The existing fans of Bloodshot needed no convincing that a brand new comic series from writer Tim Seeley could do justice to the character, let alone with artist Brett Booth handling the relaunch. And despite being delayed due to COVID-19, the new series wasted little time in proving Bloodshot was as wild and satisfying as ever. But even for the un-killable Valiant mercenary, his next arc is pushing the envelope.
When Bloodshot #7 unleashed literal nightmares upon the world, artist Pedro Andreo was brought in to breathe life into the undead and fantastical monstrosities the following issue. Thankfully, Bloodshot (and the planet) survived. But with the hero’s next story arc titled “One Last Shot,” there is no telling what comes next. Thankfully, Screen Rant was able to get a look behind the curtain from Andreo directly, returning to the series for a slightly less outrageous (but no less enjoyable) brand of body horror, science fiction, and mind-bending action.
Readers can find our full interview with Andreo below, along with preview art of Andreo and Brett Booth’s work in Bloodshot #10 embedded below.
Screen Rant: For many North American comic readers, this is likely to be their first look at your work. Can you talk a bit about how you were brought onto Bloodshot?
PEDRO: I was looking to get into US comics for a while, since I worked for Italy and Spain for several years before and wanted to do something new. My portfolio caught the attention of Senior Editor Heather Antos at Madrid Heroes ComicCon, so I did some sample pages for her after that waiting for my chance. Then Senior Editor Lysa Hawkins asked me if I was available to work on Bloodshot #8 and I certainly was interested. I drew the whole issue and my work seemed to be well received cause I’m still in the series!
You’re joining the ranks of some incredible artists who have worked on Bloodshot and the Valiant Universe. Is that a challenge that you enjoy taking on?
Most certainly! These are big shoes to fill, coming in right after Brett Booth and Marc Laming, but I enjoy the challenge a lot. It keeps me motivated, I learn a lot in every page and the story is amazing. It’s definitely an honor to be a part of this.
Can you speak a bit about your personal style and influences?
I think my personal style is influenced by a lot of different authors and genres. It’s most definitely some breed of Amerimanga, but without losing my European comic roots. I’m most comfortable when I work on fantasy genres, but I’d take anything sci-fi any day of the week. The list of artists that influence me is huge, but I’d say the ones that have had the most influence on me right now would be Pepe Larraz, Olivier Coipel, Takehiko Inoue, Eiichiro Oda, and Florent Maudoux.
Have you gotten to use those inspirations and your usual style in a series like Bloodshot, or is there an adaptation of your skills to fit into this particular kind of science fiction/action story?
I’ve had to adapt a little, yes. Mostly taking a more realistic approach to proportions, faces and lighting, but it has been a great challenge and I’ve learned a lot. It’s always good to be versatile!
I read that you had made the move from papers and ink to completely digital with your work on Bloodshot. Was that an intentional choice that this art demanded? How has that process been so far?
It was intentional. I was no newbie to digital art, but I didn’t use digital media for most of my previous work or extensive periods of time. I was planning to do that change for a while so starting with Bloodshot was the right time to dive in head first into the world of digital comic art. I must say that the change has been a rocky road sometimes getting used to, but nowadays it’s so much quicker in some parts that I don’t know if I would go back to fully traditional again!
You got to draw not only Bloodshot, but an incredible scene with X-O Manowar in your first issue as well! That scene seems to show off just how much you were enjoying bringing that character to life.
It definitely is! I was so excited to get to those pages when I read the script the first time, so I gave it my all, specially on the big shot where he appears fully armored!
Can you talk about working with a writer like Tim Seeley? His imagination seems like something an artist would need to prepare for, since this series has gone to some wild places already.
Haha! Seeley is a blast to work with. His ideas are amazing and it’s always a challenge as you say, but he gives you all the room you need to give your input and play with the ball he has thrown you. He describes what he envisions and needs for the story in a way that’s detailed enough for you to get hyped but loose enough that you can get your creativity going.
A character like Bloodshot may not be pure fantasy, but his powers mean he can do practically anything you imagine. Is that permission to let your art run wild, or have you been forced to draw the line somewhere?
I could do almost anything with his powers, yes! But I had to control myself and not make the powers seem to crazy or “fantasy” since the style and the story is very much rooted in the scifi/thriller/action genre. I still enjoy doing all of bloodshot little powers, they’re awesome.
Readers have gotten a chance to see your work already in Bloodshot #8 – – an issue that was anything but ordinary. Is that mix of magic and body horror the kind of thing fans can expect from this new arc? Or do things get even more wild?
It definitely is! Things go wilder than you imagine, even. I cannot say much without going into spoiler territory, but in this new arc you will see awesome new locations, new villains (and improved old ones!), jaw-dropping action and a great continuation to the story that Seeley has been telling on this series so far! Can’t wait for you all to read it!
- Writer: Tim Seeley
- Artist: Brett Booth, Pedro Andreo
- Cover Artist: Simon Bisley, David Nakayama, Shawn Crystal
- He only has “One Last Shot” as the brand-new story arc starts now! Superstar artist Brett Booth and Pedro Andreo join best-selling scribe Tim Seeley for Bloodshot’s road to retribution. Who can one a one-man army trust when everyone’s trying to kill him?
Bloodshot #10 is available now wherever physical or digital comic books are sold.
