Writer: Jeff Lemire

Artist: Mico Suayan

Colorist: David Baron

As more and more new series are popping up in the comic book market, it takes a little extra to get me to try a first issue.  With Bloodshot Reborn, I only needed to be told one thing:  Jeff Lemire.  Spinning out of the events of the fantastic Mini series “The Valiant,” this book had my expectations pretty high going in, and, after the first issue, it looks like Lemire has done it again.

Since there are so many superhero comic stories in existence, I am usually looking for a different take, or a story done so well that I can’t help but continue.  In this book, we get a totally different approach to Bloodshot, as he has lost the nanites that made him unstoppable and is more or less attempting to stop other “Bloodshots” popping up, who are killing massive amounts of people.  Along this journey, we are really dealing with Bloodshot’s psyche, as he’s gone a little insane (maybe) after losing the nanites.  He is haunted by the fallen Geomancer that he fell in love with, Kay McHenry, and a cartoon version of Bloodshot, perfectly rendered by Lemire.  With the interesting team of detectives and Special Agent Diane Festival hunting these Bloodshot killers as well, Lemire is building for a big payoff.  What makes this story special is that, since Bloodshot lost what makes him Bloodshot, anything can happen in the story. You’re drawn into the murder mystery alone, so seeing how this will affect Bloodshot is just added goodness.

The only part that I’m not over the moon about is the art.  While I certainly think it’s quality work, the style used isn’t exactly what I love about comic art.  Each page is highly rendered, as every wrinkle and leaf is drawn, sometimes to a slightly overwhelming degree.  While I definitely see the craft, and the images are beautiful, the panels can have a certain stiffness that comes with that level of detail.  For me, I’d be ok with a little less detail and an uptick in panel-to-panel storytelling.  With that said, the art never totally detached me from the story, and I will gladly continue on with Suayan.

Valiant is a really strong line of comics, and with creators like Lemire on their books, they are definitely titles you should check out.  Bloodshot Reborn is a great title to get in on the ground floor with, and this issue continues a fun story.

 4 Red Circles out of 5

Reviewed by: Brett Israel