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A review by crookedtreehouse
Bloodshot, Vol. 1: Setting the World on Fire by Ian Hannin, Stefano Gaudiano, Duane Swierczynski
4.0
The beginning of this book, a sort of Rob Liefeld writes early 2000's Frank Miller's wet dream, had me More Than Worried. An unstoppable killing machine. The villains being "Middle-Eastern" terrorists. It seemed on the path to being problematically tropey. But I'm glad I read on, as the first issue of this book is a bait and switch for a really fun superhero book about a violent man who doesn't know his own past.
So, in some ways, it is very Liefeldian. Big muscles (but, like realistic big muscles), lots of guns (but guns that wouldn't tear the arm off of the person who shot them), questionable science that seems plucked straight out of the Marvel Universe, and a battle between memory and illusion. Swierczynski has worked with Liefeld-creations before, and it shows. But in a great way. He's a person who can evolve some of Liefeld's concepts into realistic and entertaining stories.
While there are certainly dark events in this book (Bloodshot's entire existence, Pulse's entire existence, the level of violence in the book), none of it feels dreary or maudlin. It's just fodder to push the narrative forward.
I have been pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoy this book, and look forward to seeing how it moves the Valiant Universe towards The Harbinger Wars.
I recommend this for fans of Wolverine, Cable, Bishop, Jason Bourne, Punisher, John Wick, or Robocop. Or, really, anyone who likes action movie style writing, but wishes it wasn't written with an admantium hand.
So, in some ways, it is very Liefeldian. Big muscles (but, like realistic big muscles), lots of guns (but guns that wouldn't tear the arm off of the person who shot them), questionable science that seems plucked straight out of the Marvel Universe, and a battle between memory and illusion. Swierczynski has worked with Liefeld-creations before, and it shows. But in a great way. He's a person who can evolve some of Liefeld's concepts into realistic and entertaining stories.
While there are certainly dark events in this book (Bloodshot's entire existence, Pulse's entire existence, the level of violence in the book), none of it feels dreary or maudlin. It's just fodder to push the narrative forward.
I have been pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoy this book, and look forward to seeing how it moves the Valiant Universe towards The Harbinger Wars.
I recommend this for fans of Wolverine, Cable, Bishop, Jason Bourne, Punisher, John Wick, or Robocop. Or, really, anyone who likes action movie style writing, but wishes it wasn't written with an admantium hand.