If X-O Manowar is the sci-fi adventure flag ship of Valiant,
then Bloodshot is the dirty gritty action film and we like it like that. Last
issue saw Bloodshot and crew break through defenses of Project Rising Sun but
not finding what they wanted, instead children that Bloodshot once captured
while an agent. This issues takes the familiar
part of any story where the plan suddenly take a turn in the direction the
heroes didn't see and now must quickly recover and soon.
For Bloodshot it comes down the worst, he was very close to
what he thought was learning all about him, only for it to be removed and
replaced with another mystery he needs to solve with the kids that are now
running loose. And they know him and do not like him in anyway. I like the nick
name the kids of given Bloodshot, “The Boogieman”. It is simple and yet freighting
for these kids to sudden be captured and makes sense. Writer Duane Swierczynski
very much wants this mystery to plan out longer in this arc because as soon as
the kids are re-introduced to Bloodshot, they are quickly separated again
leaving him with his current and a tad ugly enemies to try and finish him off.
Of course that is also a slight weakness to the book, there
is a bit of jumping around between some of the characters, so much at one point
one seems to have vanished and just get casually explained off. There was a lot
that was trying to do at times, there are seeds to the upcoming Harbinger War
that look to be planted and new characters introduced that could become
important later on, but these quick looks tend to distract from where the story
is or right now isn't going. We aren't lead into what these characters plan to
do next, we moving from fight to fight trying to keep up and catch our breaths.
What really great though is Manuel Garcia artwork through
the whole issue, even when at times it can be a little gross. There is one
point in the book I did have to put it down and thank I wasn't eating
something. But, that is just the details he goes into the characters. I could
only imagine the challenge it is to make and draw these techno-bodies of
Chainsaw and it should be looked on as an accomplishment as they are very unique.
My only issue is that this feels a lot like stretching out
the current story line just a little longer. Nothing moves any closer to resolution.
It seemed closer to filler than it was a chapter in the ongoing story. It not a
bad thing really, it is something that happened with serialized comics so it was
a matter of time before Bloodshot has his own. But, don’t take that as a
damnation of the comic, it still the action film that I mentioned above. It
really stands out as nothing like any comic on the rack and should be read to
be believed.
OVERALL: 7.5 out 10
Bryan "BAC" Clendening is a comic reviewer and sometimes video producer on the internet, you can follow him on Twitter Here
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