Blood: A Tale

Last updated
Blood: A Tale
Blood a Tale 1.jpg
Blood: A Tale #1, art by Kent Williams.
Publication information
Publisher Epic Comics
Vertigo (reprint)
Format Limited series
Publication date1987
No. of issues4
Creative team
Written by J.M. DeMatteis
Artist(s) Kent Williams
Collected editions
Blood: A Tale ISBN   1-4012-0263-2

Blood: A Tale is a four-issue comic book limited series first published by American company Marvel Comics under its Epic imprint in 1987 and later re-released by DC under its Vertigo imprint in 1996. The series was written by J. M. DeMatteis and illustrated by Kent Williams.

The book, mostly illustrated by watercolors, goes back and forth between two plots. One story features an extremely ancient king who is visited by an unusual spirit. As he slowly dies, the spirit tells him many tales.

The other story, the main one, focuses on a man's life. He was found by two women, floating in a river. The story follows him as he grows up and leaves to establish his own life.

Collected editions

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vertigo Comics</span> Imprint of comic-book publisher DC Comics

Vertigo Comics, also known as DC Vertigo or simply Vertigo, was an imprint of American comic book publisher DC Comics started by editor Karen Berger in 1993. Vertigo's purpose was to publish comics with adult content, such as nudity, drug use, profanity, and graphic violence, that did not fit the restrictions of DC's main line, thus allowing more creative freedom. Its titles consisted of company-owned comics set in the DC Universe, such as The Sandman and Hellblazer, and creator-owned works, such as Preacher, Y: The Last Man and Fables.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marvel Knights</span> Imprint of Marvel Comics

Marvel Knights is an imprint of Marvel Comics that contained standalone material taking place inside the Marvel Universe (Earth-616). The imprint originated in 1998 when Marvel outsourced four titles to Joe Quesada and Jimmy Palmiotti's company Event Comics; Event hired the creative teams for the Knights line while Marvel published them.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elseworlds</span> Imprint of comics from DC Comics

Elseworlds was the publication imprint for American comic books produced by DC Comics for stories that took place outside the DC Universe canon. Elseworlds publications are set in alternate realities that deviate from the established continuity of DC’s regular comics. The "Elseworlds" name was trademarked in 1989, the same year as the first Elseworlds publication.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">J. M. DeMatteis</span> American writer (born 1953)

John Marc DeMatteis is an American writer of comic books, television and novels.

<i>Captain Blood</i> (novel) 1922 novel by Rafael Sabatini

Captain Blood: His Odyssey is an adventure novel by Rafael Sabatini, originally published in 1922.

<i>The Sandman: The Dream Hunters</i> DC Comics miniseries

The Sandman: The Dream Hunters is a novella by English author Neil Gaiman, illustrated by Yoshitaka Amano, and published by DC Comics under its Vertigo imprint. The story is tangential to The Sandman comic book series, and can be read without prior knowledge of the main sequence. It won the Bram Stoker Award for Best Illustrated Narrative. The story deals with a love affair between a Buddhist monk and a fox spirit or kitsune.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marvel Music</span>

Marvel Music was a short-lived imprint of Marvel Comics, introduced in 1994 to publish comics developed in collaboration with musicians.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boom! Studios</span> American comic book and graphic novel publisher

Boom! Studios is an American comic book and graphic novel publisher, headquartered in Los Angeles, California, United States.

<i>Wolf Brother</i> 2004 fantasy novel by Michelle Paver

Wolf Brother is the first book in the series Chronicles of Ancient Darkness by Michelle Paver. Wolf Brother takes place six thousand years ago during the Middle Stone Age, and tells the story of twelve-year-old Torak, a boy who can talk to wolves. The book was published in 2004 by Orion Children's Books.

<i>Blue Ribbon Comics</i>

Blue Ribbon Comics is the name of two American comic book anthology series, the first published by the Archie Comics predecessor MLJ Magazines Inc., commonly known as MLJ Comics, from 1939 to 1942, during the Golden Age of Comic Books. The revival was the second comic published in the 1980s by Archie Comics under the Red Circle and Archie Adventure Series banners.

The Witness is the name of at least three fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Of these, the first was published by Timely Comics in the 1940s and the final two by its successor company, Marvel Comics.

<i>Catwings</i> Childrens fantasy story and picture book, 1989

Catwings is a series of four American children's picture books written by Ursula K. Le Guin, illustrated by S. D. Schindler, and originally published by Scholastic from 1988 to 1999. It follows the adventures of kittens who were born with wings. Catwings is also the title of the first book in the series. The series is in print from Scholastic as of August 2015.

<i>Ghost Rider: Road to Damnation</i>

Ghost Rider: Road to Damnation is a six-issue comics miniseries starring the supernatural biker superhero Ghost Rider. It is written by Garth Ennis, illustrated by Clayton Crain, and was first published under the Marvel Knights imprint of Marvel Comics from 2005 to 2006. Although "Road to Damnation" was the title of the story, the title of the book was simply Ghost Rider when it was first published. When the miniseries was collected into a single edition in 2006, it was published under the name: Ghost Rider: Road to Damnation.

<i>Savage Sword of Conan</i>

The Savage Sword of Conan was a black-and-white magazine-format comic book series published beginning in 1974 by Curtis Magazines, an imprint of American company Marvel Comics, and then later by Marvel itself. Savage Sword of Conan starred Robert E. Howard's most famous creation, Conan the Barbarian, and has the distinction of being the longest-surviving title of the short-lived Curtis imprint.

<i>American Vampire</i> American comic book series

American Vampire is an American comic book series created by writer Scott Snyder and drawn by artist Rafael Albuquerque. It was published by DC Comics under its Vertigo imprint. American Vampire continued under the newly-created DC Black Label imprint after Vertigo was closed in January 2020. The series imagines vampires as a population made up of many different secret species, and charts moments of vampire evolution and inter-species conflict throughout history. The focus of the series is a new American bloodline of vampires, born in the American West in the late 19th century. The first of this new species is a notorious outlaw named Skinner Sweet, who wakes from death, after being infected, to find he has become a new kind of vampire, something stronger and faster than what came before, impervious to sunlight, with a new set of strengths and weaknesses. The series goes on to track his movements through various decades of American history—along with the movements of his first and only known progeny: Pearl Jones, a young woman working as a struggling actress in the 1920s silent film industry when she is attacked by a coven of European vampires hiding in Hollywood. Sweet saves her (uncharacteristically) by giving her his blood, thereby turning her into an American vampire like him, at which point she seeks revenge on the classic vampires who attacked her in life. The complicated and charged relationship Jones has with Sweet is another focus of the series. The first five issues featured two stories—one by Snyder and the other by Stephen King, both drawn by Rafael Albuquerque. With the sixth issue, Scott Snyder took over as sole writer. The original series ran from 2010–2013 and lasted 34 issues. A second series called American Vampire: Second Cycle ran from 2014–2015 and lasted 11 issues and the third and final series called American Vampire: 1976 ran from December 2020 – October 2021 and lasted 10 issues.

<i>Animal Man</i> (comic book)

Animal Man is a superhero comic book ongoing series published by DC Comics starring the superhero Animal Man. The series is best known for the run by writer Grant Morrison from issue #1 to #26 with penciller Chas Truog who stayed on the series until #32.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ivan Velez Jr.</span>

Ivan Velez Jr. is an openly gay Latino American cartoonist, writer, museum educator, and teaching artist, known for creating the groundbreaking comic book series Tales of the Closet, and for his work with the DC Comics imprint Milestone Media, and with Marvel Comics.

<i>Shade, the Changing Man</i> (Vertigo)

Shade, the Changing Man is an American superhero comic book featuring the character of the same name. The series was written by Peter Milligan and published by DC Comics; it lasted for 70 issues, from July 1990 to April 1996. The final 37 issues were published under the company's Vertigo imprint for mature readers. Shade, the Changing Man chronicles the adventures of Rac Shade, an alien from the planet Meta who becomes stuck in the body of Troy Grenzer, a convicted serial killer. The series' long-term story arc focuses on the relationship between Shade and Kathy George, a girl whose parents were killed by Grenzer.

<i>Percy Jacksons Greek Gods</i> Collection of short stories by Rick Riordan

Percy Jackson's Greek Gods is a collection of short stories about Greek mythology as narrated by Percy Jackson. It was written by Rick Riordan and was released on August 19, 2014. It features Percy Jackson giving his own take on the Greek myths in a humorous way.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Archie Horror</span> An imprint of Archie Comics Publications, Inc. focusing on the companys horror-related titles

Archie Horror is an imprint of Archie Comics Publications, Inc. focusing on the company's horror-related titles. Prior to the creation of the imprint the titles were published under the normal Archie Comics banner.