Despite never achieving quite the same amount of mainstream recognition as other Marvel Comics characters like Wolverine, the Hulk, or Spider-Man, Eric Cross Brooks -- better known as Blade -- has had a long history in comic books, having been around for half a century. The character first appeared in "The Tomb of Dracula" #10 in 1973, and was created by writer Marv Wolfman and artist Gene Colan. A lifelong vampire hunter, Blade is an expert hand-to-hand combatant and is armed with a wide...