Chastity: Blood & Consequences

Chastity is not a new character to comics, but she's also not as well known as she deserves to be. Among the pantheon of tough, principled female leads that Dynamite features, she more than holds her own. This is an interesting story on a number of levels. It deals with the very real world tragedy of human trafficking and adds elements of the paranormal.Chastity is a half-vampire who combats malevolent persons. She's a good fighter on her own, but in this story arc, she's required by circumstances to transform others into effective fighters as well. Conned and abducted, she and the others find themselves imprisoned under highly unusual circumstances.The rules of vampirism do not apply equally to her and even less to those around her. Some of her immediate adversaries are human but others are of a different species altogether, werewolves. Before you conclude in advance that the vampire versus werewolf trope has been overdone in recent times, let me assure you that this story takes a few unexpected twists and turns.Let me also say that the compelling story is a page-turner. About the moment you're ready to set the book down and leave a bit to read for another time, forget it. You're attention will be focused again and you'll continue straight through to the end.No matter. In addition to the story, there is an amazing Cover Gallery, which could make up a pretty nice little volume all on its own.Altogether, this is one of the more pleasant surprises and action-packed tales I've read in some time.

Chastity, half-vampire hunter of evil, is trying out for a Burlesque show when she ends up on the wrong end of a human trafficking ring. The human traffickers don't know who they're messing with but sadly turn out to be a nastier group of customers than our antiheroine initially intends. It's a very over-the-top Saints Row-esque series of comics with more than a little bloodshed. Personally, I loved it and had a lot of fun with it. I was hoping Chastity and the CIA agent would develop a thing, though. If you like an R-rated murderous Bloodrayne-esque comic then this is your bag. Chastity is on the side of the angels, though. Sort of.

I came to discover the character of Chastity back in 2015, when looking for something new to read on Comixology. In 2014, a short series featuring the character was published by Dynamite. My understanding is that it was a soft reboot for the character, who had been featured in crossover content in the Dynamite canon for quite some time.The 2014 storyline was an origin story introducing us to Chastity Marks, a teenage gymnast who becomes a half-vampire after being attacked by a full-blooded vampire who moves among human society in the guise of a best-selling author. The story seems to be setting up an ongoing series... and then it ends. Nothing new was published for years, until suddenly in 2021 a new five issue arc was released.Bizarrely, the character is now called Chastity Jack, and none of what was being set up in the previous arc is followed up on. Here, Chastity is still a half-vampire, but now she's a struggling actress. While attending an audition, Chastity and her fellow thespians are drugged and kidnapped by a human trafficking ring.And really, that's the crux of this story. Until the final issue there is little in the way of supernatural shenanigans: it's just Chastity and a lot of terrified kidnapping victims trying to escape from human traffickers. It's not really what one expects from this series based on the first arc, but that doesn't make it bad. It's a pretty good read, and Chastity is still a really interesting character to follow.The supernatural elements ramp up in the final issue, and the book does seem to do some seed-laying for a future storyline... but after issue 5, the series has once again gone dormant. It's July of 2022 as I write this, and there has been no word on further issues of Chastity.They're good when the come, but the long gaps between publication are frustrating. There was nearly a seven year gap between the first arc and the second. I hope it doesn't take another seven for the next arc.

Der 1te Band, von der neuen Chas, war wirklich ok. Die Story hier war eher naja & Chas ist mehr 0815 geworden.Vielleicht wird der nächste Comic besser...