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jsjammersmith's review against another edition
4.0
A friend of mine is obsessed with Valiant, and since we're in the same graphic novel book club this book eventually came up. I won't lie the ending to this book was largely unsatisfying for reasons I won't get into (spoilers and all that claptrap), but I really did love this book. Bloodshot is a character that is more than a social commentary on run-away military-industrial complex or just a chance to see some badass kill bad guys. Bloodshot is a wonderful exploration of finding personal identity when lost in seemingly endless violence. This collection follows the character as he is liberated by the organizations and people who have controlled and manipulated him and pushes him to try and outrun his past while also trying to find it and understand it for what it is.
Fans of Bloodshot will love this book, and I would argue even non-comics fan will find something to appreciate.
Fans of Bloodshot will love this book, and I would argue even non-comics fan will find something to appreciate.
squidbag's review
4.0
Usually, with mind-erased and manipulated characters, there are moments of identity, redemption, empathy - something you can bond with outside of basic humanity. Think of Anakin Skywalker, or Wolverine; they have humanity at some level that makes you want to root for them, even when they kind of suck.
The brilliance of Bloodshot - and particularly this arc - is that Valiant never tries to do that. We don't know who he is, what is real, or if he's redeemable, human, a good guy? Nothing. You get nothing other than what you are shown, so there is no mission other than this one, nothing to fight for except survival and what's before your eyes - this is it. You must base your assessment of the character on just this, because everything else is lies. Because of this, it's a little depressing and hollow, but masterfully done, and relentlessly executed. This edition is what you need for an introduction to the character, and while it does veer into a Valiant crossover event towards the end, if you embrace the confusion as the characters do, this, too could be interesting...
The brilliance of Bloodshot - and particularly this arc - is that Valiant never tries to do that. We don't know who he is, what is real, or if he's redeemable, human, a good guy? Nothing. You get nothing other than what you are shown, so there is no mission other than this one, nothing to fight for except survival and what's before your eyes - this is it. You must base your assessment of the character on just this, because everything else is lies. Because of this, it's a little depressing and hollow, but masterfully done, and relentlessly executed. This edition is what you need for an introduction to the character, and while it does veer into a Valiant crossover event towards the end, if you embrace the confusion as the characters do, this, too could be interesting...
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