Captain Blood #1

Written by Matthew Shepherd
Art by Michael Shoyket

Here's a good example of how positive word of mouth can really sell comics. I remember seeing the solicitation for this a few months ago in Previews, and not being particularly interested, but in the last couple of weeks, there has been a fair amount of positive buzz on the internet, and so I decided to give this title a try.

I'm thankful I did. This is a good comic. I am completely unfamiliar with the novel this is based on, nor the movie version(s?). Coming into this with no preconceived notions, I can tell you that this is a very capable pirate story, and one much more readily comprehended than Jamie Delano's Rawbone book at Avatar.

In this issue, we meet Peter Blood, a former soldier and physician who has been sold into slavery in Jamaica for landing on the wrong side of the aristocracy. He is a very intelligent man, and being a doctor, a very valuable slave, even though he rails against his master and the British system in general. When chance arrives in the form of a Spanish attack, he does not hesitate to seize his destiny. The story is steeped in historical detail, without being bogged down.

The art is serviceable. It's a little too unfinished for my likes - a little like reading original pencil work before an inker can get ahold of it, but it still manages to be detailed and illustrates the story nicely. I don't know when the next issue of this is supposed to arrive, but I will be watching for it.