By Jeff Lemire, Butch Guice, David Baron, and Mico Suayan.
“In order to properly understand the big picture, everyone should fear becoming mentally clouded and obsessed with one small section of truth.”
― Xun Zi
Bloodshot Reborn #1 through #8 has been a large masterpiece of a story arc, which will conclude with Bloodshot Reborn #9 next month. Writer Jeff Lemire has managed to add a significant level of depth to Bloodshot as a character, allowing readers to connect with him in relatable ways that were not previously possible. As a result, we still have Valiant Entertainment’s big, bad, war machine known as Bloodshot; however, we now also have the man behind the iconic red circle.
Lemire picks up right where Bloodshot Reborn #7 left off; on the edge. The series has been steadily building to a head, and in this issue we finally see all the pieces that are in play. There are plot twists here that make sense, and add another layer to what we know (and possibly demanding a re-read of the earlier issues). As it stands, Lemire’s story appears on-course for a strong and satisfying conclusion with Bloodshot Reborn #9, followed by what is likely to be an outstanding start for 2016 with Lemire’s dystopian futuristic “Analog Man” story arc that begins with Bloodshot: Reborn #10 and features art by Lewis LaRosa.
Artist Butch Guice nails the art in this issue with, and is complemented well by, colorist David Baron’s deliberate use of earth-tones to paint an eerie picture of a Middle-American thriller. Red blood splattered against fields of golden wheat and corn with scare crows and old barns adds a sense of old terror to Lemire’s story with a Texas Chainsaw Massacre visual appeal. Faces have wrinkles and texture, and ink is liberally used to depict the shadows and direction of light. Guice’s work on this book has been solid.
Bloodshot: Reborn has not, and does not, look and feel like anything Bloodshot from the past. This is a good thing, and provides fans and readers the chance to have a fresh take on the world of Bloodshot. Nothing here is over-the-top. This story could be watched on the silver screen and it would make sense, though it is really in all truth only the beginning of what is to come. Valiant Entertainment has chosen to place Bloodshot front-and-center in the Valiant Universe at this stage, and it only makes sense that we the reader are shown the man behind Bloodshot and the motivations that will carry him forward into the distant future.
comments (0)
You must be logged in to post a comment.