Filled with blood-spattered horror, Spillblood is a graphic one-shot that is sure to captivate any fan of the horror genre with three things…black, white and blood. Written by Jonathan Hedrick and illustrated by Stefano Cardoselli, Spillblood is sure to scratch that itch for a horror comic this time of year.

Rejected by Heaven and exiled from Hell, a doomed priest walks the borderline between living and dead. He listens to those who cry to their deity for forgiveness. Then at night…he will spill blood!

There are a few things that attracted me to pickup Spillblood outside of the solicitation. The names Jonathan Hedrick and Stefano Cardoselli. These two names are synonymous with unique, well-written and visually attractive stories. Not to mention the original comic Kickstarter featured a variant cover by none other than Joseph Schmalke, but now Spillblood comes to the general public at Keenspot and horror comic fans should rejoice.

The first thing that jumps out at you when opening Spillblood is the use of only three colors. While not completely original concept, Cardoselli’s use of black, white and red throughout the comic gives it a unique feel that works perfectly for this style of comic. The graphic violence that fills each panel is made more palpable with a limited color scheme and Stefano’s unique art style. While some may still find it too intense, it perfectly complements the dark and twisted narrative crafted by Hedrick.

Hedrick’s storytelling is on full display in this 36-page one-shot. While it is tough to say, but it may be his best work since one of our favorites in The Recount. The pacing is perfect, keeping me engaged from start to finish with a complete tale. He uses a nice blend of horror, action, suspense and graphic violence to give us a perfect addition to the comics horror genre.

Spillblood #1 is a thrilling, blood-spattered and immersive horror experience. Hendrick’s storytelling combined with Cardoselli’s evocative art make this one-shot stand out in a crowded genre. The use of three colors and Cardoselli’s unique art style is a risk that paid off in the end for this creative team, giving us a one-of-a-kind horror one-shot perfect for the spooky season.

Spillblood #1 hits local comic shops on October 16, 2024 from Keenspot.