Bloodtype Online

    12-year-old Lindsay Buckner regains consciousness in an unfamiliar school.  She is cold and covered in blood, but she feels no pain.  As moments pass, Lindsay has several disturbing revelations.  She has no idea where she is or how she got there, but she knows it can’t be good.  No one can see her.  No one can hear her.  She can’t touch anything—objects pass right through her.  It’s the first day of school, and Lindsay is dead—a lonely, angry ghost hiding and dripping blood in a school bathroom. 

    As this series progresses, Lindsay must try to figure out how she died and who was responsible while avoiding the purely malevolent soul stealers that chase her throughout her newfound spirit world.  Along the way, she will meet a creepy family of smiley- faced ghosts, travel through the land of the spirit dead, and grasp at fragments of her memories in an effort to make sense of her undead life. 

    Defferding has created an inventive and well-paced horror tale.  The world of dead spirits has a fantastic look to it, with long bridges crossing seemingly insurmountable distances.  He also has a really cool supporting cast of characters to either help or harm Lindsay.  They completely fit the story and they completely fit the world of an angry, dead 12-year-old girl.  He hasn’t tried to throw in ideas and concepts that are overly complex or philosophical.  Every part of his story fits—it’s easy to understand, it keeps the plot moving while keeping you interested, and when you get to the end of each volume, you can’t wait to see what happens next. 

    I also really like Lindsay.  She’s a completely believable 12-year-old girl.  I know she’s undead as the result of a violent crime, but I also remember being 12 years old and Lindsay is very true to what that whole time felt like. She’s angry and straining to be older than she actually is.  As we begin to get fleeting glimpses at her past, we realize that her life may not have been a happy one, which only increases the sense of dread at turning each page.  Sure, her current situation is isolated and bleak, but she’s definitely going to have to face a lot of painful revelations about the life she had. 

    As I was reading, I was also really impressed with the artwork.  School is filled with strong, sharply edged lines in stark black and white.  It’s perfect.  This is a tale with a lot of uncertainty and anger woven into each panel and Defferding uses his words as well as his art to keep that mood intact throughout.  The art, right down to the dialogue balloons, really and truly fits the story.  This independent horror comic is a standout and I highly recommend that you check it out.  Issues range in price from $3.50 to $5.00.  Visit http://www.deftoons.com for ordering information.  Issue 5 is on the way and you can check out some preview panels at http://www.myspace.com/deftoons. 

Rating - ****