In the Bloodshot Free Comic Book Day 2019 Special, the first thing you notice is that colorist Diego Rodriquez favors pastels. New York City looks so soft and inviting on a snowy day. But trouble is coming!
The second thing we see is this closeup of what looks like a framed certificate. Only the glass is broken, revealing a difference of how the light plays through the glass shards and the white (or off-white) paper.
Oh, and both are different from the surrounding snow, which is even more white. But also blue!
The next panel is even more interesting. With the lights off in the building, the interior looks monochromatic. Only the outside shows a little color from the inside-looking-out.
Only in the next panels do we finally realize what's happening. The three are not staring at a framed document lying in the snow. They are staring at a photo on a cellphone. What we thought was broken glass is actually ice on the screen.
I like how all the background colors are muted and blurred in these panels, as we are focused upon the trio. And yet, the pinpoint of pink to the right in the second panel suggests someone--or something--is coming.
Here's an interesting panel of Bloodshot Vision. The red circuit background shows us that we're listening in on Bloodshot tracking all these radio signals via his nanites. The tinges of color on his face remind us that he's very Human, even though the nanites are in full operating mode, and have changed his skin white.
The subtle glow Diego Rodriguez adds around the phone is a nice touch most of us would never notice.
While Diego Rodriguez colors the bottom panel beautifully in pastels, the way he colors the fuel draining out of the ruptured tank draws my eye immediately. It is only after that that I notice the sparks coming from the broken wire, and realize what is coming.
From the explosion and resultant cloud of smoke, to all the snow the skidding motorcycles are kicking up, Diego Rodriguez colors it all subtly yet powerfully. Even the tire shooting off the exploding motorcycle looks pink/red, as it reflects the furnace from which it has been hurled.
Need I go on? Diego Rodriguez has colored this short issue beautifully. Every panel is nuanced, and a piece of art in itself. Great job, Diego! Really nicely done!
Dragon Dave
The Bloodshot FCBD 2019 Special is included in Bloodshot Book One.
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