to take down a crack house; Chaplick is along for the ride now that they’ve given her a gun.

The plan is to destroy the drugs and take the money for themselves. They use teamwork to get into the building through the front door and use violent means to take down all opposition. In the thick of things the reporter’s head gets blown off and flashback saves her. When they find the money they secure it, in the drug room Flashback steals a handful of cocaine without anyone realizing. Holocaust burns down the building despite being told by Wise son to just torch the drugs. While the rest of the team evacuates the people he just watches. He then challenges Wise son for leadership since he disagrees with the way this gang is being run.

The Good

Introductions- As far as introduction issues go, this one was a good read. Every member of the team gets their introductions and all their powers are highlighted. Right out the gate we also get some interesting team dynamics. Brick and Wise son have issues because he doesn’t think very highly of women and she clearly is having none of his shenanigans; Holocaust and Tech-9 have different ideas about what their gang should be doing. Tech-9 clearly wants the gang to be a force for good, albeit very violently. Tech-9 is against drugs Flashback clearly is using drugs since she stole some for personal consumption.

Controversial– I also found it bold to have Wise son a Muslim was spouting off about “the white man”. I don’t even know HOW they got this on comic stands in the 90’s? A black Muslim talking cold hard facts about the “system”. Unheard of even today!

Action- As far as introductory issues go, this one was pretty good! Exploding heads, spraying bullets, time travel! Honestly there was something for everyone with this one. This issue also had a healthy dose of  action and over the top violence to keep action junkies very happy.

The Bad

Art-Honestly the art was very underwhelming, Trevor Von Eden’s art has not aged gracefully. Inconsistencies abound

PG 13– Just so you know this is not a comic for kids. The violence is over the top and gratuitous, heads and hands explode in bloody pulps among other things.

The Ugly

Milestone produced a few teams back when it was in print but Blood Syndicate under the pen of Ivan Velez Jr. who took over when Dwayne Mcduffie left is still to this day the most diverse team ever. We had a Jamaican in Masquerade, Panamanians in Fade and Flashback, Latino’s in Tech-9 and Brick. The sexual orientation diversity has never been equaled even all these years later. Blood Syndicate #1 is diversity done right! 4/5