“Shadowman” conjures up images of a dark figure that lurks in the shadows and only comes out when it’s time to kill. When that happens nobody sees it coming. What that name doesn’t conjure up is what Justin Jordan & Patrick Zircher wrote.
That should’ve been kept in the dark.
Shadowman #1 introduces us to Jack Boniface, the son of Josiah Boniface and Helena LeBreton. We see his normal life years after a big attack between his parents and a bunch of ghosts from another dimension (or so the reader can tell from the portal the ghosts are coming out from.) Out of nowhere his life stops being normal and he must fight these beings.
The story makes little sense and will raise more questions than answer. Characters and plot points are not explained at all and are just thrown willy-nilly. Not to mention this is your typical chosen one with holy object story that’s played straight without any detraction from the trope.
The characters’ little personality don’t help matters much. They are boring, don’t make any attempt to be engaging and fit so perfectly into their character designs that it becomes a bingo game. Jack has some unrealistic work history (since when can a person with no college degree become a librarian?)
The only character with any trace of personality is the main villain. It seems like all the personality the other characters had was siphoned into this one character. He looks like a buff version of Carnage, says things like “that’s rude†when he’s annoyed and uses pieces of his body as a weapon. The reader will want to see him end up on top instead of Jack.
With only the one interesting character, the art steals the show. The character designs are brilliant; the use of colors, both bright and dark, bring out the full character of any scene. Even the tiniest detail looks great. If there’s one thing Valiant does right it’s that they know great art when they see it.
“Shadowman #1’ may have Valiant’s awesome art, but the boring characters and by-the-books plot will put some readers. The only real reason to continue the series is to see what the Carnage-like villain will do to Mr. No Personality.
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