Rating: 5/5
Disclaimer: I received a free ecopy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Holy crap. I've never read a Bloodshot comic before, although he has appeared in some other Valiant titles that I've read. This book covers three arcs in the character's story, and it is amazing. Not being too familiar with the character, I felt like this was very friendly to new readers.
It gives a brief introduction to the character: he is a super soldier that was implanted with nanites to give him increased strength, speed, and healing. He also doesn't know who exactly he is. During a recent event those nanites were removed from his system. Now he is trying to deal with the aftermath of that event and what it means to be normal again.
Given the character's background, it's not surprising that there is a bit of action in this book. The story builds slowly to that action though. I like that there is some balance between the action and character development. It gives him a chance to grow and create relationships with other characters, even if some of those are only in his head.
I mentioned this covers three arcs. The first is about Bloodshot trying to find himself. It leads directly into the second arc in which he wraps up some loose ends. The third arc is way different from the other two though. It jumps between present day and 30 years in the future. The setting in the future reminded me of Mad Max: a bit crazy and over the top, but still a lot of fun.
The art is superb. There is a different style for each of the arcs. The art for the first arc is great. When it came to the second arc, it felt like there was a huge change in style. It definitely took some getting used to. The illustrations are so noticeably different between the two. The third arc felt like less of a shift in terms of technique and colors, but the panel layouts are pretty different. The creators make great use of mirroring events between the two time periods.
As a first time Bloodshot reader, this book is great. I highly recommend it. Jeff Lemire's writing and the art team are a top notch combination.
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