Monday, September 11, 2023

Bloodshot #0 (2013) Retro Review


 

 

Writer: Matt Kindt

Art: Crisscross

Colors: Moose Baumann

Letterer: Dave Sharpe

Cover Artist: Dave Bullock

Price: $3.99

Release Date: August 21, 2013

 

Bloodshot is the ultimate killing machine. But what's his history? Let's leap into Bloodshot #0 and find out!

 

Story

Scientists created Bloodshot. They infused him with the memories of dying soldiers. There was just one problem. Anyone who stood in his way died.

 

The military hired Rees to give Bloodshot a conscience. Through Rees, we learn the scale of the Bloodshot project and some of its history. Although Bloodshot #0 begins in 1992--when Bloodshot comics first hit the stands--it shows how Bloodshot evolved into the person he was in 2013, when the new era of Valiant Comics began.

 

Bloodshot Action figure from the Valiant Store

 

 

Art

Crisscross delivers bracing action and realistic portrayals in Bloodshot #0. Characters inhabit compelling landscapes and buildings. We see office clutter, Bloodshot leaping from a helicopter, and the assassination attempt on Ronald Reagan. Layouts give good panel flow, and composition builds smaller panels into something more.

 

Moose Baumann's vibrant colors enhance nanite-infested laboratories and battlefields. We inhabit military operations and quiet assassinations. Perhaps the violence and carnage convey too much realism, but by its nature, Bloodshot is a violent book.

 

Dave Sharpe's sound effects help us hear gunfire, crashing helicopters, and missiles racing toward their targets. White dialogue balloons contain readable black uppercase text. Sharpe conveys Kindt's narrative-driven story as hand-written entries on a lined, yellow legal pad. These narrative boxes are usually smaller than a postage stamp. One narrative box contained six sentences. Do you know all the fine print that no one ever reads because it's too tiresome? You'll spend your precious "relaxation time" reading it in Bloodshot #0!

 

Final Thoughts

A researcher tries to program a living weapon with a conscience in Bloodshot #0. Does he succeed? Read later issues and find out!

 

Rating 8/10

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