Not-Very-Deep Thoughts: The June 29 DC and Valiant Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Bloodshot Reborn #13-#14:  Wow.  It initially seemed weird to me that Lemire chose to send us into the future in the "Analog Man" when we had so many mysteries on the table after those first two arcs ("Colorado" and "The Hunt").  But, the revelation that it was all a dream created by Project Rising Spirit after they kidnapped him and Magic was mindblowing.  It shows just how in command of this story Lemire is.  I loved him using Livewire as Ray's savior, even if we don't actually encounter her here.  In the past, she was smart enough to implant a virus in him that would help him fight Project Rising Spirit's programming if they ever tried to get their hands on him.  The revelation that his search for the "Man in the Tower" was the metaphor for his fight against the programming was jut awesome.  His problem is that he still awakens to find himself in the "care" of Project Rising Spirit on something called Bloodshot Island.  After a disorienting run through the jungle, he encounters several other Bloodshots, one each from previous wars (Gulf War, Vietnam, etc.).  But, we don't really get a lot of insight into that, because Project Deathmate appears.  She's some sort of robot, seemingly the next generation of Bloodshots, and we learn that they're all essentially playing the "Dangerous Game" every day:  the Bloodshots flee into the jungle, Deathmate kills them, Project Rising Spirit heals them, and then they start all over again the next day.  Lemire makes sure that we understand how awful it is, as Vietnam (as he's known) says that he's been doing the same thing for five years.  I had barely recovered from the shock at the end of issue #13, so Lemire is really getting us into Bloodshot's mindset of confusion and disorientation.  Lemire also does a great job of making the odds against Ray clear:  Project Rising Spirit seems so in charge, and it's hard to see Ray escaping, particularly if the other Bloodshots haven't.  Needless to say, I'm excited about next issue.

Dark Knight III:  The Master Race #5:  Azzarello (because if Miller isn't even pretending he's writing it, let's just call a spade a spade) is almost too clever here.  Bruce manages to take down the Kandorians by seeding the clouds with synthetic kryptonite, weakening them to the point that the mob that gathered to demand his head on a platter (per Quar's request) turns on them.  Again, it's clever.  But, it's so clever that it becomes almost self-evident.  Of course Bruce had synthetic kryptonite lying around the Batcave.  As a result, it's anti-climactic, making you wonder what Azzarello even has left to tell in the next issue.  (Oh, yeah, Bruce also resurrects Supes.  He's doing fine.  Thanks for asking.)

Grayson Annual #3:  For a one-and-done story (actually, four-and-done story), this annual is really required reading for any fan of "Grayson."  It examines the four aspects of Dick:  charmer, savior, gymnast, and superhero.  In so doing, we really do get a deep insight into his character, particularly the way that he's viewed by other folks in the DCnU.  During "One More Day," Reed Richards commented to Dr. Strange and Iron Man that Peter Parker was really the best of them, and I often think that Dick fills that role in the DCnU.  Some people want to be him, everyone else wants to be with him.  This issue reminds us why everyone feels that way.  (Aterici even gives a nod to the fact that his teenage self often found himself in bondage, and Constantine appropriately gets to be the one that enjoys his adult self in that pose.  It's a sight to see.)  I'll be sad to see "Grayson" go.  It was born from the eye-rolling premise of Dick's secret identity getting exposed to the world, but Seeley and King took that premise and ran with it, creating one of the most original and solid DCnU series.  By the time Dick inevitably got back his secret identity, it actually felt sort of irrelevant.  We learned that Dick can be a hero under any circumstances.  I'm just happy he's still here, regardless of what we call him.