Review: “Blu Lullaby”: Meet Your New Best Friend…
There was a disturbing figure recently reported by UNICEF, the world-renowned organization that caters to underprivileged children around the globe. 1.2 million children very year are trafficked globally. It’s even quite possible someone you know, or has friends, who have gone through a horrifying encounter, be it for sex, drugs, abuse, whatever.
But now, creator Chad Perkins has presented us with a genuinely interesting presentation of this sordid problem, and has found a viable, albeit entirely fictional, solution for it in the form of “Blu Lullaby”. This exciting webcomic tells the story of a woman named Winter and her…well, let’s call it a pet, Blu. But this is like no ordinary pet you’ve ever seen. To describe it properly would take some Lovecraftian imagination, a mish-mash of animals thrown together, with the verbal talent of a child itself, and yet with boiling rage that would befit a demon from Hell. Under an organization called “Safety Blanket”, Winter and Blu attempt to right the wrongs against child suffering, neglect and abuse by becoming their guardians – using usually ultra-violent means. The bad guys get what’s coming to them, that’s for sure!
But digging into “Blu Lullaby” more, you get a sense of Winter not just being the procurer of a weapon of absolute vengeance, but a very observant, astute detective as well. In the first major story, Winter and her demonic companion visit a school to get to the bottom of a mystery involving several missing kids, and the story takes quite a few turns and twists, leading to a surprising reveal or two at the end. The dialogue may be a bit trite in spots, especially Blu’s, but it doesn’t subtract at all from what’s going on. Artist Andrea Montano did an exceptional job with layout too, and there are a few scenes of violence that really stick with you – not so much for what you see but what you don’t see, which is wonderfully portrayed in shadows and silhouettes that keep your imagination going. Further, we just love the character design of Blu. Being big H.P. Lovecraft fans, how could we not?! He’s clearly a creature never before depicted, and one can imagine the pain and torture he could inflict by his expression alone.
Overall, “Blu Lullaby” also serves as a not-so-gentle reminder to those who have children, or are children still themselves, that children don’t have it easy. The webcomic is bold and controversial, and yet sorely needed in today’s world filled with horrific tales of child trafficking and abuse. It pulls no punches. Yes, horrible things happen to kids every day. They are underfed, neglected, beaten, raped, and so on. What this webcomic does is send a message to everyone to be vigilant, to speak out, to unleash a little bit of justice into this cold, cruel world and get rid of the bad guys that do such terrible, unspeakable things to kids every day.
Of course, not quite the way Blu dispatches of the bad guys – although a twisted, sickening, excruciating death for child traffickers would not be so unwelcome.
Like the slogan suggests, Blu is indeed a child’s best friend. And while they might not exist in our world, we could certainly use more guardians like him and Winter. We’re looking forward to where “Blu Lullaby” goes from here eagerly. Our hope is that the webcomic becomes the voice for abused, neglected kids all over the world – especially those who suffer now.
If you’re reading this, and you know something terrible going on, or it’s personally happened to you, or is happening to you, we urge you to contact The Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline, dedicated to the prevention of child abuse in North America and Canada. The hotline is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with professional crisis counselors who provide assistance in over 170 languages, offering crisis intervention, information, and referrals to thousands of emergency, social service, and support resources nationwide. The number to contact them is 1-800-422-4453 or 1-800-4-A-CHILD. You can also visit their website at: https://www.childhelp.org/hotline/
Leilani, as horrifying as Blu looks, I am interested in reading that webcomic from page one to current. Is there an actual website for the comic or is Amazon the only way? I only am asking. And heck yes, I could definitely have used a unique friend like him after a near fatal playground accident that saw me left alone on the playground for dead.
Hey K.C., this is Chad the creator! I appreciate your interest in the series! I’m sorry about what happened on the playground but I hope this book makes you feel safe! Also you can pick up the book here: https://m.comixology.com/Blu-Lullaby/comics-series/135921?ref=Y29taWMvdmlldy9kZXNrdG9wL2JyZWFkY3J1bWJz
I thank you Chad for the response. You are welcomeThe playground accident was while I attended kindergarten, a long time ago, a fall off of playground equipment called a witch’s hat. I eventually figured out how to turn that near tragedy around so that it serves me in the same way Blu might have. I thank you for the link and hopefully I’ll get those books.