Bloodshot #3 (Classic Valiant)

Bloodshot continues his search for the mafia family heads...and that's it....

This is a decent issue. There are a couple of plot hiccups. One scene has Bloodshot squeezing out the information from a warehouse worker about a chop-shop that the mafia family heads will be attending for a meeting, which contradicts how he finds out in Hard CORPS #5, in which he makes a guest appearance. Also, after he finds this out, he just leaves. What gaurantee does he have the henchman's silence? This story is set on Wednesday, and the meeting's on Friday, and Bloodshot just leaves the gangbanger alive, and plans on whiling away the minutes 'till Friday cometh.

There are some good moments though. I liked the moment when Bloodshot encounters Tony Barucci, the mobster and old 'friend' from his past life as Angelo Mortalli. That was pretty badass and well-written.

I also like the character of Maria, Bloodshot's love interest-...for all of three issues before she's written out offscreen!-who's introduced in this issue. Any scenes she has with 'Michael Lazarus*' in this series are fine! Though I wish that the issue didn't start mid-conversation, because in the opening, 'Michael' barely says a word, wears a hat and dark sunglasses, and perpetually frowns. What does she see in him? That would have been good to know.

*SUBTLE!

I'm looking at that copyright notice at the bottom there-  No similarities to any characters, etc. living or dead is intended, and any such similarity is purely coincidental" So it's just purely coincidental that Bloodshot looks exactly like Mister Sinister from X-Men, you jerkwads?!


There is one continuity problem that I might as well address here. You see, the first issue in this series I ever read was 14, and in that, it seems like Bloodshot can 'turn off' his red eyes and bone white skin pallour. I was a bit confused, as I thought he permanently looked like Bloodshot, but I assumed this would be explained in previous issues. But it's not! Ever! We're just meant to assume that this is one of his powers.

The artwork is fine, except for a stupidly massive pistol at a few points, the ridicuously derpy pursed frown Bloodshot has in one scene, and the third page of the Carboni scene. It's also too liney in places. The cover's fine.

This is an ok entry in the series, and most certainly better than others, but aside from the introduction of Maria, there's nothing special here. It's not poorly written by any means, it's just empty, and nothing more than a low-rent Punisher-style issue.