Bloodshot #2 (2019) - Valiant Entertainment
Written by Tim Seeley
Art by Brett Booth
Inks by Adelso Corona
Colors by Andrew Dalhouse
Letters by Dave Sharpe
Cover by Declan Shalvey
We have seen indestructible heroes in trouble before, whether it's in comics, tv or movies. You usually don't see them on fire multiple times though. In Bloodshot, it seems like a great way to start an issue. After the insane battle that happened in the first issue, I decided to go ahead and review this second issue to see how things would progress. So the manhunt continues in Bloodshot #2 (2019) from Valiant Entertainment.
If you read the first issue, you know that Bloodshot is being hunted down by a group of individuals equipped and chosen specifically to bring Bloodshot in. That didn't work out for many of them in the first issue. That doesn't mean that they will just give up. While that battle continues, we also see General Grayle fulfill a promise that he made to Bloodshot in the first issue. This is something that could have easily been bypassed in this issue, but had much more meaning than I would have expected. There was a lot of humanizing in this issue on both sides, but a ton of just next level crazy action in between. Bloodshot pulls himself together (literally and figuratively) several times until he finally faces off with General Grayle himself. How that showdown eventually concludes was very unexpected and led to a very interesting final page. Where the story goes from here, given the objective of the mission, could be a real turning point in the overall story.
The balance between crazy cool action sequences and drama by Seeley is really taken up a notch in this second issue. There were some very real moments in the first issue, but they were much more effective this time around. It certainly seems like that was by design, and really does set up the final moments of this latest issue well. Being an artist on this book has to be a blast. Seeing all of the things that are happening from page to page, I would be incredibly psyched to draw what's in this script. We, as readers, have experienced the more emotional Bloodshot stories and also the ones purely focused on the action aspect. This new book seems to blend those two worlds in a way that makes this a "top of the pile" kind of read. Keeping this kind of balance going will be tricky, but this creative team is definitely off to a great start.
RATING: PULL / BUY