Bloodshot (2019) #1 Lettering

 

Bloodshot #1 Cover C by Hannah Templer

Letterer Dave Sharpe immediately puts his (blood-red) stamp on Bloodshot #1. He tells us where we are, and when the scene is occurring, with this bold white lettering, surrounded in red. You'll notice there's a large blood stain, reminiscent of the red circle on Bloodshot's chest, behind them. Like the round blood stain on Hannah Templer's Cover C, the blood stain is dripping.

I don't know if Dave would have done the lettering on the side of the news van, but I'm guessing he did the lettering on the politician's paper below. His font size may be larger than it would in reality, but it allows us to read the words.

It's interesting how one word is blotted out in the fourth line, whereas "Media" is merely crossed out in the fifth.

When writer Tim Seeley's story brings us to the present in Yemen, this soldier who would steal food from civilians, or casually order their deaths, gets a unexpected surprise. I like how his expostulation--all upper case and blood-red, tries to escape Dave's dialogue balloon.

These sound effects suggest how his life comes to an abrupt--and dare I say sticky--end.

In Bloodshot #1, Dave Sharpe's lettering brings us into Bloodshot's complicated and bloodstained world: gloriously--and perhaps a little uncomfortably--so.

Dragon Dave

Bloodshot (2019) #1 Covers Part 3

 

Bloodshot (2019) #1 Cover C by Hannah Templer

Hannah Templer's Bloodshot #1 Cover C gives fans what they want: blood and carnage, and lots of it. The red circle behind Bloodshot, dripping with blood, reminds us of the red circle on his chest, a vestige of his laboratory origin. His smile, as he is cast in red, with the blood dripping from the wall behind him, suggests the satisfaction--and even the savage joy--he derives from killing.

Why should he not rejoice in his abilities? He was created to kill others. That's what he's good at. 

If we, as readers, have a problem with him enjoying doing what he does best, perhaps we should ask ourselves why we read Bloodshot. As for those who don't read Bloodshot, and don't understand his appeal...

Perhaps they should ask themselves why we, as a society, create soldiers.

Bloodshot (2019) #1 Pre-Order Cover by Tim Sale

Tim Sale's Bloodshot #1 Pre-Order Cover highlights the covert nature of his work. It reminds us his original 1990s incarnation, when he regularly undertook covert missions for Neville Alcott, Ninjak's handler at MI-6. This cover also looks to the future, as Bloodshot's involvement with The Burned in later issues led him to a reunion, or sorts with MI-6. 

The architecture and the nearby window suggest a Japanese setting, which also reminds us of the original '90s series. The fact that Tim Sale worked on Wildstorm's original Deathblow series, about a supersoldier named Michael Cray who constantly struggled with the life he lived--a life founded on killing--is another reminder. This cover, more than any of the others, honors the rich heritage of Bloodshot, birthed in the explosion of superhero titles three decades ago.

Unlike so many others, who lay dead on the battlefield, or forgotten in corporate boardrooms, Bloodshot is still carrying out missions. He's still taking pleasure from his abilities, while questioning the choices he makes along the way. He's still protecting us, whatever the cost.

He's still our hero.

Dragon Dave