Reading Drawing Blood #5 has only cemented my belief that this comic is based upon Murphy’s Law: what can go wrong, will. It certainly seems to be the defining theme in Shane “Books” Bookman’s life. Every fire he puts out only spawns another one. He manages to escape New York Comic Con unscathed? Federal agents grab him and try to pressure him. He meets a new artist who reminds him of the joy of creating comics? The director behind the big budget reboot of Radically Rearranged Ronin Ragdolls is once again chewing him out over a mess that said director made.
To the creative team’s credit, Drawing Blood #5 isn’t just an avalanche of misery. David Avallone and Kevin Eastman make sure to balance the misery with plenty of humor, ranging from self-deprecating to genuinely funny bits (mostly anything Books’ friend Beastly says.) There’s also a genuinely touching moment that picks up from Drawing Blood #4, where Books met an aspiring artist – if you love comics, you want to be a comics creator, or both, it’s a reminder of how great art can jump out at you when you least expect it (and how that talent should be nurtured.)
But the comedy doesn’t just come from the words; Ben Bishop gets to draw some truly trippy sequences, including a moment where Books, having swallowed a copious amount of questionable pills, starts to hallucinate another one of the Ragdolls. Ben Bishop really sells the effect of drug use here, making everything go topsy turvy or turn into gobs of color. The end result is probably what it feels like when you drop acid, and Simon Gough only makes this feel more prominent. He cranks up the bright colors, which serve as a direct contrast to the rest of the book which takes on a more muted palette.
Drawing Blood #5 remembers that even though this is the story of a man in freefall, it can still inject a little fun into the narrative. I’m expecting this tragicomic touch to continue into the next issue, especially since Books is now on the set of the big budget blockbuster adaptation of his work. Because if there’s one business that has more ups and downs than the world of comics, it’s Hollywood.
‘Drawing Blood’ #5 continues to heap chaos upon its protagonist’s head
Drawing Blood #5
Drawing Blood #5 remembers that even though this is the story of a man in freefall, it can still inject a little fun into the narrative.
Cements that Murphy’s Law is still in effect for this book.
A truly trippy sequence that made me laugh out loud.
One scene is a reminder that comics, no matter the genre or the artist, can touch you – and great art should be nurtured.
