Bloodshot Reborn #12 continues with him and Ninjak hunting the Shadowmen responsible for slaughtering everyone in Bloodshot’s settlement. It opens up with Bloodshot dreaming about him and Magic playing a game of chess. Their moment of fun is interrupted when Bloodshot thinks he hears something at the door and wants to go check it out. Magic urges him not to but he can’t ignore the constant beeping. He wakes up in Ninjak’s jet and it’s the ground-to-air alarm going off due to the Shadowmen using anti-aircraft weapons against them. Their jet is shot out the air but Bloodshot cares little about losing the element of surprise. He’s been plotting his revenge since the Shadowmen destroyed his village and killed the love of his life, and he’s more than capable of exacting it. However, he still doesn’t know who’s behind the goo tech or why his village was even targeted by the Shadowmen other than the battle of survival of the fittest in the wasteland. Will Bloodshot and Ninjak be able to stop this threat once and for all?

I liked how this issue started off with bloodshot and magic playing chess because it kept everything in perspective in terms of Bloodshot’s motivation and character. Yeah it was not as if it would be forgotten so soon his magic and the other settlers were killed but the memories of her interspersed with the action scenes made the story flow that much better. Since the Shadowmen were nothing but cannon fodder it was good that the focus was still on Bloodshot’s love for Magic because it made it all the more engaging. And yes it was somewhat disappointing that the Shadowmen were easily forgettable because of the crucial role they played in setting these events in motion and an opportunity to mention more about the one behind everything was squandered.

SUMMARY

Bloodshot Reborn #12 is an action-packed issue that succeeds in driving home the intensity of Bloodshot’s revenge with its pleasing visuals and flashback scenarios. Like one of the characters in a panel, there are many eye-popping scenes that make this worth the read. Unfortunately, the antagonists are pretty much cannon fodder and little is added to the story regarding goo-tech aside from a cliffhanger. However, I’m looking forward to next issue for the answers to make this story arc an even more enjoyable experience.

Release Date: 4/20/16
Writer: Jeff Lemire
Artist: Lewis Larosa