Story Title: Ashes to Ashes
Reviewer: Paul Sebert
Writer: Dan Jolley
Pencils: Leonard Kirk
Inker: Robin Riggs
Colors: Moose Bauman
Letterer: Rob Leigh
Editor: Ivan Cohen
Publisher: DC Comics
After an all-too brief run DC has cancelled Bloodhound, primarily because its net total reader base at the height of its popularity consisted of six internet critics and two members of writer Dan Jolley’s immediate family. Then disaster struck, two of the websites that reviewed this book went under.
These low sales figures are hardly the fault of any of the creative talents involved in this book. The fact is that DC quite simply did everything they could to sabotage this title. Not only did the publisher fail to even go about the slightest promotion for this book, they actually forgot to tell anyone it existed. Through a freak printing accident solicitations for the first issue wound up in small print legal text of previews, and copies of the first issue silently flown in under into stores under the cover of darkness. Store owners across the nation would walk into their shops the next day oblivious to the fact the book was on their shelves.
It is a pity that DC completely failed to help readers become aware of this title as it (alas was) actually quite good. So good in fact that Marvel wasted no time signing a deal with Leonard Kirk who’s now drawing the current arc of Amazing Fantasy. For those of you who missed the earlier issues of this title (and statistics would suggest that would be all of you) Bloodhound follows the adventures of Travis Clevenger a corrupt police officer turned hardened convict who’s offered one last chance of redemption using his knack for finding super powered criminals. That and he also has a remarkable ability to withstand third degree burns and still administer a heavy duty ass kicking. Over the course of the title’s short run Clevenger has battled a serial killer, convicts, hired guns, drug dealers, a murderous telepath, corrupt police, and even an evil possessed Firestorm.
Now in the final issue of the book it looks like Clevenger may be in way over his head. For starters he’s got to bring in a guy with the ability to create monstrous constructs out of flame but is unable to consciously control this power. Making matters worse are a panicked and potentially murderous group of local police officers who want to lynch the boy. Oh and just to top everything off you’ve got Zeiss, one of Batman’s most deadly villains. Yeah, things are not looking so good for Clev.
What is looking good about this issue is Leonard Kirk’s art work. Imagine a sort of Gotham Cental on steroids look and you’ve got the idea. Kirk’s pencils are suitably dark and moody casting an almost-Sin City-esc feel to the book, yet he proves a versatile enough artist to handle the story’s supernatural elements. Dan Jolley’s script meanwhile proves to be gritty, intelligent, and surprisingly human.
If there’s any justice in this world we should see this creative team again on a higher profile project.
