Welcome back to Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Part 1: Phantom Blood!

Last time, Dio was being an asshole. This time, Dio will be an asshole. We also meet some friends, both new and old ones.

CONTENT WARNINGS FOR THIS VOLUME: blood, gore, hand injury, impalement, gun violence, fire, body horror, death, murder.

This volume is mostly just brutal. There will be vampires, zombies, and varyingly gruesome deaths.

INTRO + VOLUME 1 (BELOW)  |  VOLUME 2

So, about Phantom Blood.

Phantom Blood is part 1 of JJBA, and while it’s not Araki’s manga debut, it’s still kind of… unpolished. It’s also inconsistent in art style and tone, doesn’t use most of the things that become series staples later on, and despite being less than 50 chapters long, is crammed full of things that make the entire thing seem like an overly busy b-movie mess.

But I also think that when it gets rolling in volume 2 it’s incredible, in at least two meanings of this word, and it obviously introduces very important characters: the Joestar clan, the vampire asshole at the source of all their troubles, and also the guy who pays for everything. It also has Araki’s trademark naming scheme in place: so many people are named after rock bands Jesus wept. So no matter how different it is from what followed it, Phantom Blood is essential to anyone interested in JJBA.

So of course I'm going to deal with it, volume by volume.

CONTENT WARNINGS FOR THIS VOLUME: child abuse, alcoholism, gore, blood, animal death, violent bullying, sexual assault, drowning, murder.

Also, the first five chapters just aren’t fun. They form a sort of ‘prologue’ to the actual plot and as such they’re a long parade of terrible things happening. There's really no way to make light of it; whatever you've heard from me or others about JJBA being ridiculous and funny, it sure doesn't start that way, as far as the story is concerned.