Valiant Comics started in 1989 by former Marvel Comics editor-in-chief Jim Shooter along with lawyer and businessman Steven Massarsky. Their style drew me in by always keeping their stories accessible . Unlike the dauntingly vast universes and story-lines by “the big two” Marvel and DC, who have no problem spreading a characters story-line amongst several different titles over several years. It makes a new comic reader clueless where to start. Valiant wants new readers to feel comfortable picking up a title at pretty much any point and not being lost or only understanding half of what they’re reading. Bloodshot is a great example to start with.
You could pick up a Bloodshot issue #11 and be fully entertained and satisfied without needing to first go read the previous ten issues. They don’t let their titles get to far along without re-explaining where the story is and how it got there. In fact the first page of many Valiant comics is a brief summary of the story so far. Sure, Marvel and DC attempt to do this more so somewhat recently. Another great thing about Valiant characters and stories is they are very much grounded in our world, they’re saying is “The world outside your window” meaning that while the superheroes are amazing and unbelievable they live and operate here in our own cities and neighborhoods across America. Current events often finding their way into Valiant story arcs in subtle ways. For example in this review we will learn how Bloodshot #11 echos our own political climate and issues. Paralllels like these are what makes Valiant comics so immersive.
Written by Tim Seeley, illustrated by Pedro Andreo, colored by Andrew Dalhouse, and lettered by Dave Sharpe Bloodshot #11 “One Last Shot pt 2” picks up from issue #10 as Bloodshot and his crew hunt down the resurrected Project Rising Spirit! Immediately revealing to us a classic Bloodshot Villain. The opening first four pages breaks down Rampage’s past. Immediately Andrew Dalhouse’s brilliant color schemes burst off the page and bring the story into your living room (or wherever you read your comics, for me it’s my man-cave 😉 A flashback begins.
THEN…
A big ruthless redneck covered in Nanites, clearly an enemy of our hero Bloodshot. Most know him as Rampage. His real name’s Danny though, just Danny. No last name. After all, a last name is just a way to honor ones father, but his father weren’t worth no honorin’. A part of Project Omen, Rampage was used to kill renegade soldiers of Project Rising Spirit, especially Bloodshot. Danny boy’s lil’ brother Pete was the guy in charge over his operations. Pete was disfigured and insecure but big bruh always looked out for him. The last time Pete sent Rampage after Bloodshot it didn’t go so well for ol’ Dan the man and Dan the man believes that is because Bloodshot used some voo-doo black magic on him.
Maybe that’s because whatever the pale rider did to him caused his little Nanite buddies to vamoose, leaving him just another “big dumb hick”, a “big dumb ALONE hick.” Project Omen was shut down and Danny left a wanderin’. An obvious jab at Trump supporters, we see him wander up to a sort of rally full of pick-up trucks and flags there to see “a leader” speak. There our big dumb hick gets to “a-thinkin'” if Bloodshot was gonna use supernatural forces, Rampage should too. After praying to God he has an epiphany, oh and his Nanites came back to cover and protect him again. In all his Nano-glory he addresses “a leader” in his office and says he has something special to share with him, something he found talkin’ to his God.
Cut to NOW…
Bloodshot, his pal Wiggins an engineer who helped make him into a “death factory” and a young female cyborg originally created to kill Bloodshot sit around watching Zombie flicks and eating breakfast. Mmmm good. Apparently Project Rising Spirit had used the nanobots in Bloodshot’s body to turn N.Y.C. into a mob of crazed killers (wasn’t that just N.Y. in the 80’s?) Bloodshot informs his homies that the next time P.R.S. unleashes a nanobot plague it won’t be so obvious. The killers won’t be crazed, they’ll be smiling and polite. Scary…
The trio heads out on a mission impossible, spotted along the way by a creepy lookin’ robot named Zealot with a skull for a face and a big @$%& gun. Ambushed and engaged by the mechanized mad man, the team does battle while the villain explains who he is and how he was made. He’s not after revenge or to kill Bloodshot for something in their past, no he want’s Bloodshots blood, his nanobots. If he’s gonna be a machine he wants to be the best. Only problem is, Bloodshot wants to keep his blood, and his friends have his back. The three of them together defeat the big baddy in time to find out the mission they were on has failed.
The protesters on TV are starting to second guess their cause. They seam to be realizing that they aren’t making America stronger, they really should just get out of the way and let the powers that be lead… “Dissident Suppression” is already happening. This is worse than they feared. This is REALLY dangerous. What happens when the citizens stop speaking up for themselves and allow the few rich @$%-holes at the top make all their decisions for them? Telling the people how its gonna be and the people not having a care to think for themselves.
Cut back to THEN…
Rampage is in “a leader’s” office telling him about his vision. Not only does he want to give this “leader” his idea but also his Nanite infected blood. Blood that will make America Great Again by “eliminating dissent and anger”, allowing everyone to share the “leader’s” vision for the America he “sees with such clear eyes.” He wants ’em all to see through the falsehoods perpetrated by the elite media who feed on conflict. Oh and by the way, for his troubles he wants a new name. Not Danny, not Rampage, but… HARMONY?!
Harmony confronts Bloodshot who immediately starts dumping on him BLAM BLAM BLAM BLAM!! Realizing not only that the bullets have no effect but also that the plan of P.R.S. is to use Rampage, sorry, Harmony’s “brain-interface” to spread suppression nanites and build a country of compliant zombies. He shouts for his home-boy Wigans to “hack this ugly hillbilly and shut his ass down!”
“Wigans?”
Harmony’s control of those not in his immediate vicinity relies on a “cloud seedin’ drone array” but when they’re “close enough to smell one-o-his farts” he can turn even Bloodshots closest dogs against him. There isn’t much damage Rampage, my bad, Harmony and Bloodshot can actually do to each other due to the similarity of their nano-tech make up, but ‘Shot’s friends will die trying!
TO BE CONTINUED.
I’m gonna give this a rating of HELLA-DOPE! I can’t get enough of Bloodshot and Valiant’s sick-ass stories. You already know the next issue is gonna be off the hook. As for this one, go out and cop it A.S.A.P.! If you are able to, go to your local comic shop and support them by buying the issue in person. Otherwise you can still get this ill book online in digital format. Do yourself a favor, pick this one up! You won’t be sorry and I guarantee you will be looking for the next one and all the ones before it. Word is bond.
SALUTE FAM this is Reno Noir sayin’ PE.A.C.E.
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