Bloody Mary, Vol. 1

Format read: digitalReading time: 1h Tags: vampires, shonen, adventure, mysteryOwn a copy: noReread likelihood: 6/10You might also like: [b:Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign, Vol. 1 18774919 Seraph of the End Vampire Reign, Vol. 1 Takaya Kagami https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1448681178l/18774919.SY75.jpg 26679990], [b:Vampire Knight, Vol. 1 263145 Vampire Knight, Vol. 1 (Vampire Knight, #1) Matsuri Hino https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1329232329l/263145.SY75.jpg 255083]I read this on a whim, and even though the first volume was kind of ordinary, I decided to keep reading and now I'm actually invested in the plot.Vol. 1 covers the background/set up for the story. Ichirou Rosario di Maria (aka “Maria”) is a priest who wields a special cross that can defeat vampires. One day, he meets a red-haired vampire called Bloody who cannot be killed no matter through which method. Bloody desperately wants to die and enlists Maria's help, the only person who can kill him, but Maria finds out that his true exorcism powers have been supressed and he can't wield his cross to its full extent. The two decide to work together to get Maria's powers back so that he can kill Bloody as per his wish. As an exchange, Bloody protects Maria from other vampires since he is vulnerable without his powers.The two form an odd pair; Maria is cold and cynical, while Bloody is a goof with a good heart. Vol. 1 shows they start off as enemies with a common cause, which makes for an interesting premise. I'm not one to usually fall for the trap of “it gets better in the next book,” but in this case, it's true! I recommend reading on for more plot development.

Not great, but enjoyable enough. Sketchily rough but decent enough art, but very choppy story so far. A goofy, traumatized vampire wants a priest to kill him, so they strike a deal: If the vampire can keep the priest safe from other vampires, the priest will kill him once he figures out how to wield his power of exorcism (which, incidentally, he only discovered he had because of the vampire, and he was supposed to be kept from such discovery). Tropes are adhered to, and that makes things a little less interesting for me, but at least the priest is kind of...not nice? So we'll see.