Publisher: Image Comics
Writer/Artist: Rob Liefeld
Release Date: 8th July 2015
When a book opens with a character halved in two and his severed torso hanging from chains, it’s a safe bet the ride is going to be pretty extreme. But then again, if the name on the cover is Rob Liefeld, you most likely expected as much. His controversial signature style is the very definition of the word, and though the overall quality of his work may have improved over time, Bloodstrike exhibits some very familiar problems.
The plot follows a fairly typical ‘lone infiltrator’ trope, and we meet our protagonist just after things have gone spectacularly awry; which unfortunately is where the problems begin. The issue features a number of action sequences, which even after repeated readings didn’t make a whole lot of sense, with the effect that I was lifted out of the narrative on more than one occasion, and by the end I had lost interest in the story as a whole.
As a piece of visual storytelling the book is littered with inconsistencies, from odd physical proportions, to erratic scene geography, to the multitude of blades appearing from and disappearing to who knows where, and as a result the art never gains enough momentum. Graphic depictions of violence are the order of the day for the most part, but their impact is significantly lessened by their somewhat exploitative nature.
There were times when I wondered if I had somehow missed the point, with some scenes bordering on self-referential parody. Liefeld is clearly unfazed by past and any future criticism, and is vehemently sticking to his guns (and blades, lots of blades) in regard to his stylistic approach. He doesn’t do understated or subtle, and the epilogue’s final splash page, showing a ridiculously oversized penis in a jar, is not only proof positive of this, but perfectly encapsulates the problems inherent in his work.
From a technical standpoint, Bloodstrike has many problems to forgive if you are going to enjoy it fully, and for me, there are just too many.
Rating: 1/5.
The Writer of this piece was: Martin Doyle
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