Our legal system may not revisit the sins of the father on his children, but someone needs to tell that to the Angel Killer in Image Comics’ Blood Tree.
In the story’s second issue, we learn a bit more about the killer’s motivations as the body counts rises. It’s not just the accused that the killer targets but the family as well. After Angel dispatches a murderer and would-be rapist, he next targets the sons as well. And each of the serial killer’s victims continue to be found with wings sewn onto their backs.
Writer Peter J. Tomasi’s story follows some familiar patterns. The dedicated cops put their family life on hold while trying to get into the Angel Killer’s head. The killer himself slowly drops some tantalizing clues about why he’s stalking the families as well as bad guys. We don’t have the entire picture yet, but it’s starting to become more in focus.
Meanwhile something troubling Dario, the lead detective on the case. He’s becoming obsessed with the case and is starting to transfer some of that obsession onto his son, who has had several pet fish die recently. Is Dario’s son a serial killer in the making or is the detective seeing evil even where none exists? (Perhaps Tomasi is going to turn the `sin of the father’ theme on its head by introducing the sins of the father’s son.)
Maxim Simic’s artwork feels crude and a bit unrefined for this story. The deceased’s wings are supposed to be things of beauty, like those of real angels. Instead, they are crude, and the characters’ faces are blocky. He gets the point across with each page, but getting through them can be a chore.
With an interesting mystery and complicated characters, there is plenty to keep readers coming back for more, but the series could be elevated with stronger artwork.
Blood Tree #2 will be available for purchase on March 8, 2023.
Our legal system may not revisit the sins of the father on his children, but someone needs to tell thatCOMICONRead More