Bloodshot #12 Review: Coloring

 

Bloodshot #12 Pre-Order Cover by Jim Towe

Apart from the Bloodshot story in Valiant's Free Comic Book Day 2019 Issue, colorist Andrew Dalhouse has been with this series since the beginning. That's a point of continuity I really appreciate, given all the disruptions caused by the pandemic. Now, as this series (at least for now) draws to its conclusion, we can enjoy Andrew's coloring this final time.

 

Unlike colorist Ruth Redmond on the X-O Manowar series, Andrew Dalhouse colors our favorite Visigoth less brightly. Instead of going bold, he goes for nuance. I just can't believe how much shading he builds into Shanhara, as well as all the reflections and highlights. It looks less like Aric's armor than the strands of muscle that lay beneath the 5th Century Visigoth's skin. 

Shanhara may be sentient, but in this panel, Andrew brings the alien armor to life.

 

Here's another interesting comparison. The world outside the building Mr. Tull and his conspirators are in is vibrant and colorful.

 

Inside, the only color in the room comes from the TV. It seems like a comment on the richness and diversity that democracy brings to our world. Those powerful few, who wish to control everything around them, seem bland and uninteresting.

 

 

By comparison, all we need is this snippet of Rampage to see how much his mission has enriched his life. Unlike Mr. Tull, he genuinely wishes to bring peace and tranquility to the world. He's even taken on a new name: Harmony. 

He may not be right about the best manner of uniting Humanity, but in Andrew Dalhouse's hands, he seems like a metaphor for government leaders who wow the masses with charm and vivacity.

Here's one last example of Andrew Dalhouse's talents. While the underwater facility Bloodshot and company are in has blue interior lighting, an attack sends Ray reeling. This red cast to the panel takes us immediately inside Bloodshot, and lets us know how he's feeling. Perhaps that's one reason color comics have triumphed over their Black & White cousins: they help us form an emotional link more easily with the heroes we admire.

In Bloodshot #12, colorist Andrew Dalhouse give us one last shot of the richness and depth he has contributed to the current series. Readers and fans are in his debt.

Dragon Dave