Bloodshot Salvation #1 –
Valiant Comics
Written by Jeff Lemire
Art by Lewis LaRosa & Mico Suayan
Colors by Brian Reber
Letters by Simon Bowland
There are certain characters in the comic book world that I feel do not get enough credit. Bloodshot is near, or at the top, of that list for me. Especially given the evolution of the character by Jeff Lemire, over the years we have seen so many sides to him. This may be the most different side yet, and possibly the most difficult. Here are my early thoughts on Bloodshot Salvation.
Since this book isn’t out for another month or so, there is plenty that I don’t want to spoil for you. If you’ve read past issues, what I can tell you is that this book very much deals with Bloodshot and his family dynamic. There are certain choices he has to make, and what those are will very much shape the fabric of the story going forward. We also have two interconnecting stories going on here, past and some time in the future. It’s not quite clear if that future is the present, but I’m sure we will soon find out. This is just as much of a Magic story as it is a Bloodshot story in that regard, and that is about as much as I can tell you. If you’re a Bloodshot fan, you know how much he has been trying to escape his past lately, and that is very much a main focal point of this story. There is a sad and somewhat shocking reveal in this book dealing with Bloodshot’s family, that I am very interested to see go forward and I hope becomes a main theme of the story in later issues.
Lemire has always brought a lot of raw emotion with his Bloodshot books, but this one will hit you on another level. The increased focus on family, and wanting that happy ending for the characters, really brings you into the story as the events unfold. At the same time, while the evil element is evil, there is also a sense of what could be avoided for Bloodshot as well. Throwing that into the mix adds something new to the story, and gives it a fresh angle. Speaking of fresh, the look that LaRosa and Suayan bring is a flowing, almost brushstroke-like feel that really works in the context of the story that Lemire is telling. The colors by Reber also help bring the raw emotional moments to life. Perfect combinations like this are what keeps me coming back to Bloodshot books, and with a feature film also on the horizon, I hope many more people will see this character as one of the best that comics has to offer right now.
RATING: PULL / BUY