Bloodshot Reborn #10 is set 30 years in the future and has Bloodshot attempting to protect a settlement he’s been living in with Magic, the love of his life. Far removed is he from the days when he was fearful that his life was too dangerous for Magic to be in it, and they’ve been able to build a strong life together. But everything isn’t perfect in this world because a severe water shortage requires Bloodshot to occasionally venture out near the city of Los Angeles to gather more for the entire settlement. And even though the Shadowmen don’t attack the settlement they do try to attack him after he gathers water because it’s something they can’t do. And that’s because there’s an army of soldiers created from technology referred to as Goo-Tech guarding the water supply near Los Angeles.

It was decided long ago the residents of Los Angeles would receive all the water while those outside could only receive a meager allocated amount each month. The Shadowmen have been unable to successfully defeat Bloodshot but is it only a matter of time before they do? And who or what turned L.A. into such a tyrannical place?

It was a wonderful touch to have the 2 kids discussing Bloodshot based on different things they heard because it gave a simple understanding of how incorporated he was in the settlement as well as a sense of how private his life still was with Magic. It was surprising to see Bloodshot as an old man at first, and I was wondering what was up with the nanites but I enjoyed the interaction with Magic including how it created the segway into understanding Bloodshot’s mission. I was feeling engrossed in this overall situation, and yes, this was partly due to the easy understanding of the need for water. Yet it was the initial setup and the beautiful writing that made it so compelling. And when Bloodshot pulled out the badass truck and transformed I was all in.

There was plenty of action to follow, and it’s not that it wasn’t intense or exciting but it felt very familiar. If you’ve seen the movie Mad Max, which was an excellent movie, you’ll recognize the imagery immediately. This sequence could’ve been paying homage to that movie deliberately but it took away some of the awe factor. This was still great due to Lewis La Rosa’s splendid artwork. And I won’t give away any spoilers about why the conclusion to this issue has me so amped up for the next one. I’ll just say this story arc is off to an excellent start.

SUMMARY

Bloodshot Reborn #10 is an engrossing start to the Analog Man story arc as it paints an intriguing picture of the current world while establishing an entertaining personal situation for Bloodshot. It unfolds in a smooth manner transitioning from Bloodshot’s personal life in the settlement to his journey in collecting water when he’s attacked. The action is good although it feels too similar to Mad Max to feel wholly unique. However, the conclusion more than makes up for that and I can’t wait to get my hands on the next issue.

Release Date: 1/27/16
Writer: Jeff Lemire
Artist: Lewis La Rosa