Bloodshot: Reborn #1

by Jeff Lemire, Mico Suayan, David Baron

For months VALIANT has teased us with glimpses of BLOODSHOT: REBORN #1 and a promise of absolute wonder and amazement. THEY WERE 125% RIGHT (yes that is 25% more than what’s mathematically possible)!

Only the dead have seen the end of war… –Plato

If you have been reading JEFF LEMIRE’s THE VALIANT #1-4 (which you really should be reading) you are ready to take this journey with BLOODSHOT. Hell, even if you haven’t read THE VALIANT (again, which you really should…) you will still enjoy BLOODSHOT: REBORN. If you don’t, then I suggest reading My Little Pony, Strawberry Shortcake, or perhaps something a bit more tame.

BLOODSHOT is a man. True, he also has killed by the thousand, gutted many, and had his programing wiped and/or changed countless times. He was Project Rising Spirit’s (PRS’s) pawn in a much larger game for a many years, and only in the pages of BLOODSHOT #1-25, and THE VALIANT #1-4 have we seen him rebel against that organization in search of his past, and future.

BLOODSHOT has NOT had an easy path, or a clean one for that matter. He snapped the neck of his wife after making passionate love to her and helping her escape in BLOODSHOT #25, and he racked up the most legit and decisive kills in last summer’s ARMOR HUNTERS.

But it was not until THE VALIANT that we got to really see the “REAL” BLOODSHOT. We got to see the man behind the white face and red eyes. Virtually ALL of VALIANT’s “heroes” fought the IMMORTAL ENEMY to no avail in THE VALIANT. Try as they might, he just stomped each one-by-one until he got to BLOODSHOT and KAY, THE GEOMANCER. It was in KAY that BLOODSHOT discovered himself, and in the most profound way who he must become. In the final climatic moments of THE VALIANT, BLOODSHOT receives perhaps the greatest gift of his existence while also enduring a horrific and tragic loss that will haunt him for a lifetime.

BLOODSHOT: REBORN #1 (aka BS:R) is the the story that directly follows the tragic events of THE VALIANT #1-4.

VALIANT ENTERTAINMENT and writer JEFF LEMIRE pull no punches. BLOODSHOT is NOT doing well, and has lost more than just his way. As this issue opens, he is battling alcoholism, depression, PTSD, and a possible cocaine addition. The only person who truly understood him and saw who he could be was taken from him in an instant before his eyes. BLOODSHOT is NOT doing well…

But what is worse is that while his pain and sense of loss is fully understandable, it is NOT what the woman closest to his heart would have wanted or hoped for. BLOODSHOT’s present state in BS:R does NOT represent the gift he was given in THE VALIANT #1-4, and deep down inside of his soul he knows it.

A hero (even a dark and flawed hero like BLOODSHOT) can only hide from himself and from the world for so long though. New threats are out there, and BLOODSHOT knows what must be done; who he must become again; and what he must do.

This is NOT the end of THE VALIANT.

THE VALIANT was the beginning of BLOODSHOT: REBORN, and writer JEFF LEMIRE, along with mega artists MICO SUAYAN, LEWIS LAROSA, and BUTCH GUICE have already completed work on issues up to BS:R #10!

We have seen the future, and the future looks dark and dystopian. Luck be a lady, BLOODSHOT was re-born for that world.

THIS IS THE START OF SOMETHING AWESOME!

To say that the art is not in every way possible, incredible is would be an outright lie! Artist MICO SUAYAN completely OWNS this book’s interior pages (with some well places help from LEMIRE as you will see…). MICO is clearly high on the list of the industry’s greatest modern talents right now, and pairs well with LEMIRE’s renown story telling ability. Seriously, BS:R is essentially a “who’s who” in the comic book game right now, and even complete strangers to the VALIANT UNIVERSE will not be able to deny the quality of this book.

I would not be surprised if concepts from BS:R are later used in the BLOODSHOT movie. They would translate well to film, and will visually entertain. VALIANT has really put a lot of time, money, thought, effort, and magic into BLOODSHOT: REBORN. We have seen examples of LAROSA’s work in issues to come and he might as well be painting the damn things they are so good.

Several months ago I bought LEWIS LAROSA’s original cover art for BS:R #1 (pictured above). After reading this book today for the first time, I decided to go out and buy CARY NORD’s original cover art for the BS:R #1 Ultimate Comics Variant.

No smoke, no mirrors, no lies. I put my money where my mouth is. This book is good enough to proudly hang the walls of my home.