DeathBlade #1 Review

Obasi Jaheem Amare

Sep 22, 2025

Credits: Creator: Ed Brown, Writer: Brian Cochran, Art Director: Alim Legget, Artist: Yusuf Shittu

Synopsis: After an elite Navy SEAL team’s mission spirals into a nightmare of blood and terror, Ambrose, the sole survivor, uncovers a chilling conspiracy that threatens to unravel everything he knows. The deeper he delves, the more he realizes that his survival may not have been by chance. His search for answers leads him straight into the heart of an ancient, ruthless power. (Source: Deathblade Kickstarter)

First Impressions: This book is crafted with thought and reason; everything, seen and unseen, has been positioned as such. There’s more than what’s on the surface.

Plot analysis: DeathBlade begins with a flashback, providing minimal information beyond the setting, which is stated as “27 years ago.” Unaccompanied by narration or dialogue. It gives the art the floor to do all the talking—except there’s not much being said. There’s a demon-like being skydiving out of a plane, fighting gargoyles in mid-air. Yet, like a muted movie with no captions, you can only guess what this action means–there are no words to know for sure. This introduction was intended to establish a point that remains unseen in this issue. An additional flashback captioned as “1 year ago” opens the story through its first coherent plot point. It’s here that the main character, Ambrose, is introduced. A military man, Ambrose engaged in a mission that gave him more than what he asked for. A “simple” task turned into ceaseless trauma. Mysterious events transpire. Leaving Ambrose as an army of one–pun intended. In the present day, Ambrose is reeling from this indelible imprint of tragedy. Supported by his wife, Myra, Ambrose is navigating PTSD. This additional plot point facilitates character development, as it reveals how he reacts to life.

This is evident in Ambrose’s hypervigilance, as he’s not easily trusting. The exposition between the characters has an interactive quality, where dialogue doesn’t feel forced, phony, or unfulfilling. There’s something underneath the surface occurring within the plot, where characters like Mr. McLoughlin operate under a veil of vaguity. Myra, his defense attorney, finds herself in bed with this shady character. The exposition between McLoughlin and Myra is igniting interest. The secrecy of McLoughlin’s crates are fanning the flame of future events–yet to unfold. On top of this, there’s a mystery video from an off-page character, and this video opens a Pandora’s box of possibilities. The subplots bode well for rising action and pacing.

Ambrose spying on Myra adds tension to the plot development. Ambrose’s hypervigilance facilitates the climactic cliffhanger. Making for an interesting continuation of the series.

Compliments: Creator Ed Brown did a good job of conceptualizing a quality plot. Where Ambrose is layered with frailty and doubt, the character development between Ambrose and Myra was well done. Mr. McLoughlin, who plants the seed of secrecy in the story, was executed well. Mystery was an added quality of this story. The vigilante in the video, sent by RJ, is also a mystery—the relationship between Myra and McLoughlin remains unclear—Ambrose’s past trauma in Tuchenkal is a grey area too. There’s a series of unknown events that stoke intrigue for what’s to come. The art is well done, and the panel composition feels thoughtfully composed. The dialogue is engaging, and the world-building is succinct. It branches out, without getting lost in the weeds.

Critiques: The flashback introduction feels like wasted storytelling space. Mostly, because there’s no narration weaving the importance of seeing this moment in the present-day storyline. There’s no point of reference, and it’s not revisited within the issue, so there’s no payoff for the flashback. Essentially, it serves no practical purpose in this issue’s plot. This was a missed opportunity for immediate character development with Ambrose, Myra, or even McLoughin. There were some minor grammatical issues, nothing that significantly impacted the story’s readability. A few times, the panel order was challenging to differentiate. Making it complicated to determine the sequence of dialogue. Sometimes, it required rereading panels to ensure the proper flow of events. The closing scene on the second-to-last page was confusing, art-wise. When the unnamed vigilante arrived on the scene, it was unclear how he appeared in the art.

Writing: The writing was well done. The strongest points of the writing occur in the character exchanges. The dialogue was both intriguing and entertaining, making good space for character development. The spaces where Ambrose’s narration takes center stage were poignant–the effects of PTSD are self-evident. From flashbacks to hypervigilance, the subtle details make the writing nuanced and provocative. Like the recording device Ambrose planted or the exchange between McLoughlin and Myra. There’s much to glean from what’s said and what’s implied. The chemistry between Ambrose and Myra is palpable and sincere.

Art: The art is entertaining and of above-average quality. The art keeps up the tone of the story and dialogue. There are some cinematic scenes that truly bring the art to life.

Final Thoughts: DeathBlade is an intriguing intro with much more to reveal. Ambrose, as a main character, creates a thirst for more. Along with the many unfolding events, this issue is a good start for what could be a standout story in the Black indie space.

Rating: 7 out of 10

As a reviewer/editor, these Black indie books are some of the most popular titles in the marketplace right now. I reviewed them honestly and truthfully, predicated upon my understanding of quality storytelling and metrics for what qualifies a balanced story. Factors such as plot, storytelling, art, lettering, entertainment, character development, and re-read value. @everyone

Scale interpretation(For me):
10 Mastery
8-9 is Excellent
6-7 is Good
5 is Average
0-4 Needs Improvement

1. Roots of Madness #1 (8.2)
2. Atlas #1 (7.7)
3. Deathblade #1 (7)-www.skullvalleycomics.com \Purchase the digital comic: Digital link: https://lnkd.in/eXYmMWs3
4. The Antagonist #7 (6.7)
5. Lion Man (The Tower) (6.5)
6. Alien Passage (6)
7. Justice #4
8. Little Rock Files (5.5)
9. They Choose Violence #1 (5)
10. Akolyte #6

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