REVIEW: ‘Bloodshot Unleashed’ Issue #1

Bloodshot Unleashed #1 is written by Deniz Camp, illustrated by Jon Davis-Hunt, colored by Jordie Bellaire, and lettered by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou. It’s published by Valiant Comics. The nanite-powered super soldier Bloodshot is approached by a former government agent who tells him of twenty-seven superhuman soldiers scattered across the United States. Each one of these soldiers is a living weapon that leaves a trail of chaos and death in their wake – and Bloodshot is the only one who can stop them. Haunted by memories of the past, the soldier puts his nanite-powered healing factor and lethal skill to the test as he tracks down the rogue soldiers.

Given Valiant’s current trend of revamping its most popular characters, it was only a matter of time until Bloodshot received similar treatment – especially since he’s the closest thing to a flagship character the publisher has. Camp wastes no time in leaping into the action, with the first few pages recapping Bloodshot’s origin and abilities. But what I wasn’t expecting was for the title to be so profound, particularly when it comes to discussing the scars that war leaves on one’s psyche. Case in point: the opening panels have Bloodshot literally putting a bullet in his head to escape the memories of a firefight. “A bullet in the head’s the closest I get to peace,” he muses, which is just one of many choice pieces of dialogue that shows this comic aims to be more than an action story.

However, the action is plentiful and also plenty bloody as this is Valiant’s first title targeted toward mature readers. And Davis-Hunt makes full use of that leeway, especially when it comes to Bloodshot’s firefight with a super soldier that has the ability to pull weapons from a hidden pocket dimension. Buildings crumble under the fury of flying bullets and bombs. And keeping in line with the mature theme, there’s plenty of bloodshed; heads explode, jaws are dislocated, and one person learns what happens when you meet the wrong end of a bazooka. Davis-Hunt also arranges his panel to give the effect of a camera closing in on Bloodshot, or even panning over the wreckage of his battles, which feels more cinematic than the actual Bloodshot movie.

Bellaire employs a simple black and white color scheme (at least for the ashcan edition) that feels simple, yet striking. And there are a  few splashes of red, from the borders that line Bloodshot’s inner thoughts to a few dashes of blood. It’s highly reminiscent of the “Black, White & Blood” anthologies that Marvel has been putting out, yet it fits Bloodshot perfectly. Even Otsmane-Elhaou gets in on the act: one of the panels features Bloodshot saying his name, with the black and red Bloodshot logo looming large for all to see. The lettering gets even more creative as the comic goes on, with whole words taking the place of panels.

Bloodshot Unleashed #1 marks a bold and bloody return for the nanite-powered super soldier, as Valiant continues its revamping of classic characters. While many comics are seeing the return of 90’s-era heroes, including WildC.A.T.S. at DC and Spider-Man 2099 at Marvel, Bloodshot’s return is definitely a highlight.

Bloodshot Unleashed #1 will be available wherever comics are sold on September 21, 2022.