I haven't made a secret so far about my underwhelmed nature of many of the Bloodshot issues up to this point. They haven't been bad, per se... But none of them really hit a home run so far. Many of them have been the lowest level (or two) each month. Forget all of that. This one is excellent. Throughout. Easy to read - great snappy dialogue, and it relegated most of Bloodshot to the periphery of the comic. It seems like Harada is starring in many of the issues this month. Except A & A, right? But this one is great. Quickly, it gives an excellent recount of the comic - without at all feeling like the Stan Lee standard comic summary, either. It really delves into sharp character history. Then it intros the H.A.R.D. Corps. A great example of how strongly the writing really can affect the perspective of the comic. The dialogue is fun - and I especially loved the Canada joke, as well. A sharp tip of the hat to the board, I might add... And it also re-introduces each character perspective. I don't know about anyone else, but I love Maniac. Strike that. I DO know that so many of the other readers HATE the Maniac perspective. And that's too bad. The re-imagination is a sarcastic sense of crazy in this guy. Remember - the comic has introduced this concept - that let's face it... Has a bad reputation of being one of the darker points in the original Valiant line. This one brought the old stuff back in, and made them fun, funny, and dark. REMEMBER HOW THIS COMIC FAILED, KIDS! Bringing it back like it WAS is a problem. In addition, it is re-inventing one of the comics in the line that WAS in desperate need of being re-tread. This really feels like a very new direction - and it continues to spin out some of the realizations that we had at the end of the Harbinger War, and the end of Harbinger 15-16, too. It feels beautifully interconnected - and I am realizing more and more how important the entire universe as a pantheon and background are. Brilliant work.
This beat the sense out of me.
This could be the best JUSTICE comic I have read yet. That was a fun little ride. I am really starting to feel a striking difference between Tensen and the old Punisher. Tensen is a total kicker - and doesn't take anything. He seems to be embracing this role - and I loved the fact that he even thinks that pursuit of him is a good thing. That while he wouldn't place his own justice upon himself, he can understand that he would be - and should be - a victim. The back and forth with the psychic - rewind and replaying - was a great way to show her power. While the cops vomiting really broke the illusion of the comic - it was quickly refocused - and if this is its direction, I really like the way it is going.