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• Price: $3.99
• Rating: T+
• Pages: 32
• On Sale: March 7, 2018
• Writer & Artist: Jeff Lemire
• Artist: Renato Guedes
  
• Letters: Simon Bowland
• Publisher: Valiant Entertainment

From the Publisher – Deployed into the demonic realm called Deadside in search of a cure for his ailing infant daughter, Bloodshot has lost the one sense he needs most to navigate the land of the dead: his sight. Blinded with only his four-legged ally, Bloodhound, to aid him, Ray Garrison must fight onward as one man against the darkness – even as he is beset from all sides by a horde of inhuman entities that crave only death, suffering, and slaughter…

Our We Talk Comics WeView – Comics are an incredibly powerful medium, and it’s great to see a comic that takes advantage of that. Bloodshot Salvation #7 probably isn’t the first book to take place almost entirely in the dark, but it may be the most engaging. The first time I remember a similar technique was by John Byrne in Alpha Flight #6 (Snowblind), except in that case it was only 5 pages of a climactic battle taking place in a snowstorm. In Bloodshot Salvation #7, Bloodshot is rendered blind in Deadside and the comic is told almost exclusively from his point of view.

Jeff Lemire’s writing does most of the heavy lifting in this issue, and the thing that impressed me the most about it is that there isn’t as many words as you would expect for a book that takes place in pitch black. The dialog does an excellent job of conveying Bloodshot’s fear and emotions while still giving you a real sense of what’s going on. The description of sound is particularly effective in this case since you’re as “in the dark” as Bloodshot is.

What can you say about the art on a book that is primarily black? In this case I was impressed by the panels in the book. Rather than being straight and blocky, the panels are white splashes that provide a real contrast to the page. The occasional vague outline also helps to increase the dramatic tension within the story. It really shows off the lettering by Simon Bowland as well; balloon placement covering the art isn’t a problem, instead what it does is help to show you where Bloodshot is vs where the enemy he is trying to avoid is. The sound effects are particularly effective and again really draw your attention and provide excellent contrast.

The thing I appreciated the most about this book is that it completely drew me in. By showing us only Bloodshot’s POV Lemire has created such tension that it brings more excitement to the table than showing us everything. On the surface it’s easy to call a book like this a gimmick but I would suggest that as an artistic choice it’s very brave. It’s an inventive take on an old concept and it serves the story well. Plus I never expected to see two-page spreads in a pitch black comic, but they work very well here. Certainly worth a look as a departure from the norm, and highly recommended.

Rating – Very Fine (VF) or 8.5/10

Review by Brett

Love the review? Hate the review? Disagree with me? I’m happy to talk comics on twitter @Brett_WeTalk

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