In SHADOWMAN #4, available from Valiant Entertainment on July 28th, 2021, Shadowman confronts a spirit from the Deadside who kills with magical overdoses. Meanwhile, the mysterious woman stalking Jack makes her identity known.
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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 Price: $3.99
- Release Date: July 28, 2021
Was It Good?
Yes. This series has been consistently good since issue #1, and this issue is no exception.
Bunn takes the time to set up a complete story within each story as if writing a formal chapter in a book. The chapter stands on its own but there are story elements peppered throughout that feed into the overall plot of the arc.
The one, minor down with fitting in the plot nuggets in this particular issue is it made the rest of the chapter feel a little rushed. Besides the opening prologue, you never get a sense of how big, how serious a threat the monster in this issue poses. When everyone who comes into close proximity to a spirit/monster suddenly is hit with the magical equivalent of a massive overdose, you would think there would be a lot more death and mayhem than shown here. What you do get feels very isolated, small, and over before the threat has enough time to feel dire.
The art by Jon Davis-Hunt is consistently creepy as a perfect pair for the story material. Hunt pays attention to the little textures, giving every surface and face and tentacle a tangible feel. It’s a granular art style that lends itself to fine details well.
Overall, it’s a creative story albeit a little small, and the art is fantastic.
What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
Jack is on the hunt for blights… thin spots between the early realm and the Deadside where all kinds of nasties slip through the cracks.
Read our SHADOWMAN #3 review to find out why the blights are happening.
A new spirit/demon walks the streets and suddenly strikes anyone within close proximity with a massive drug overdose. The hallucinations and the chaos feed it, and it wants more.
Jack is directed to an abandoned building as the nesting ground of this latest Deadside escapee who lures the wayward and the homeless in for a good trip that ends badly. When Jack attempts to strike it down with his Loa powers, he gets close enough to be infected. But while he trips, the visions of his Loa and the mysterious woman who’s been following him begin to come into focus.
Before the overdose kills him, Jack finds a way to snap out of it, save the nearby locals, and obtain a clue to the mysterious woman’s identity.
Final Thoughts
SHADOWMAN #4 continues the monster-of-the-month motif with enough artistic flair and writing creativity to keep readers invested for the next issue. The threat level feels mildly rushed but it’s made up for by dropping pieces to the larger puzzle of Deadside’s master plan.
Score: 8.5/10
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