Blush (2024) Comic Review - Heartstopper (But Literally)

This touching short story about two boys falling in love amidst carnage is both beautifully written and rendered with real creativity. Created, written, and illustrated by Lorry Jamison, Blush is the second installment of the Nightshade series from Kraven Comics, an anthology of young adult LGBTQ+ horror comics.

Towing the line admirably between teenage romcom and brutal vampire horror, Blush tells the story of Hunter, the new boy in town, and his burgeoning romance with the hunky jock neighbour, Caleb.

“Uh oh, is my new crush the cause of all those missing townsfolk? Sure, he seems really sweet, but he and his dad are hiding something, I just know it! When the sun goes down, that’s when people start to disappear. And there are reports of someone lurking in the shadows, always near the scene of the crimes…

It’s love at first sight for Caleb and Hunter, but a deadly secret is about to wreck their romance. Will their love story be cut short in the face of a shadowy onslaught? Blush is a blossoming love story with a whole lot of bite, perfect for fans of Twilight and Love, Simon!”

Sparks fly from the moment these boys set eyes on each other, as evidenced by the huge blushes they each have when the other is around. There’s some awkward joking, a little “is he gay?” tension, and the looming presence of Hunter’s chain-smoking nurse father.

It’s hard to tell at first what Hunter’s dad’s issue is – homophobia’s the obvious take, but there’s something else going on for sure. As Caleb and Hunter get closer, he gets more aggressive, and it’s not a huge surprise when we see him turn to violence. The surprise is what happens to his face.

Lorry clearly had a lot of fun with their idea of a vampire, and this is no gently sparkling immortal. His teeth grow long, and sharp and seem to multiply, his jaw hanging impossibly low. Maybe now we know why he moves town so often?

Time passes and the boys get closer to a backdrop of increasing numbers of missing posters. It becomes clear that while Caleb’s parents are on board – and they are incredibly cute, driving them to and from the movies and giving dating advice – but they clearly have to hide their relationship from Hunter’s dad.

Blush is full of sweet queer moments, like going to the cinema and not knowing who’s supposed to pay, or sneaking over to your boyfriend’s house at night to confess that you’re not really human (but you actually are gay) – you know, normal teen romance stuff. There’s even a cute Twilight reference but no, Hunter does not sparkle – even if that’s “kinda fitting for a gay vampire”.

Hunter and Caleb share their first kiss high up in the sky, supported by Hunter’s psychic bat wings, which were beautifully drawn to appear almost like an illusion or projection. But it all comes crashing down when they’re spotted by big daddy vampire.

Of course, our boys triumph in the end – love always wins over hate, and Hunter, despite being a vampire, is not a monster like his father.

Aside from the heartwarming story and compelling dialogue, the art itself was sweet, emotional, and sometimes a bit scary. The red palette was such an interesting choice for this – is it red like blood, or red like a blush? Perhaps both. I also really enjoyed where Lorry chose to break out of the conventional comic book panel – it was really effectively used.

Hopefully, there will be more to come from Lorry Jamison and the Nightshade series – a whole rainbow of LGBTQ+ horror!