The appeal of Bloodshot is that he’s like every 90’s heartthrob that took no shit and delivered brutal justice with every pull of the trigger. Unlike his more played out counterparts like Wolverine, Lobo and so many others, Bloodshot is actually interesting and he doesn’t dance around the fact that he’s willing to shoot first, poke at the dead body, shoot again and then maybe ask a question or two.
This issue was very interesting as it picks up in-between events that occurred in the Harbinger Wars and really serves as that missing link between story elements. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a crossover story handled so well and made so interesting. While you don’t need to read all three titles affected by the crossover, it is very rewarding to do so because of issues like this.
Bloodshot and his “kids” are wandering the dessert seemingly aimlessly, but Bloodshot assures them that he has a plan. He’s just being very private about it. In-between the whining and lack of confidence in their leader, two helicopters full of Merc’s drops in on them and asks Bloodshot for the kids. Bloodshot tries to convince them to turn and leave, but they share a shoot first philosophy as well. They shoot the crap out of Bloodshot and he tells them very sternly that they should run. The kids begin to freak out after seeing him injured and begin using their powers on the men. One creates a monster that the men shoot down, but others begin turning them against each other. Bloodshot regenerates enough to move again and picks up his guns and makes short work of the remaining men. One little girl tries to stop Bloodshot after she reads their minds, but Bloodshot finishes them all and gives her the “it was us or them” speech.
Again, for a crossover the story is very good, but I also liked the fact that it continued the series for Bloodshot as well. The title of “Harbinger Hunter” was also incredibly cool and I really hope that Valiant and company will continue to use that in the future. I was a bit behind on this series, but it was nice catching up and having a rewarding issue that built the interconnectivity of the company. The kids were very believable, but thankfully they weren’t given a lot of story time because they were also very whiny. The growing subplot of the new pisot kids trying to take over Bloodshot’s mind has interesting implications on the plot and crossover.
The art is the standard awesomeness that I’ve come to expect from Valiant. It’s detailed and visually stunning and the action sequences were easy to follow. The different kid’s powers were also visually impressive and easy to follow and did a great job building the tension of the scene. It definitely captured the tone of freaked out kids lashing out at their would-be captors.
I had a lot of fun reading this issue due to the crossover and I was even more delighted that it continued to build the plot of the series as well. If you’ve never tried Bloodshot, but you’ve enjoyed Harbinger or Harbinger Wars then now is a great time to jump on the series.
Score: 4/5
Writer: Duane Swierczynski
Artist: Barry Kitson
Publisher: Valiant Comics
Price: $3.99
Release Date: 4/17/13