Bloodseed is a 1993 series from the Marvel Frontier Comics ("suggested for mature readers") imprint of Marvel UK. Script, plot and art are collectively credited to Paul Neary, Liam Sharp and Cam Smith (Neary and Sharp are also credited as co-creators). Color art is from Steve Whitaker.
Lysander is a great barbarian warrior, king and champion of Elysium. His kingdom is an idyllic utopia, his queen Ellissya is beautiful and beloved.
But Lysander's not in Elysium any more. He wakes alone, naked and unarmed, in a frozen wasteland. And he swiftly discovers that he's trapped in a dangerous world that contains technology and strange creatures like none he's ever seen before.
Pieces of his past keep echoing through this strange new world, with familiar faces hinting that Elysium might not be waiting for him after all.
The series was Cut Short after just two issues and a short story in the Marvel Frontier Comics Unlimited Anthology Comic.
Tropes in Bloodseed (1993):
- Artificial Human: Lysander, Ellissya and the other Runners seem to be created via genetic engineering.
- Covers Always Lie: The second issue's cover shows Lysander wearing a huge, long-clawed gauntlet on his right hand. He doesn't have any such weapon in the story, though.
- Cut Short: Cancelled after two issues and a short story, leaving the first arc incomplete.
- Exposed to the Elements: Lysander and Ellissya both find themselves naked in icy wastelands. It doesn't seem to bother them too much, although Lysander's narration suggests that he's definitely feeling the cold.
- Fake Memories: Lysander and Ellissya get Gender Flip versions of the same life ruling Elysium. They each remember being the warrior and ruler, with a version of the other as their beautiful (and less muscular and warlike) consort.
- Gender Flip: Done in-universe, with the Fake Memories that Gene-Corp seem to have implanted into both Ellissya and Lysander.
- Living Dinosaurs: Lord Jura is revealed to be an evolved dinosaur. Apparently they reached sentience, built a space-faring society and left Earth for the stars (leaving no trace of their civilisation behind, as their tech is designed to break down in an ecologically friendly manner).
- Low Culture, High Tech: Lysander doesn't understand the technology he finds, but he uses the hi-tech helmet once it's offered to him.
- Reckless Gun Usage: Justified and exaggerated. Lysander's never seen a gun before, so when he finds one he points it at his face and pulls the trigger to see what happens. There's merely a click, as it's not loaded.
- Walking Shirtless Scene: In true barbarian style, Lysander doesn’t really bother with shirts.
- World of Buxom: Every woman, whether real, hallucinated or computer generated, is extremely buxom. And usually topless.
