EARLY REVIEW: SHADOWMAN #1

SHADOWMAN #1 arrives next Wednesday!

Master of horror CULLEN BUNN (Venom) and bone-chilling artist JON DAVIS-HUNT (Clean Room) present a terrifying tale starring Jack Boniface, aka SHADOWMAN, on a mission to discover why the veil between humanity's world and the alternate dimension known as the Deadside is tearing apart and portals are appearing all around the globe...

ISSUE BREAKDOWN

I must admit, the last thing I remember about Shadowman was the game from 1999. I have been trying to get into Valiant comics for a while now, but I could never find the right jumping on point. When I heard they were doing a soft relaunch I knew I could not miss it. I will always appreciate a story that drops you into a world. I do not think every book needs to spend the first five issues world building. Shadowman #1 nailed it. The issue starts out with action and immediately makes you question who our heroes and villains are. The inner dialogue has an old noir film feel that carries the audience through the issue in lieu of serious world building. We get a tiny glimpse of Jack’s personal life, but we don’t get much of a supporting cast besides the King of Death. Jack still feels like a strong protagonist though. I will be interested to learn more about him and see what skeletons he has in his closet.

The pacing, action, and characters of this issue could have worked as a one shot. It told a complete story that left me satisfied but wanting more. Especially with the tiny cliff hanger we got at the end of the issue.

ART

Jon Davis-Hunt‘s art really brought this book to life for me. I loved all the little details in the environment and characters. It made it easy to get invested. If you have ever listened to our show, then you know that the colors in a book are a huge factor to me. Jordie Bellaire delivered. The colors popped while at the same time set the tone for an eerie book. I would imagine that is a difficult task to pull off. The art can make or break a book. In this instance it helps make it. The art in this book made this an easy read.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Issue #1 of Shadowman is a great jumping on point for comic fans looking to get into Valiant. It was a great issue you that served as a “hook”. It gave us just enough of Jack and the worlds he operates into pull us in and wanting more. Even if all that does not do it for you, the art alone is a reason to check out this book. I strongly recommend picking this book up and I would not be surprised to see this book land on the Wednesday Pull List! Let us know what you think!

On sale APRIL 28th | 32 pages, full color | $3.99 US | T+

TOASTER SCORE: D5

(Regular Nerd Score 9.7/10)