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Review: Bloodshot USA #4

Posted on January 26, 2017 by Alex K Cossa

A weaponized virus has turned New York into a war zone…and Bloodshot is about to make his last stand for the heart and soul of every man and woman brutalized by the effects of a nanite-enhanced plague! But just when his one-man invasion of the Big Apple seems lost, the hard-coded weapon of mass destruction called Deathmate will re-appear to save the day – and secure Project Rising Spirit’s spot as the saviors of New York! Will her programming win out…or will the woman inside the machine seek the vengeance for which she has long yearned? In the shadow of the Statue of Liberty, a new war will soon be fought…and all of America is about to bear witness!

Usually, when Jeff Lemire concludes an arc of Bloodshot Reborn, he has already given you enough of a teaser for the next arc to have you already invested, or he’s already set it up. This has the effect of the arcs never quite feeling like they’re a single continuing story rather than individual stories that interconnect. It’s a style of storytelling that encourages you to stick with the series, and for good reason, because you’re quite invested in the characters and the story.

However, with the final part of Bloodshot USA upon us, I can honestly say that we have an actual conclusion (for now) on our hands; Lemire’s delivered a comic that wraps up the Bloodshot USA story in a really satisfying manner.

I’ve said before the miniseries is essentially Valiant telling a zombie story, and like all the very best zombie stories Lemire has been able to weave some brilliant introspective moments for the characters into this series already for many of the characters, but fittingly for the fourth and final issue, we get to know Bloodshot just a little bit more. Lemire’s take on the character has been great, and the writer has really elevated the character beyond the mindless killing machine he once was.

Bloodshot USA is one of the highlights of the Bloodshot story so far, and a large part of that is this conclusion.

Story: Jeff Lemire Art: Doug Braithwaite Colours: Brian Reber
Story: 8.75 Art: 8.75 Overall: 8.75 Recommendation: Buy

Valiant provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Preview: Bloodshot U.S.A. #4 (of 4)

Posted on January 25, 2017 by Graphic Policy Team

BLOODSHOT U.S.A. #4 (of 4)

Written by JEFF LEMIRE
Art by DOUG BRAITHWAITE
Cover A by DOUG BRAITHWAITE (OCT161973)
Cover B by CLAYTON HENRY (OCT161974)
Cover C by DAVE JOHNSON (OCT161975)
Variant Cover by ADAM POLLINA (OCT161976)
Variant Cover by MICO SUAYAN (OCT161977)
$3.99 | 32 pgs. | T+ | On Sale JANUARY 25 (FOC – 1/2/17)

Liberty and judgment for all!

The game-changing finale to Valiant’s biggest standalone event yet gets ready to rewrite the history books when New York Times best-selling writer Jeff Lemire (Death of X, Moon Knight) and superstar artist Mico Suayan (Bloodshot Reborn) bring Bloodshot and Deathmate barreling down on the city that never sleeps!

Graphic Policy’s Top Comic Picks this Week!

Posted on January 24, 2017 by Brett

Wednesdays are new comic book day! Each week hundreds of comics are released, and that can be pretty daunting to go over and choose what to buy. That’s where we come in!

We’re bringing back something we haven’t done for a while, what the team thinks. Our contributors are choosing up to five books each week and why they’re choosing the books.

Find out what folks think below, and what comics you should be looking out for this Wednesday.

Mr. H

Top Pick: Batman/TMNT Adventures # 3 (DC Comics/ IDW Publishing) – This comic just plainly rocks! It’s the best of both worlds. I love how well the creative team has captured the spirit and feel of Batman: The Animated Series as well as keeping the Turtles timeless in their incarnation. Very pumped for the Joker/ Shredder feud. This has just been radical!!

Detective Comics #949 (DC Comics) – One more issue to go until the big 950 celebration! This book has been on such a roll though, I’m not even noticing the mile stone. Such a stark contrast to the snooze fest going on over in the regular Batman monthly title. I am loving how Kate Kane is getting the spotlight here and I’m very much looking forward to this springboarding her into the new Batwoman title next month. Finally Bruce has an ally that feels like a true equal and not one of his students. Hey, who better than family right?

Reborn # 4 (Image Comics) – This tale between Millar and Capullo is just a breath of fun. Nothing groundbreaking in terms of story or newness but it entertaining as all get out. The art is stellar as always and I could see this as an animation property. Very cool take on the entire idea of reincarnation. This won’t have a long journey but I’m sure here for the ride.

Shay

Top Pick: The Dregs #1 (Black Mask Studios) – A comic tackling gentrification, homeless people confined in one area and what happens when a homeless man decides to help solve the mystery of the disappearing “invisible” population of a city divided. I’m here for it !

Justice League vs Suicide Squad #6 (DC Comics) – The end of this arc could have one team destroyed or they could join forces to create the super team that we all deserve .

Hulk #2 (Marvel) – Jen is still trying to sort it all out while returning to work and it’s getting harder to control the green beast of rage within.

Suicide Squad #10 (DC Comics) – A bonus epilogue to the JL v SS comic arc finds Amanda trying to break through and reconcile the wreckage of her dark secrets.

Alex

Top Pick: Divinity III: Stalinverse #2 (Valiant) – I’m like a kid in a candy store with this series; I bloody love everything about this alternate history version of the Valiant universe. To be honest, I’ve already read the comic – and it’s good – but I’m looking forward to seeing the artwork on the printed page.

Bloodshot USA #4 (Valiant) – The conclusion to Valiant’s version of a zombie story with nanomachines infecting civilians. It’s been a surprisingly strong story so far, but the only thing keeping this from my top spot is Jeff Lemire’s tendency to set up the next arc midway through a concluding chapter. Sometimes I want a self contained story…

Hulk #2 (Marvel) – The first issue was easily the best Marvel comic I’ve read in a long time.

Savage #3 (Valiant) – I could just copy what I wrote about Divinity III #2 here with some slight adjustments, but that’d be lazy (almost as lazy as not writing anything else).

Brett

Top Pick: Dead Inside #2 (Dark Horse) – I’m a sucker for crime comics and this murder mystery within a prison has been fascinating so far. The art is solid, writing entertaining and engaging, it’s a complete package.

Animosity: The Rise (Aftershock) – The main series is solid about animals rising up against humanity. I really want to see where this fits into all of that. A great series under the radar.

The Circle #2 (Action Lab: Danger Zone) – A different take on The Craft, the first issue caught me by surprise and the second issue is even better.

Inhumans vs. X-Men #3 (Marvel) – This has been an event series that’s worked so far. The action is solid and it’s balancing a lot going on really well.

The Kamandi Challenge #1 (DC Comics) – Tons of creators taking on a classic. The first issue kicks off this week with eleven more to go.

Preview: Bloodshot U.S.A. #3

Posted on December 24, 2016 by Graphic Policy Team

BLOODSHOT U.S.A. #3 (of 4)

Written by JEFF LEMIRE
Art by DOUG BRAITHWAITE
Cover A by DOUG BRAITHWAITE (OCT161973)
Cover B by RYAN BODENHEIM (OCT161974)
Cover C by DAVE JOHNSON (OCT161975)
Variant Cover by JUAN JOSE RYP (OCT161977)
Variant Cover by MICO SUAYAN (OCT161978)
Valiant Cat Cosplay Cover Also Available (OCT161976)
$3.99 | 32 pgs. | T+ | On sale DECEMBER 21 (FOC – 11/28/16)

War for the home of the brave!

New York City is in flames. From the Bronx to Broadway, panic has taken hold…and Project Rising Spirit’s latest experiment – an airborne weapons test designed to turn eight million New Yorkers into nanite-infected killers – is already paying dividends. America’s politicians have demanded action…and you can bet your bottom dollar they’re going to get it when Bloodshot and Deathmate make a last stand to defuse NYC’s very own armageddon!

The explosive standalone comics event of the fall reaches a fever pitch as New York Times best-selling writer Jeff Lemire (BLOODSHOT REBORN, Moon Knight) and superstar artist Doug Braithwaite (ARMOR HUNTERS, Justice) unleash the next barrage in Bloodshot’s borough-busting battle royale!

Review: Bloodshot USA #3

Posted on December 23, 2016 by Alex K Cossa

Up until this point Bloodshot USA has been a relatively straight forward zombie-like story with the Valiant equivalent to the zombie virus confined (for now) to the island of Manhattan. I’ve been enjoying the series so far, quite a bit actually, but this is the issue that will divide fans (or not, I suppose) on the story as a whole.

Being the anti-spoiler person I am, I’m not going to say anything more specific about said divisive moment in this review (you can probably find it after a quick google search), but it does change the direction of the miniseries quiet a bit, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The shift in direction for the story wasn’t entirely unexpected (although it does raise questions that I’ll talk about at a later date), but I felt that the Jeff Lemire scripted comic was well done. At this point when I see Doug Braithwaite and Brian Reber‘s names on a cover I expect a visually stunning comic, and I was not let down in that regard.

Was Bloodshot USA #3 the finest issue in the miniseries so far? In a nutshell, yes it absolutely is. It’s a page turner from start to finish, and it’s not bloody long enough.

I need more!

Story: Jeff Lemire Art: Doug Braithwaite Colours: Brian Reber
Story: 8 Art: 9 Overall: 8.5 Recommendation: Buy

Valiant provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Graphic Policy’s Top Comic Picks this Week!

Posted on December 20, 2016 by Graphic Policy Team

Wednesdays are new comic book day! Each week hundreds of comics are released, and that can be pretty daunting to go over and choose what to buy. That’s where we come in!

We’re bringing back something we haven’t done for a while, what the team thinks. Our contributors are choosing up to five books each week and why they’re choosing the books.

Find out what folks think below, and what comics you should be looking out for this Wednesday.

Joe

Top Pick: 4 Kids Walk Into A Bank #3 (Black Mask Studios) – You know you’re onto something when you wrote two issues and people are begging you for the next issue. Rosenberg has taken 2016 by storm and it shows. After the success of this awesome comic, and Civil War II: Kingpin, he will now be writing ongoing titles at Marvel for Rocket Raccoon, Secret Warriors, and Kingpin. Find this comic, with the first two issues if you can. It is one of the top books of the year, from one of the best writers of the year.

Ether #2 (Dark Horse) – After a fantastic first issue, I cannot wait to continue the adventures of Boone and the crazy world of Ether. Fans of Doctor Strange and even Sherlock Holmes will love this quirky original book.

Batman #13 (DC Comics) – The last issue was controversial, and I loved it. Now that Tom King has let us know what “I Am Suicide” is about, I want to see where he takes us to end this arc. I love what he has been doing with the character. Will he break Bane’s back this time around?Black Hammer #6 (Dark Horse) – It feels like it has been forever since I’ve read this book, but maybe it’s because I want it to come out every week. This comic has such an original and refreshing way to tell super hero stories and turn the tropes on their head.

Black Hammer #6 (Dark Horse) – It feels like it has been forever since I’ve read this book, but maybe it’s because I want it to come out every week. This comic has such an original and refreshing way to tell super hero stories and turn the tropes on their head.

Dept. H #9 (Dark Horse) – Will we get some answers on who’s sabotaging the base? I love this slow burn of a book that builds its slow tension with each issue. So far so good from the Kindt duo. One of the best books of the year!

Alex

Top Pick: Divinity III: Stalinverse #1 (Valiant) – When this year started I hadn’t read Divinity. Then I went on vacation and had time to read the first trade, and after scraping my jaw from the floor I realized that Divinity II was just about to drop in stores, which meant I had to scrape my jaw up again. Needless to say, I have my jaw scraper ready as we head into the Stalinverse.

Black Hammer #6 (Dark Horse) – Narrowly missing out on my top spot this week is this underrated gem from Jeff Lemire. There has been a lot of scene setting over the last five issues as Lemire takes his time to really delve into the story of the missing heroes turned civilians. It’s such a fantastic journey that I’m not at all concerned we haven’t really done too much more than set the stage right now. Miss this at your peril.

Bloodshot USA #3 (Valiant) – While there may be some debate over whether or not this should have been a separate miniseries or a continuation of Bloodshot Reborn, the end result is pretty fantastic. I’m stoked for this issue (or I would be had I not already read it – review spoiler: it’s good).

Harbinger Renegade #2 (Valiant) – After I read the first issue of Harbinger Renegade I went back and read the first Harbinger series. I still haven’t read Imperium yet, but I will. I have the issues and some time off over the holidays, so I’ll be making a dent in the next chapter of the Toyo Harada and Peter Stanchek story. As for this issue? I’ll add it to the pile to reread once I finish Imperium.

Klaus And The Witch Of Winter (BOOM! Studios) – I loved the Klaus miniseries released last year, and somehow I missed the announcement that this was coming out. Needless to say, I’m excited about it.

Elana

4 Kids Walk Into a Bank #3 (Black Mask Studios) – 4 Kids Walk Into A Bank is back! 4 Kids Walk Into A Bank is back! It’s like a Coen Bros movie meets The Goonies but with a female protagonist and more diversity. Which means it’s actually better than The Goonies. Yes I SAID IT. It’s charming and funny and insightful caper comic and I’m going to make everyone read it goddamnit.

Shay

Top Pick: Harley Quinn #10 (DC Comics) – It’s Harley! It’s holiday short stories! It’s going to be awesome, dark and deranged! If you’re looking for a gateway comic for your non-comic book friend this holiday season, this might be the one!

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 11 #2 (Dark Horse) – Buffy and her teams are trying to put San Fricisco back in one piece and that might be harder to do with the start of a magical powered “human” registration act. This season should be interesting because we all know how well registration of people with powers works in the other comic book universes.

Dead Inside #1 ( Dark Horse) – A new comic with a female lead, murder, and corrupt county jails. It’s like all of those murder shows and docs you love in comic book form.

Justice League vs Suicide Squad #1 (DC Comics) – The Justice League has found out about our fave group of bad guys and are out to shut them down. This is going to be the best damn six-episode series ever and I can’t wait to see how it all shakes out. Time to root for the bad guys!!!

The Punisher Vol. 1: On Road TP (Marvel) – Frank hits the road after a bad raid and Condor and Face are waiting to scoop in and take him out . Time to cheer on one of your favorite bad good guys! Let the battle royal begin!

Honorable Mention: Throwaways TP Vol. 1 (Image Comics) – It’s the fist collection of this new comic book. It’s had some bumpy clunky issues but, overall it’s been an interesting reads I think that being able to have all of the early ones in one package might bring it all together.

Brett

Top Pick: Divinity III: Stalinverse #1 (Valiant) – The second volume ended with an interesting hint as to what was to come (but we already got the announcement of this series) but who knows how it’d all shake out. The first two volumes of this series have been amazing and this third which has a Russian take on the Valiant universe has me beyond excited.

4 Kids Walk Into a Bank #3 (Black Mask Studios) – The first two issues we damn near perfection and I’ve been waiting for this third one. Hopefully, the wait pays off, but this series is one of the best things to come out this year in comics.

Justice League vs. Suicide Squad #1 (DC Comics) – The exact silly fun I’d expect it to be.

Warhammer 40,000: Will of Iron #3 (Titan Comics) – It’s been a while since I was regularly paying 40K, but this series has got me wanting to dive back in. Fans of the Games Workshop game should absolutely check this out.

Hook Jaw #1 (Titan Comics) – It’s a story about a giant shark… and some scientists… and the CIA… As a fan of Jaws, sign me up.

Real! Live! Cats! Seattle’s Comics Dungeon is Hosting a Valiant Cat Cosplay Signing

Posted on December 2, 2016 by Graphic Policy Team

Across the millennia-spanning arc of human history, mankind has celebrated many triumphs. But, from the pyramids to the moon landing, they all now pale in comparison to the landmark achievement that Valiant has bequeathed unto civilization…with Valiant Cat Cosplay Covers!

To mark this most momentous occasion, Seattle’s Comics Dungeon will be officiating the December release of this all-new line of shelf covers with a live, in-person signing featuring stars (and real-life felines) Fawkes and Nak, alongside Freyu – creator of the Cat Cosplay of the Feline Variety blog and trusted human – on Saturday, December 17th! From 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm PT, meet the stars behind the purr-aculous covers gracing each of Valiant’s releases throughout December, pose for photos, and get your Valiant Cat Cosplay Covers paw-printed for all eternity by the legends themselves!

A portion of the proceeds from all Valiant Cat Cosplay Covers sold will benefit the Brooklyn Animal Rescue Coalition (BARC), a New York-based non-profit that operates a beloved, no-kill shelter for cats and dogs in Brooklyn’s Williamsburg neighborhood. BARC’s mission is to provide a safe haven for abandoned animals – with quality food, shelter, medical attention, and the love they deserve – and to find permanent loving homes for them.

Available as “order-all” covers across all of Valiant’s December 2016 series, each Valiant Cat Cosplay Covers will be available for retailers to order in unlimited quantities at the standard suggested retail price:

A&A: The Adventures of Archer & Armstrong #10
Bloodshot U.S.A. #3 (of 4)
Britannia #4 (of 4)
Divinty III: Stalinverse #1 (of 4)
Faith #6
Generation Zero #5
Harbinger Renegade #2
Ninjak #22
Savage #2 (of 4)
Wrath of the Eternal Warrior #14

They’re intrepid! They’re fearless! They’re cats!

Graphic Policy’s Top Comic Picks this Week!

Posted on November 22, 2016 by Graphic Policy Team

Wednesdays are new comic book day! Each week hundreds of comics are released, and that can be pretty daunting to go over and choose what to buy. That’s where we come in!

We’re bringing back something we haven’t done for a while, what the team thinks. Our contributors are choosing up to five books each week and why they’re choosing the books.

Find out what folks think below, and what comics you should be looking out for this Wednesday.

Joe

Top Pick: AD: After Death #1 (Image Comics) – Scott Snyder and Jeff Lemire are two of my favorite people in comics. Now they will be together with Lemire doing some fantastic art (one of his talents that is very underrated) on a book that they call part comic and part prose. This book asks the question, what if we could cure death? I am sure not everything will go well, but time will tell. What would a world with no death be like? Would it be as great as we think? The previews I have seen so far are beautiful, and I am very excited for the story this oversized book will tell.

The Mighty Thor #13 (Marvel) – After an excellent first issue of The Unworthy Thor that saw the return of Odinson, we will return to the current and actual holder of the Thor title. This issue will see the start of a massive war, and it will be interesting to see how this affects not only Thor, but Odinson as well. What will Odin do? Or Loki? This series has been fantastic all the way back to the last run. The story is great, the art is some of the best in comics, so yes, this is definitely high on my list.

Dept. H #8 (Dark Horse) – Who did it!? That’s the question we are all asking along with our protagonist, while everyone tries to avoid drowning to death. The water is rising and so are tensions. As they search for answers, they also have to search for a way to survive. Did someone sabotage the base? It would sure seem it. Matt and Sharlene Kindt have been doing such a fantastic job on this book and I expect that to continue.

Detective Comics #945 (DC Comics) – The Victim Syndicate continues, and I want to find out more about these characters. We basically know they want to make Batman hurt for what they think he did to them, but how far will they take things? It definitely seems like pretty far if the last issue is any sign. This is one of the best DC books, and probably my favorite bat book each month, so I am definitely looking forward to this.

Wonder Woman #11 (DC Comics) – Speaking of the best DC book, this just may be it. Wonder Woman is probably their most consistent title, and Greg Rucka is writing a heck of a tale, well two tales each month. I love the going back and forth between the year one and the current storyline, and seeing how they tie together. Will we finally get some big answers this issue? This is a book everyone should be reading every month. Highly recommended.

Alex

Bloodshot U.S.A. #2 (Valiant) – I’ve recent been reading the earlier issues of Bloodshot from a few years ago, which has gotten me incredibly excited to get my hands on this issue with a new found appreciation for the character.

Venom #1 (Marvel) – Knowing next to nothing about this series, or Venom’s history since the symbiote was bonded to Flash Thompson, this is going to be an interesting read. Hopefully, it’s a little more than half decent.

Ninjak #21 (Valiant) – I’m looking forward to this more for the end of the arc than anything else. I’ve been pretty underwhelmed by The Fist And The Steel arc, although it was a perfectly serviceable story, it just didn’t do it for me. I’m hoping the next arc will be different, but we have to read this first.

Brett

Top Pick: AD: After Death Book 1 (Image Comics) – Scott Snyder and Jeff Lemire. Those two names alone should give you enough reason to pick up this first issue. The concept is interesting and Joe covered that above, but these are creators who I expect quality when I see their names and they consistently deliver. I don’t flinch at recommending this one and it’s near the top of my reading list.

Civil War II #7 (Marvel) – I’ll be the first to say this event has been a disaster from the beginning, but it’s a trainwreck where I want to see what happens next.

Death of X #4 (Marvel) – Filling in the gaps post-Secret Wars we finally find out what happened to Cyclops and a few others. That’s enough to get me to check out this final issue of the miniseries and also to see what happens next with the next event IVX.

Captain Canuck #10 (Chapterhouse Comics) – Comics should be fun and Captain Canuck consistently delivers that without the grim and dark that so many others rely on.

Warlords of Appalachia #2 (BOOM! Studios) – Might as well get ahead of the curve in what very well may be a prescient series. The story involves an uprising from Kentucky post second Civil War… entertainment is feeling a bit too real here.

Preview: Bloodshot U.S.A. #2 (of 4)

Posted on November 22, 2016 by Graphic Policy Team

BLOODSHOT U.S.A. #2 (of 4)

Written by JEFF LEMIRE
Art by DOUG BRAITHWAITE
Cover A by DOUG BRAITHWAITE (SEP162055)
Cover B by STEPHEN SEGOVIA (SEP162056)
Cover C by DAVE JOHNSON (SEP162057)
Variant Cover by DARICK ROBERTSON (SEP162058)
Variant Cover by CLAYTON CRAIN (SEP162059)
$3.99 | 32 pgs. | T+ | On sale NOVEMBER 23rd (FOC 10/31/16)

There are more than eight million people in New York City. And every single one of them just became Bloodshot.

With the flip of a switch, Project Rising Spirit has just infected every man, woman, and child in New York City with a designer “nanite virus,” instantly transforming them into hard-coded killing machines. Now, block by block, the citizens of America’s greatest metropolis are falling prey to their own destructive urges…and Bloodshot is the only soldier tough enough to go head-to-head with the entire Big Apple gone bad! With the humanity of an entire city on the line, Bloodshot is waging a one-man assault on Manhattan to root out the source of this machine-made infection before it hits the heartland… but will bullets and brute force be enough to stop the spread of a pandemic deadlier than anything in human history?

The city that never sleeps is about to get a wake-up call! Lock and load with New York Times best-selling writer Jeff Lemire (Old Man Logan, Moon Knight) and blockbuster artist Doug Braithwaite (NINJAK, ARMOR HUNTERS) as the most hostile comics event of the year heads into the heart of the concrete jungle!

Around the Tubes

Posted on October 31, 2016 by Graphic Policy Team

It’s a new week and we’ve got lots of interviews, reviews, and more coming up! Plus, there’s Doctor Strange opening this coming weekend! While you await all of that, here’s some comic news and reviews from around the web in our morning roundup.