It’s a great day for comic fans, action movie fans, vampire fans, fans of cool long leather jackets, fans of great fades, fans of nu-metal, and most of all, fans of Wesley Snipes. In a recent conversation with Vice, the OG big screen Marvel superhero stated that he may have not one, but two Blade projects in the works with the House of Ideas. To celebrate this brilliant news, we’ve looked back at the Daywalker’s oeuvre and selected seven choice cuts that we think could be the inspiration behind Snipes’ possible return to our screens!
Tomb of Dracula #10
Tomb of Dracula #10 cover by Gil Kane and Tom Palmer
This blaxploitation-inspired first issue could make a super cool solo movie entry as Blade battles with Dracula himself, who just happens to be chilling on a billionaire’s fancy yacht and trying to eat young couples on a local dock. This also introduces Quincy Harker and his team of vampire hunters, so it’s also got potential as an easy team-up movie that could have a darker noir style tone.
Vampire Tales #8
Vampire Tales #8 Cover by Jose Antonio Domingo
Period serial killer pieces are all the rage at the moment and Vampire Tales #8 could set up a brilliant ’70s supernatural serial procedural as Blade battles the literal Legions of Hell. With mutilation, murder, and demons galore, this would be a super cool horror-soaked journey into prestige TV territory if Marvel were so inclined. Think From Hell meets Shaft.
Marvel Preview #3: “Trail of Blood, Trail of Tears”
Marvel Preview #3 Cover by Gray Morrow
The first of two possible stories that we’d love to see Marvel and Snipes adapt from the 56-page Blade comic, this chapter is filled with all kinds of wild action, adventure, and intrigue. We get to see Blade battling an army of the damned and setting up a potential partnership with Quincy Harker and his vampire hunters. Plus Blade also teams up with a psychic detective. There’s a whole movie in this short and it could be a rad psychedelic start to a new franchise.
Marvel Preview #3: “Dawn of Blood”
Marvel Preview #3 written by Chris Claremont, art by Tony DeZuniga
Now this is probably asking too much, but our dream for one of the new Blade projects is to see Blade’s true origin. Born to a sex worker who was killed by a vampire in London during childbirth, Eric Brooks was raised by a rad bunch of women in a Soho brothel and later trained by a sick jazz trumpeter named Jamal Afari in the art of vampire hunting and music. Though it’s unlikely Marvel would stick to the old school timeline, it’s a fantastic origin that would create a way of introducing a young Blade played by an English actor (*cough* John Boyega *cough*). You could then cast Snipes as an older Blade later in his life, or even as the mentor role of Afari.
Adventure Into Fear #24
Adventure Into Fear #24 Cover by Gil Kane
One of the greatest Marvel villains that we’ve yet to see on the big screen is Morbius, the Living Vampire. Rumor has it that Sam Raimi wanted to make him the big bad in a potential fourth Spider-Man movie, but obviously that never saw the light of day. In P. Craig Russell, Steve Gerber, Jack Abel, and George Roussos’ wacky sci-fi horror story, Blade comes up against Morbius and—although it’s unlikely we’d ever see a true adaptation the seeds of this—the story could be the perfect way of introducing both of the vampiric virtuosos into the MCU.
Rise of the Midnight Sons: Nightstalkers #1
Rise of the Midnight Sons: Nightstalkers #1 Cover by Ron Garney and Tom Palmer
This ultimate ’90s gem spun out from the also very ’90s Midnight Sons, which was a group of supernatural heroes including two different Ghost Riders kicking butt and wearing leather. In this issue and the subsequent Nightstalkers series which ran for 18 issues, Blade teamed up with Frank Drake from his Tomb of the Dracula days and everyone’s favorite would-be Blade Trinity character Hannibal King! The team first appeared in Ghost Rider Vol. 3 #28 and this new series saw them killing a lot of vampires, fighting Hydra, and being manipulated by old Stephen Strange himself. One thing the MCU needs is some bad boys and this trio would be a super fun addition.
Black Panther Vol. 4 #12-13
Black Panther Vol 4 #12 Cover by Mike Dedato Jr.
Wanna read a comic about Blade killing racist vampires in the bayou? Of course you do. This comic, scripted by Reginald Hudlin—one of the few black writers to ever write Blade—saw Eric Brooks team up with Monica Rambeau, T’Challa, Brother Voodoo, and Luke Cage to kill some backwoods Klan-pires. We would love to see this ultimate team-up story come to screens as it always warms our heart to see racists being beaten up, living or undead.
Do you have a favorite Blade comic we missed? Just love Wesley? Wanna hear that good English Eric Brooks? Let us know below!
Images: Marvel Comics
