Bloodshot #1 Is A Rip-Roaring Action Thriller
by Tony Thornley
Valiant Entertainment’s flagship heroes Bloodshot, X-O Manowar, Ninjak, Harbinger and Shadowman have had a quiet year, with pretty much all of them taking some time between volumes and giving other characters some room to establish themselves in their absence. However, this fall and winter, they start to return, starting with this week’s Bloodshot #1. And what a return it is…
Bloodshot returns courtesy of Tim Seeley, Brett Booth, Adelso Corona, Andrew Dalhouse, and Dave Sharpe.
As Bloodshot shuts down a human trafficking operation, he finds himself face to face with a deadly new enemy- a military organization so secret they’re only known as the Black Bar. As the op goes bad, he finds himself face to face with the group’s most elite operatives. Their goal- to shut Ray Garrison down before he uses his power to dismantle everything he finds unjust with the world.
Bloodshot has had a rough few years, with his entire life being torn down and built back up. Seeley knows that, and so he doesn’t set out to reinvent the wheel here. The changes aren’t set aside- for example, Ray’s outlook is a lot more smart alecky and quippy, which might seem out of character until you realize it’s a result of being at peace with himself. The Black Bar is a perfect foe to put counter to Bloodshot with this new attitude, and will lead to some interesting stories in the next year-plus.
Booth and Corona’s line work is a great way to start this new take on the character. Booth’s line art is extremely high-energy, with layouts and use of point of view that drives the story along like an action movie. Corona’s inks are a little heavier than most that work over Booth’s pencils, and it works really well here. It results in an issue that feels like an early Image superhero book, with modern storytelling sensibilities.
It’s great to have Bloodshot back in the modern Valiant Universe, and I’m hyped to read more of this fun new take on the character.
Bloodshot #1 is available now from Valiant Entertainment.
