In SHADOWMAN #1, available from Valiant Entertainment on April 28th, 2021, readers are introduced to New Orleans musician Jack Boniface aka Shadowman as he protects the living realm from demons who slip through from the Deadside. When a blood ritual threatens to pierce the protective barrier between the living and the dead, Shadowman moves in to stop the party.
The Details
- Written By: Cullen Bunn
- Art By: Jon Davis-Hunt
- Colors By: Jordie Bellaire
- Letters By: Clayton Cowles
- Cover Art By: Jon Davis-Hunt (cover A)
- Cover Price: $3.99
- Release Date: April 28, 2021
Was It Good?
Yes. It’s a simple premise with a simple hero and the rules of this world are made very clear right from the start. There’s something to be said for starting off a series with a tight, controlled one-and-done to introduce characters to new readers efficiently.
The art is clean, detailed, and (when needed) gory. Some of the action scenes felt a little static in spots, and that may be a function of having so many panels that are close-ups, but that’s a minor quibble at worst. The book looks good from cover to cover.
To see for yourself, check out our SHADOWMAN #1 preview to peek inside this issue.
What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD]
Readers are introduced to Jack Boniface aka Shadowman mid-battle with a demon that’s killed several passersby in a New Orleans alley. The demon rambles incoherently about being summoned to Earth’s reality in search of a mysterious “her.” Shadowman kills the demon without any answers as to what the demon was after.
Enter Baron Samedi, “King of Death.” A powerful Loa spirit who acts as a sort of unreliable and untrustworthy Oracle to Shadowman. Samedi tells him about a party that needs to be shut down on the classier side of town as the hosts are doing very wicked things beyond mortal understanding.
In very short order, Bunn (re)introduces readers to Shadowman as a person, we get a sense of his powers, we get a rough sense of what he does and how he does it, and we see a bit of the network that guides his activities. Again, very clean and efficient. You don’t get much on Boniface’s backstory but there’s plenty here to hook the reader for now.
The party is held by Elsbeth Martinique. Old money from an old family that’s crossed paths with Samedi more than once. Samedi slyly refuses to enter the house, but he urges Shadowman to break up whatever’s going on inside.
Jack approaches the wealthy mansion and knocks out the bouncers without much trouble. Inside, he discovers Martinique is using inhuman blood to help her guests cross over to the Deadside as a sort of exclusive sightseeing adventure. Of course, the first participants come back in very bad shape, and unsavory beings from Deadside use these rich-but-foolish humans as carriers, unleashing mayhem in the party.
Without spoiling the ending, bugs from hell make unpleasant partygoers, the question of who “her” is gets answered in a heartbreaking way, and Shadowman sees a living vision.
Final Thoughts
SHADOWMAN #1, available from Valiant Entertainment on April 28th, 2021, is a simple, clear, and entertaining re-introduction to a longtime Valiant character. The art is creative and gory, and the story ends the first chapter of this series in a satisfying way while still leaving a few, curious threads to set up what’s to come.
Score: 8.5/10
We hope you found this article interesting. Come back for more reviews, previews, and opinions on comics, and don’t forget to follow us on social media:
If you’re interested in this creator’s works, remember to let your Local Comic Shop know to find more of their work for you. They would appreciate the call, and so would we.
Click here to find your Local Comic Shop: www.ComicShopLocator.com