(This review may contain spoilers).
Bucky is one of Marvel’s characters who I have a slight obsession with in all his forms… thought that did start with the movie version of the character. However, the redemption arc storyline (my favourite type) seemed more prevalent in the comic book world.
That having been said, even though I would have preferred to see more of Bucky after he was no longer a lethal puppet, I did find the main story a really informative read.
It was interesting to see a mix of paranormal in with the action, though I was at a loss about who of the enemies were allied with each other and who was working alone.
I did like seeing brief glimpses of banter between Nick Fury and his comrades and it was also good to see something of the technology utilised by SHIELD.
I particularly liked seeing the glimmers of memory come through as Bucky tried to carry out his mission as the Winter Soldier. Although those were few and far between, it afforded a glimpse into Bucky’s past and something of his relationship with Steve as his friend and mentor.
It was interesting to note the differences in Bucky as the Winter Soldier and Bucky with his previous memory returned, especially as my previous experience with him made it clear there was nothing of Steve’s Bucky left… not until the Cube became involved.
I thought it made sense that Ran was distrustful of Bucky, but it was good to see the two of them fighting alongside each other, Ran forced to trust Bucky to have his back while convinced he was being played.
I liked seeing the relationship form between Ran and Mila, even though it was a bit cliched. While the ending was kind of sad, I could appreciate the irony.
There was a lot of bloodshed in this particular set of comics, but the creepiest thing was what the main villain could do. I wasn’t quite sure how Bucky was able to shake it off, but I suppose it did a good job of showcasing his survival instinct.
Although I had read the first comic before, it was interesting to note the differences in style and the atmosphere of the world. The first comic was visually dark, while the second was set more during the day, even though they both dealt with very dark subject matter.
Reading this comic book only served to make me like Bucky’s character even more. I would definitely seek out more of him in future comics.
Ink of Blood 