Bloodshot #8: The Messes Left By Others

Bloodshot is BACK in issue #8 after a pause due to the global pandemic and it hits the ground running to bring Bloodshot closer to Eidolon despite an increasingly dangerous situation and even expand on the connected Valiant universe in an exciting way.

With guest artist Pedro Andreo coming on board for Bloodshot #8 following the particularly giant revelations that came about last issue with the introduction of Kaiju, we see the story take a different turn by bringing in a new dangerous group called the Glorymen. Andreo brings a stylistic change to the series, and although it may not capture the same level of intensity of Booth or Laming’s execution, it is still a visually awesome book to look at with Dalhouse’s powerful colors and Sharpe’s consistent letters. While it’s true I was hoping for more Kaiju and wasn’t crazy about the concept of the Glorymen, I was more than pleased with how this issue unraveled! It’s just so much fun.

And that is thanks in no small part to the truly epic involvement of another one of Valiant’s flagship characters…X-O MANOWAR! It’s exciting for any fan of the connected universe, especially those who have been following the latest series featuring Aric. Seeley does a great job bringing him into the fold at just the right time while still not losing focus on the overarching story.

Fun team-ups aside, this really is a strong issue that lays the foundation for much larger things to come. It has enjoyable pacing, some great splash pages that deliver on violence and some thrilling developments to flesh the story out in interesting ways. Is it the best comic in the series so far? Probably not. But in all honesty, it’s just great to have Bloodshot back and to see how this expansive journey continues to unfold. For fans of this latest Bloodshot series, it’s going to be a book that will have you talking about it long after putting it down and that’s a sign of something really good.

Bloodshot #8 may falter slightly in a few panels and lose some of the momentum from the previous story’s buildup, but it still pushes the series in a great new direction. Be sure to pick up your copy soon because you won’t want to fall behind now, it looks like everything will only getting more intense from here!