That evenhanded approach extends to the main characters. The book's central protagonist is R.F., a man who lives a life of happy anonymity in Spider Creek after narrowly missing his chance for college football glory. He's joined by best friends Cecil and Big Jack as the trio are drawn into weird goings-on in Spider Creek connected to the age-old feud between two mysterious families - the Whatleys and the Stubs. Bunn builds an enjoyable dynamic among these three friends. Again, they don't come across as goofy hillbilly caricatures. The closest comparison to draw would be King of the Hill. The book finds humor in their eccentricities and quirks, but it doesn't mock them.
All of this is fine and well, but what about the horror aspect? That's where Blood Feud comes up a bit lacking in this first chapter. The issue struggles to build and maintain a sense of darkness. The actual moments of horror are pretty few and far between - a mass spider migration here, a cursed bucket of frogs there. A lot of the horror rests on the titular blood feud and those few, unsettling glimpses of the rival families this issue provides. The problem is that the book doesn't give the reader much reason to becomes invested in that feud. It's more an abstract concept that's referred to more in R.F.'s narration than it's actually shown on the page. The creeping dread does return in the later pages, but the climax focuses on an encounter between man and animal that's less scary than silly.
Bunn re-teams with two previous collaborators for this series (artist Drew Moss worked with him on Terrible Lizard and colorist Nic Filardi on Helheim). Both Moss and Filardi more than pull their weight when it comes to establishing the town and its principal inhabitants. Moss' style complements the book's tone. It's slightly exaggerated and stylized, but still detailed and sinister enough to deliver the scares when the horror does ramp up. Each character has a distinct look and a wide range of expressions. Moss is able to make his environments homey and inviting or shadowy and foreboding as the situation demands. Filardi is also key there. Some of his pages are warmly lit and bathed in the glow of a setting sun, while others are cold and unsettling. I'm looking forward to see what the art team can do when the series really delves into its darker side.