#cabbott

CHRISTOPHER ABBOTT as BLAKE LOVELL

Week of March 28th, 2012: Bloodstrike 26 by Tim Seeley and Franchesco Gaston.

Yea! Deadpool! I love Deadpool! Wait, that's not Deadpool. That's Bloodstrike. He's totally different... All joking aside, I am excited for this continuation of Bloodstrike, a Rob Liefeld creation straight out of the 1990's. With writing by Tim Seeley and art by Franchesco Gaston, this book is a very strong relaunch of this forgotten property. It is instantly accessible for new readers and will send you on a nostalgia trip like no other, as you find yourself thick in concepts so EXTREME that only the 90's could have produced them. Have fun!

Best Part: At one point, Cabbott has his intestines ripped out of his body and since he is a on a com system with his HQ, he tells them that he's going to need a few extra feet of intestines when he gets back. It's such an odd moment that is perfectly captured by both the art and layout.

Worst Part: I didn't care for having the nice boss die. It was done well, sure, but I would like to see somebody in a terrible position who doesn't have to deal with crazy superiors.

Side Note: I'm curious to see what Cabbott's new teammates are like and how he reacts to the reappearance of his father. I feel this way after one issue. If Seeley and Gaston were able to do that after one issue I'm very excited to see where it goes down the line.

Writing: Tim Seeley writes this book and manages to add a lot more depth to the character of Cabbott Stone than you would expect. Through Cabbott's meeting with a therapist, we find out all the information about the character that we could possibly need. As somebody who has never read Bloodstrike before this issue, I already feel at home with the character and none of it felt forced. Now all we need to do is escape the cliched villains and we'll be set.

Art: Half of the reason you pick up a book is for the art but for me, I read this book solely because of the art from Franchesco Gaston. His art is reminiscent of Stefano Caselli, but with lighter shading and thinner inking. It is very accessible and Gaston handles all aspects of the issues incredibly well, particularly the dialogue heavy scenes where his expressions are particularly strong.