Bloodshot #0

The Team
Writer Matt Kindt Artist Chris Cross

This issue of Bloodshot has been on the mind of most readers simply because of the talent attached. Writer Matt Kindt and artist Chris Cross are both excellent creators who seem well suited to take their best work to this title. In many ways this installment serves as a primer towards a larger narrative that may not exist. It would be very interesting to see these two work on something greater involving a character such as this one. So far the Valiant Universe zero issues have all brought something small, but interesting to the table. While a number like this one may confuse regular readers of the book, it is still nice to get some backstory on the 90’s hero. In fact the first issue featuring the relaunch of the shot readers right into story without any explanation.

This installment of the series barely has any actual dialogue to speak of, the only thing contained in this sparse chapter are a few questions about the resident killing machine. The thesis statement of this issue can be boiled down to one central question, does Bloodshot have a soul? The answer to this question will probably not surprise you, but this stand alone issue of the series is enjoyable enough. In his titular series Bloodshot has gone through a world of change, and seeing him as the ruthless killing machine again is downright unsettling. Kindt does a great job of painting him as an unsympathetic monster, which can really cause a black cloud of depression on readers. The plot twists in this title can be seen a mile away, which slightly seem to distract from the sparse narrative at some points. The dialogue is written quite well, it is slightly downplayed and more formal than one might expect from this series. This is great because any other approach would probably not have worked considering the tone of this story.

Chris Cross turns in some very good pencils in this title. His facial expressions are excellent as they seem to help highlight many of the smaller moments in the script. It is interesting how when the script call for it, the artist can really dial up the cheesier moments. The Bloodshot variation with an afro looks really silly in the middle of a dark story, yet in the moment it totally works as a visual choice for the saga. The penciller also does an excellent job incorporating elements of horror into the illustrations that raise the stakes of the story. Storytelling takes control of the artwork here, which is why Cross’ pencils are such an asset to this industry. This is a really underappreciated artist showing off why he should be in high demand.

Kindt and Cross spin an enjoyable yarn in the course of 22 pages. Cross delivers some awesome pencils worthy of massive praise, while Kindt has a solid script. For more on the background of the violent anti-hero this is the place to be, those who are expecting a tale reflecting the finer points of the heroes new personality should search elsewhere.