The Valiant Universe always interested me, but it’s only in the last few years of picking up cheap back issues from comic book bargain boxes that I’ve really been able to delve particularly deeply into its characters and stories. At times particularly during the late 90s, Acclaim Comics era, it could feel particularly intimidating and impenetrable to newcomers.

The Valiant Universe has seen numerous reboots and relaunches over the decades since, but few Valiant comics have done much in the way of reinvention to a massive degree.

That changes somewhat with Valiant Beyond, an Ultimate Marvel-style, modernised, stripped down and accessible continuity. So far, there are just four titles in the Valiant Beyond range, and publisher Alien Books would do well to keep the range pretty straightforward and lesser in number so as not to put off potential new readers.

The first Valiant Beyond release is Bloodshot #1; is it successful in bringing the decades-old character into the present with a contemporary take and a jumping on point for entirely new readers? Let’s find out.

There’s a new drug on the streets, and the nano-powered agent, Bloodshot, is determined to shut it down. What exactly is the drug, B-S? And what is it doing to its users? One thing’s for sure; Bloodshot is going to kick a lot of ass in order to stop it.

Even if you’re not familiar with the genetically-enhanced abilities of Bloodshot (let’s assume you haven’t seen the Vin Diesel-led movie adaptation, because let’s face it: who did?), this issue really does a great job of introducing him. Of course, with this being a new and streamlined continuity, things aren’t quite the same as they were before, but the showcase this issue provides in giving us an extended look at the rebooted character and setting is very effective indeed.

Though the ‘B-S’ thing is a bit obvious, it turns out to not be that important anyway, with a big piece of pesudo-supernatural world-building and lore forming a surprising element of this new Bloodshot comic.

Speaking of surprising, I wasn’t expecting the profanity or gore, which perhap pitches this at older fans, and could well put off some of the new audience it’s trying to attract. That said, it’s all very impressively written and illustrated (by Mauro Mantella and Fernando Heinz Furukawa respectively), with an awful lot of crunchy, high impact action, delivered at a breakneck pace.

One small element did bother me though, and it’s only after a quick Google search that I’ve discovered I wasn’t alone; a section of dialogue referring to the supernatural creatures in the story seems to be making barely veiled comment on the trans community. It’s awkward, it’s out of place and it’s made even worse by the writer’s apparent anti-LGBT views being discovered on social media.

Though I had a blast with Bloodshot #1, and I’m definitely going to be checking out the rest of the Valiant Beyond line as soon as I can, it does feel a bit icky to continue supporting this particular book given the rhetoric it seems to be parroting. It’s such a shame, because it mars what is otherwise an excellent, very well put together comic.

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