There’s this striking image of a man. Eyes closed, thoroughly focused on his goal. In striking shades of grey there stands Bloodshot, a man whose head has been at times turned inside out countless of times. Yet, he has come to a point where he does not blindly follow orders. But this isn’t the man who has matured and grown into the nanite abilities he’s been gifted with. No this Bloodshot goes along the party line and indiscriminately devotes his powers to mother Russia. In issue one of ‘Divinity III: Komandar Bloodshot’ we are taken back to a man who has no idea he’s being used. But you get the sense that once he finds out what’s truly happening, that this world is not reality, there’s going to be an insurmountable amount of bloodshed.
Rising Spirit is seemingly running the show as Komandar Bloodshot is sent out to bring the hammer down on an insurrection. What’s startling and fascinating about this issue is the artwork. Yes, the words are important, they give the reader a sense of place and context. But the movements of the characters, their anger, their fear are the most arresting images that will haunt you. Bloodshot cuts an imposing figure in this Stalinverse. Tall, bald with a long black beard he stands against a stark, cold landscape. His face is determined and he knows exactly how to fulfill his mission. Still it’s the small moments where you think that maybe he’s remembering his past. Instances of mercy, love or even compassion that he’s experienced should snap Bloodshot out of this mindless killing machine persona. Instead he battles through that inner voice that’s screaming none of this is real.
Writer Jeff Lemire along with artist Clayton Crane has cultivated a chilling, merciless environment that has the reader trying to figure out just when is Bloodshot going to decipher what’s really going on? With every panel there is tension. As a longtime fan of this character there are situations where you think Bloodshot is going to go against his programming. He’ll turn, have a confusing look on his face, as if to say to the reader, do you know who’s in charge of all this? Is Colin King (Ninjak) the only one who knows what’s going on, or is Bloodshot remembering who he truly is? You want him to remember. Valiant characters work well in teams. There’s a trust that has been built up between several of the men and women in this world. Often each has called on the other for help. And without a word they’ve rendered aid. There are hints of that in this issue. However, it won’t be what you expect. Some may not make it back into the real world. But it’s the unpredictability that makes this storyline interesting.
What’s more this world has a building folklore. At the end of this issue the reader gets to know more about this version of the U.S. with the tale of ‘The Origin of the Red Legend’ by Matt Kindt. She comes out of nowhere, like Moses. And like that iconic man she becomes a symbol of hope for some, but mostly fear in the powers that be. She has abilities and uses them to protect her family. But then she is called by her country for a bigger purpose. The thing is by giving Stalinverse not only a different history, but its own mythology the reader now becomes invested in this world. Now we are complicit in this fiction within the story we are reading. This no longer becomes a throwaway narrative. Now the reader must find out what is happening. Will Bloodshot regain his memories? More importantly knowing what he has done will he want to?
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