Happy Halloween, dear readers! In this edition, we’re going to look at a character that’s not only vital to the career of Wesley Snipes—who was at the center of the last Power Action!—but also the entire genre of comic book movies. Blade, the vampire hunter created by Marv Wolfman and Gene Colan 50 years ago, has been adapted to film, animated and live-action series, video games, toys, and more.
For this Power Action! Special, we’re looking at three specific arenas of influence, with a review of his newest Hasbro action figure; a favorite of his comic-book team-ups; and a few clips surrounding his highly influential 1998 film helmed by Stephen Norrington, which predated the original Spider-Man and X-Men trilogies and really set things in motion for the eventual MCU takeover. (Could one even make the case that the grittiness of this film inspired the tone of DC’s latter film adaptions, too?)
So, let’s begin with Marvel’s most recent Blade product:
CAPSULE REVIEW: HASBRO’S LATEST MARVEL LEGENDS TAKE ON BLADE
Hasbro’s latest take on our hero is part of Marvel Legends’ new Marvel Knights line. This series also marks a return to windows on the packaging of Marvel Legends, after Hasbro’s much-derided move to only produce closed boxes with illustrations. So you immediately get some points there, even if Hasbro’s throwback ’90s packaging still outshines any of the modern Marvel Legends looks.
It’s certainly not Blade’s first figure. But when compared to the last couple here and here, we’re looking at a major upgrade in this version, which is obviously based on the Snipes trilogy. While some fans are decrying the lack of a “neutral” (or closed-mouth) head, this headsculpt is easily the strongest yet granted to a Blade figure. There are some reused molds at play here, though: The legs appear to be from Hasbro’s Old Many Hawkeye figure, while the arms are taken from a Havok toy.
Aside from the head, two other major highlights of this new figure: Blade’s dramatic jacket, with a blood-red interior, and a slew of accessories, including stakes, glaives, and that signature katana. It’s the kind of take on the character that will look good both on shelves and in the hands of a child pitting him against a horde of baddies.
Overall, I give this figure four Smug Stephen Dorffs.
THE TERRIFIC TEAM-UP THAT TIME FORGOT
Now, for some griping: I take umbrage with this Marvel.com piece that counts down Blade’s best comic book team-ups. While it does mention the X-Men, it doesn’t mention one delightful Gambit issue in 1999 that shoehorned Blade into the run after his major film debut the previous year.
This Gambit solo series is already a bit of a sleeper, somehow not part of the discussion of the mutant thief’s best runs. It was most notably written by Fabian Nicieza and drawn by the fantastic Steve Skroce, before being handed off to other creators before cancellation in 2001. The only odd thing about the art of this particular issue is how they colored his clothing on the cover, then opting for a more movie-like approach inside its pages.
If you, like me, fall in love with Skroce’s splash pages, you’ll be interested to know that this Blade one sold for $900 last year:
3 CLIPS TO WATCH SURROUNDING BLADE’S FILM DEBUT
No, dear reader: The idea here isn’t to just share clips from the 1998 movie, but to offer some peripheral footage that illuminate its creation and promotion.
Test audiences didn’t enjoy the original ending of the film, which was Dorff’s Deacon Frost turning into a mythical ancient blood god La Magra. This version also featured a mysterious character intended to be Morbius! (Supposedly, that’s the director in the get-up.)
Yes, there was a video game adaption, and of course there’s a speedrun out there! The game was hated by many critics, but I do enjoy the protagonist’s gait, akin to classic WWF tag-team The Bushwhackers:
Whistler, portrayed by Kris Kristofferson, didn’t originate in the comics. That character was created for Blade’s appearances in Spider-Man: The Animated Series in the 1990s. Here’s hoping that the upcoming Mahershala Ali film will bring the character back: