“ …You can’t feel lost unless you got a home…”
This issue is a quiet issue with all of the members of the out of date BloodShot squad (Tankman: WW2 vet, Vietnam: Vietnam vet, Soviet, This other Bloodshot and our protagonist ) are stranded in the middle of the ocean, on a makeshift raft. After escaping the island where they were to be left for dead, they reside with nothing but each others company to drive each other nuts.
This primary issue focuses on each of the Bloodshots and their past origins and experiences. Each character details reasons as to why they joined willingly and unwillingly to the Program that made them the weapons that they are today. Interestingly we see each of the Bloodshots state where they stand and how each of them compares and contrasts their ideals, motivations, and personalities, causing each of the Bloodshots to clash on topics that challenge national pride, race, and individualism. In between the exchange of stories, disagreements and arguments, our protagonist the main Bloodshot is reminiscing about his lover Magic, in the hopes to overcome the obstacle that lies ahead for the rest of the Bloodshot squad.
It’s very interesting to see how each of the Bloodshot squad has interesting back stories that fit each of the eras that they came from. Tankman has the ideals of every man who fought against the axis during WW2 , which reminds me of Marvel’s Captain America in terms of the enthusiasm for the old idealist ways of doing the right thing for one’s country. Vietnam reminds me a bit of Marvel’s Luke Cage 70’s incarnation where it’s centered on the mistreatment of men of color during the 1970s and how it correlated with the loss of humanity. Both characters mirror aspects of today’s world , perceptions, inequalities, and ideologies that tend to clash.
I’d go on more, but that’s just a taste of the actual story. Jeff Lemire does a fantastic job distinguishing the voices of each of these Bloodshots. Even briefly tackling each of their cultural identities and tackling issues that are still relevant today without beating you over the head with it and making it the entire issue. The art by Tomas Giorello is fantastic and kinda has some ol Joe Kubert vibes with the pencils. When he draws tankman it reminds me of Kubert’s Sgt Rock which is awesome. The colors by Diego Rodriguez and Andrew Dalehouse are fantastic in correlation with the art of this issue. If you’ve been enjoying this arc by Lemire, then you’ll like this issue. In a sense, it works as a good one-shot issue as well, either way, it’s a definite read.
Newsdesk