Reviews»Comic Books»Bloodshot #25
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Kareem Ali 4.5

Bloodshot #25

 

  • The good

    Main story is very engrossing for all it reveals about Bloodshot's previous life and Project Rising Spirit's extreme methods to reassert control over him. Beautiful artwork

  • The bad

    The short stories aren't as revealing or as engrossing as the main story

  • The ugly

    • Bloodshot #25 reveals the story of when he experienced a “glitch” in his programming, and remembered details of his life prior to being Bloodshot. It opens up with him on the operating table with a doctor discussing the latest situation with the general in Project Rising Spirit as they seek to reprogram him so what occurred with him going AWOL and returning to his former life doesn’t happen again. The doctor tries to explain to the general that it wasn’t really a glitch but the result of them still wanting him to have a portion of his humanity. What triggered this was an explosion that occurred during a mission in Syria that disrupted his hippocampus and caused a flood of old memories from his life as Sean Mullins to come pouring through. He remembered making a promise to a woman, Kristen, that he would return to her, and when he remembered, he intended on keeping that promise. So he goes off the grid for a week looking for her and he’s able to find her based off his memories from this prior life. Her name is Kristen Mullins and he has very intimate memories of her. However, Project Rising Spirit is desperately looking for him too so they send out Stalker Dog unit to search the area where he was last spotted. Are these memories Bloodshot is sorting through real or are they just another cover he’s remembering that Project Rising Spirit programmed him to have? And if they are real how far will they go to reassert control over Bloodshot and eliminate his past life?

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    If you’ve been reading my Bloodshot reviews then you know I’ve been looking forward to this 48-page issue and all it would reveal about the character. However all 48 pages aren’t just for one Bloodshot story but multiple stories and anecdotes. The first story, which is about him remembering Kristen Mullins, is the best one and really sheds light on the character. Due to Bloodshot’s abilities and Project Rising Spirit’s propensity to manipulate his memories as they see fit, there was an initial suspense in the story regarding the truth of these memories. And what started as suspense became a great character development story that showed what was crucial to Bloodshot eventually being able to overcome his programming, which was shown in previously covered events. It was interesting to see Bloodshot in this situation and interacting with Kristen, as well as the information revealed about their life. And the attitude of the general was the perfect example of the type of minds behind Project Rising Spirit and it was clear why Bloodshot remembering his life would be so problematic. Of course there would be action in this story and it would be intense considering the circumstances. And if the story wasn’t engrossing enough, there would be a shocking turn of events to make it even more engrossing but also didn’t ruin the character progression from this story.

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    The other stories would be entertaining however they wouldn’t be as unique or revealing as the first one. One would involve shutting down Bloodshot after a mistake is made that triggers his reaction. Another would be about Bloodshot dealing with a band of mercenaries who decide that since his bounty is so high it’ll be best for them to try to collect on it for various reasons. And there are scattered pages that are just humorous, and breaks up the different stories. I would have liked to see more stories that were as revealing as the first but these were enjoyable in their own way.

     

    SUMMARY

     

    Bloodshot #25 is an entertaining double-sized issue that contains a very touching, and shocking story about Bloodshot’s life prior to Project Rising Spirit, and the extremes they went to in order to maintain control over their weapon. I really enjoyed what was revealed about him, and the action was brief but intense in that situation. And the conclusion would only make me want to see more about Bloodshot and Project Rising Spirit. This story was so good that even though I enjoyed the short stories in this issue I did wish that they were as revealing as the first one or directly connected to it in some way. The good thing is they were entertaining for what they were, and the “advertisements” were hilarious too. Whether you’ve been keeping up with Bloodshot or not, this issue is still a great jumping on point for new readers, and satisfying to those who are already familiar with the character.

     

    Release Date: 11/5/14

    Writers: Peter Milligan, Howard Chaykin, Duane Swierczynski, Duffy Boudreau, Justin Jordan, Daniel Kibblesmith

    Artists: Lewis LaRosa, Howard Chaykin, Manuel Garcia, Al Barrionuevo, Rafer Roberts

  • Rating ( 8.75 )
  • Total score 8.8

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