Bloodshot: Salvation #9 Discussion

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Bloodshot: Salvation #9 Discussion

Post by grendeljd »

If anyone would like to hear our OTV:VCR podcast discussing/reviewing this issue [& Ninja-K #7], please follow the link;

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Thanks to any who listen in :thumb:
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Re: Bloodshot: Salvation #9 Discussion

Post by otomo »

Beautiful heavy art for a silly concept. Seems a waste of the artistic talents in what was ultimately ANOTHER filler issue for the series. The ratio of issue where things don't happen is really high for this series. When it does hit it's nice, but we had the stop and do a villain origin issue, the no art issue and now this... that's a full 1/3 of the book. Really needs some tighter storytelling.
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Re: Bloodshot: Salvation #9 Discussion

Post by Dallow Spicer1 »

otomo wrote:Beautiful heavy art for a silly concept. Seems a waste of the artistic talents in what was ultimately ANOTHER filler issue for the series. The ratio of issue where things don't happen is really high for this series. When it does hit it's nice, but we had the stop and do a villain origin issue, the no art issue and now this... that's a full 1/3 of the book. Really needs some tighter storytelling.
I have a different perspective on the issues which break up the ongoing story. As with the origin story of Pete and Danny/Rampage, the story of the hound increases emotional attachment to the character, so when they appear in the ongoing story they ‘matter’ more. Pete and Rampage are far more interesting characters now we know their background. Initially Pete seemed like another generic psychotic leader of a shadowy organisation but now we understand the bond between him and his brother.

I thought this issue set in WWI was interesting and a really good one shot. Art was superb and Lemire included some nice emotional touches, like the soldier who ended up being killed after the Dr asked him his name.

4/5 - good stuff :thumb:

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Re: Bloodshot: Salvation #9 Discussion

Post by greg »

I posted this in the "Conflicted about Bloodshot" discussion:

I'm pretty tired of issues and arcs of Ray saying: "I don't remember who I am" followed by someone saying "I will help you find out" followed by Ray killing other character extras we don't know, followed by Ray having the chance to find out more about his past, followed by Ray saying "nah, don't tell me".

... I'll expand that thought to say that Bloodshot: Salvation has weird numbering since #9 doesn't follow #8 and going to 4001 (or so) in #10 doesn't make sense either, but I prefer this continued numbering for "release order" better than a bunch of one-shot books with #1 on the front cover: Bloodshot Bride, Bloodshot and the Beardcult, Bloodshot Baby, Bloodshot Blackout, Bloodshot Battles Beasts, Bloodshot Baron Bargain, Bloodshot Bloodhound Beginnings, Bloodshot Beyond.

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Re: Bloodshot: Salvation #9 Discussion

Post by Sunlight on Snow »

What a brutal story -- it's hard to not like this issue! :lol:

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Re: Bloodshot: Salvation #9 Discussion

Post by Sunlight on Snow »

The "War Times" page in the pre-order bundle edition has the same script excerpt next to the first two images. :!:

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Re: Bloodshot: Salvation #9 Discussion

Post by grendeljd »

greg wrote:I posted this in the "Conflicted about Bloodshot" discussion:

I'm pretty tired of issues and arcs of Ray saying: "I don't remember who I am" followed by someone saying "I will help you find out" followed by Ray killing other character extras we don't know, followed by Ray having the chance to find out more about his past, followed by Ray saying "nah, don't tell me".

... I'll expand that thought to say that Bloodshot: Salvation has weird numbering since #9 doesn't follow #8 and going to 4001 (or so) in #10 doesn't make sense either, but I prefer this continued numbering for "release order" better than a bunch of one-shot books with #1 on the front cover: Bloodshot Bride, Bloodshot and the Beardcult, Bloodshot Baby, Bloodshot Blackout, Bloodshot Battles Beasts, Bloodshot Baron Bargain, Bloodshot Bloodhound Beginnings, Bloodshot Beyond.
It occurs to me as I read a lot of other people criticizing the lack of flow when these one-off stories get sprinkled into the mix like this one (and I've been one to do so myself at times)...

This is really starting to feel like a call back to how comics used to be in decades past. There might be an overall flow of direction to a storyline in continuous issues of Marvel or DC comics from the 60's-90's, but quite often individual issues were written to be one-off stories that may or may not tie into the over-arching story happening. A major villain may show up for an issue or two, but then something random & selfcontained might happen in the following issue.

It's making me think that maybe we've all become too entrenched in the mindset that comic stories need to fit into a trade collection in order to be good.
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Re: Bloodshot: Salvation #9 Discussion

Post by jmatt »

greg wrote: but I prefer this continued numbering for "release order" better than a bunch of one-shot books with #1 on the front cover
Ditto.

Pretty good issue. The art is off the hook! Wow!

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Re: Bloodshot: Salvation #9 Discussion

Post by Sunlight on Snow »

grendeljd wrote:
greg wrote:I posted this in the "Conflicted about Bloodshot" discussion:

I'm pretty tired of issues and arcs of Ray saying: "I don't remember who I am" followed by someone saying "I will help you find out" followed by Ray killing other character extras we don't know, followed by Ray having the chance to find out more about his past, followed by Ray saying "nah, don't tell me".

... I'll expand that thought to say that Bloodshot: Salvation has weird numbering since #9 doesn't follow #8 and going to 4001 (or so) in #10 doesn't make sense either, but I prefer this continued numbering for "release order" better than a bunch of one-shot books with #1 on the front cover: Bloodshot Bride, Bloodshot and the Beardcult, Bloodshot Baby, Bloodshot Blackout, Bloodshot Battles Beasts, Bloodshot Baron Bargain, Bloodshot Bloodhound Beginnings, Bloodshot Beyond.
It occurs to me as I read a lot of other people criticizing the lack of flow when these one-off stories get sprinkled into the mix like this one (and I've been one to do so myself at times)...

This is really starting to feel like a call back to how comics used to be in decades past. There might be an overall flow of direction to a storyline in continuous issues of Marvel or DC comics from the 60's-90's, but quite often individual issues were written to be one-off stories that may or may not tie into the over-arching story happening. A major villain may show up for an issue or two, but then something random & selfcontained might happen in the following issue.

It's making me think that maybe we've all become too entrenched in the mindset that comic stories need to fit into a trade collection in order to be good.
:lol:

Perhaps the problem of this series is its fragmentation. Salvation feels like another Harbinger Renegade in terms of release schedule and overall flow (minus the hiatus of course). I'm not talking about the actual story much less the amazing art throughout the entire series thus far. I still like Salvation much better than H:R but I see and understand why most people complain about the flow and lack thereof. Maybe Lemire is trying to combine too many elements all at once -- too many villains, places, and time lines, plus family issues, and the flashback/origin stories, and on top of that another issue that is almost entirely black.

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Re: Bloodshot: Salvation #9 Discussion

Post by Big Red »

I really enjoyed this issue.

Trained dogs with Bloodshot's abilities would be quiet an asset in times of war; particularly during WWI.
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Re: Bloodshot: Salvation #9 Discussion

Post by Shadowman99 »

I haven't been around the boards a lot lately but I've gathered that there's something of a general feeling that the BS storyline hasn't gone anywhere lately. Well, I've just caught up on about 6 months' worth of BS Salvation over a couple of sittings and I really have no idea what people are talking about. Maybe it just reads better in trade format, but there's very clear progression of events throughout the series to date. This particular issue is a one-off (so far) step away from that as it's a self-contained story, clearly, so I just don't understand what's caused the popular opinion.

Great issue. Some folk have said the concept was dumb but I'll leave that point of view to them. Bloodhound needed to have come from somewhere the same as any character in any story does, and this was his origin story. And as an origin within the BS narrative it makes perfect sense so it's good by me. Not only that but there were a couple of genuinely emotional moments in there too (at least, for anyone capable of empathising with a non-human species) and the art was probably the best there's been in any single Valiant title to date.

So, great issue across all fronts (pun intended).
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Re: Bloodshot: Salvation #9 Discussion

Post by jmatt »

Shadowman99 wrote: Maybe it just reads better in trade format, but there's very clear progression of events throughout the series to date.
While I'm not in the 'going nowhere' camp, I do agree that much of the material reads way better back to back. And personally, I was disappointed to see Samedi disappear in Shadowman long ago and am happy to see his resurrected as a character in the universe.

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Re: Bloodshot: Salvation #9 Discussion

Post by Shadowman99 »

jmatt wrote:...I was disappointed to see Samedi disappear in Shadowman long ago and am happy to see his resurrected as a character in the universe.
+1
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