Bloodshot and H.A.R.D. Corps #19

By Christos Gage, Joshua Dysart, Bart Sears & Chriscross

This issue wraps up the current story arc and makes way for Bloodshot and H.A.R.D. Corps #0. As Bloodshot and his crew try to reluctantly save Kozol, Major Palmer must deal with enemies from missions past. Some of the youngsters take a front seat this issue, and Kozol discover that he’s not despised by everyone.

This issue finally gave us a little insight into Vagabond. He’s been a background character who smokes pot for several issues, and Gage and Dysart showed the reader a very touching memory from his past. With each passing issue, Gage and Dysart give the reader more to like about this new crew of young recruits. They also do a good job of showing Genius’ confidence grow, thanks to his little relationship with Flatline. All these little character moments are what make this a good read every month.

The art in this issue is handled by several artists; Bart Sears does the art in the present, while Chriscross and Victor Olazaba do the art for Major Palmer’s flashbacks. Sears does an all right job here, but there are some panels that seem a bit off. He does have some great stuff like the scenes between Vagabond and Chernobyl, but as a whole the issue is uneven. From the first page, it was tough to identify who Genius was because he looked like a completely different character. Chriscross and Olazaba handle the flashbacks well. The Vagabond flashback scenes steal the issue, and the Major Palmer flashback scenes are good as well.

Bloodshot and H.A.R.D.Corps is an action packed title that delivers with every issue. Gage and Dysart have a knack for planting seeds and building on them in future issues and this month continues the trend. While the art was sketchy (pun intended) in some places, it won’t affect the overall enjoyment of this solid issue.