Rippaverse’s Bloodruth #1 is a Bloody Good Read

This past week I finally received my copy of Rippaverse’s newest release: Bloodruth #1. As with previous Rippaverse content, I enjoyed it and was thoroughly impressed by the level of quality and the story that it told. However, Bloodruth #1 impressed me in ways that no previous Rippaverse comics have. There’s something special about this one.

SPOILERS FOLLOW

The story follows the titular blood witch Sydnee Bloodruth, who first appeared in Isom #2, as she explores a castle on the outskirts of Florespark at the request of Michael Copper and Lilian Ronashi. The enigmatic duo purchased the castle, but found “an undesirable” inside, so they first hired Goodyng to handle it. Unfortunately, the “undesirable” was the magician who lived there, and he had summoned three Greater Demons and a Devil who have been running amok in the castle. Goodying can’t even enter the castle to see what’s going on, so he reached out to the Bloodruth family for assistance. Sydnee finds herself called to Florespark for some reason, so she decides to investigate, which results in a chance encounter with Goodying who brings her to Michael and Lilian to learn about the castle. Bloodruth succeeds in vanquishing the Greater Demons and Devil, saves the previous owner of the castle, and discovers the many arcane books and items hidden within the castle’s walls (including portals to other worlds). She already distrusts Michael and Lilian, so she uses the open-ended promise of Michael saying he’d give her whatever she wants from what they own as payment to claim the castle for herself. In the comic, we also learn about Sydnee’s backstory and how she’s hunting he Devil that killed one of her brothers and turned her other brother and mother into its thralls. It’s a tragic backstory, but Bloodruth remains optimistic and determined to succeed in saving, or at least avenging, her family.

The story is solid. It’s a fun, self-contained episode that doesn’t require additional reading to appreciate, but it still features characters and details that enhance and are enhanced by other Rippaverse comics. Just as with all of their other content, Bloodruth #1 respects the consumer and helps build up the Rippaverse world while not requiring you to keep up. It takes place before the events of Isom #2 chronologically, so it definitely helps flesh Bloodruth out as a character and makes me want to go back and reread Isom #2, especially with the pre-release campaign for #3 in full swing at the time of my writing this.

Before I delve into the specifics of what I liked about Bloodruth #1, there’s one important element of the book I need to talk about: religion. Sydnee Bloodruth fights demons. Demons are a constant in media, but their portrayals vary wildly from just being aliens to being the hellspawns of Judeo-Christian belief. Bloodruth #1, and the Rippaverse as a whole for that matter, opt for the latter interpretation. In fact, the reason Sydnee and her family can even fight the demons is because they’re the descendants of Cain, so they’re cursed blood opens them up to the supernatural. A logical result of this plot point is the necessity of God. I wasn’t sure what to expect, especially given media trends and the overarching secularization of society, but Bloodruth #1 and the Rippaverse pleasantly surprised me. God existing in the Rippaverse is just a fact of life, and not only that, His power completely trounces the demons and devils. Sydnee literally beats the main Devil and last Great Demon by reciting a prayer in Latin. She’s shown going to church with her family in flashbacks. All-in-all, I really like and appreciate it. As a practicing Catholic, I firmly believe that Bloodruth #1 and the Rippaverse show a reverence towards Christianity that tends to be lacking in most media. And the best part is that I wouldn’t describe Rippaverse comics as inherently religious. Sure a central theme is good conquering evil, but that’s true of so much media. Bloodruth #1 goes beyond that. God is a fact of life in this world, and His power easily overcomes his enemies. It’s respectful of Judeo-Christian beliefs, and I applaud Rippaverse for releasing something so respectful, authentic, and overall good, though I suppose I shouldn’t be too surprised seeing as they’re publishing the official manga for Gabriel and the Guardians through their Rippasend publishing.

In a similar vein, the book opens with a letter from the authors. In the letter, the Soska sisters describe Sydnee Bloodruth as an inherently good person who stands strong in the face of adversity and evil. We need more characters like this. Don’t get me wrong, I love my nuanced, complex characters (I’m currently in the midst of a Cyberpunk 2077 playthrough and I’ve come to adore the game, in part because of its storytelling and gray morality), but in a story like this one, you need a good character who won’t succumb to temptations. This optimism is integral to the overarching themes and subject matter of the book, and it definitely succeeds.

Turning to the artwork, it’s solid. Your standard Rippaverse quality is present, though I do think this one may be a bit better than some of the previous entries. In previous books, I’ve noticed a handful of kinda silly panels or panels where the overall quality drags a little, but not here. Similarly, I love the demon designs in the book. I’ve always liked monsters and cool creature designs, and Bloodruth #1 doesn’t disappoint. The designs are all top-notch and accomplish what they set out to do. Finally, there’s one last art critique I want to comment on. Right before I sat down to read the book, I saw a short video from Eric July, the editor-in-chief of the Rippaverse, where he said that he was the driving force behind a specific panel in the book, and he wanted to apologize because he’s not sure if It landed right. The panel in question is one of the Greater Demon Choke, the first one Bloodruth faces, “dancing” with a corpse. The panel almost works. I think if it was a full-spread instead of being split with the first half on the right page and then needing to turn the page for the second half to be on the net left page, it would’ve worked. The spread is really cool, but splitting it with a page turn robs it of the desired impact and gravity it’s meant to convey.

SPOILERS END

In conclusion, I really liked Bloodruth #1. It tells a good story and expands the Rippaverse in interesting new ways that don’t require extensive catch-up, or really any for that matter. Due to the subject matter and how it’s handled, it also reveals fair bit about the moral fiber of the Rippaverse and those working there, and I can say without a shadow of a doubt that I want to support these kinds of people, and I would encourage you to do the same. Bloodruth #1 is a good comic worth reading, especially if you’re already a fan of the Rippaverse or just enjoy supernatural comics and characters like John Constantine. Bloodruth #1 did not disappoint in its delivery. It was dark, mature, and even shocking at times, but it never strayed from an inherent optimism and belief that supreme good can overcome any trial or tribulation. This is the kind of comic that deserves your time, and I wholeheartedly recommend it.