Writer: Jeff Lemire
Artist: Clayton Crain
$3.99
Valiant Entertainment

Superhero events can be a bear to follow as anyone who has read superhero comics for a time knows, and it can be annoying to have a story you’re following hijacked by an event you have no interest in. That’s generally why Valiant’s approach refreshing. The high-impact events can still exist, as can the tie-ins, but they don’t interrupt ongoing books by way of one-shots like this, and in the case of something like the Stalinverse story: it provides a brief and interesting look into another world with a familiar character like Bloodshot.

As far as a one-shot story goes, Komandor Bloodshot is actually a lot of fun. While this version of the character is essentially an indestructible terminator like the more familiar Ray Garrison, he has almost no empathy, and it’s fun to see how that translates when he’s someone with nothing to fear and stomping through all resistance. Lemire has written Bloodshot for several years now, and while there is a certain familiarity to the prime elements that make up both versions of the character, this comic is more like a horror movie than a thriller. While the comic  doesn’t dig too much into the Stalinverse story itself, it gives enough to chew on, and at least works as a mirror for the currently ongoing Bloodshot U.S.A.

Clayton Crain is an interesting pick for the one-shot, and for the purposes of the story he works perfectly. Both as a contrast to the ongoing Bloodshot title, and in bringing that horror movie feel to the fore. While the story takes place in the Colorado mountains, it’s night time and snowing, which makes for a terrifying show with the dark colors Crain uses as Bloodshot slowly mows his way through all of his targets. Which as far as event comics go, that’s always a plus, and anyone looking to keep up with their regular dose of Bloodshot will be in for a good dessert with this comic.

4 out of 5 Nanite Axes