Bloodsport: (Mass murdering evil Rambo) James Gunn: I gotta flex my magic on a lesser known character again. (Now) Bloodsport: The biggest upgrade in personality, and look with that sweet Xenomorph looking helmet, and is Idris Elba, so he won.
The first Rambo movie was base on the actual book in which he was the villain that actually kill people and the towns sheriff was actually a decent person that sympathize him.
Honestly, I think Task Force X, aka The Suicide Squad, is a great way to use characters like Bloodsport, who are really just one off characters and aren't really meant to become recurring characters. You stick them in the Suicide Squad, let them hang around for a bit to see if anything sticks with them and, if not, you off them, and no one is upset. I mean, it is the SUICIDE Squad after all...
I agree, I really hope they use Condiment King if they make a sequel, he couldn't make for a main villain in a Batman movie, but in the Suicide Squad as either comedic relief or just killed off right away he'd be a funny villain to see, maybe like how the first movie showed Deadshots interaction with Batman they could show Condiment King ruining Bruce's Batsuit by getting mustard stains on it, so he has to take it to Alfred to have it cleaned
The problem is that someone might not figure it out for years. And then you lose that character because the current writer of suicide squad had no ideas for him.
This is what made the OG comics so good. They took characters who never stick on other comics and show they had a lot to offer. Deadshot is one of my favorite characters in DC.
The white tank top that Idris Elba wears when they're trying to save Harley is a callback to his costume in this issue. But of course that Alien-like helmet and gadgets is way cooler.
The Helmet's cool, the outfit itself is kind of bland. I wish they had gone further with it when you have guys like Peacemaker and Javelin in their super comic-booky outfits in the same film.
@@AussieDragoon I suspect that was to make him stand out differently. The more 'comic book' the look of the character, the more they are a joke in the film Javelin, Peacemaker, Polka Dot Man (even Harley, still love Harley though) where the darker the outfit the more 'real' they are, Flagg, Bloodsport, Ratcatcher 2 being less about driving comedy and more about driving actual pathos
Oh man I loved that scene, just this guy in a wife beater shirt and a badass super soldier helmet, looking like he had to leave the rest of his outfit at the cleaners. Priceless XDXDXDXDXD
I like the abrupt ending, it gives the story more weight. The 'crazy Viet Nam vet' was a trope before the 80's, but the switch to him being the brother ruined by guilt was a good change, as was seeing a vet who wasn't full of anger, bitterness, etc. In the end it's a tragedy.
I had that issue of Superman as a kid and loved it. I brought it to school and the teachers were not happy about it. One of the top 5 most memorable comics I have ever read. I liked the nod to that issue in the "He put Superman in the ICU" line in the movie.
I read it when it first came out and was intrigued by the depth that they place in a Black villian; until then, DC lacked many African American villains, so they needed care in their representation; I think that they did well, avoiding direct stereotypes...
Given the seriously disproportionate draft *and* casualty rates of Black citizens during the Viet Nam war, there's probably some unstated commentary about that going on here too. Superman openly calling the war useless would have been pretty edgy when this was new as well. The US in the 80s was still processing the cost of the war, and public recriminations over its outcome weren't over with by any means.
I like the explanation for bringing Bloodsport's movie costume into the comics. It's so he can travel the multiverse! And he tries to shoot Superman with a kryptonite bullet again, but whuh-oh, it's actually Earth-3 Ultraman, who's empowered by kryptonite! So he has to call in the rest of the Squad to help, and it's a whole thing. I like multiverse stories.
There were some readers who complained that the story furthered the old stereotype of Vietnam veterans being traumatized nutcases-- even if Bloodsport wasn't actually a veteran. Odd that the character gets revived mainly because Deadshot isn't available, both in real life and in comics.
One of the things that I really liked about this era of Superman is the occasional exploration of how his powers work, in this case the doctor's workaround for getting the incision sutured up. It reminds me a bit of Larry Niven's essay, _Man_ _of_ _Steel,_ _Woman_ _of_ _Kleenex,_ while still allowing for high power comics fantasy.
I have been an avid comic reader since the 70s. I was ALL IN on the Post-Crisis, John Byrne reboot and still have all those comics. So when I see a vid like this - about issues, stories and characters I was there for when they were first published - I get all warm and sentimental. Just had to express my gratitude.
"He was gaining/cementing some of the character traits that are now staples." Like being from Kansas. If you asked someone circa 1977 where comics Smallville was, they'd be like "I think Maryland?"
I was in the interesting position of buying the Man of Steel mini that preceded this after Crisis, so I own the physical copy of this issue. I think the biggest change I saw was this emphasis that Clark wasn't mild-mannered anymore; he was this guy from Kansas with these powers and they finally seemed to realize that he, Clark, was an interesting character. Sadly they only held onto this firmly as a notion as Byrne's run was just two years and then the Silver Age started making its slow creep back into the book. As for Bloodsport, i had your reaction. It felt like it was a setup to return the character or reform them, or address the issues raised in this story.....and then he disappeared. It's a shame because it had all the seeds to be something more, and just....stopped. I'm glad that the movie lifted him out of obscurity, though.
I think its rly unfortunate bloodsport never became a more defined superman rouge. He has enough depth in this origin story to rly flesh him out and a good enough power to leave him a threath to even the man of steel. Also on his power its just a neat one for writers/artist to work with, he can teleport in ANY weapon, thats alot to work with but he just wasn't :/
" Byrne's run was just two years and then the Silver Age started making its slow creep back into the book." Not really. I read into the mid-90's and he was still a regular guy. Above average, even. Novelist, star athlete in school, not clumsy.
Have you done a video on Captain Boomerang? He's a fun character to look up. His son's relationship with Supergirl and being the half-brother to Bart Allen too.
I like the idea of Bloodsport as constantly guiltily making up for/compensating for past cowardice that got his brother maimed and/or killed. Going up against Superman doesn't make logical sense, but it can make emotional sense. Just going along with anti-Superman conspiracy theories gives him an excuse to stand up against one of the most powerful people on the planet for legitimate, heroic reasons. Or die trying. Tbh, John Byrne is particularly bad at writing people with mental illness and/or trauma and his initial outing could have been done better. But there were good ideas for a compelling recurring villain that a different writer could better utilize.
I swear bloodsport tech and mask where awesome in the suicide squad movie I hope bloodsport gets his own movie or tv show to see how he became the man who shot Superman
I wish they used the teleportation as a strange power he has though. I didn't really understand where all these things kept popping up from his suit were .
@@afrocut In the movie, they were pieces that he'd had attached to different locations on his armor. There's a scene near the end where you see him touching different spots of his armor, only to realize that he'd already used everything. It wasn't that well explained, but honestly I prefer that to something like getting a two or three minute scene where he talks to Waller about preparing the suit before the mission.
I like more vulnerable Superman and having more of Clark in Superman. Lets be honest, ultimately super heroes are their secret identities in costume. A person cannot just dump who they have been most their life just because they have powers and a costume. Appreciate the explanation of "Go climb your thumbs". The more you know 🤓 Bloodsport didn't go to Vietnam! What a twist! Lol. 😲😋 Love the 1980/90s art. So cool Sasha is right, Bloodsport's background needs to be revamped if they want to do more with him. They seem to set him up as a throw away villain to simply get a point across. Favorite Sasha Quote: "Listen Clark, you can try to rebrand as using kryptonite as cheating all you want. Its not gonna happen" LOL
Yeah, i never undestood how certain stories insist in marking a diference between a character identities. Like when they got out all "Bruce Wayne is the mask and Batman is his true face". No, its not. He is Bruce Wayne and he is Batman. They are not mutually exclusive. At least Bruce has a reasoning behind having a playboy persona, but i never make too much sense for Clark and Superman not to be one and the same. Maybe it did when the idea was first concieved but i think the "vulnerable Superman" is the natural evolution of the character and his identies and it make him the most human he had ever been up until that point. Its why Bruce Wayne is still just a careless playboy while Clark Kent never went back to be a mask Superman uses, cause any atempt to bring that back dosent last since it feels like a step backwards.
I think Idris Elba did a great job as Bloodsport in the Suicide Squad. Him and John Cena as Peacemaker. You should've seen the interactions between those two. Nice hair Sasha.
Great commentary of his origins since you're nicely detailed and your energy is such fun! Now I've got some reading from you to catch up on since I haven't read much of the old comics cuz I began w/ the X-Men Second Coming saga from the late 2000s & the DC New 52 series from the early 2010s, but you make tales before that sound intriguing!
I will always remember this being the soap opera Superman run with Lex Luther's son being raised by Perry White and Clark having a nervous breakdown which caused him to moonlight as Gangbuster for a time. It would be interesting if Bloodsport's brother is brought back as a cyborg called Hard Target... I'll show myself out.
Awesome review Sasha. I have yet to see the movie and did not even know about this character until this year. I will definitely read up on Bloodsport. Hopefully with the movie success, Bloodshot will be developed more in future DC titles that are in continuity. Fingers crossed 🤞.
Huh, I expected someone called Bloodsport to be way more into gladiator matches or the like. I did enjoy him in the Suicide Squad movie, so I was curious about him here. I do think the military commentary could be interesting, if they make him about the general civilian/military divide and soldiers being treated as disposable, especially re vets and their treatment after.
Between the death of the first two and the current continuity version, a third Bloodsport showed up on a Superman Revenge Squad team with Riot, Silver Banshee, Puzzler 2 and Helgramite (I think that's all of them...maybe Livewire as well?) in the One Year Later Superman/Action issues, but wasn't given a name or backstory and looked like they just forgot that Dubois was dead.
His personal grudge against AI, and Marvel's Vision in particular was really dumb. And his West Coast Avengers (And Bendis being a fan OF his West Coast Avengers) did massive irreparable damage to the whole Marvel universe
I was actually buying the Superman titles back then and remember reading this when it debuted- those were interesting times for comics. As for Bloodsport DC could have gone The Punisher route with Bloodsport but- for as much as folks say DC gets dark- I don't think they wanted to get Punisher levels dark.
One of my first comics ever was a Superman comic featuring Bloodsport...but this one was a white male who hunted minorities. I was never more terrified of a comics character. He eventually fought the black Bloodsport and neither lived to the end of the issue. *Edit* That'll teach me to comment before the end of the video. Damn, she's thorough!
I was actually alive during 'Nam. I was a child, but not so young that I don't remember the feeling in the air and the contrast it drew with WWII. This video made me appreciate the character way more, and if he reappears, I hope they can bring some of that original complex 'war is bad'/most dangerous game along; it's a lesson we can never afford to forget with distance and time. That said, I don't mind a more sympathetic/heroic Bloodsport (so long as he remains firmly in antihero territory), but I wish he wasn't so obviously Deadshot, daughter and all.
Wait. So, Lex gave Bloodsport the tech to teleport his weapons, but let him store those weapons in a place outside his control rather than a central location he could simply disable the teleportation from, or empty of guns?
Thanks for the review! Bloodsport seems like a good one off. Very much in the style of late 80s-90s giant gun toting characters (Portal, Cable, Solo, a bunch of others I'm forgetting about that I read as a kid...like some random dude in a Silver Sable comic.) but with just enough depth to give him a twist. I mean, he's no Deathlok, but still neat. :D Thanks for another great video! EDIT: Ah. Less a fan of the modern remake. Vulnerable Superman is always a plus. Can be a smarmy asshole (IMHO) otherwise. Hard not to feel talked down to by a jackass in a literal ivory fortress, feeding a pet SUN EATER the stars he FORGED himself. Thor and Silver Surfer generally do that cosmic level entity with a human twist a bit better.
This was one of the first new villains introduced in that new era of Superman, and he definitely was unique from any that had come in Superman before. Very solid story with a very specific message. Byrne has always been one of my top five creators ever.
1:15 I know I am nitpicking, but... the reference is "the most dangerous game", not deadliest animal to hunt. Granted, potahto potayto in the end, and the short story never explicitly does the "what is the most dangerous game? Man" bit, but General Zaroff and Rainsford's dialogue is pretty much just a padded version of that, and I did say it was nitpicking.
So Hal Jordan also said "Go climb your thumb!" to a guy who had tied him up and was letting him sink in yellow mud. Must have been a go-to for DC writers.
I definitely prefer his newer look, but I’m sure an update to the red bandana look could look pretty cool. Maybe he has the armor, but no sleeves. He’d still have gloves tho. And maybe the helmet is red, but he has the skull jaw thing. Idk
Tight, tight, TIGHT episode dear Lady. ......time heals all wounds, by removing those who remember, and by causing those who don't to deem the facts irrelevant. PEACE ?uzzler, and God bless.
In his first incarnation, Bloodsport sounds like a counterpoint to Willie Walker, the paralysed Vietnam veteran who became the Black Racer in Kirby's original New Gods.
I love the new design. Idea : You can have the original bloodsport die and his brother who he thought died come back as the new designed one. More tactical and dangerous.
When I was little, one of the early Superman comics (back when he had a mullet) that I read was the debut of Bloodsport 2. He spent the entire issue spouting horrible, hateful white supremacist rhetoric. Not something I liked or was expecting in what I thought would be a fun Superman adventure.
Gonna give 2nd Bloodsport one thing, one thing only, he sure got better costume. I think having video on him would be fair, just to see if anything about That guy hasn't age.
Bloodsport: (Mass murdering evil Rambo)
James Gunn: I gotta flex my magic on a lesser known character again.
(Now)
Bloodsport: The biggest upgrade in personality, and look with that sweet Xenomorph looking helmet, and is Idris Elba, so he won.
It's funny he went from looking straight out of Predator, to being updated to have a Xenomorph helmet
@@Werewolf914 No matter the incarnation, he's always prepared to fight the Predator.
I still miss cockney Rocket...
Upgrade from Will Smith in that silly mask to Idris Elba as a Xenomorph? We ALL won.
The first Rambo movie was base on the actual book in which he was the villain that actually kill people and the towns sheriff was actually a decent person that sympathize him.
Jimmy Olsen's bow tie is more powerful than Green Lantern rings.
I bet Jimmy paid more than a dollar lol
If he had his bowtie in BvS he probably would have lived
@@CasuallyComics Like...at least a buck forty.
@@CasuallyComics $1.01 is more than a dollar. I'm guessing that was his final price
And the bowtie has a +5 to Charisma.
Honestly, I think Task Force X, aka The Suicide Squad, is a great way to use characters like Bloodsport, who are really just one off characters and aren't really meant to become recurring characters. You stick them in the Suicide Squad, let them hang around for a bit to see if anything sticks with them and, if not, you off them, and no one is upset. I mean, it is the SUICIDE Squad after all...
I agree, I really hope they use Condiment King if they make a sequel, he couldn't make for a main villain in a Batman movie, but in the Suicide Squad as either comedic relief or just killed off right away he'd be a funny villain to see, maybe like how the first movie showed Deadshots interaction with Batman they could show Condiment King ruining Bruce's Batsuit by getting mustard stains on it, so he has to take it to Alfred to have it cleaned
The problem is that someone might not figure it out for years. And then you lose that character because the current writer of suicide squad had no ideas for him.
@@DSan-kl2yc Well, then that person can go back and read all the appearances of that character and enjoy them, knowing what's coming.
RIP The Detachable Kid. Taken too soon.
This is what made the OG comics so good. They took characters who never stick on other comics and show they had a lot to offer. Deadshot is one of my favorite characters in DC.
The white tank top that Idris Elba wears when they're trying to save Harley is a callback to his costume in this issue.
But of course that Alien-like helmet and gadgets is way cooler.
The Helmet's cool, the outfit itself is kind of bland. I wish they had gone further with it when you have guys like Peacemaker and Javelin in their super comic-booky outfits in the same film.
@@AussieDragoon I suspect that was to make him stand out differently. The more 'comic book' the look of the character, the more they are a joke in the film Javelin, Peacemaker, Polka Dot Man (even Harley, still love Harley though) where the darker the outfit the more 'real' they are, Flagg, Bloodsport, Ratcatcher 2 being less about driving comedy and more about driving actual pathos
Oh man I loved that scene, just this guy in a wife beater shirt and a badass super soldier helmet, looking like he had to leave the rest of his outfit at the cleaners. Priceless XDXDXDXDXD
@@TeryJones Just skulking down the street like, "If I keep my head down, nobody'll notice me."
Would have been cooler if it was a black shirt with camp pants and would have resembles his comic costume alot more accurately
I like the abrupt ending, it gives the story more weight. The 'crazy Viet Nam vet' was a trope before the 80's, but the switch to him being the brother ruined by guilt was a good change, as was seeing a vet who wasn't full of anger, bitterness, etc. In the end it's a tragedy.
huumm... l not thinked this way ... interesing! ps: my english is a mess .. sorry!
I had that issue of Superman as a kid and loved it. I brought it to school and the teachers were not happy about it. One of the top 5 most memorable comics I have ever read. I liked the nod to that issue in the "He put Superman in the ICU" line in the movie.
I had the KKK bloodsport one
I read it when it first came out and was intrigued by the depth that they place in a Black villian; until then, DC lacked many African American villains, so they needed care in their representation; I think that they did well, avoiding direct stereotypes...
Given the seriously disproportionate draft *and* casualty rates of Black citizens during the Viet Nam war, there's probably some unstated commentary about that going on here too. Superman openly calling the war useless would have been pretty edgy when this was new as well. The US in the 80s was still processing the cost of the war, and public recriminations over its outcome weren't over with by any means.
I like the explanation for bringing Bloodsport's movie costume into the comics. It's so he can travel the multiverse! And he tries to shoot Superman with a kryptonite bullet again, but whuh-oh, it's actually Earth-3 Ultraman, who's empowered by kryptonite! So he has to call in the rest of the Squad to help, and it's a whole thing. I like multiverse stories.
We need a new Crisis where all the guys with Blood in their name fighty all the guys with Death in their name
Most of Image Comics' characters from the 90s lol
It could have the ultimate 90's name : the war of Blood and Death
Can the winners take on all the character with Dark in their names?
There were some readers who complained that the story furthered the old stereotype of Vietnam veterans being traumatized nutcases-- even if Bloodsport wasn't actually a veteran.
Odd that the character gets revived mainly because Deadshot isn't available, both in real life and in comics.
One of the things that I really liked about this era of Superman is the occasional exploration of how his powers work, in this case the doctor's workaround for getting the incision sutured up. It reminds me a bit of Larry Niven's essay, _Man_ _of_ _Steel,_ _Woman_ _of_ _Kleenex,_ while still allowing for high power comics fantasy.
Good callback! A great, terrfiying, and darkly funny short story
Bloodsports weapons and gadgets were really cool, no wonder they called him inspector gadget 😂
I have been an avid comic reader since the 70s. I was ALL IN on the Post-Crisis, John Byrne reboot and still have all those comics. So when I see a vid like this - about issues, stories and characters I was there for when they were first published - I get all warm and sentimental. Just had to express my gratitude.
"He was gaining/cementing some of the character traits that are now staples."
Like being from Kansas. If you asked someone circa 1977 where comics Smallville was, they'd be like "I think Maryland?"
Yes, but it was not explicitly Kansas in the comics until post Crisis.
I was in the interesting position of buying the Man of Steel mini that preceded this after Crisis, so I own the physical copy of this issue.
I think the biggest change I saw was this emphasis that Clark wasn't mild-mannered anymore; he was this guy from Kansas with these powers and they finally seemed to realize that he, Clark, was an interesting character.
Sadly they only held onto this firmly as a notion as Byrne's run was just two years and then the Silver Age started making its slow creep back into the book.
As for Bloodsport, i had your reaction. It felt like it was a setup to return the character or reform them, or address the issues raised in this story.....and then he disappeared.
It's a shame because it had all the seeds to be something more, and just....stopped.
I'm glad that the movie lifted him out of obscurity, though.
I think its rly unfortunate bloodsport never became a more defined superman rouge. He has enough depth in this origin story to rly flesh him out and a good enough power to leave him a threath to even the man of steel. Also on his power its just a neat one for writers/artist to work with, he can teleport in ANY weapon, thats alot to work with but he just wasn't :/
" Byrne's run was just two years and then the Silver Age started making its slow creep back into the book."
Not really. I read into the mid-90's and he was still a regular guy. Above average, even. Novelist, star athlete in school, not clumsy.
@@godmagnus yeah, but Superman robots came in, supergirl came back, it was all seeping in regardless.
Have you done a video on Captain Boomerang? He's a fun character to look up. His son's relationship with Supergirl and being the half-brother to Bart Allen too.
"Drop it or I drop you"...Woah, Jimmy, you are really the boss in this issue XD
"The bowtie is like a stat enhancer for Jimmy". Thanks for the laughs. 😂
When I think I used to like comics more I remember how good the 80-00’s Superman comics were.
I like the idea of Bloodsport as constantly guiltily making up for/compensating for past cowardice that got his brother maimed and/or killed.
Going up against Superman doesn't make logical sense, but it can make emotional sense. Just going along with anti-Superman conspiracy theories gives him an excuse to stand up against one of the most powerful people on the planet for legitimate, heroic reasons. Or die trying.
Tbh, John Byrne is particularly bad at writing people with mental illness and/or trauma and his initial outing could have been done better. But there were good ideas for a compelling recurring villain that a different writer could better utilize.
Then he was replaced by a polar opposite: a white supremacist took over as Bloodsport.
That was a surprisingly good twist at the end. Also, the new helmet is awesome.
I swear bloodsport tech and mask where awesome in the suicide squad movie
I hope bloodsport gets his own movie or tv show to see how he became the man who shot Superman
I know Idris Elba wants that, I'd watch it.
I wish they used the teleportation as a strange power he has though. I didn't really understand where all these things kept popping up from his suit were .
@@afrocut In the movie, they were pieces that he'd had attached to different locations on his armor. There's a scene near the end where you see him touching different spots of his armor, only to realize that he'd already used everything. It wasn't that well explained, but honestly I prefer that to something like getting a two or three minute scene where he talks to Waller about preparing the suit before the mission.
As we all know “Bowties are cool.”
he was just ahead of his time
@@mattyt1961 Indeed
I like more vulnerable Superman and having more of Clark in Superman. Lets be honest, ultimately super heroes are their secret identities in costume. A person cannot just dump who they have been most their life just because they have powers and a costume.
Appreciate the explanation of "Go climb your thumbs". The more you know 🤓
Bloodsport didn't go to Vietnam! What a twist! Lol. 😲😋
Love the 1980/90s art. So cool
Sasha is right, Bloodsport's background needs to be revamped if they want to do more with him. They seem to set him up as a throw away villain to simply get a point across.
Favorite Sasha Quote: "Listen Clark, you can try to rebrand as using kryptonite as cheating all you want. Its not gonna happen" LOL
Yeah, i never undestood how certain stories insist in marking a diference between a character identities. Like when they got out all "Bruce Wayne is the mask and Batman is his true face". No, its not. He is Bruce Wayne and he is Batman. They are not mutually exclusive. At least Bruce has a reasoning behind having a playboy persona, but i never make too much sense for Clark and Superman not to be one and the same. Maybe it did when the idea was first concieved but i think the "vulnerable Superman" is the natural evolution of the character and his identies and it make him the most human he had ever been up until that point. Its why Bruce Wayne is still just a careless playboy while Clark Kent never went back to be a mask Superman uses, cause any atempt to bring that back dosent last since it feels like a step backwards.
I think Idris Elba did a great job as Bloodsport in the Suicide Squad. Him and John Cena as Peacemaker. You should've seen the interactions between those two. Nice hair Sasha.
Great commentary of his origins since you're nicely detailed and your energy is such fun! Now I've got some reading from you to catch up on since I haven't read much of the old comics cuz I began w/ the X-Men Second Coming saga from the late 2000s & the DC New 52 series from the early 2010s, but you make tales before that sound intriguing!
'Say good night, Gracie.' This bad guy is pulling his quips from a LONG time ago!
I just want to say,
I’m a fan of classy bowties, and exquisite wigs.
That is all.
☝ what they said 👏
I will always remember this being the soap opera Superman run with Lex Luther's son being raised by Perry White and Clark having a nervous breakdown which caused him to moonlight as Gangbuster for a time. It would be interesting if Bloodsport's brother is brought back as a cyborg called Hard Target... I'll show myself out.
Hear me out, Bloodsport gets a new uniform and his guns come from a bowtie.
Awesome review Sasha. I have yet to see the movie and did not even know about this character until this year. I will definitely read up on Bloodsport. Hopefully with the movie success, Bloodshot will be developed more in future DC titles that are in continuity. Fingers crossed 🤞.
Huh, I expected someone called Bloodsport to be way more into gladiator matches or the like. I did enjoy him in the Suicide Squad movie, so I was curious about him here.
I do think the military commentary could be interesting, if they make him about the general civilian/military divide and soldiers being treated as disposable, especially re vets and their treatment after.
Between the death of the first two and the current continuity version, a third Bloodsport showed up on a Superman Revenge Squad team with Riot, Silver Banshee, Puzzler 2 and Helgramite (I think that's all of them...maybe Livewire as well?) in the One Year Later Superman/Action issues, but wasn't given a name or backstory and looked like they just forgot that Dubois was dead.
Google says, 'climb your thumb' means either 'go fly a kite' or 'stick your thumb [IN A RUDE PLACE]'
Caught myself saying ‘mileage may vary’ in real life yesterday - definitely a sign I’ve been watching lots of casually comics. Great work!
Fan of John Byrne. Master of reviving superhero titles.
His personal grudge against AI, and Marvel's Vision in particular was really dumb. And his West Coast Avengers (And Bendis being a fan OF his West Coast Avengers) did massive irreparable damage to the whole Marvel universe
Awesome! You're reviewing a classic comic that I bought when it was new. I'm old...
Still have mine. Haha. Damn...I'm sad now.
00:30 that seems a lot like it but even before that Deathstroke was going to be the leader of team 2 according to concept art.
if Jimmy wears a bowtie Sasha should wear a bowtie. I 👏 Said 👏 What 👏 I 👏 Said
This Is one of the first comics I ever read. The ending blew (pun not intented) my mind. It's still one of my favourite comics
I remember buying this comic from the Post Office and seeing the art of John Byrne! Blood Sport with his teleporting weapons cache.
I love the voice overs for the added touch.
I know it's just a coloring error, but the lady's neck at 11:09 is fucking me up. Anywho, great vid, thanks for doing the legwork for us.
“ your miles may very “ is a great t-shirt logo 😃
I was actually buying the Superman titles back then and remember reading this when it debuted- those were interesting times for comics. As for Bloodsport DC could have gone The Punisher route with Bloodsport but- for as much as folks say DC gets dark- I don't think they wanted to get Punisher levels dark.
Lobo and deathstroke the terminator disagree with you
They could have...but DC back in the day didn't copy Marvel as much as Marvel copies DC. Now it's a free for all.
One of my first comics ever was a Superman comic featuring Bloodsport...but this one was a white male who hunted minorities. I was never more terrified of a comics character.
He eventually fought the black Bloodsport and neither lived to the end of the issue.
*Edit* That'll teach me to comment before the end of the video. Damn, she's thorough!
Best way to start the day! A new casually comics video.
Indeed it is the best way to start the day.
Great Video Shasa.
I do like Bloodsport’s updated design. That old look is a few thousand pouches and a bigger gun away from being 90s extreme.
He is also missing the Liefeld shoulder pads, though definitely getting some 90s vibes from him.
Bloodsport definitely goes down
"Warbad"
lol. Bloodsport should have been called that.
I was actually alive during 'Nam. I was a child, but not so young that I don't remember the feeling in the air and the contrast it drew with WWII. This video made me appreciate the character way more, and if he reappears, I hope they can bring some of that original complex 'war is bad'/most dangerous game along; it's a lesson we can never afford to forget with distance and time. That said, I don't mind a more sympathetic/heroic Bloodsport (so long as he remains firmly in antihero territory), but I wish he wasn't so obviously Deadshot, daughter and all.
Wait. So, Lex gave Bloodsport the tech to teleport his weapons, but let him store those weapons in a place outside his control rather than a central location he could simply disable the teleportation from, or empty of guns?
I fear we'll never get that Superman/Bloodsport encounter on the big screen.
Congrats on 100k
I wonder how much the Rambo movies influenced the Bloodsport character.
From predator to alien mask.
The costume change with the Xenomorph helmet was so good that I’m jealous, I didn’t think of it.
Jimmy to the rescue. The bow tie is the key.
Another great ep. But when do we get the fashion/hair retrospective? Maybe an annual holiday episode? :)
I really like this era of dc. The politics were subtle, the villains were bombastic and Superman was less of a d
Omg yay a new Sasha vid!
Thanks for the review! Bloodsport seems like a good one off. Very much in the style of late 80s-90s giant gun toting characters (Portal, Cable, Solo, a bunch of others I'm forgetting about that I read as a kid...like some random dude in a Silver Sable comic.) but with just enough depth to give him a twist.
I mean, he's no Deathlok, but still neat. :D
Thanks for another great video!
EDIT: Ah. Less a fan of the modern remake. Vulnerable Superman is always a plus. Can be a smarmy asshole (IMHO) otherwise. Hard not to feel talked down to by a jackass in a literal ivory fortress, feeding a pet SUN EATER the stars he FORGED himself.
Thor and Silver Surfer generally do that cosmic level entity with a human twist a bit better.
Smallville fans will remember Van McNulty, the guy who shot Clark with a Kryptonite bullet, he was based off Bloodsport
This was one of the first new villains introduced in that new era of Superman, and he definitely was unique from any that had come in Superman before. Very solid story with a very specific message. Byrne has always been one of my top five creators ever.
1:15 I know I am nitpicking, but... the reference is "the most dangerous game", not deadliest animal to hunt. Granted, potahto potayto in the end, and the short story never explicitly does the "what is the most dangerous game? Man" bit, but General Zaroff and Rainsford's dialogue is pretty much just a padded version of that, and I did say it was nitpicking.
I think... I need a video explaining your process of developing your character VO voices 😆
Skipped this one till I saw the movie. Wasn't a fan, but this was an interesting replacement for Deadshot.
So Hal Jordan also said "Go climb your thumb!" to a guy who had tied him up and was letting him sink in yellow mud. Must have been a go-to for DC writers.
Love the updated costume, and nice hair.
I read Bloodsport when he first came out. Cool character and story. Very much like Black Spider from Shadow of the Bat.
i LOVE YOU AND YOUR comics and storytelling ❤️🖤
As The Grand Archpriest of The Church of the Algorithm, I bless this video with a comment.
I definitely prefer his newer look, but I’m sure an update to the red bandana look could look pretty cool. Maybe he has the armor, but no sleeves. He’d still have gloves tho. And maybe the helmet is red, but he has the skull jaw thing. Idk
If Bloodsport fired on the hostage he was holding he would have blown his own hand off.
Byrne's run made me like Superman again.
Love your wigs wouldn't mind seeing it natural too really enjoy your content btw
Ah Bloodsport, I never read that issue but I saw that cover as a kid and it made a permanent place in my head.
Bond and Olsen two men who can rock a bow tie both named James.
I feel OG Bloodsport has the Frank Castle problem of there backstory being overshadowed by their body counts for most people.
I am always down for vulnerable Superman, and pair it with Jimmy's bowtie and we have a party!
Because of this Bloodspot the Marvel Wolverine villain had to be renamed Bloodscream.
I thought that was El Guacho on the cover and i was excited to see a video on the Batman of Argentina haha
Ohh I was so glad the Gaimen quote came again!
Tight, tight, TIGHT episode dear Lady. ......time heals all wounds, by removing those who remember, and by causing those who don't to deem the facts irrelevant. PEACE ?uzzler, and God bless.
But will we ever meet Ratcatcher?
That dead man switch panel reminds me of Mad Stan from Batman Beyond
In his first incarnation, Bloodsport sounds like a counterpoint to Willie Walker, the paralysed Vietnam veteran who became the Black Racer in Kirby's original New Gods.
That's an interesting twist in the end with the brother
I love the new design.
Idea : You can have the original bloodsport die and his brother who he thought died come back as the new designed one.
More tactical and dangerous.
What is Jimmy’s morally dubious character arc? Video please!
"Go Climb aThumb:" hmmmmm. 🤣
This feels like a character Dematteis could have done wonders with. I find Bryne doesn't do mental illness characters very well.
jeez you're so right. His Cap run around this time was great.
Idris Elba as Bloodsport(and that characterization in general) was one of the best parts of The Suicide Squad.
Love the Chair face shirt
When I was little, one of the early Superman comics (back when he had a mullet) that I read was the debut of Bloodsport 2. He spent the entire issue spouting horrible, hateful white supremacist rhetoric. Not something I liked or was expecting in what I thought would be a fun Superman adventure.
I had that one, too. That was the first time I'd really seen ultra violence in comics. I was traumatized!
the art in this issue is very, VERY good!
Was looking for this video
love the art
Gonna give 2nd Bloodsport one thing, one thing only, he sure got better costume. I think having video on him would be fair, just to see if anything about That guy hasn't age.