The war in Las Vegas has ended and the repercussions are going to be devastating especially for Bloodshot.

Official description from VALIANT:

Harbinger Wars is going out with a bang! A battle for the lives of Project Rising Spirit’s escaped psiot children is being waged between Toyo Harada, Peter Stancheck’s Renegades and the H.A.R.D. Corps – and Bloodshot stands in the center of it all.

Valiant’s first big “event” has ended without any clear resolutions and Bloodshot is on the receiving end of the worst of it. Bloodshot #13 begins with the former psiot hitman recovering from his encounter with Peter and the Renegades and his Nanoscopic machines are working overtime. We’ve seen Bloodshot take some serious punishment previously but Harbinger Wars nearly took him out for good. We also get an early flashback/dream of Bloodshot’s life prior to Project Rising Spirit and ends in a nightmarish shock befitting the reformed assassin. This is Bloodshot’s perspective of the final events of the Harbinger Wars and it shows the true character and heart behind the virtually unstoppable soldier. His sacrifices are enormous for the children he was once sent to destroy and to watch him take such devastating damage in battle knowing his true intentions is heartbreaking.

Duane Swierczynski writes this character so well you get a true sense of what the term hero really means. Bloodshot’s gesture to not only the kids but Melissa and her brother, another solider recovering from war, show’s his redemption may never be complete. The final pages of the aftermath of what happened in Vegas leaves you wondering if Bloodshot’s run is finally over as Toyo Harada sinks deeper into a villain you’ll love to hate. Barry Kitson handles the art duties flawlessly here. The action and battles jump off the page and the detail Bloodshot’s wounds are as gruesome as they are gorgeous. The dream sequence early only stands out as a beautiful piece of art itself and Dave Bullock‘s regular cover of issue #13 is the best cover of Bloodshot’s run so far and they are always outstanding.

This is a great tie-in that gives you a dynamic look from Bloodshot’s eyes and advances the overall story of the Harbinger Wars. This issue is a great read on it’s own but it’s definitely worth investing the time and money to get full experience of how rich and dense the Valiant Universe has become. Bloodshot is a cornerstone of Valiant’s continuing mythology and each issue gets increasingly better and quite literally addictive.

4.5/5