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Bloodshot #2 Advance Review

By Dan Horn
August 14, 2012 - 16:01

Bloodshot, the nanite-infused, black-ops killing machine, has had his mind subverted by by a former government scientist who's gone rogue. Now, Bloodshot is veritably insane, suffering from dissociative fugues and schizophrenic episodes, haunted by the false memories of his indoctrinated past lives, and on the run from his heavily armed keepers. But the secret government organization that is hunting Bloodshot has a deadly card up its sleeve.

This issue was an absolute blast to read. Duane Swierczynski improves upon nearly every deficiency from which Bloodshot #1 suffered. This second issue adeptly tempers the copious buckets of gore with a much needed wry wit, a growing ensemble cast, and an Achilles' heel for our nigh-indestructible anti-hero. Whereas the first issue seemed pressed for time and its dimensionality and depth suffered because of it, Bloodshot #2 feels like a comprehensive piece of a much larger comic book saga. This issue has really gotten me excited for future installments in the series, and now I'm even more stoked to get my hands on IDW's upcoming Judge Dredd series by Swierczynski.

Manuel Garcia and Arturo Lozzi's artwork continues to be astounding here. Bloodshot's panels are infused with visceral bloodletting, virtuosic detail, interesting points of view, and brilliantly emotive facial expressions, which really vault this issue's dry humor to new heights. Bloodshot is one of the most beautifully illustrated comics on the stands right now.

Alright, Valiant. You're giving me too many new books to put on my pull list. My wife is going to kill me for going over budget.

Rating: 9 /10

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12