After years of dissecting and discussing comic book stories as the popular YouTuber Comicstorian, writer Benny Potter is taking the reins to one of Valiant Entertainment's biggest characters Bloodshot. Penning a back-up story in March's Bloodshot #12, recapping the character to introduce readers to what makes the fan-favorite antihero so unrelentingly badass, Potter takes on the history of the character and streamlines it for new audiences.
In an exclusive interview with CBR, Potter talks about getting the nod to write for Valiant, explains the appeal of the Valiant Universe and teases what fans can expect from his back-up story.
CBR: Congratulations on the gig! How did this opportunity to write a back-up story for Bloodshot come about?
Benny Potter: A few years ago, I was looking for a way to break into the comic book industry. But I wasn't sure the proper route to take. I was debating submitting portfolios or self-publishing, but the world of YouTube and podcasting generally keeps me busy. So my overall concern was that this would just turn into a project I started and couldn't finish. I was explaining this to Josh Johns of Valiant at the time and he asked how I felt about writing up a backup.
His suggestion was that I can get a taste of the industry from the writer's side of things without committing to some giant project. So we worked on it back and forth but eventually, it got shelved. I took it as a fun experience and got back to making my YouTube and podcast content. A few years afterward, the thought dawned on me to make a video explaining my time trying to write a comic and I reached out to [Marketing & Publicity Manager] Gregg Katzman to see how the company would feel about that. Once they found I wrote it years ago, they felt it would be a good fit for issue 12 to catch everyone up!
As someone that chronicles and discusses comic history across the board, what do you find to be the special appeal and quality of the Valiant Universe?
Potter: The Valiant Universe has always been exciting to me because it only recently rebooted. We all love being a part of the history of DC and Marvel comics, learning how it all comes together or how our favorite superheroes team-up. But the issues you run into are that it's just so long, so many little things have happened that are nearly impossible to research.
But the Valiant Universe takes the elements we love about those other brands and has only recently restarted. You can jump right to the beginning and be caught up with a solid month of reading. That's the appeal to me, it's easy to follow along.
To expand on that, what is it about Bloodshot that you were interested in getting a chance to explore as a writer?
Potter: The character of Bloodshot doesn't even know his own history, which is what I found interesting about writing his recap. To basically chronicle the history of a man who doesn't know his own.
What can you tease about your upcoming Bloodshot story?
Potter: It'll be one of the best jumping-on points as we catch you up for his story!
After discussing comics as a fan for years, how is it getting to write one?
Potter: A different experience entirely. We all sit around talking about how we can improve every comic book out there. But once you are finally given a chance to write one, it's something new. No longer are you trying to fix something, you want to just add to the history, or in my case recap the existing one.
With the main feature written by Tim Seeley and illustrated Pedro Andreo, and a back-up story written by Benny Potter, Bloodshot #12 goes on sale March 10 from Valiant Entertainment, and the final day for comic shops to pre-order Bloodshot #12 is Feb 15.