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

Forthcoming Valiant Novels

 

 

VALIANT ENTERTAINMENT AND BLACKSTONE PUBLISHING ANNOUNCE INAGUARAL TITLES AND AUTHORS FOR JOINT NOVEL VENTURE

Valiant Entertainment and Blackstone Publishing are proud to announce the inaugural titles in their trade publishing program. The newly created Valiant imprint will feature all new stories with some of Valiant's most popular and beloved characters.

 
BLOODSHOT: AWAKENING

 

 

Fred Van Lente, an award-winning New York Times-bestseller who has previously worked on Valiant's Archer & Armstrong, will be reimagining Valiant's blockbuster character in this young adult novel as an eighteen-year-old who wakes up in a laboratory with no memory of who he is or why he has such incredible powers. Breaking out of his imprisonment with nanite-powered blood, Angelo finds himself on the run, trying to piece together his memories and fight back against the sinister forces chasing him.

 

 

SHADOWMAN: THE ABYSS STARES BACK

 

 

Debut novelist Shola Adedeji dives into the shadow world of New Orleans in this terrifying new take on Shadowman. Jack Boniface returns to New Orleans after being away for years because his father has died. Jack tries to reacclimate himself to his hometown, but things have changed so much. There seem to be dark forces at work. And then Jack finds out that his father was The Shadowman, a supernatural warrior. Jack now finds himself pulled into a much larger, terrifying world, and must assume his father’s mantle.

 

 

 

LIVEWIRE: CIRCUIT BREAKER

 

 

Author of the Effigies book series Sarah Raughley electrifies with a new story starring Livewire. This young adult novel is about a teen girl who has lived in foster care for most of her life. She becomes the ward of the incredibly wealthy Toyo Harada, only to discover that he has nefarious plans for her technopathic powers (and the world).

 

 

 

THE ETERNAL WARRIOR: SERVANTS OF THE DEAD

 

 

Ari Marmell, who has written for Star Wars, Dungeons & Dragons, and Magic: The Gathering, travels through the centuries with The Eternal Warrior. In this epic that spans hundreds of years, culminating with a battle in the streets of modern-day New York City, Gilad Anni-Padda finds that the mistakes made generations earlier continue to haunt him, and must battle to save his soul and the entire world itself.

 

 

Fred Pierce, Valiant’s Publisher, commented, "We're very excited for this new partnership with Blackstone Publishing. Here at Valiant Entertainment, our focus has always been on strong storytelling and excellent character development. Those elements aren't exclusive to comics so having the chance to explore the Valiant Universe in other forms of publishing is always a thrill for us."
 
Rick Bleiweiss, Blackstone’s Head of New Business Development, added, “I am so pleased that we are going to be publishing Valiant’s fabulous comic book characters in newly written full novels. I know that their existing fan base will love these books and stories, and it will give many more people exposure to the worlds and figures Valiant has created that so many of their ardent followers regularly enjoy.”

 

 

Brendan Deneen, Blackstone’s Director of Media, TV, & Film and an editor at the company, is running point on the publishing program. “I’m excited to have worked with the Valiant team to find the perfect prose authors for these books and develop exhilarating takes for this amazing comics library. This is a great chance to bring in new readers to the Valiant Universe while also staying true to what makes these characters so iconic in the first place.”

That's the latest from Valiant HQ. Have a great day, and stay Valiant, my friends!

 

About DMG Entertainment
DMG Entertainment is a global media and entertainment company based in Beverly Hills, CA. Founded by Dan Mintz, the company portfolio has grown to include diverse holdings across film, television, comic book publishing, gaming, and location-based entertainment. Operating as both a production and distribution entity, DMG Entertainment is best known for films such as Looper and Iron Man 3, and the #1 box-office release of Bloodshot feature starring Vin Diesel.
About Valiant Entertainment
 
Valiant Entertainment, a subsidiary of DMG Entertainment, founded by Dan Mintz, is a leading character-based entertainment company that owns and controls the third most extensive library of superheroes behind Marvel and DC. With more than 90 million issues sold and a library of over 2,000 characters, including X-O Manowar, Bloodshot, Harbinger, Shadowman, Archer & Armstrong, and many more, Valiant is one of the most successful publishers in the history of the comic book medium. 
 
About Blackstone Publishing
 
Founded in 1987, Blackstone continues to pioneer new and creative ways to bring stories to life. With multiple New York Times Best Sellers, Grammy award-winning audio productions, and three books placed on the New York Times Best Books of the Year list, Blackstone has firmly positioned itself as one of America's fastest growing and respected publishing houses. A truly independent, privately owned publisher, with offices on both coasts, Blackstone is home to a vibrant and eclectic community of storytellers and story lovers, offering hundreds of new titles each month to its catalog of 19,000+ books. The authors published are as varied as the books themselves, with works by some of the biggest names in literature including Gabriel García Márquez, Ayn Rand, Ian Fleming, George Orwell, Robert Heinlein, James Clavell, as well as more contemporary authors like Neil deGrasse Tyson, Karin Slaughter, Robert Downey Jr., Jeneva Rose, Norman Reedus, and many more.
 
 

Brendan Deneen Director of Media, TV and Film Blackstone Publishing (800) 378-1304 x1084 BlackstonePublishing.com

 

 

Bloodshot Unleashed #4 Review

 

Bloodshot Unleashed #4 by Jon Davis-Hunt

WARNING: BLOODSHOT UNLEASHED #4 BREAKS SUPERHERO COMICS CONVENTIONS BY INCLUDING FOUL LANGUAGE INSTEAD OF SUGGESTING IT THROUGH USE OF SYMBOLS. READ AHEAD AT YOUR OWN RISK.

 

Bloodshot Unleashed #4 finally relates what occurred to separate Bloodshot from his family. It showcases our hero's cataclysmic battle with a man called Hobbes or Verlane. And it introduces a new penciler to the Valiant family. So let's dig into the latest installment in the ongoing saga of the super-soldier known as Ray Garrison, or as we like to call him, Bloodshot!

Lettering: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou does his usual brilliant job of relating the story through words. The dialogue and Bloodshot's inner-narrator are mostly uppercase and easy to read. The sound effects are colorful and demand our attention.

Overall, the lettering seems more polished and pleasing to the eye than in previous issues.

Coloring: Jordie Bellaire continues her simple color scheme for this series. While she may not have added much nuance aside from the initial color-flatting stage, her colors in this issue avoid looking drab and muddy. They look clear and vibrant. 

At times, they're even downright trippy.

Penciling/Inking: Newcomer Eric Zawadzki imbues every scene with classic illustration that, like Jordie's coloring, conveys emotion and action well. His characters have depth and realism. The war scenes are particularly effective.

The way he relates Verlane's worldview may even make longtime readers smile.

Story. Writer Deniz Camp blends past and present to give readers a combined issue #0 and #4. While readers may find this mix confusing at times, the way he relates Verlane's inner struggle give readers a solid line to grasp. He shows us a wiser and more hopeful Bloodshot than we met in issue #1, and reveals the compassionate side of our hero.

I'll confess I don't understand some of the logic underlying this issue, as well as how it relates to the series. Sadly, this final issue leaves me with more questions than answers. Perhaps those answers will be addressed if Valiant produces another story arc of Bloodshot Unleashed. 

Also, while I hate to be negative about any Valiant comic, I must admit that I dislike the repeated use of the F word in a superhero comic. Likewise, I find the ongoing theme of battlefield cannibalism distasteful. Perhaps such things do go on in war. Still, I don't wish to immerse myself in it on an ongoing series.

 

Conclusion: Despite its defects (or aspects of the story I don't appreciate), I like how Bloodshot seems more proactive in Bloodshot Unleashed #4. He's a thinking, calculated strategist who's not merely throwing himself into the gunfire, and expecting his nanites to outlast his opponent's ammunition. Story-wise, I appreciate this issue's themes of sacrifice and redemption. I find this issue's art and lettering appealing.

I just wish I understood how all the story segments--in this issue, and in the series as a whole--fit together. As this first story arc of Bloodshot Unleashed draws to a close, I find myself on the outside-looking-in, an interested observer of this ferocious tale of trauma, heartache, and redemption. 

Bloodshot Unleashed #4 comes out tomorrow. Buy a copy sporting your favorite cover, and tell me what you think.

Dragon Dave

Merry Christmas

 

"On the first day of Christmas,

My true love gave to me,

Smiling Santa on a plate,

As a tasty cookie."

 

Merry Christmas, all you Valiant super-soldiers!

Bloodshot Virgin Art by Jon Davis-Hunt

 

Bloodshot Unleashed #4 Cover A by Jon Davis-Hunt

 

Here's a final virgin art reveal for Bloodshot Unleashed from Valiant Entertainment. As before, Cover A belongs to artist Jon Davis-Hunt. Only this time out, Jon has opted not to do the interior art. So he's handed over his pencils to fellow artist Eric Zawadzki. 

While we look forward to seeing how Eric will visualize this fourth and final issue, we have one last image of Bloodshot from Jon to feast our eyes upon. We may not know much about this character Hobbes that Bloodshot is fighting. Still, from the way he's interrupting Bloodshot's breakfast, we can tell he's a baddie. After all, only a true villain interrupts a hard-working man's breakfast!

Wednesday, December 28th. Five more days. Bloodshot, you'd better eat an extra-large dinner on Tuesday night!

Dragon Dave

Bloodshot Unleashed #4 Unlettered Preview Pages

 

Bloodshot Unleashed #4 Pre-Order Virgin Art by Chris Burnham

We learned that Bloodshot's wife and daughter had died in Bloodshot Unleashed #1. No, I'm not talking about his wife Gina. That's his wife in the Bloodshot movie. Okay, she died at the beginning of the movie, but then...

Hey, if you haven't seen Vin Diesel's Bloodshot movie, go see it! It's awesome!!

No, I'm talking about Magic, the woman who writer Jeff Lemire brought into his life in the series Bloodshot Reborn. In Lemire's sequel series, Bloodshot Salvation, their daughter Jessie played a central role. Then of course, there was also Bloodhound, who is completely unrelated to the Target dog. He's pretty cool too. In fact, he's the focus of an entire issue of Bloodshot Salvation!

Ruff ruff!

Anyway, back to Bloodshot Unleashed. Writer Deniz Camp recently released four unlettered preview pages for Bloodshot Unleashed #4 online. I thought I'd share them with you, in case you missed them. Enjoy!

Is it truly Game Over for all of Jeff Lemire's super characters? Or do they all just appear to be dead? I guess we'll find out on December 28th, when we all head out to our local comic shops for our post-Christmas Bloodshot fix!

Dragon Dave

Bloodshot Virgin Art from Chris Burnham

 

Bloodshot Unleashed #4 Pre-Order Cover by Chris Burnham

Here's another great virgin art reveal from the great folks at Valiant. This time it's from artist Chris Burnham. It showcases one of the hallmarks of this latest Bloodshot series: the character's incredible healing abilities. It's also true to the coloring scheme of this series, with an emphasis on black, white and red.

Is an explosive end for our hero in sight? Could this be the last time we see Bloodshot? I guess we'll all find out together on Wednesday December 28th, when we pick up our copies at our local comic shops!

Dragon Dave

Bloodshot Virgin Art by Nino Cammarata

Bloodshot Unleashed #4 Cover C by Nino Cammarata

Wondering what the next (and apparently, final) issue of Bloodshot Unleashed will be about? Here's the scoop, from the good folks at Valiant Entertainment.

A bloody blast from the past! In the present, Bloodshot must track down Verlane, a "spent shell" experiencing nightmarish visions of his past being pursued by the authorities. In the past, Bloodshot has the fight of his life against Hobbes*, exploring what occurred prior to the events of issue #1 to shatter Bloodshot's family and home. Two escaped weapons. Two timelines. One epic issue! 

Ever get depressed after Christmas is over? Thankfully, this issue arrives at your local comic shop Dec 28, 2022. So ask the folks at your shop to order a copy for you. That way, you'll have something to look forward to after all the seasonal fun, festivities, and family time ends!

 

To further whet your appetite for their final nanite-powered outing of 2022, Valiant has released the virgin art for Nino Cammarata's cover for Bloodshot Unleashed #4. Use it as a background on your phone. Print it out and tape it to your fridge. Glue a small print of it to cardboard and hang it on your Christmas tree. It's all part of the holiday fun, thanks to the good folks at Valiant HQ!

Dragon Dave

 

P.S. What happened to Calvin? Come on, you can tell me. I can take it! What happened to Calvin???

 

Bloodshot & X-O Manowar: Mission Briefing

 

Bloodshot Action Figure Variant Cover

If you're like me, you had trouble navigating all the back-and-forth between X-O Manowar and Bloodshot's church visit and their earlier meetup in the Bloodshot Unleashed #3 preview pages. So here's that earlier conference in chronological order. Enjoy!

 

End of mission briefing. Any questions? 

Dismissed.

Let the worship service begin! Rock on Bloodshot Unleashed #3!

Dragon Dave

P.S. If you want to see the Preview Pages as originally laid out, flip back to my earlier post.

Farewell Jason David Frank

 

Actor Jason David Frank was an actor and martial artist. Although familiar to most Sci-fi fans from Power Rangers, I really only knew him as Bloodshot in the web series Ninjak Vs the Valiant Universe. While the series mostly focused on Ninjak, Jason David Frank's Bloodshot fought in hand-to-hand combat, and flew a fighter jet. 

I wish the short web series had benefited from a larger budget, and given all the actors a better chance to shine. I wish I could have seen Jason David Frank and the entire cast reunite for a sequel series. I wish...

Jason David Frank left us yesterday, at the all-too-young age of 49. 

Farewell, Bloodshot. 

We will miss you, Jason David Frank.

Dragon Dave

Bloodshot Unleashed #3 Review

 

Bloodshot Unleashed #3 Cover A by Jon Davis-Hunt

Bloodshot Unleashed #3 begins with a bang, combining snake-handling in an old wooden church with alien infestation. It's something out of an ordinary soldier's strategy book, which calls for a warrior with extraterrestrial abilities. Thankfully, X-O Manowar--the son of a 5th Century Visigoth king, who once co-opted a suit of sentient armor from the aliens who kidnapped him--is on the case. 

Still, not even the legendary Aric of Dacia can tackle these particular aliens alone. Thus, he turns to Ray Garrison, the supersoldier named Bloodshot. Together, these two extraordinary warriors join forces to combat this potential world-ending threat.

 

 

Deniz Camp's introduction is complicated, as he intersperses X-O Manowar and Bloodshot attending church with their earlier conference. Following this dual narrative is made more difficult by Bloodshot's commentary, presented in red bordered narrative boxes. 

After they leave church, and approach the source of the alien infestation, the action gets easier to follow.

 

 

While Bloodshot follows awesome X-O Manowar's lead in this adventure, he experiences more reality glitches. These scenes remind us of the son Project Rising Spirit invented as a means of controlling him, as related in the last issue. They also remind us of how Rising Spirit Technologies manipulated his memories to control him in the Bloodshot movie starring Vin Diesel. 

In Bloodshot Unleashed #3, a pregnant woman keeps our hero company as he fights at excellent X-O's side. Combined with Bloodshot's earlier assertion (in Bloodshot Unleashed #2) that the nanites are ordering him around, one wonders if the tiny robots living inside him have formed a gestalt or hive mind. 

 

 

If so, what are the nanites trying to tell him? Perhaps that he's relied on them too much, and they're tired of how often he forces them to repair the damage he constantly inflicts upon his body? Well, Bloodshot is an experiment, a fusion of man and machine. In this series, the machines are definitely talking back.

Jon Davis-Hunt's penciling seems akin to a 1970s underground style. Colorist Jordie Bellaire drenches his compositions in gray, beige, and red. What their collaboration lacks in depth and realism will nonetheless excite those who yearn for ample helpings of blood, gore, and over-the-top graphic violence.

 

 

As always, Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou finds new ways to express the full range of human vocal utterances. Lower case lettering, colored words, and even (in the case of mighty X-O Manowar) lightning-bolts arc from dialogue balloons. Thankfully, these innovations only occasionally tax the eyes, unlike the lettering in some books which use elegant fonts, or sizes that start small and diminish further to differentiate ordinary speech from murmurs and whispers.

 

 

Bloodshot Unleashed #3 delivers an out-of-this-world team-up with two of Valiant's most popular heroes. It tackles issues like the vanishing of small town America, our waning sense of social contract, and our increasing unwillingness to understand each other, compromise, and work together for the common good. Packed with pathos and sprinkled with off-beat humor, it delivers action, horror and science-fiction in a power-packed twenty pages. 

If you're a fan of all good things like Bloodshot and intergalactic X-O Manowar, as well as cinematic alien and monster creature-features, consider Bloodshot Unleashed #3 your next MUST READ.

Dragon Dave 

 

Details, details (Yes, again!)

BLOODSHOT UNLEASHED #3
Written by DENIZ CAMP
Art by JON DAVIS-HUNT
Colors by JORDIE BELLAIRE
Letters by HASSAN OTSMANE-ELHAOU
Cover A by JON DAVIS-HUNT
Cover B by NICOLE RIFKIN
Cover C by JUAN JOSE RYP
Pre-order Cover by E.M. GIST

Guest-starring X-O MANOWAR!

BLOODSHOT recruits X-O MANOWAR – who knows a thing or two about ending alien threats – as a parasitic alien takes hold in an Appalachian church putting an entire congregation of lost souls at risk.

On sale NOVEMBER 23RD | 32 pages, full color | $3.99 US | M

Bloodshot Unleashed #3 Preview

 

Bloodshot Unleashed #3 Alien On Board Cover by Nicole Rifkin

Bloodshot and X-O Manowar aren't necessarily church-goers. But, to quote a certain "star prince", they're both losers. As in, they've lost things. Relations that mattered. People they loved.

So maybe we can understand if both men were to search for something this world can't provide.

Anyway, that's not why they're attending a midweek worship service this month. Bloodshot and X-O Manowar are on a mission. They have a plan. Well, at least part of a plan. But you know what they say about how long even the best plans last, once the battle begins.

Or, in this case, once the church service starts.

Courtesy of the righteous folks at Valiant Entertainment, you can get a sneak peak at next week's divine team-up. So sit back. Put your feet up. Cue your favorite Gospel music.* And...

Rejoice in the first five pages of Bloodshot Unleashed #3!

 

* Gospel Playlist Must-Haves:

"Pray" by M. C. Hammer

"Shout at the Devil" by Motley Crue 

&

"God Gave Rock & Roll to You" by Kiss (and Bill & Ted)

Details, details...

BLOODSHOT UNLEASHED #3
Written by DENIZ CAMP
Art by JON DAVIS-HUNT
Colors by JORDIE BELLAIRE
Letters by HASSAN OTSMANE-ELHAOU
Cover A by JON DAVIS-HUNT
Cover B by NICOLE RIFKIN
Cover C by JUAN JOSE RYP
Pre-order Cover by E.M. GIST

Guest-starring X-O MANOWAR!

BLOODSHOT recruits X-O MANOWAR – who knows a thing or two about ending alien threats – as a parasitic alien takes hold in an Appalachian church putting an entire congregation of lost souls at risk.

On sale NOVEMBER 23RD | 32 pages, full color | $3.99 US | M