Gridley First Blood: A Wicked Perspective

Gridley First Blood! Not just the series third issue but its rising action. Up until now, it’s been an engrossing story of finding a new home. This time, it’s the weight of the costs to keep it.

Vampire Masquerade

For the first timers, Sid Quade’s Gridley follows the titular, shapeshifting, ghost talking priest Giles. After being exiled from his village for getting bit by a vampire, he went to a magic guild. Despite only just getting the vacant, necessary job, he has an eager apprentice ready to learn about their weird world. Problem is, some of the wy- wurr-

Oi! Dere ‘ent nutin’ orky ’bout dis!

Look weird didn’t always mean strange! It meant fate or supernatural. Which in this Weird Western, that’s saying something.

Especially if it involves vampires. Think any of White Wolf’s games but just as you were playing Pathfinder.

Da zog’z–

Let’s just get on with it…

Gridley First Blood: Life Blood Banks

In this issue, Quade shows the full effects of being a vampire. Going feral in the need for blood is bad enough. But the grotesque hunting organs that develop show how much people lose themselves to it.

Giles already has it bad coming from a species persecuted over rumors. Having a vampire in them would only invite disaster, leading to his exile. Now he’s truly in danger of losing another home to the same affliction.

If that’s not bad enough, a vampire crime family go to every length to keep every blood sucker under them. From protection rackets, blackmail, to odd jobs to keep their hands clean they will do it all. What does that mean for Giles? Readers feel the terror they would inflict on him if Giles steps out of their lines.

Controlling The Real Magic

Throughout this issue, readers feel Giles’ unease about his whole situation. One piece of the art shows this best:

A pros and cons list shows Giles losing himself in layers of thought. The whole thing is more than a matter of practicality and faith, it’s existential.

It doesn’t get any easier with the interactions Giles goes through. Especially with Hester. She is genuinely trying to help out a friend in need. But with Giles always trying to keep her at arms length, it gets hard to empathize. He owes so many people what gratitude and kindness they had to give. It’s just that feeling of debt comes with a lot of unease.

What would happen if someone you know finds out you’re on your way to leprosy? That’s what Giles is basically going through. And with his importance waning, he has to at least prepare Hester to take his place at the guild.

Gridley First Blood: Wyrd West

Above all, Gridley continues to be a thrilling look at making something out of the life you’ve got. First Blood is where you feel the weight of losing what control you have over your life. As well as when powerful people toy with that feeling to control you. But there is some hope that you can leave some good behind despite that. 8.8/10

Thanks for coming to the end and as always remember to look between the panels.