Open Mike Night - Bloodshot USA #1

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Submitted by Critical Blast Staff on Mon, 11/07/2016 - 09:55

Bloodshot U.S.A. #1

Written by: Jeff Lemire
Art by: Doug Braithwaite
Colored by: Brian Reber
Lettered by: Dave Lanphear

Published by: Valiant
Cover Price: $3.99

Mike Weaver: So a bunch of Bloodshots are on a raft in the middle of the ocean while the villainous Project Rising Spirit has unleashed a nanite virus on New York, with the intent of being able to swoop in and save it in the end. In the meantime, everyone in New York is becoming a Bloodshot and causing mayhem. Ninjak takes a plane out to rescue Bloodshot and Crew hoping that bringing them to New York will help against the Bloodshot-oriented nanite

virus. Rising Spirit believes that things are in danger of not being extreme enough at this point, so they activate the virus in Ninjak and Livewire as well.

I’m not real familiar with these characters or this world...I remember Ninjak from forever ago, but beyond that, this is a new world to me. Yet they managed to make it mostly work enough for me to catch up quickly. I was a little lost on Bloodshot’s Bloodshot Gang, but beyond that, it was easy to follow.

Mike Maillaro: My biggest problem with this comic is that it wasn’t really clear what Project Rising Spirit was trying to achieve here. They are usually behind the scenes and pulling strings. When you do something on this level, it is definitely going to get some attention.

I did like how this series built on a lot of events from Valiant’s past (I had forgotten Geomancer died during Book of Death), but it never felt all that heavy handed. Things moved real quickly (I was sort of worried when the comic started with a boardroom meeting), but again, it felt easily digestible too. It definitely was a tricky balance to pull off, but I thought this comic did it pretty well.

Weaver: For what it’s worth, elements of Rising Spirit had the same criticism you do...a little too big and noticeable for their usual MO, but they went with it anyway. We also get a Trump mention to go along with our numerous Richard Nixon appearances that we’ve reviewed. Anyway, this feels like it wants to finish all the Rising Spirit plotlines, at least temporarily, by having one huge throwdown with the fate of the world at stake, after which maybe Rising Spirit reorganizes and comes back smaller, but it definitely changes their place in the world. Or conversely, if they “win”, they become even more unassailable and we get more of a dark future storyline.

I like the subplot with Agent Festival and Magic trying to escape Rising Spirit, also. It feels like that will be pretty important to the resolution here.

Maillaro: I also think there were be some closure to a lot of hanging things that have been going on in Bloodshot. Valiant seems to be putting a lot of their older books to rest (X-O just ended last month) to bring in some fresh new looks, which is probably a good thing. I do like some of the longer running books like X-O, but it’s better to pull them for awhile and come back with fresh eyes. That said, we’ve had no Shadowman forever now. He does appear on cameos every now and then, but that was one of my favorite Valiant books.

Hopefully, we can get some of the Bloodshots in their own series moving forward.

Weaver: The problem with Vailant is that it had a period of not publishing new material after which they were kind of damned if they did and damned if they didn’t with continuing the old continuity. They need to find a way to reinvent, and if getting rid of X-O, Bloodshot, Shadowman, and a lot of other characters is the best way to do it, well, that may be what they need to do, although I would agree that Shadowman was a great thing.

That said, I’ll get to scores on this issue. The story gets a 4.5 from me because it was mostly very solid and easy to pick up, yet there were a few things that were underexplained for how significant they were, like Bloodshot’s group. The art will also get a 4.5. I liked it, but in some of the group scenes it was difficult to tell the Bloodshots from each other or from the nanite victims.

Maillaro: I think you are on point with those scores. A solid 4.5 book. And sure better than any event Marvel has done in a long time. Though let’s face it, that isn’t saying much. Valiant does a great job keeping their events important, but fairly self-contained. That’s a hell of a trick to pull off consistently.

Summary: Another real solid event fron Valiant. Easily accessible to new readers, and a terrific way to tie-up things that started way back when Valiant relaunched 5 years ago. Lemire can sometimes be hit or miss, but he has been putting out some amazing books for Valiant and Bloodshot USA is no exception.

Final Scores

	Maillaro – Story (out of 5)	Weaver – Story (out of 5)	Maillaro – Art (out of 5)	Weaver – Art (out of 5)
Bloodshot USA	4.5	4.5	4.5	4.5

Maillaro: We have to do the new issues of Flintstones! It was a pretty wide ranging book, dealing with war, the election, and the strain of a young couple unable to have a child.

Weaver: What? Okay, I’m on board. Flintstones? Like, modern stone age family Flintstones?

Maillaro: Like Scooby Apocalypse, DC has been doing a Flintstones book...it’s...unique. I don’t want to say anything more because I don’t want to give you anything to pre-judge this book on. The new issue was completely stand alone (really, each issue has been).

Weaver: Sounds good, looking forward to it!

Grade:

4.5 / 5.0