Bloodshot: Salvation #5 Discussion

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Bloodshot: Salvation #5 Discussion

Post by grendeljd »

If anyone would like to hear our OTV:VCR podcast discussing/reviewing this issue [& Ninjak vs. The Valiant Universe #1], please follow the link;

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Thanks to any who listen in :thumb:
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Re: Bloodshot: Salvation #5 Discussion

Post by otomo »

Fabulous. I'm a bit fixated on the nanite thing and how it works since someone on the board mentioned it. I don't think the explanation made a whole lot of sense here...buuuuut, got some nice action in here with Bloodshot (I mean Ray) kicking *SQUEE* and that's what I wanted. Thoroughly enjoyed and the art was beautiful. Not a whole lot of surprises but thoroughly enjoyable. 8/10
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Re: Bloodshot: Salvation #5 Discussion

Post by Bl00dsh0t »

Another solid issue. I love what Lemire is doing with this title and am enjoying the character cameos too :thumb:

this is meant to be the end of the first arc but if i were trade waiting i'd be a little annoyed insofar as it leaves with too much unfinished business (great for monthly collectors like me).

art is just great.

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Re: Bloodshot: Salvation #5 Discussion

Post by Summydad1 »

For me a solid 9/10. Very fun read. Art is excellent. Great action. Ninja-k cameo was unexpected and awesome. I like it when he appears and disappears out of knowhere in other titles....kinda like a ninja.
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Re: Bloodshot: Salvation #5 Discussion

Post by nonplayer »

Bl00dsh0t wrote:Another solid issue. I love what Lemire is doing with this title and am enjoying the character cameos too :thumb:

this is meant to be the end of the first arc but if i were trade waiting i'd be a little annoyed insofar as it leaves with too much unfinished business (great for monthly collectors like me).

art is just great.
I agree It fell kinda short for me. I was expecting to see Ray dead. I feel suckered by a gotchya moment. Not much of a pay out. But I do enjoy the charater the struggle and the art so it's ok. 2.5 out of 5 guess magic is dead but under welming death.entertaimos
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Re: Bloodshot: Salvation #5 Discussion

Post by jmatt »

A great issue and the art was fabulous, as ever. Still waiting on an explanation for the ability to switch off nanites but hopefully there will be an explanation at some point.

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Re: Bloodshot: Salvation #5 Discussion

Post by grendeljd »

Agree with most of the sentiments here. Generally a very good story with great art as always. I think Rampage is potentially going to be a much cooler villain-type character in this iteration. Glad to see that Ninjak showed up to bail out Ray, that was a really nasty situation he was stuck in there.

Daddy was quite the horrific kind of sick, maniacal crazy person. Just a nutcase. It's only fitting that Ray killed him without any nanite assistance - some good character writing moments in there.

The elephant in the room is still this quick & easy off-switch that Omen has access to all of a sudden. I'm still waiting for a reasonable explanation for that.
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Re: Bloodshot: Salvation #5 Discussion

Post by jmatt »

grendeljd wrote:The elephant in the room is still this quick & easy off-switch that Omen has access to all of a sudden. I'm still waiting for a reasonable explanation for that.
A reasonable explanation could be a simple as they found the programmer that wrote the firmware and he tells them he left open a back door during the early days as a fail-safe... just in case something went wrong. Dress that up with a couple of pages of story and I'd be satisfied.

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Re: Bloodshot: Salvation #5 Discussion

Post by SuperMage »

jmatt wrote:
grendeljd wrote:The elephant in the room is still this quick & easy off-switch that Omen has access to all of a sudden. I'm still waiting for a reasonable explanation for that.
A reasonable explanation could be a simple as they found the programmer that wrote the firmware and he tells them he left open a back door during the early days as a fail-safe... just in case something went wrong. Dress that up with a couple of pages of story and I'd be satisfied.
The thing is, there was never a reason to use it before. During Bloodshot Reborn, Ray was basically helping PRS test their new weapons. In Bloodshot USA PRS wasn't even aware that Deathmate could switch sides, and by the time they did Kay had already killed Kozol. When there was a need for a kill switch, there was never time to react.

Simpler explanation was that during Bloodshot USA PRS introduced the kill switch while the Bloodshot Squad was in their custody.

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Re: Bloodshot: Salvation #5 Discussion

Post by Dallow Spicer1 »

Great issue! Some disturbing scenes, as has been the case with this run so far, but it all added to the drama. In some ways it would have been good if Daddy had survived as he was an interesting character but it was also satisfying to see him get his comeuppance too.

The moving timelines can be slightly confusing at times and I’m also not clear wha5 happens to the ‘old’ Bloodshot’s when their nanites get switched off?

Art was great, especially Larosa :thumb:

Thoroughly enjoyable 5/5 :clap:

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Re: Bloodshot: Salvation #5 Discussion

Post by jmatt »

SuperMage wrote:
jmatt wrote:
grendeljd wrote:The elephant in the room is still this quick & easy off-switch that Omen has access to all of a sudden. I'm still waiting for a reasonable explanation for that.
A reasonable explanation could be a simple as they found the programmer that wrote the firmware and he tells them he left open a back door during the early days as a fail-safe... just in case something went wrong. Dress that up with a couple of pages of story and I'd be satisfied.
The thing is, there was never a reason to use it before. During Bloodshot Reborn, Ray was basically helping PRS test their new weapons. In Bloodshot USA PRS wasn't even aware that Deathmate could switch sides, and by the time they did Kay had already killed Kozol. When there was a need for a kill switch, there was never time to react.

Simpler explanation was that during Bloodshot USA PRS introduced the kill switch while the Bloodshot Squad was in their custody.
While I like your explanation, right from issue #1 they were blasting Bloodshot to smithereens whenever he went off script and they wanted to retrieve him. A nanite switch would have been a lot easier.

But our explanations are not mutually exclusive. My story + your timeline.

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Re: Bloodshot: Salvation #5 Discussion

Post by grendeljd »

jmatt wrote:
SuperMage wrote:
jmatt wrote:
grendeljd wrote:The elephant in the room is still this quick & easy off-switch that Omen has access to all of a sudden. I'm still waiting for a reasonable explanation for that.
A reasonable explanation could be a simple as they found the programmer that wrote the firmware and he tells them he left open a back door during the early days as a fail-safe... just in case something went wrong. Dress that up with a couple of pages of story and I'd be satisfied.
The thing is, there was never a reason to use it before. During Bloodshot Reborn, Ray was basically helping PRS test their new weapons. In Bloodshot USA PRS wasn't even aware that Deathmate could switch sides, and by the time they did Kay had already killed Kozol. When there was a need for a kill switch, there was never time to react.

Simpler explanation was that during Bloodshot USA PRS introduced the kill switch while the Bloodshot Squad was in their custody.
While I like your explanation, right from issue #1 they were blasting Bloodshot to smithereens whenever he went off script and they wanted to retrieve him. A nanite switch would have been a lot easier.

But our explanations are not mutually exclusive. My story + your timeline.
I see potential in your idea, jmatt - but it still goes against the grain of the original established continuity. A backdoor software switch that *nobody* was aware of "in the early days" except one programmer, that was always there? It could work, but still a stretch to retcon that in.

And while it's also possible to say this thing was installed during the time they were on Bloodshot island, why didn't they use it to stop him during the big BS:USA fiasco?

I still have to try to forget about this thing while I read the book in order to enjoy it - if Valiant editorial doesn't care about their continuity all that much, then why would I? I can't get too invested in reading anything in a shared universe when this appears to be the attitude towards it. Too much mental gymnastics required on the part of the reader to fill in a gaping plot point is not my idea of a good reading experience.

All harshness aside though, the book has been quite good otherwise!
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Re: Bloodshot: Salvation #5 Discussion

Post by agent_graves »

Finally caught up. Brutal issue. I think Ray did the right thing, Daddy was a piece of sh!t. Looking forward to this Deadside arc, but it seems like the solicitations have been changed a bit...
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Re: Bloodshot: Salvation #5 Discussion

Post by jmatt »

grendeljd wrote:
jmatt wrote:
SuperMage wrote:
jmatt wrote:
grendeljd wrote:The elephant in the room is still this quick & easy off-switch that Omen has access to all of a sudden. I'm still waiting for a reasonable explanation for that.
A reasonable explanation could be a simple as they found the programmer that wrote the firmware and he tells them he left open a back door during the early days as a fail-safe... just in case something went wrong. Dress that up with a couple of pages of story and I'd be satisfied.
The thing is, there was never a reason to use it before. During Bloodshot Reborn, Ray was basically helping PRS test their new weapons. In Bloodshot USA PRS wasn't even aware that Deathmate could switch sides, and by the time they did Kay had already killed Kozol. When there was a need for a kill switch, there was never time to react.

Simpler explanation was that during Bloodshot USA PRS introduced the kill switch while the Bloodshot Squad was in their custody.
While I like your explanation, right from issue #1 they were blasting Bloodshot to smithereens whenever he went off script and they wanted to retrieve him. A nanite switch would have been a lot easier.

But our explanations are not mutually exclusive. My story + your timeline.
I see potential in your idea, jmatt - but it still goes against the grain of the original established continuity. A backdoor software switch that *nobody* was aware of "in the early days" except one programmer, that was always there? It could work, but still a stretch to retcon that in.
Yeah but... how else can it be explained? I agree with you that it is a serious lapse in continuity.

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Re: Bloodshot: Salvation #5 Discussion

Post by grendeljd »

jmatt wrote:
grendeljd wrote:
jmatt wrote:
SuperMage wrote:
jmatt wrote:
grendeljd wrote:The elephant in the room is still this quick & easy off-switch that Omen has access to all of a sudden. I'm still waiting for a reasonable explanation for that.
A reasonable explanation could be a simple as they found the programmer that wrote the firmware and he tells them he left open a back door during the early days as a fail-safe... just in case something went wrong. Dress that up with a couple of pages of story and I'd be satisfied.
The thing is, there was never a reason to use it before. During Bloodshot Reborn, Ray was basically helping PRS test their new weapons. In Bloodshot USA PRS wasn't even aware that Deathmate could switch sides, and by the time they did Kay had already killed Kozol. When there was a need for a kill switch, there was never time to react.

Simpler explanation was that during Bloodshot USA PRS introduced the kill switch while the Bloodshot Squad was in their custody.
While I like your explanation, right from issue #1 they were blasting Bloodshot to smithereens whenever he went off script and they wanted to retrieve him. A nanite switch would have been a lot easier.

But our explanations are not mutually exclusive. My story + your timeline.
I see potential in your idea, jmatt - but it still goes against the grain of the original established continuity. A backdoor software switch that *nobody* was aware of "in the early days" except one programmer, that was always there? It could work, but still a stretch to retcon that in.
Yeah but... how else can it be explained? I agree with you that it is a serious lapse in continuity.
And to be clear, I think you're onto a good idea that is likely to be the best possible solution for that lapse. It's just unfortunate that we have to be in this situation as readers & fans where we're stuck with having to overlook it to enjoy the rest. That is potentially ruinous.

But as I've essentially said above, I can overlook it because it's a very enjoyable series otherwise. If it weren't...
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Re: Bloodshot: Salvation #5 Discussion

Post by greg »

After Bloodshot USA, they could have run a diagnostic on the nanites that Livewire was able to kill and create a "Livewire kill method" to broadcast.

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Re: Bloodshot: Salvation #5 Discussion

Post by jmatt »

greg wrote:After Bloodshot USA, they could have run a diagnostic on the nanites that Livewire was able to kill and create a "Livewire kill method" to broadcast.
:hm:

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Re: Bloodshot: Salvation #5 Discussion

Post by tell »

greg wrote:After Bloodshot USA, they could have run a diagnostic on the nanites that Livewire was able to kill and create a "Livewire kill method" to broadcast.
I've also wondered if this is a new ability by some technopath as a result of BSUSA. I wouldn't think Livewire would help Omen create that technology but I'd definitely think she's capable. Possibly there's another technopath around, or even someone like Dr. Silk? PRS had a lot of secret assets, potentially psiot assets, and I'm not convinced that the Scarred Man isn't concealing some psiot ability himself.

Either way, I'm happy to wait for some answer instead of jumping onto the "plot hole! bad continuity!" bandwagon. The story is in progress, I'll judge that later.


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