Blood Honey is written and illustrated by Sean Peacock and is published by IDW Publishing, with letters by Sandy Tanaka.
Blood Honey is available now, in print and on digital platforms where all good comic books are sold. Grab your digital copy from Amazon Comixology UK right here.
Synopsis
Young lovers Vanessa De La Mora and Edgar St. Claire are at the top of the food chain at Manderlay Preparatory High School. They should be focusing on their upcoming crowning as homecoming queen and king, but lately the duo have grown weary and resentful of each other. While breaking up seems like the easy solution, they’ve both independently decided that all of their problems would be solved if the other was, well…dead.
Review
It has become a trend in the media over the years to portray the high school experience as a near-death, competitive-style journey. Recent shows like Netflix’s Wednesday exemplify this perfectly, and this is also something Sean Peacock looks to explore heavily with his foray into comic books, Blood Honey.
The first thing that immediately grabs your attention with this comic is its art style. Sean Peacock has opted for a vibrant pop art look, with everything from bold outlines to halftone dots that add texture to the backgrounds. A lot of bright yellows, oranges and purples are used to bring this art style to life, giving the comic a distinctive visual flair that works wonders for the type of story it’s trying to tell. There are even gothic elements, such as the school’s architecture, woven into the aesthetic of the comic complements the retro art style really well.
With this comic, Peacock really showcases what he’s capable of, both in his storytelling and illustration. The constant fighting between Vanessa and Edgar is portrayed with a constant intensity and energy, yet always carries an undercurrent of pain that comes out during key moments from one or sometimes both of the characters. They fight for the sake of it, but is it really what they both want?
These characters are also written in a manner that neatly plays with audience expectations. They are the popular students at this high school, and at times, they play into these personas, showing a level of arrogance that other students don’t. However, there are instances of vulnerability where they break from the traditional things you would usually see from these types of characters. This approach, plus the over-the-top aesthetic, gives Blood Honey a clear voice when it comes to this high school set subgenre, blending styles we’ve seen before in a way that feels fresh.
On top of this, the comic as a whole has a chaotic, exaggerated feel to it, whether that be through how characters react to things or in the way actions are portrayed across panels. This is partially down to the artwork, but also emphasised by Sandy Tanaka’s lettering work, which has a very aggressive look to it, especially during a scene early on where Vanessa and Edgar take down a nerd at the school who proclaims himself as Vanessa’s homecoming date. The violence and brutality of it are definitely reinforced by the lettering work on multiple occasions.
The worldbuilding on display in Blood Honey is also really impressive. It manages to find a fine line of doubling down on its unique visual style whilst keeping other elements fairly grounded, similar to how The Addams Family exists within a normal, real-world setting, despite how over the top the characters and look that the titular family inhabit. This comic follows that same formula to great effect, helping it give the story a unique yet recognisable personality that helps it stand out in the long run.
For example, the aforementioned gothic buildings throughout the story are juxtaposed with the 60s school uniforms that the characters wear, once again finding that sweet spot of mixing real-world elements with otherworldly themes.
What Sean Peacock has created with Blood Honey is something that is both endlessly fun and very exciting. What results is this eccentric blend of Tim Burton-esque gothic horror and a darkly comedic play on high school stereotypes and hierarchy, along the lines of Heathers, that keeps you gripped from start to finish.
Verdict
Blood Honey is playfully stylised and devilishly fun in all the right ways. With its retro, pop art visuals and dark humour, this really is one comic you should be reading.
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