Bloodshot Unleashed from Valiant Entertainment is everything the company needs. With Archer & Armstrong Forever ending prematurely, Valiant is going all in on comic stores’ target audience. With some really great art, action scenes, and even greater characterizations, this series is something phenomenal. Update: The fourth issue ending the first arc comes out on December 28th.
Background
So who’s Bloodshot? The Vin Diesel character from that lackluster movie? There’s a bit more to him than that. Bloodshot is a man who was experimented on by the private military contractor Project Rising Spirit. With nanotech empowering him, Bloodshot has all of the standard enhancements. You know, strength, reflexes, speed, and stamina. But what really impresses people is his healing factor. With enough protein, Bloodshot can survive practically anything and build himself back together. Not to mention the nanites can also allow him adaptability in the battlefield with a number of tactics. Unfortunately, this also allowed PRS to brainwash him with a number of scenarios. Some of which have left scars in the form of hallucinations. For a long time Bloodshot didn’t even have a real name.
Eventually, Bloodshot escaped from PRS’s grasp to fight the good fight and get his own life. This proves to not be easy as Bloodshot grappled with the weight of his past actions. Even when he settles down as Ray Garrison, Bloodshot just couldn’t get away. That’s despite getting a girlfriend and a daughter to love. But because that daughter inherits his powers, Ray had to go on the lamb to protect her.
Bloodshot Unleashed From Mediocrity
Bloodshot Unleashed succeeds with a great followup to Jeff Lemire’s character defining run. We have Bloodshot feeling like a veteran soldier battling depression. He’s lost just about everything that gave him purpose and doesn’t even have the luxury of death.
This is the character fans come to love, not the poor attempts at capitalizing on a movie. What held those back were a number of redundancies and action movie cliches. From secret societies and military programs that’ve lost relevancy, to a focus on weightless actions. Bloodshot’s appeal isn’t just the comparisons he has with Marvel’s Wolverine. He feels like a character who could’ve been anybody.
The tragedy of Ray Garrison is that he not only lost his old life, every chance he had to build a new one is torn down. Whether it’s because people wanted to make weapons out him or contain him. Which is why the main plot is so interesting.
The Best Villains
They say a hero is only ever as good as his villains, that’s certainly the case this time around. In just the first pages readers become immersed in the narrative weight of Bloodshot Unleashed. Part of that comes from Jon Davis-Hunt’s panel layouts; from wide screen cinematics to grids full of impact. But it’s Deniz Camp’s characterizations that really help sell an empathetic connection. He and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou deliver dialogue that really sells Bloodshot’s somber attitude.
In juxtaposition are characters like Deep Pockets. This loudmouth, thin-skinned, psycho really likes to hear himself talk. For the quieter Bloodshot, this guy’s the perfect strawman to show new readers what Ray Garrison’s all about.
Unlike Pluto whose tragedy mirrors Bloodshot’s. Despite lacking a face for expressions, Pluto’s flashbacks make up for it by displaying genuine melancholy. And no, it’s not just Jordie Bellaire’s retro coloring. Most of the dialogue balloons are purposefully out of focus as each panel zeroes in on driving actions. All before coming to a heavy halt as Pluto becomes obscured by the last panel’s art. It allows the reader to feel that this antagonist is consumed by his grief after losing everything.
Guest Stars… eh…
In issue 3, we have X-O Manowar whose characterization feels jarring next to Bloodshot. Like the kid friendly ad above in a review for a maturely aimed comic. As someone who reviewed past X-O Manowar series, Aric acts more boastful compared to the humbled warrior out-of-time. I dunno maybe this is how he’s acting in that coming series X-O Manowar Unconquered in March. But he feels disruptive to an otherwise great story about Bloodshot reflecting on his daughter’s conception. As well as foils in multiplying parasitic aliens using mad-with-grief humans as incubators.
The First Arc On Making A Difference
Issue 4 probably brings out the best of the past issues together. We have a thin-skinned villain who sets Bloodshot’s path while establishing his character, a sympathetic antagonist, and something new to stand out on. The psychopath Hobbes brings out the killer that Bloodshot tries to separate himself from unlike Sgt. Michael Verlane whose memory troubles mirrors Bloodshot. Something that reveals an arc that’s been building in the background.
Does This Count As Spoilers
Without going into spoilers, Bloodshot achieves a heart-to-heart with Verlane. Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou’s captions and imaginary talks between the two are arranged like the coming of a tragedy. It’s like saying the best case scenario is only a fantasy. Because Bloodshot is all too used to that being the case. But to everyone’s surprise, it doesn’t end with a bang or blip. It’s in a humanizing moment that after three issues of carnage feels like a real victory, no matter how small it is. Because despite their pasts, there’s still humanity in Bloodshot and these Spent Shells.
Bloodshot Unleashed For More
Bloodshot Unleashed so far is really something to hook onto. With a well written title character given a new direction, his journey becomes something great. Because battling foils can be a great means for self-reflection. Combine this with some intense blood-pumping action, and there’s something unforgettable. But hopefully there aren’t too many disruptive guest characters. Right now this gets 9/10.