In this sprightly comedy titled Blood Stain, chemistry major Elliot is suffering from unemployment for months on end, putting her sister’s family under stress while they provide free room and board. She finally decides to apply for a job as assistant to a secluded scientist, Dr. Stein, rumored to be a “complete creep.” That perhaps is an understatement, since we, the audience, catch glimpses of him on the other end of the phone line, his hands dripping with gore.
Laudably, artist/author Linda Sejic (aka sigeel) doesn’t hurry from point A to point B in the story. Taking full advantage of webcomics infinite canvas / infinite possibilities format, she leans into Elliot’s job search prior to her accepting the job with the scientist. She even dramatizes Elliot’s personal growth from a too-brief stint as a barmaid. It is only at the very end of the 19-episode Volume I, after a harrowing cross-country flight, leaving behind a confused sister and boyfriend who don’t know what’s become of her– that she comes face to face with Dr. Stein.
The extended, in-depth storytelling is one of the things that makes Blood Stain so entertaining. Sejic has a boundless talent for conjuring up outrageous complications to mundane situations. She also has a knack for varied and playful facial expressions that milk the scenes of every last chuckle. Her rendering style is quite good, and she is a superb colorist. The story takes place “in the asscrack of the Mediterranean”, and for the Europhiles among us, Blood Stain is a first-rate travelogue of the locale.
