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Bloodshot Reborn
Bloodshot Reborn, Vol. 1: Colorado
New York Times best-selling writer Jeff Lemire (The Valiant, Descender) and red-hot rising star Mico Suayan (Harbinger, Moon Knight) deliver an all-new ongoing series for Valiant’s most unrelenting hero!
Bloodshot’s nanites made him a nearly unstoppable killing machine. His enhanced strength, speed, endurance, and healing made him the perfect weapon, and he served his masters at Project Rising Spirit — a private contractor trafficking in violence — very well. Now, Bloodshot is a shadow of his former self. He lives in self-imposed exile, reeling from the consequences of his past life and the recent events that nearly drove him mad. But when a rash of shootings by gunmen who appear to look just like Bloodshot begin, his guilt will send him on a mission to stop the killers, even if it means diving head-long into the violence that nearly destroyed him.
Start reading here as visionary creators Jeff Lemire and Mico Suayan kick-off a brand-new beginning for the cutting-edge commando called Bloodshot…and plunge him to his darkest, bloodiest, most mind-bending depths yet!
Collecting: Bloodshot Reborn 1–5
Bloodshot’s nanites made him a nearly unstoppable killing machine. His enhanced strength, speed, endurance, and healing made him the perfect weapon, and he served his masters at Project Rising Spirit — a private contractor trafficking in violence — very well. Now, Bloodshot is a shadow of his former self. He lives in self-imposed exile, reeling from the consequences of his past life and the recent events that nearly drove him mad. But when a rash of shootings by gunmen who appear to look just like Bloodshot begin, his guilt will send him on a mission to stop the killers, even if it means diving head-long into the violence that nearly destroyed him.
Start reading here as visionary creators Jeff Lemire and Mico Suayan kick-off a brand-new beginning for the cutting-edge commando called Bloodshot…and plunge him to his darkest, bloodiest, most mind-bending depths yet!
Collecting: Bloodshot Reborn 1–5
144 pages, Paperback
First published September 9, 2015
About the author
Jeff Lemire
1,314 books3,739 followersLibrarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
Jeff Lemire is a New York Times bestselling and award winning author, and creator of the acclaimed graphic novels Sweet Tooth, Essex County, The Underwater Welder, Trillium, Plutona, Black Hammer, Descender, Royal City, and Gideon Falls. His upcoming projects include a host of series and original graphic novels, including the fantasy series Ascender with Dustin Nguyen.
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
Jeff Lemire is a New York Times bestselling and award winning author, and creator of the acclaimed graphic novels Sweet Tooth, Essex County, The Underwater Welder, Trillium, Plutona, Black Hammer, Descender, Royal City, and Gideon Falls. His upcoming projects include a host of series and original graphic novels, including the fantasy series Ascender with Dustin Nguyen.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 106 reviews
April 27, 2020
A good idea for redirecting the focus of the series. Just being a guy who can't be killed who goes around killing bad guys gets old real fast. I like they've added some mystery to the series. However I hope they dump the hallucinations. I feel like that's a very lazy way to write and is just page filler.
September 7, 2016
Ray Garrison is a handyman at a Colorado motel, earning his keep by doing oddjobs for the owner. But in the night he’s tormented by horrible memories of murder and has resorted to self-medicating with hard drugs and booze. Ray Garrison isn’t his real name and nor is this one: Bloodshot. But that’s the cat he used to be - a bioengineered super-assassin with nanites in his blood that healed him from any wound!
Following the events of The Valiant (this book is set six months after that book’s ending but you don’t gotta read it if you don’t want to - I wouldn’t, it sucks!), Bloodshot was made human - except the nanites have found other human hosts all of whom are unwittingly being turned into killing machines. Believing he can now control them better than anyone, Ray must track down each of the infected hosts and reabsorb the nanites - Bloodshot will be Reborn!
Jeff Lemire’s Bloodshot Reborn is surprisingly not terrible! It’s interesting to see what Bloodshot did when he became human especially as Lemire doesn’t give him the rosiest of lives. Ray’s haunted by the memory of Kay the Geomancer and a weird Bat-Mite-esque character called Bloodsquirt and he’s also a hero who kills - the mentally troubled antihero is an appealing one to me, ‘s why I like The Punisher and Moon Knight!
It’s also a pretty compelling story by turns too with Bloodshot having to stay one step ahead of the cops as he hunts down and kills each of the infected, especially when one of them is holed up in a police station and he has to break in!
The female characters aren’t great though - the psychic FBI agent’s storyline was a dead end and the girl he saves at the end, Magic, was clingy and annoying. The story’s quite predictable too. You have to wait and watch Ray struggle with the decision to become Bloodshot again even though that’s the whole point of this book so it’s moot, and you also know he’s not gonna have any trouble taking out each of the infected, which he doesn’t.
The “tormented introspective” angle was a tad melodramatic too. After Ray kills the second infected he says he doesn’t want to kill again and then immediately realises there are five more infected. Does he have a solution to get the nanites out of their blood without killing them? Nope! Stop whining then, you big bloody emo-baby!
Mico Suayan’s slick, polished art is good as well as very graphic and suitably violent. Raul Allen’s quirky imaginative style on the final issue was a nice change of pace too.
Bloodshot Reborn, Volume 1: Colorado isn’t as deep or reflective as it thinks its being but it does add some sorely-needed dimension to Bloodshot. It’s not the most gripping read either but it’s also a pretty decent effort given how crummy and braindead Bloodshot comics usually are. Worth checking out if you like your action with a smidge more substance - but only a smidge!
Following the events of The Valiant (this book is set six months after that book’s ending but you don’t gotta read it if you don’t want to - I wouldn’t, it sucks!), Bloodshot was made human - except the nanites have found other human hosts all of whom are unwittingly being turned into killing machines. Believing he can now control them better than anyone, Ray must track down each of the infected hosts and reabsorb the nanites - Bloodshot will be Reborn!
Jeff Lemire’s Bloodshot Reborn is surprisingly not terrible! It’s interesting to see what Bloodshot did when he became human especially as Lemire doesn’t give him the rosiest of lives. Ray’s haunted by the memory of Kay the Geomancer and a weird Bat-Mite-esque character called Bloodsquirt and he’s also a hero who kills - the mentally troubled antihero is an appealing one to me, ‘s why I like The Punisher and Moon Knight!
It’s also a pretty compelling story by turns too with Bloodshot having to stay one step ahead of the cops as he hunts down and kills each of the infected, especially when one of them is holed up in a police station and he has to break in!
The female characters aren’t great though - the psychic FBI agent’s storyline was a dead end and the girl he saves at the end, Magic, was clingy and annoying. The story’s quite predictable too. You have to wait and watch Ray struggle with the decision to become Bloodshot again even though that’s the whole point of this book so it’s moot, and you also know he’s not gonna have any trouble taking out each of the infected, which he doesn’t.
The “tormented introspective” angle was a tad melodramatic too. After Ray kills the second infected he says he doesn’t want to kill again and then immediately realises there are five more infected. Does he have a solution to get the nanites out of their blood without killing them? Nope! Stop whining then, you big bloody emo-baby!
Mico Suayan’s slick, polished art is good as well as very graphic and suitably violent. Raul Allen’s quirky imaginative style on the final issue was a nice change of pace too.
Bloodshot Reborn, Volume 1: Colorado isn’t as deep or reflective as it thinks its being but it does add some sorely-needed dimension to Bloodshot. It’s not the most gripping read either but it’s also a pretty decent effort given how crummy and braindead Bloodshot comics usually are. Worth checking out if you like your action with a smidge more substance - but only a smidge!
July 7, 2016
Bloodshot was under mind control and he was the perfect killer.
The nanites in his blood made him unkillable. He was healed of those nanites and now he's a shell of his former self.
Bloodshot seems to be a cross between Universal Soldier and Mr. Sinister. In Universal Soldier murdered soldiers were reanimated after being killed and placed under mind control. The X-Men villain Mr. Sinister looks exactly like Bloodshot and could also heal from seemingly every wound. I'm not impressed with Bloodshot as he seems like a trope made murderer.
The nanites in his blood made him unkillable. He was healed of those nanites and now he's a shell of his former self.
Bloodshot seems to be a cross between Universal Soldier and Mr. Sinister. In Universal Soldier murdered soldiers were reanimated after being killed and placed under mind control. The X-Men villain Mr. Sinister looks exactly like Bloodshot and could also heal from seemingly every wound. I'm not impressed with Bloodshot as he seems like a trope made murderer.
June 18, 2018
Being written by Lemire I expected this to be deep and thrilling, It was neither.
Bloodshot has lost his powers because he had his nanites purged from his system, but they are still out there somewhere.
Bloodshot has lost his powers because he had his nanites purged from his system, but they are still out there somewhere.
October 15, 2015
Leave it to Jeff Lemire to take a bloody killing machine created by the American government to kill bad guys and turn him into a reluctant, reflective, tormented regular guy who just wants to be reunited with his dead lover and drink himself to sleep every night working in a sort of Bates Motel as a maintenance guy. But bad mass killers abound in Colorado, and they seem to be multiplying, in the guise of... Bloodshot, only they are all bad, another government idea for saving the planet turned to crap, so our Good Bloodshot needs to get reborn to kill all the Bad Bloodshots and make it a longer Valiant series, so here we are.
Bloodshot is a Valiant Comics character created with a lot of success in 1992, a ruthless killer full of rage, partly a rage for those who erased his memories, filled him full of little nanite bug machines who control his body and make him invincible. Watching this rage could be cool, I guess, if you like this sort of thing, but me, not so much. Okay, I liked the Dr Manhattan character in Watchmen, and I like the political criticism in both of these tales, that it is horrific turning men into killing machines for what the government says are noble purposes, which of course is what soldiers are. And that seemingly good idea turns bad, almost always, of course. Who gets to play god? The government! And you want that, of course, this is what you pay your taxes for.
So overall it's pretty good. It's okay. Lemire's writing is okay here, really. I like Lemire better when he does indie stuff, Sweet Tooth, Trillium, than his messing around with superheroes, which he doesn't do so well with, but I guess you gotta pay the bills.
I prefer when Lemire draws his own stuff, too, though he is not going to be allowed to draw superhero comics, his drawing is too sketchy, not glossy enough, for the supe crowd. So Mico Suayan (Moon Knight) was a good choice for most of the issues in this volume. It gets jarring when we switch in the last issue to Raul Allen (Hawkeye), who completely changes the tone of the drawing, lettering, coloring, everything, and makes it sort of abstract-looking, conceptual, and I don't like it as much.
Bloodshot is a Valiant Comics character created with a lot of success in 1992, a ruthless killer full of rage, partly a rage for those who erased his memories, filled him full of little nanite bug machines who control his body and make him invincible. Watching this rage could be cool, I guess, if you like this sort of thing, but me, not so much. Okay, I liked the Dr Manhattan character in Watchmen, and I like the political criticism in both of these tales, that it is horrific turning men into killing machines for what the government says are noble purposes, which of course is what soldiers are. And that seemingly good idea turns bad, almost always, of course. Who gets to play god? The government! And you want that, of course, this is what you pay your taxes for.
So overall it's pretty good. It's okay. Lemire's writing is okay here, really. I like Lemire better when he does indie stuff, Sweet Tooth, Trillium, than his messing around with superheroes, which he doesn't do so well with, but I guess you gotta pay the bills.
I prefer when Lemire draws his own stuff, too, though he is not going to be allowed to draw superhero comics, his drawing is too sketchy, not glossy enough, for the supe crowd. So Mico Suayan (Moon Knight) was a good choice for most of the issues in this volume. It gets jarring when we switch in the last issue to Raul Allen (Hawkeye), who completely changes the tone of the drawing, lettering, coloring, everything, and makes it sort of abstract-looking, conceptual, and I don't like it as much.
January 23, 2018
After the events of The Valiant leave Bloodshot free of his nanites, he thinks life can be easy again. He's wrong. Wracked with guilt over his past actions, Ray Garrison can't find peace at all. And then, when a cult of murderers with white skin and red circles on their chests start shooting their way across America, Ray must decide if he can live with becoming the monster he was before.
After six volumes of Bloodshot shooting people, this is a refreshing change. Jeff Lemire always seems to be able to target solo characters perfectly, and he has a pitch for this series that sets it apart from everything that came before. We really get to see Bloodshot as a person rather than a weapon, and the dilemma he has to grapple with feels fresh, and one without a good resolution.
We also get a 'supporting cast' in the form of nanite withdrawal induced hallucinations of Kay McHenry, the belated Geomancer, and Bloodsquirt, Ray's teeny tiny sidekick, who act as the angel and devil on Ray's shoulder (at least to start with). It's an interesting way to give Ray someone to talk to, as well as keep the reader on their toes, since you can never be sure exactly what's real and what isn't with these two around.
The artwork is absolutely phenomenal; Mico Suayan's four issues are super detailed and very realistic, and his inking skills are amazing. Check out the process panels in the back of the book and see how he goes from pencils to inks, and it's just...wow. Then there's a solo issue by Raul Allen to finish off, which is completely the opposite way, psychedelically coloured and completely off-kilter. It's amazing how Lemire manages to write stories that play to both of these artists' strengths so well.
Bloodshot's definitely reborn, and it's a good start for the new direction so far. Plus, that art. Someone go find my jaw for me, I dropped it somewhere.
After six volumes of Bloodshot shooting people, this is a refreshing change. Jeff Lemire always seems to be able to target solo characters perfectly, and he has a pitch for this series that sets it apart from everything that came before. We really get to see Bloodshot as a person rather than a weapon, and the dilemma he has to grapple with feels fresh, and one without a good resolution.
We also get a 'supporting cast' in the form of nanite withdrawal induced hallucinations of Kay McHenry, the belated Geomancer, and Bloodsquirt, Ray's teeny tiny sidekick, who act as the angel and devil on Ray's shoulder (at least to start with). It's an interesting way to give Ray someone to talk to, as well as keep the reader on their toes, since you can never be sure exactly what's real and what isn't with these two around.
The artwork is absolutely phenomenal; Mico Suayan's four issues are super detailed and very realistic, and his inking skills are amazing. Check out the process panels in the back of the book and see how he goes from pencils to inks, and it's just...wow. Then there's a solo issue by Raul Allen to finish off, which is completely the opposite way, psychedelically coloured and completely off-kilter. It's amazing how Lemire manages to write stories that play to both of these artists' strengths so well.
Bloodshot's definitely reborn, and it's a good start for the new direction so far. Plus, that art. Someone go find my jaw for me, I dropped it somewhere.
September 18, 2015
3.5 stars if I could.
Well...this is certainly a different Bloodshot. Of course that's to be expected, I suppose, with Jeff Lemire on writing duty this time around.
Anyone here that follows my reviews already knows that I am a pretty big Lemire fanboy. It was because of his re-boot of the Bloodshot series that I even ended up exploring the Bloodshot story.
Before Lemire (the reboot), Bloodshot was this savage cold blooded killer that basically just shot the shit out of everything. It was primal and grisly and really fucking awesome!
Now, with Lemire at the helm, everything has changed. A lot of the crazy ass-kicking has been toned down. We find ourselves with a Bloodshot that is mellowed out and doesn't want to kill anymore. In fact, he doesn't even have his little nanite killing machines inside him anymore.
Or at least that's how he starts off.
The whole premise of this first arc is Bloodshot running around tracking people down that have gone crazy-ass with the nanites inside them and getting them back inside his body instead. You see he is the only one that can have them inside him without turning into a homicidal maniac.
Or at least that what he's telling himself.
This is a way more thought out story line. While I loved the over-the-top Bloodshot of the past - this new one is pretty damn interesting too. I'm in for the long haul and I'm stoked to see where Lemire takes this character.
September 12, 2022
Pretty badass if a bit anticlimactic. Incredible artwork and sharp writing up until the 5th and final issue where it drops noticeably. Makes me want to seek out the older stuff.
May 23, 2019
Bloodshot, teď už vlastně Ray Garrison, je po událostech The Valiant zase normální člověk a žije v nějakým zaplivaným motelu kde pracuje za ubytování. V jeho okolí se začnout objevovat mass shootings který provozujou týpci vylepšení stejným způsobem jak byl v minulosti on a tak se je vydá lovit.. Tohle je ideální start pro nový čtenáře, dopředu není potřeba o postavě nic vědět, což jse super. Je to fajn, ale předpokládám že se to ještě rozjede. Kresba je nic moc, ale je super že jednu z Rayových halucinací kreslí sám Lemire což je pro mě vždycky plus.
June 9, 2017
Un nuevo inicio para la serie Bloodshot, tras los sucesos del evento The Valiant, donde Bloodshot se libraba de los nanitos y volvía a ser él mismo, el antiguo bloodshot utiliza una de sus antiguas identidades (Ray Harrison) para intentar llevar una vida normal, hasta que empiezan a aparecer noticias de tiroteos y asesinatos perpetrados por personas que tienen el mismo aspecto que tenía él cuando era bloodshot.
Así Ray emprende una caza de los asesinos poseídos por los nanitos algo dentro de él le impulsa a realizar esta persecución, durante la cual empezará a encontrar la fuerza para averiguar cómo fué en su pasada identidad, antes de que le cambiaran los científicos del proyecto espíritu renacido.
Una buena colección, entretenida, con mucha acción, un dibujo impresionante... muy recomendable para los que les gusten los cómics de vigilantes al estilo del castigador.
Así Ray emprende una caza de los asesinos poseídos por los nanitos algo dentro de él le impulsa a realizar esta persecución, durante la cual empezará a encontrar la fuerza para averiguar cómo fué en su pasada identidad, antes de que le cambiaran los científicos del proyecto espíritu renacido.
Una buena colección, entretenida, con mucha acción, un dibujo impresionante... muy recomendable para los que les gusten los cómics de vigilantes al estilo del castigador.
December 10, 2015
My mistake was reading this Bloodshot volume FIRST, before I read The Valiant. Because Bloodshot would have made a little more sense if I’d read The Valiant first.
Although, hold the phone.
You know where they tell you the reading order for Bloodshot? On the very last page of the Bloodshot trade paperback! Which means that only after having done it wrong did I realize what the right order was. Wouldn’t that be a useful thing to put in the front of the book? “Hey, you don’t have to, but if The Valiant happens to be sitting on your coffee table and you’re planning to read it too, DEFINITELY read that shit first!”
Why even bother putting the reading order in the back of the book? Just so I know that I fucked up? So I can go through the other volume fully aware that I blew this experience for myself just by pure chance?
Ahhhh! COMICS!!!
Although, hold the phone.
You know where they tell you the reading order for Bloodshot? On the very last page of the Bloodshot trade paperback! Which means that only after having done it wrong did I realize what the right order was. Wouldn’t that be a useful thing to put in the front of the book? “Hey, you don’t have to, but if The Valiant happens to be sitting on your coffee table and you’re planning to read it too, DEFINITELY read that shit first!”
Why even bother putting the reading order in the back of the book? Just so I know that I fucked up? So I can go through the other volume fully aware that I blew this experience for myself just by pure chance?
Ahhhh! COMICS!!!
November 22, 2017
Jeff Lemire, never letting his fanbase down =)
September 11, 2019
The typical superhero comic aesthetic isn't usually my favorite, but the story was gripping enough for me to get over my aversion to this type of artwork. I think I prefer things to look a bit more stylized, though that's not knocking the obvious talent that the artist has here. For this genre, the art is pretty solid.
For the story itself, we have a man who was part of a government experiment. He was essentially turned into a weapon, with high-tech nanites fused into his bloodstream. Our main character eventually gets his powers taken from him, leaving him to be the normal man he used to be. Queue the beginning of this volume, and we meet our main character grappling with the violence he committed when the nanites were in control. The story then progresses to him trying to get his powers back through some less than savory means.
It was surprisingly compelling. I had a rather decent time reading through this one. Plenty of internal struggle, discussions of morality, and soul-searching is had by the main character. Watching his thought process, his spiraling addictions in attempt to cope with his past demons, and seeing him try to pull himself out of a cycle of depression was interesting to witness. I think if you like the superhero genre of comics, this one is worth checking out.
For the story itself, we have a man who was part of a government experiment. He was essentially turned into a weapon, with high-tech nanites fused into his bloodstream. Our main character eventually gets his powers taken from him, leaving him to be the normal man he used to be. Queue the beginning of this volume, and we meet our main character grappling with the violence he committed when the nanites were in control. The story then progresses to him trying to get his powers back through some less than savory means.
It was surprisingly compelling. I had a rather decent time reading through this one. Plenty of internal struggle, discussions of morality, and soul-searching is had by the main character. Watching his thought process, his spiraling addictions in attempt to cope with his past demons, and seeing him try to pull himself out of a cycle of depression was interesting to witness. I think if you like the superhero genre of comics, this one is worth checking out.
February 23, 2020
This is a good series.
So after the events of the Valiant, Bloodshots nanites have been scattered and are infecting innocent people. Once it infects them, they basically turn into serial killers and go on rampages. So Bloodshot has to track them down and take the nanites away to stop them. This means he has to take them inside himself again, and each time he does he loses more of himself and becomes more of the Bloodshot he was before he was "healed."
I wasn't a huge fan of Kay and "Bloodsquirt", two apparitions that keep appearing to Bloodshot that only he can see, but from what I gather those are really the nanites manifesting themselves rather than him just being a nut.
Overall the art and story are both really good, actually one of the better superhero reads from the past few years. It's more of a coherent long form story rather than just short action episodes, which works well for this character.
So after the events of the Valiant, Bloodshots nanites have been scattered and are infecting innocent people. Once it infects them, they basically turn into serial killers and go on rampages. So Bloodshot has to track them down and take the nanites away to stop them. This means he has to take them inside himself again, and each time he does he loses more of himself and becomes more of the Bloodshot he was before he was "healed."
I wasn't a huge fan of Kay and "Bloodsquirt", two apparitions that keep appearing to Bloodshot that only he can see, but from what I gather those are really the nanites manifesting themselves rather than him just being a nut.
Overall the art and story are both really good, actually one of the better superhero reads from the past few years. It's more of a coherent long form story rather than just short action episodes, which works well for this character.
November 28, 2017
What isn't Jeff Lemire writing these days
Lemire is best when working on domestic drama or western landscapes--be they in the US or Canada. This property benefits from his vision but it doesn't exactly suit him. Bloodshot reeks of 1990s edgy comics where violence was a substitute for more mature storytelling and Valiant is trying to move the property beyond that but it still has that baggage. It will be interesting to see how this develops.
Lemire is best when working on domestic drama or western landscapes--be they in the US or Canada. This property benefits from his vision but it doesn't exactly suit him. Bloodshot reeks of 1990s edgy comics where violence was a substitute for more mature storytelling and Valiant is trying to move the property beyond that but it still has that baggage. It will be interesting to see how this develops.
February 3, 2018
Read for TLP, but spoiler: I REALLY LIKED IT.
October 6, 2015
Bloodshot Reborn takes a key Valiant character in an intriguing new direction.
At the conclusion of last year’s The Valiant limited series, dying Geomancer Kay McHenry used her powers to remove the nanites from Bloodshot’s body, restoring his humanity. Bloodshot Reborn finds the former killing machine hiding out in a cheap Colorado motel, using the name Ray Garrison. Ray fills his days with odd jobs and tries to drown out the nights with booze and drugs. Ray hallucinates that both Kay and a diminutive cartoon version of his alter ego called “Bloodsquirt” are his constant companions.
When a string of mass murders by men who look like Bloodshot ensues, Ray reluctantly gets involved. He realizes the nanites that left his body have infected others. Ray begins re-absorbing the nanites, reasoning he’s the only one who can control them. But the more he absorbs the more his humanity slips away.
Diane Festival, an empathic young FBI agent with strong intuition, leads the hunt for the killers, eventually falling onto Ray’s trail. Diane is saddled with an older, male colleague who resents her authority and is mostly not very useful. After Ray kills a nanite-infected white supremacist, he impulsively (possibly unadvisedly) takes the man’s damaged girlfriend, Magic, with him. During a moment of rest, Ray has a massive hallucination involving Bloodsquirt and cartoonish versions of other Valiant characters that brings him to an emotional turning point.
Bloodshot Reborn is an intriguing approach to the character. The set-up is a clever way for writer Jeff Lemire to explore the central tension between Bloodshot’s murderous past and Ray’s fear of embracing his regained humanity. Seeing that second chance slowly ebb away makes for a fascinating character study. Lemire doesn’t shy away from the more brutal aspects of the concept. This is a violent story, but one with an actual purpose that also is uncomfortably reflective of real world events.
Lemire doesn’t let viewers too deep into Ray’s brain, which makes sense, since Ray is running from himself in multiple ways. Instead, he uses the Kay and Bloodsquirt hallucinations as a colorful dramatization of Ray’s inner dialogue. It’s a nice way to use Kay, an appealing character who seemed cut down before her potential had been tapped. Bloodsquirt is an hysterically grotesque creation, both a cutting satire of old school comic book clichés (bad puns abound) and a colorful representation of Bloodshot’s violent id. Agent Festival is an interesting creation, rising above the procedural tropes of her tragic background and stock “resentful older white male who’s not having it, young lady” partner.
Mico Suayan and David Baron handle the art for most of the Colorado arc. They give Bloodshot Reborn a gritty, dark presentation that sets it apart from the brighter work typical in a lot of other Valiant books. They dig into the seediness of Ray’s situation, using shadows and washed out colors to communicate the despair surrounding the damaged soul. Suayan does some really expressive character work that helps sell the drama. He goes with a fairly standard approach to page and panel layout, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Bloodshot Reborn is more a gritty procedural than a widescreen action epic, so that method works for the story. Raul Allen steps in for the Bloodsquirt hallucination, coming up with some wild, inventive visuals that make the interlude pop, complete with some entertaining cartoon versions of familiar Valiant faces and a brighter color palette that provides clear separation from the grounded reality of the main story.
Existing Bloodshot fans will be interested in this intriguing new chapter for the character. It might be a bit of a deep dive for newcomers, who would be advised to seek out the character’s earlier stories before turning to Bloodshot Reborn.
A version of this review originally appeared on www.thunderalleybcp.com
At the conclusion of last year’s The Valiant limited series, dying Geomancer Kay McHenry used her powers to remove the nanites from Bloodshot’s body, restoring his humanity. Bloodshot Reborn finds the former killing machine hiding out in a cheap Colorado motel, using the name Ray Garrison. Ray fills his days with odd jobs and tries to drown out the nights with booze and drugs. Ray hallucinates that both Kay and a diminutive cartoon version of his alter ego called “Bloodsquirt” are his constant companions.
When a string of mass murders by men who look like Bloodshot ensues, Ray reluctantly gets involved. He realizes the nanites that left his body have infected others. Ray begins re-absorbing the nanites, reasoning he’s the only one who can control them. But the more he absorbs the more his humanity slips away.
Diane Festival, an empathic young FBI agent with strong intuition, leads the hunt for the killers, eventually falling onto Ray’s trail. Diane is saddled with an older, male colleague who resents her authority and is mostly not very useful. After Ray kills a nanite-infected white supremacist, he impulsively (possibly unadvisedly) takes the man’s damaged girlfriend, Magic, with him. During a moment of rest, Ray has a massive hallucination involving Bloodsquirt and cartoonish versions of other Valiant characters that brings him to an emotional turning point.
Bloodshot Reborn is an intriguing approach to the character. The set-up is a clever way for writer Jeff Lemire to explore the central tension between Bloodshot’s murderous past and Ray’s fear of embracing his regained humanity. Seeing that second chance slowly ebb away makes for a fascinating character study. Lemire doesn’t shy away from the more brutal aspects of the concept. This is a violent story, but one with an actual purpose that also is uncomfortably reflective of real world events.
Lemire doesn’t let viewers too deep into Ray’s brain, which makes sense, since Ray is running from himself in multiple ways. Instead, he uses the Kay and Bloodsquirt hallucinations as a colorful dramatization of Ray’s inner dialogue. It’s a nice way to use Kay, an appealing character who seemed cut down before her potential had been tapped. Bloodsquirt is an hysterically grotesque creation, both a cutting satire of old school comic book clichés (bad puns abound) and a colorful representation of Bloodshot’s violent id. Agent Festival is an interesting creation, rising above the procedural tropes of her tragic background and stock “resentful older white male who’s not having it, young lady” partner.
Mico Suayan and David Baron handle the art for most of the Colorado arc. They give Bloodshot Reborn a gritty, dark presentation that sets it apart from the brighter work typical in a lot of other Valiant books. They dig into the seediness of Ray’s situation, using shadows and washed out colors to communicate the despair surrounding the damaged soul. Suayan does some really expressive character work that helps sell the drama. He goes with a fairly standard approach to page and panel layout, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Bloodshot Reborn is more a gritty procedural than a widescreen action epic, so that method works for the story. Raul Allen steps in for the Bloodsquirt hallucination, coming up with some wild, inventive visuals that make the interlude pop, complete with some entertaining cartoon versions of familiar Valiant faces and a brighter color palette that provides clear separation from the grounded reality of the main story.
Existing Bloodshot fans will be interested in this intriguing new chapter for the character. It might be a bit of a deep dive for newcomers, who would be advised to seek out the character’s earlier stories before turning to Bloodshot Reborn.
A version of this review originally appeared on www.thunderalleybcp.com
October 17, 2023
Da ne analiziram album po album, probat ću ovdje obuhvatit sve Lemireove Bloodshotove u jednom rivjuu.
Lemirea sam dugo odbijao čitati, općenito, ali sam u nekom trenu dao šansu Black Hammeru njegovom i oduševio se koliko je unutra ubačeno omaževa svim mojim omiljenim runovima superjunačkih stripova iz 80ih i 90ih. Skoro smo isto godište, Lemire je mlađi dvije godine od mene, pa to ima totalno smisla. No pristup koji savršeno funkcionira na serijalu koji je njegov autorski ne funkcionira nužno na franšizi kao što je Bloodshot. Svi citati, svi omaževi, zapravo uglavnom su to horor trope, uopće ne pašu unutar Bloodshota (osim one u Annualu koja je ipak potkrijepljena i povezana sa Bloodshotovom poviješću). Lemireov Bloodshot djeluje kao da su urednici htjeli novi početak serijala (zašto - nemam pojma jer je onaj Duanea Swierczynskog savršeno funkcionirao kao ful nabrijani akcić u čijoj pozadini jest bitno ono što Bloodshot jest kao lik, ali nimalo nije bitno da se sve oko toga vrti nego je više samo pokretač priče, kako obično i karakter lika treba funkcionirati, po meni. Kod Lemirea se sve vrti oko Bloodshotovog porijekla, ali nikada ne dobijemo nikakav zadovoljavajući završetak nego tek komadić misterije koja se nastavlja u nedogled i nikada propisno ne završava, od Colorada pa sve do klimaksa u Bloodshot U.S.A.
Unutar samih epizoda, pokretači priče su uglavnom niz žena u koje je Bloodshot navodno zaljubljen, što ja osobno nisam osjetio (jedino je po meni imalo smisla da mu je stalo do one Geomancerice iz Valiant krosovera jer mu je ona izvadila nanobote iz organizma) i motivacija se svodi na njegovo mačo prekenjavanje u stilu "ne, ti ne smiješ sa mnom u akciju jer ćeš stradati, jedino ja mogu riješiti ovu stvar jer ja sam Bloodshot". Što je fascinantno u ovom dobu emancipacije ženskih likova u popularnim medijima, i istinski fascinantno za nekog tko se fura da je progresivan kao što to Lemire čini. Sve to uzrokuje da pojedini storyarcovi nemaju nikakvu posebnu priču, poruku niti su pretjerano zanimljivi. Osim već pomenutog Annuala mogu još dodati i Analog Man koji počne sa simpatičnim Mad Max: Fury Road omažem, ali do kraja se opet pretvori u nešto što zapravo čitavu postavku priče koja traje tri epizode poništi u jednom bespotrebnom potezu.
Prilično sam siguran da je Lemire rastrgan na previše strana sa silnim projektima i da nije jednostavno imao vremena posvetiti se Bloodshotu kako treba, a možda je i prihvatio posao posla radi i nije pretjerano brijao na samog lika, ali sve to nisu nikakvi izgovori da se praktički upropasti sve do sad izgrađeno na dotičnome naslovu.
Ono što spašava barem djelomično ovaj Lemireov run jesu crtači od kojih je Lewis Larosa definitivno najbolji, a Mico Suayan odmah iza njega. Mico možda nije toliko jak kao crtač u odnosu na Larosu, ali ima meni osobno sjajan tušerski pristup koji je vrlo originalan, pogotovo među Valiant crtačima gdje je uniformnost i prevelika sličnost očigledno stvar kućnog stila. Finale ovog prvog ciklusa solidno je nacrtao pouzdani Doug Braithwaite.
Lemire je, koliko vidim, još neko vrijeme ostao kao glavni scenarist serijala i vjerojatno ću se natjerati pročitati do kraja u nadi da će donijeti nekakav zadovoljavajući završetak, ali ne mogu reći da to iskreno očekujem. Do tad, na svu sreću, ostaje još par drugih Valiantovih naslova koje su pisali Dysart i Kindt, a koji me do sada nisu nimalo razočarali.
Lemirea sam dugo odbijao čitati, općenito, ali sam u nekom trenu dao šansu Black Hammeru njegovom i oduševio se koliko je unutra ubačeno omaževa svim mojim omiljenim runovima superjunačkih stripova iz 80ih i 90ih. Skoro smo isto godište, Lemire je mlađi dvije godine od mene, pa to ima totalno smisla. No pristup koji savršeno funkcionira na serijalu koji je njegov autorski ne funkcionira nužno na franšizi kao što je Bloodshot. Svi citati, svi omaževi, zapravo uglavnom su to horor trope, uopće ne pašu unutar Bloodshota (osim one u Annualu koja je ipak potkrijepljena i povezana sa Bloodshotovom poviješću). Lemireov Bloodshot djeluje kao da su urednici htjeli novi početak serijala (zašto - nemam pojma jer je onaj Duanea Swierczynskog savršeno funkcionirao kao ful nabrijani akcić u čijoj pozadini jest bitno ono što Bloodshot jest kao lik, ali nimalo nije bitno da se sve oko toga vrti nego je više samo pokretač priče, kako obično i karakter lika treba funkcionirati, po meni. Kod Lemirea se sve vrti oko Bloodshotovog porijekla, ali nikada ne dobijemo nikakav zadovoljavajući završetak nego tek komadić misterije koja se nastavlja u nedogled i nikada propisno ne završava, od Colorada pa sve do klimaksa u Bloodshot U.S.A.
Unutar samih epizoda, pokretači priče su uglavnom niz žena u koje je Bloodshot navodno zaljubljen, što ja osobno nisam osjetio (jedino je po meni imalo smisla da mu je stalo do one Geomancerice iz Valiant krosovera jer mu je ona izvadila nanobote iz organizma) i motivacija se svodi na njegovo mačo prekenjavanje u stilu "ne, ti ne smiješ sa mnom u akciju jer ćeš stradati, jedino ja mogu riješiti ovu stvar jer ja sam Bloodshot". Što je fascinantno u ovom dobu emancipacije ženskih likova u popularnim medijima, i istinski fascinantno za nekog tko se fura da je progresivan kao što to Lemire čini. Sve to uzrokuje da pojedini storyarcovi nemaju nikakvu posebnu priču, poruku niti su pretjerano zanimljivi. Osim već pomenutog Annuala mogu još dodati i Analog Man koji počne sa simpatičnim Mad Max: Fury Road omažem, ali do kraja se opet pretvori u nešto što zapravo čitavu postavku priče koja traje tri epizode poništi u jednom bespotrebnom potezu.
Prilično sam siguran da je Lemire rastrgan na previše strana sa silnim projektima i da nije jednostavno imao vremena posvetiti se Bloodshotu kako treba, a možda je i prihvatio posao posla radi i nije pretjerano brijao na samog lika, ali sve to nisu nikakvi izgovori da se praktički upropasti sve do sad izgrađeno na dotičnome naslovu.
Ono što spašava barem djelomično ovaj Lemireov run jesu crtači od kojih je Lewis Larosa definitivno najbolji, a Mico Suayan odmah iza njega. Mico možda nije toliko jak kao crtač u odnosu na Larosu, ali ima meni osobno sjajan tušerski pristup koji je vrlo originalan, pogotovo među Valiant crtačima gdje je uniformnost i prevelika sličnost očigledno stvar kućnog stila. Finale ovog prvog ciklusa solidno je nacrtao pouzdani Doug Braithwaite.
Lemire je, koliko vidim, još neko vrijeme ostao kao glavni scenarist serijala i vjerojatno ću se natjerati pročitati do kraja u nadi da će donijeti nekakav zadovoljavajući završetak, ali ne mogu reći da to iskreno očekujem. Do tad, na svu sreću, ostaje još par drugih Valiantovih naslova koje su pisali Dysart i Kindt, a koji me do sada nisu nimalo razočarali.
October 20, 2015
BLOODSHOT REBORN shows just how good a series reboot can be whilst still maintaining a solid semblance of character continuity.
The opening issue of COLORADO sets the tone for an all new yet familiar hero who claims he's anything but while also introducing Bloodsquirt and Kay as unconventional sidekicks of sorts. Bloodsquirt adds a creepy comedic spin to Bloodshot's typically violent sojourn throughout the Valiant universe, while Kay, the late Geomancer who died fighting the Immortal Enemy in THE VALIANT serves as a reminder to Bloodshot aka Ray Garrison of what he's lost and the broken path of self destruction that's led him to a sleazy hotel in the middle of nowhere.
The middle issues (#2-3) don't do much to progress the story, rather showcasing the violent and brutal side of Bloodshot that readers have come to expect - albeit a slightly skewed take with Project Rising Spirit replica Bloodshots causing murder and mayhem across the US. It's a natural way to progress Bloodshot, as a character from being more than a mortal man to the evolution of the killing machine he's destined to return to.
Agent Festival is a nice addition in the middle of the story arc and adds another dimension that's been strangely absent throughout a lot of the Valiant books - providing a law enforcement element focused on tracking down the 'red circle killer'.
Issue #4 introduces Magic, a little know character who looks set for a big role not just in Bloodshot Reborn but possibly the broader Valiant universe. The narrative teases her influence though the reader only catches a glimpse of her as a damsel in distress of sorts.
Mico Suayan's art on issues #1-4 is flawless and took me back to the first Bloodshot (2012) iteration written by Duane Swierczynski.
Rounding out the arc is the Bloodsquirt feature issue that is a nice change of pace and is a little psychedelic as the Bloodshot is thrust into the world of BloodSquirt. I really liked this more having reread it as part of reading the arc in its entirety. The art here deserves special attention, Raul Allen does a great job at inking a definitive look and feel to the change of pace intermission.
COLORADO is a point of no return for Bloodshot, a very enjoyable introduction to a new path that pays tribute to what's come before and teases the future.
http://justaguythatlikes2read.blogspo...
The opening issue of COLORADO sets the tone for an all new yet familiar hero who claims he's anything but while also introducing Bloodsquirt and Kay as unconventional sidekicks of sorts. Bloodsquirt adds a creepy comedic spin to Bloodshot's typically violent sojourn throughout the Valiant universe, while Kay, the late Geomancer who died fighting the Immortal Enemy in THE VALIANT serves as a reminder to Bloodshot aka Ray Garrison of what he's lost and the broken path of self destruction that's led him to a sleazy hotel in the middle of nowhere.
The middle issues (#2-3) don't do much to progress the story, rather showcasing the violent and brutal side of Bloodshot that readers have come to expect - albeit a slightly skewed take with Project Rising Spirit replica Bloodshots causing murder and mayhem across the US. It's a natural way to progress Bloodshot, as a character from being more than a mortal man to the evolution of the killing machine he's destined to return to.
Agent Festival is a nice addition in the middle of the story arc and adds another dimension that's been strangely absent throughout a lot of the Valiant books - providing a law enforcement element focused on tracking down the 'red circle killer'.
Issue #4 introduces Magic, a little know character who looks set for a big role not just in Bloodshot Reborn but possibly the broader Valiant universe. The narrative teases her influence though the reader only catches a glimpse of her as a damsel in distress of sorts.
Mico Suayan's art on issues #1-4 is flawless and took me back to the first Bloodshot (2012) iteration written by Duane Swierczynski.
Rounding out the arc is the Bloodsquirt feature issue that is a nice change of pace and is a little psychedelic as the Bloodshot is thrust into the world of BloodSquirt. I really liked this more having reread it as part of reading the arc in its entirety. The art here deserves special attention, Raul Allen does a great job at inking a definitive look and feel to the change of pace intermission.
COLORADO is a point of no return for Bloodshot, a very enjoyable introduction to a new path that pays tribute to what's come before and teases the future.
http://justaguythatlikes2read.blogspo...
August 5, 2016
This time I dropped my 3-star reviews to a 2. Because the cover and story featured way too much on Bloodsquirt. I just do not "get" this character. Real or not, I just do not see how he fits into the storyline. I bought the first 11 issues of this series, but I am just now getting to them. I probably would have stopped buying them after I read this one. I will hurry up and finish the 11 issues before I buy the 12th.
Merged review:
Not sure I am crazy about the new direction this series is taking. I am finally getting around to reading this Bloodshot Reborn series. Lots of good action, but the two characters that only Bloodshot can see are driving me nuts. Hopefully this series will get better, as I have bought all the issues up to 11.
Merged review:
Wow, I love comic books but very rarely read 4 of the same comic series in one day. I read Bloodshot Reborn #1 (re-read), then #'s 2, 3, and 4. Love the covers. Love the action. Not crazy about the rest.
Merged review:
Still giving just a 3 star review. I enjoy most of the story, but the imaginary side characters with Bloodshot do not add anything for me. And to me it seems too soon to be bringing back the nanites. After Kay cured Bloodshot, they immediately started a new version of Bloodshot trying to get his nanites back.
So much for Kay's dying gift. Up in the air about how I feel.
Merged review:
Bloodshot is one of my favorite comic book characters. A man of mystery for sure. I have been a fan ever since Bloodshot #1 by Valiant (early 90's????). I love this new reboot version. Gives me all I look for in an action sci-fi comic. As I mentioned in another review, hard to figure who I like more: Bloodshot for Deathlok (Marvel). Both feature military sci-fi soldiers with hi-tech weapons and are cyborg related characters themselves. Both are top notch in my view. A great job on this new start.
Merged review:
Not sure I am crazy about the new direction this series is taking. I am finally getting around to reading this Bloodshot Reborn series. Lots of good action, but the two characters that only Bloodshot can see are driving me nuts. Hopefully this series will get better, as I have bought all the issues up to 11.
Merged review:
Wow, I love comic books but very rarely read 4 of the same comic series in one day. I read Bloodshot Reborn #1 (re-read), then #'s 2, 3, and 4. Love the covers. Love the action. Not crazy about the rest.
Merged review:
Still giving just a 3 star review. I enjoy most of the story, but the imaginary side characters with Bloodshot do not add anything for me. And to me it seems too soon to be bringing back the nanites. After Kay cured Bloodshot, they immediately started a new version of Bloodshot trying to get his nanites back.
So much for Kay's dying gift. Up in the air about how I feel.
Merged review:
Bloodshot is one of my favorite comic book characters. A man of mystery for sure. I have been a fan ever since Bloodshot #1 by Valiant (early 90's????). I love this new reboot version. Gives me all I look for in an action sci-fi comic. As I mentioned in another review, hard to figure who I like more: Bloodshot for Deathlok (Marvel). Both feature military sci-fi soldiers with hi-tech weapons and are cyborg related characters themselves. Both are top notch in my view. A great job on this new start.
June 8, 2020
I've come to the conclusion that Lemire is just a shitty writer. Like, I feel like he tries to be all edgy and clever, but is stuck in the "me man, me goooood" phase of writing. He reminds me of that dude in every writing workshop who thinks he knows better than everyone else because he had one story published by the school's lit mag.
One star for the artwork, which I really liked and called back to old school "classic" comic style.
In any case, this comic is about a poor broken man/machine who used to have nanobots in his blood that made him a super soldier. He hated killing, but was forced to kill by some secret organization. Until, one day, he meets a beautiful sexy gorgeous woman who also happens to be some sort of Avatar-esque bloodbender who removes the nanobots from his blood, thus making him a man again. And then she dies. Because of fucking course she fucking dies. (By the way, Bloodshot's name is Ray and the woman's name is Kay. Yeah.) So, Ray, all wounded and confused and broken moves to Colorado where he takes up the drink and the pills to numb himself out.
It's there, deep in the Rockies, he hears news that there's been a massacre at a theater in Broomfield. So, pause. I looked it up and this comic came out a few years after the Aurora theater massacre and, as someone who was born and raised in Aurora, Colorado, the amount of insensitivity is just ASTOUNDING. What the FUCK was Lemire thinking? "Oh, hurr hurr imma capitalize on an actual tragedy and put it into my comic, it'll be so fucking eddddgy. imma unparalleled genius of writing." I'm disgusted. Is this guy a shitty nosleep writer who thinks it's actually a good thing to capitalize on literal death and tragedy?? Is he going to write shitty creepypastas about how COVID-19 was just a false flag event or actually a biological alien weapon the government was experimenting with? Anyway, this sets off Ray and he starts hallucinating that his dead lover and some wanker named Bloodsquirt are around him (pretty sure he has weird hallucinatory sexy times with Kay). The two hallucinations tell him he needs to find the killer and kill him. But poor Ray doesn't want to kill again!! But he does. He does kill again. And again. And again. These are the stakes, folks.
Cue a series of other violent massacres across Colorado which, in case you didn't know, has a pretty tragic history with gun violence and, yet, Lemire doesn't even touch on this because he's being so super cool and edgy, guys! You can get a gun anywhere in America, guys, and skip the background check if you have enough money. Isn't that cooooooool??? MURICA!!!!!!!!! You'd think a dude who keeps lamenting about not wanting to kill people would say something, anything, about how easy it is to get guns in this country, but I digress. A group of male detectives can't figure out what's going on and pretty much no one is out looking for any suspects so a 23 year old FBI Special Agent who happens to be a wunderkind and joined the FBI when she was SEVENFUCKINGTEEN comes in and takes over the case. What the actual fuck. She's like pretty much every stereotype of a "quirky Millennial" you can think of: she drives a hybrid, wears bright neon green glasses, has blue hair, and is even called "autistic" at one point. Edgy. Cool. Cool cool cool. Also, quick aside, she's eating POPCORN IN THE CRIME SCENE BECAUSE IT'S SO FUCKING COOL AND EDGY AND HURR FUCKING DURR.
She immediately figures out what's going on because of course she does. Meanwhile, Ray is still killing and still not wanting to kill across the state of Colorado. And the last dude he kills has some sweet poor beautiful youngster with him who Ray, despite not wanting to, takes under his wing because of course he does. They escape from the wunderkind FBI agent just in time and hide away at a motel where Bloodshot and the girl have that oh so cliche moment of "I got another room for myself" "oh, you didn't have to, you can stay with me" "no, i shouldn't" "please don't leave me alone" "i have to". Ugh. His hallucinated dead ex lover is all jealous and keeps calling the girl a "slut" who's "damaged goods" despite every fucking person in this goddamn comic being "damaged goods" because, you guessed it, of course she does. Then, through internal monologue, Bloodshot say's already in love in the "kid". Yep, he calls her a kid because she's like half his age BECAUSE OF COURSE SHE FUCKING IS, you can't have a big badass forty something year old military man without giving him a sexy hot twenty year old as a love interest amirite or amirite.
Good fucking god, man, what the fuck?
This was awful awful awful. Like a train wreck I couldn't look away from. Is literally the only prerequisite to being a comic writer being a douchy straight white male who can write nothing other than the most cliched piece of shit drivel in existence? I bet this dude smells his own farts. I'm kinda in awe at how this man has kept a job writing comics and for so long too. It's like an ouroboros of narcissism and conceit where if a dude is condescending and egotistical enough everyone else will start to think he's as good as he says he is. Well, I see through your bullshit, Lemire and I will never, ever read another comic by you again.
One star for the artwork, which I really liked and called back to old school "classic" comic style.
In any case, this comic is about a poor broken man/machine who used to have nanobots in his blood that made him a super soldier. He hated killing, but was forced to kill by some secret organization. Until, one day, he meets a beautiful sexy gorgeous woman who also happens to be some sort of Avatar-esque bloodbender who removes the nanobots from his blood, thus making him a man again. And then she dies. Because of fucking course she fucking dies. (By the way, Bloodshot's name is Ray and the woman's name is Kay. Yeah.) So, Ray, all wounded and confused and broken moves to Colorado where he takes up the drink and the pills to numb himself out.
It's there, deep in the Rockies, he hears news that there's been a massacre at a theater in Broomfield. So, pause. I looked it up and this comic came out a few years after the Aurora theater massacre and, as someone who was born and raised in Aurora, Colorado, the amount of insensitivity is just ASTOUNDING. What the FUCK was Lemire thinking? "Oh, hurr hurr imma capitalize on an actual tragedy and put it into my comic, it'll be so fucking eddddgy. imma unparalleled genius of writing." I'm disgusted. Is this guy a shitty nosleep writer who thinks it's actually a good thing to capitalize on literal death and tragedy?? Is he going to write shitty creepypastas about how COVID-19 was just a false flag event or actually a biological alien weapon the government was experimenting with? Anyway, this sets off Ray and he starts hallucinating that his dead lover and some wanker named Bloodsquirt are around him (pretty sure he has weird hallucinatory sexy times with Kay). The two hallucinations tell him he needs to find the killer and kill him. But poor Ray doesn't want to kill again!! But he does. He does kill again. And again. And again. These are the stakes, folks.
Cue a series of other violent massacres across Colorado which, in case you didn't know, has a pretty tragic history with gun violence and, yet, Lemire doesn't even touch on this because he's being so super cool and edgy, guys! You can get a gun anywhere in America, guys, and skip the background check if you have enough money. Isn't that cooooooool??? MURICA!!!!!!!!! You'd think a dude who keeps lamenting about not wanting to kill people would say something, anything, about how easy it is to get guns in this country, but I digress. A group of male detectives can't figure out what's going on and pretty much no one is out looking for any suspects so a 23 year old FBI Special Agent who happens to be a wunderkind and joined the FBI when she was SEVENFUCKINGTEEN comes in and takes over the case. What the actual fuck. She's like pretty much every stereotype of a "quirky Millennial" you can think of: she drives a hybrid, wears bright neon green glasses, has blue hair, and is even called "autistic" at one point. Edgy. Cool. Cool cool cool. Also, quick aside, she's eating POPCORN IN THE CRIME SCENE BECAUSE IT'S SO FUCKING COOL AND EDGY AND HURR FUCKING DURR.
She immediately figures out what's going on because of course she does. Meanwhile, Ray is still killing and still not wanting to kill across the state of Colorado. And the last dude he kills has some sweet poor beautiful youngster with him who Ray, despite not wanting to, takes under his wing because of course he does. They escape from the wunderkind FBI agent just in time and hide away at a motel where Bloodshot and the girl have that oh so cliche moment of "I got another room for myself" "oh, you didn't have to, you can stay with me" "no, i shouldn't" "please don't leave me alone" "i have to". Ugh. His hallucinated dead ex lover is all jealous and keeps calling the girl a "slut" who's "damaged goods" despite every fucking person in this goddamn comic being "damaged goods" because, you guessed it, of course she does. Then, through internal monologue, Bloodshot say's already in love in the "kid". Yep, he calls her a kid because she's like half his age BECAUSE OF COURSE SHE FUCKING IS, you can't have a big badass forty something year old military man without giving him a sexy hot twenty year old as a love interest amirite or amirite.
Good fucking god, man, what the fuck?
This was awful awful awful. Like a train wreck I couldn't look away from. Is literally the only prerequisite to being a comic writer being a douchy straight white male who can write nothing other than the most cliched piece of shit drivel in existence? I bet this dude smells his own farts. I'm kinda in awe at how this man has kept a job writing comics and for so long too. It's like an ouroboros of narcissism and conceit where if a dude is condescending and egotistical enough everyone else will start to think he's as good as he says he is. Well, I see through your bullshit, Lemire and I will never, ever read another comic by you again.
October 27, 2018
Bloodshot é o Justiceiro do Universo Valiant. A editora Valiant foi fundada no final da década de 80, pelo ex-editor chefe da Marvel, Jim Shooter. Na década de 2010 passou por um reformulação em que reapresentou seus personagens aos leitores. Em 2016 foi comprada por uma multinacional chinesa que alçou a Valiant para os cinemas, prometendo um filme de Bloodshot estrelado por Vin Diesel. Mas quando eu falo que o Bloodshot é o Justiceiro da Valiant, não falo somente nas suas características de personagem, falo também nos inúmeros volumes de sua revista e inúmeras versões que o personagem já teve (mesmo nesse curto tempo de 10 anos). Este, Renascido, é seu último volume até então e lida com Bloodshot em busca dos nanitas (aqui grafados como nanites) que o tornavam mais que um homem, uma máquina de matar. Então, Bloodshot vira mesmo um Justiceiro. Uma máquina de matar sem poderes de regeneração e agilidades avançados. Só que ao invés da caveira na blusa é um círculo vermelho sangrante. Ele começa a delirar no melhor estilo HAPPY!, de Grant Morrison, quando imagina seu parceirinho, o Bloodmirim e sua amada morta, Kay, a mesma mulher que retirou seu instinto assassino e seus poderes. O roteiro de Jeff Lemire não convence muito, é mais uma história sem graça do Justiceiro genérico, com várias 'homenagens" a outras coisas já feitas com ou sem o Justiceiro. A arte de Mico Suayan é cheia de detalhes e isso pode ser bom para uma história ou duas, ou em uma capa, mas fica cansativo num encaderndo quase inteiro. Boa mesmo é a arte digital de Raúl Allén, na última história, quando a coisa começa realmente a ficar interessante e, então... acaba! PUF! Gosto muito da Valiant Comics, mas Bloodshot sempre foi a parte que eu menos gostei desse universo exatamente por sua semelhança com o Justiceiro e também ao Wolverine: duas máquinas burras de matar. Mas tem quem curta matança, não é mesmo. Pelo menos metade da população brasileira que vota em Bolsonaro. Só não gosta de matança quando é na sua casa, assim como todo amante do grim'n'gritty dos quadrinhos.
July 13, 2017
This is a gritty story about a character who is forced to return to what he once was, a killing machine, to prevent other people getting hurt. He is afraid of his eventual transformation because he can't control the bloodthirsty nanites in his blood. His fear builds an elaborate two-sided hallucination, not unlike a devil-angel combo. He tries to side with the good in him, but what happens when the two agree is pretty fun to see.
Bloodshot got his nanites removed from his body while he was defending Kay, the Geomancer. Now a normal human with constant nightmares of his past, he assumes the identity of Ray Garrison and starts work at a motel in exchange for a room. The news shows a man involved in a mass shooting. The killer looks just like Bloodshot did before the nanites were removed, so the latter decides to arm himself a go after the killer. Bloodshot feels guided by the nanites and by two hallucinations in the form of Kay and a cartoon Bloodshot.
Bloodshot got his nanites removed from his body while he was defending Kay, the Geomancer. Now a normal human with constant nightmares of his past, he assumes the identity of Ray Garrison and starts work at a motel in exchange for a room. The news shows a man involved in a mass shooting. The killer looks just like Bloodshot did before the nanites were removed, so the latter decides to arm himself a go after the killer. Bloodshot feels guided by the nanites and by two hallucinations in the form of Kay and a cartoon Bloodshot.
March 12, 2020
Bloodshot Reborn Vol. 1 : Colorado, by Jeff Lemire, with artist Mico Suayan, colorist David Barron, and letterer Dave Lanphear. Published by Valiant Entertainment (2015).
This is the first volume of a relaunch of Bloodshot (soon to be a motion picture starring Groot) by writer extraordinaire Jeff Lemire, following the big Armor Hunters Valiant crossover of 2014, and The Valiant mini.
Bloodshot has been freed from the nanites which gave him his powers, and controlled his mind. So he’s now just a normal bloke, Ray, working as a handyman in a Colorado motel, haunted by his past, plagued with visions.
And, right there in the opening everyday pages, Jeff Lemire already manages to build one of his trademark creepy atmospheres, served by lively detailed art. When news report a mass shooting committed by a man in white with a red circle, the creepy factor goes up. « Ray » decides to go after the killer (with imaginary friends tagging along), and the FBI gets involved (with a psychic special agent).
It’s more an horror title than what Bloodshot was before, and the Twin Peaks references don’t help with that feeling. It’s less formulaic, and is pretty much excellent. Jeff Lemire is always a sure bet.
This is the first volume of a relaunch of Bloodshot (soon to be a motion picture starring Groot) by writer extraordinaire Jeff Lemire, following the big Armor Hunters Valiant crossover of 2014, and The Valiant mini.
Bloodshot has been freed from the nanites which gave him his powers, and controlled his mind. So he’s now just a normal bloke, Ray, working as a handyman in a Colorado motel, haunted by his past, plagued with visions.
And, right there in the opening everyday pages, Jeff Lemire already manages to build one of his trademark creepy atmospheres, served by lively detailed art. When news report a mass shooting committed by a man in white with a red circle, the creepy factor goes up. « Ray » decides to go after the killer (with imaginary friends tagging along), and the FBI gets involved (with a psychic special agent).
It’s more an horror title than what Bloodshot was before, and the Twin Peaks references don’t help with that feeling. It’s less formulaic, and is pretty much excellent. Jeff Lemire is always a sure bet.
October 9, 2020
This is a soft relaunch of Bloodshot (but not a reboot, since the continuity still stands.)
It’s great! A huge improvement and much more mature than previous Bloodshot books. Mico Suayan’s art is next level, and Jeff Lemire is perfect for this title. There are definitely some Wolverine/Punisher vibes, but this is also very much an original work.
I really can’t wait to continue the run!!
It’s great! A huge improvement and much more mature than previous Bloodshot books. Mico Suayan’s art is next level, and Jeff Lemire is perfect for this title. There are definitely some Wolverine/Punisher vibes, but this is also very much an original work.
I really can’t wait to continue the run!!
June 28, 2019
Bloodshot víc ve stylu Moon Knighta. Oproti Bloodshot Salvation minimálně o úroveň lepší (stejně bych se ale do Rebornu nevrhal bez alespoň první přečtené Deluxky základního Bloodshota, další díly ni Unity jsem nečetl).
June 8, 2017
Creepy, weird, twisty. Why are we are where we are? So many cool questions raised!
July 11, 2017
3edgy5me
December 25, 2015
This is easily one of my favorite stories from Lemire, and every Valiant reader needs to be picking this one up. Following the events of The Valiant, Lemire transforms Bloodshot into a sad, drug addled, hallucinating, depressed Punisher figure, and pits him up against a series of domestic terrorist infected by his old nanite pals. The Die-Hard, action movie flavor of the old Bloodshot series is replaced with a more artsy, psychological aesthetic, which in my opinion, is a totally refreshing take on the character. Bloodshot's JTHM style hallucinatory companions are constantly pushing the character back towards his old roots, while he deludes himself into thinking he might just be more than a killing machine.
Bloodshot was a (mostly) fun book, with some dumb actions and popcorn plots. Bloodshot Reborn is a powerful work of fiction, with strong themes and the potential to be Valiant's new number one ongoing. I highly recommend this one, and if you were a fan of Swierczynski's run, do yourself a favor and try to go into this one with an open mind.
Bloodshot was a (mostly) fun book, with some dumb actions and popcorn plots. Bloodshot Reborn is a powerful work of fiction, with strong themes and the potential to be Valiant's new number one ongoing. I highly recommend this one, and if you were a fan of Swierczynski's run, do yourself a favor and try to go into this one with an open mind.
January 31, 2016
2.5 stars. I was left a little unimpressed really. I expected more after reading Valiant, the story isn't very thrilling or exciting. I felt the writing from Lemire could of been better, there was a lot of repetition and enough progression. The art was mostly good but the cartoon additions of blood squirt where jarring and out of place compared to the gritty detailed drawings. Blood squirt as a whole was really annoying even if that was the point, I didn't enjoy him at all.
Spoilers/recap:
So bloodshot is human again after the Valiant book and living in the dumps. A series of killings bring him to the realization he wants his old life again, pretty boring. He starts to crack and begins seeing things like his old love and bloodsquirt. after killing a few people who have the nanites he discovers blood squirt is the nanites talking to him. He finds a hopeless girl named magic and brings her with him on his quest? a quest for what ? we don't exactly know because if he gets more nanites he will be more bloodshot than human, I dont think he even knows what direction to go...
Spoilers/recap:
So bloodshot is human again after the Valiant book and living in the dumps. A series of killings bring him to the realization he wants his old life again, pretty boring. He starts to crack and begins seeing things like his old love and bloodsquirt. after killing a few people who have the nanites he discovers blood squirt is the nanites talking to him. He finds a hopeless girl named magic and brings her with him on his quest? a quest for what ? we don't exactly know because if he gets more nanites he will be more bloodshot than human, I dont think he even knows what direction to go...
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