Keeping my Comixology Unlimited selection for this week diverse by going into the Valiant well for this next read. BACKGROUND:
Bloodshot was one of the first Valiant characters I was introduced to when I got into the publisher's work back in college. I've since read a bunch of assorted Bloodshot issues here and there, but this is my first time reading a full volume. THE WRITING: Bloodshot is a super soldier employed by the military, an asset created by Project Rising Spirit to take on serious black ops missions. He's empowered by nanites, which give him an impressive healing factor, superhuman attributes, and access to a vast bank of knowledge. It seems like he's an unstoppable living weapon.... until he gets captured. During his capture, Bloodshot learns a dark secret about his own identity: he doesn't really have one. It turns out Project Rising Spirit has been manipulating his memories from the very start, hiding past missions and implanting false fantasies of a family. Armed with the truth (well, some of it, anyway), Bloodshot has decided to burn Project Rising Spirit to the ground. Having read similar stories to this before, this book isn't new to me narrative-wise, but I still found it super compelling right off the bat. It's easy to sympathize with Bloodshot, since he's not only used as a pawn by the powers that be (who have employed him on some morally questionable missions to boot), but they've gone the extra mile to tamper with his mind (which really gets to him at first). Of course I want to see those fuckers burn to the ground. Though it may seem uninteresting to watch a protagonist that's seemingly unstoppable, the comic quickly establishes that Bloodshot's anything but. All of his abilities rely on nanites, which, at the end of the day, is technology with limits. It's shown that things like a lack of sustenance or an EMP burst can shut Bloodshot down, and his enemies are aware of this. This adds some drama to the fights Bloodshot finds himself in. There's not a lot of world-building quite yet in this first volume, but a few threads are set up that probably get their payoff in later issues. We get a taste of the shady shit Project Rising Spirit has been up to (some of which connect to the very technology that empowers Bloodshot), as well as a supporting character with ties to other Valiant properties. We even get a sort-of-namedrop of Toyo Harada (one of the Valiant Universe's big bads). THE ART: This comic has an interesting approach to its art. When you're inhabiting Bloodshot's fake memories, the style takes on an almost painterly look with subtle shading, and little to no outlines. When you're back in reality, the style falls in line with modern comics, with more pronounced lines and shading. Both styles feature a decent amount of detail and what I'd describe as a balanced color palette (not too bright, but not too muted). A warning to the squeamish: there are some gory panels within this book that may not be to your liking. These do a lot to showcase how effective Bloodshot's healing factor is, but it could be upsetting for some readers. VERDICT: Bloodshot is a familiar tale of "living weapon turns on his oppressors", but it's still one that left me wanting more. The book does a good job of making you feel bad for Bloodshot and feel angry at Project Rising Spirit at the same time, and I found myself wanting to read more just so I can see the latter get taken down. Bloodshot himself is also an impressive superhero, and though most of his powers are derivative, it's still cool to see him kick ass and survive damn near everything. I'll definitely try to read more of this character, and I should probably finally get around to watching that movie of his. Valiant isn't the most well-known comics publisher out there, but if you're looking to get into their world and characters, this one should be one of your first stops. Bloodshot is a marquee name when it comes to Valiant, and I think that makes his series a good entry point for newcomers. Here's this volume on Comixology: Bloodshot Vol. 1: Setting the World on Fire - Comics by comiXology - end -
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June 2024
Derryck
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