Fallen World, Bloodshot in the future

The first introductory pages by Juan José Ryp place this story in the continuity of the future of Valiant comics. Rai was the guardian of a Neo-Tokyo space city but this android understood that this world was just a masquerade hiding a dictatorship ruled by an artificial intelligence, Father. Choosing the path of revolt, he killed Father causing Neo-Tokyo to fall on a land ravaged by a nuclear disaster. In this radically new world, Rai will make surprising choices and will have to take responsibility to save the survivors of the space city but also the earthlings.  

This volume sees the great return of Rai since the series of Matt Kindt and Clayton Crain between 2016 and 2017. Both volumes are also available since the reissue of volume two. The scenario of these new adventures is by Dan Abnett (Guardians of the Galaxy, Aquaman). This British screenwriter marked Marvel by changing the cosmic part of the shared universe and his scenarios strongly inspired the Guardians of the Galaxy films. With the arrival on Earth, the science fiction narrative is much more oriented towards the post-apocalypse.

The only viable sector on Earth is run by Rai who must manage multiple problems to ensure the survival of the city. This role is already complicated but it becomes almost insoluble, Rai refuses violence. Moreover, he only wants to be a councillor and not a leader. Moreover, the inhabitants do not form a united group, but internal tensions stemming from the old society persist. Rai also fears any technology that could bring back Father and he is right because this I.Has. will find an artificial body to reappear as his android son Raijin wakes up from his sleep.

Even if it is primarily a fun action series, a whole psychological element then appears with Father, his pacifist son Rai and his evil child Raijin, but also a War Mother mother. This narrative is also an attack on religious organizations. From the beginning, two faithful of the fallen Church discover the truth about Neo-Tokyo and Father. Their religion is therefore based on a lie. One of them will not stand this revelation.

With Fallen World, the pleasure of a shared universe finally found after several stories focusing on a single character. In other ruins of the aerial city, A Bloodshot from the Future comes to help the survivors of the fall of Neo-Tokyo unable to fend for themselves. Met in Bloodshot Salvation, all that remains of his body is his white head while everything else has been reconstructed by the red nanites. In addition to Bloodshot and Rai, we meet over the adventures the Eternal Warrior taking care of the young geomancer Karana and War Mother. The screenwriter brilliantly gathers in one volume the different science fiction series of the publisher, and unifies the different visions of the future. Starting as a solo series about a hero, the action grows and follows a group.

Fallen World is a very refreshing read also by the drawing of Adam Pollina. Not only is the design of the ships very different, but above all it offers new representation of bodies in superhero comics. Far from massive bodybuilders' bodies, his characters have very elongated and thin bodies. Pollina offers a very colorful version of a future yet disastrous. The introductory pages of Juan José Ryp are also very beautiful with medieval Japanese armor revisited. If Japan is still the main inspiration (silver and gold samurai threaten the city of Rai), the narrative plays fully on post-apocalyptic syncretism. Indeed, very different cultures mix like mutants resembling Hindu gods, a Mongolian chariot fighting against a flying city. We find as always with this complete bonus editor at the end of the volume, with the many sketches and some alternative covers.