Valiant just launched their new reader-friendly line of comics this week with Bloodshot, part of the Valiant Beyond initiative, taking the near-immortal, nanite-powered weapon and pitting him against vampires powered by a variant of his own blood. But the celebration of a new line has hit a serious fumble, at least online, thanks to allegations of “transphobic” content in the issue.
While comic writer Zoe Tunnell wasn’t the first to point out the dicey dialogue, a skeet on BlueSky gained a ton of traction on Friday afternoon, after she posted the following:
Said Tunnell, who has written Blade Maidens for Dark Horse and the Godzilla Valentine’s Day Special for IDW, among other books, “I pride myself on my professionalism in comics. I don’t talk s**t about books I don’t enjoy. I am happy when folks get gigs even if I wish I landed them. So when I say the transphobic bulls**t in the new BLOODSHOT #1 comic is disgusting and should have never made it to print. Shameful s**t.”
In the panels included, it details how, in the book, the Yakuza’s connection to the government promotes a “nuero-marketing lobby to normalize blood consumption. And that’s messing with the minds of the younger ones. They sell fake blood as a trendy drink.”
Fine so far, but the next panel shows Bloodshot killing someone with “B-S,” aka the Bloodshot nanite-derivative, with the following narration: “There are kids who want to be bitten to become vampires because their favorite influencer says they are one. And parents who force their children into that irreversible change… just to feel modern… and believing that they’ll be thankful for it when they grow up.”
As Tunnell did, so did multiple other posters on BlueSky interpret the narration as an explicit mapping onto anti-trans messaging, that kids want to become trans because of influencers, and parents are forcing kids to be trans — neither of which is factually accurate, in any way.
The rest of the issue, among other details, posits that vampires have moved to the “poles” to live in six months of darkness each year, and have become handy working in space since they don’t need to breathe. In addition, the book introduces “Negative Class” vampires who, “in a desperate act, drink reptile blood… and their cellular pattern is reversed due to cold blood.” Then they can only live in sunlight and never close their eyes. At least in the rest of the first issue (the series is running four issues), other than the above referenced panel, the idea that children are becoming “vampires” against their will isn’t revisited.
However, the damage is likely already done. Haunted Girl co-writer Ethan Sacks was more explicit, adding, “Horrific. There’s no way to read this as anything but bigotry, particularly with ‘irreversible change’ bolded in the caption. So many of us creators and readers of comics love the ideals, as far removed as they sometimes feel from real life, of superheroes who fight oppression. Not contribute to it.”
Bloodshot #1 is written by Argentinian writer Mauro Mantella, who previously worked with Valiant on Bloodshot Unleashed: Reloaded. While not specifically referencing the panel in question, writer Deniz Camp, who wrote Bloodshot: Unleashed and the first issue of Reloaded before Mantella took over (due to Camp having other commitments) posted on X, saying, “Bloodshot would hate transphobes and throw himself in front of a hail of bullets to protect a trans kid without hesitation. Just FYI.”
When reached for comment, Alien Books, the publisher for Valiant, provided the following to Comic Book Club:
Alien Books and writer Mauro Mantella sincerely apologize for the harm caused by the phrasing in Bloodshot #1. While the story takes place in a fictional world of vampires and cults, we understand that a specific line of dialogue has been read as alluding to real-world issues, specifically, the discrimination faced by trans people.
That was never the intention. The original line was written by an Argentinian creator and was unfortunately a case of nuance being lost in translation. We fully recognize that intent does not erase impact, especially when dealing with subject matter that affects real lives and communities.
We are taking the following steps immediately:
The dialogue in question will be updated for all digital and collected editions to better reflect the intended fictional context.
Going forward, all scripts will undergo a more intense review by our proof readers as part of our editorial process to ensure clearer, more responsible storytelling.
We appreciate the feedback from readers, creators, and industry peers who brought this to our attention. We take this seriously and are committed to learning from it.
Alien Books values inclusion, empathy, and creative responsibility. We will do better.
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Mauro Mantella regularly posts/reposts Anti-Trans stuff on his twitter, this was 100% intentional on his part and the editorial team let it through without question.
Transphobia and lies, a great start for Valiant.
People just reading into everything what they want to see. Sounds more like guilt being processed subliminally to me. Of course that’s my opinion, and I’m allowed to have it regardless of what anyone else thinks.
Just FYI: https://comicbookclublive.com/2025/08/16/bloodshot-writer-mauro-mantella-reposted-anti-trans-memes-unearthed-tweets/
Not if this cohort has its way…
You don’t need to r ad very far into anything when the writer openly spouts and supports anti LGBT views and vitriol to anyone who will listen.
You are absolutely welcome to your opinions, that doesn’t make them valid or informed or in any way an intelligent contribution to the conversation though.
Shame, I was almost a supporter of this comic! The author shouldn’t have backed off and apologized to the radicals. He could have gained a lot of sane readers/support. Now he just lost a lot of readers without gaining any.
This cohort is on the lookout for apostasy 24/7 – people need to stop treating them with kid gloves.
Thanks to that writer for caring about the future of the impressionable young.
Agree!
I’d never heard of this book; have to check it out and see for myself.