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A review by barb4ry1
Shadowman (2018) Volume 1: Fear of the Dark by Andy Diggle
4.0
As a fan of supernatural horror and voodoo mythos, I was glad to see this title on NetGalley. Some of you probably remember Jack Boniface - Shadowman. He's been on hiatus since 2014 and now he returns to the front lines of the Valiant Universe to protect the world of the living from the supernatural forces that seek to do it harm.
The writing team is superb - Andy Diggle is an excellent writer who worked with franchises like James Bond or Daredevil in the past. I had high hopes for the renewal of the series. I'm happy to say that newest incarnation of the Shadowman is excellent.
Jack used to be an ordinary guy who found himself bound to a powerful voodoo entity. He was dragged into a world of unimaginable weirdness and finished as an automaton serving the needs of a malevolent force. In the new arc of the story, he's brought back to the land of living by Alyssa. During Jack's absence, New Orleans became strongly influenced by the voodoo deity Baron Samedi. Baron Samedi is portrayed as a mercurial trickster, and it suits him well. It makes him terrifying. Stakes are raised high and the storyline is brilliant and strong. jack and Alyssa make one hell of a team - his super abilities and her magic compliment each other. Together, they're able to stand up to supernatural beings. There's a scene where they devastate a horde of zombies - it's almost cinematic.
A big part of the book’s appeal for me is the world of voodoo, It seems Diggle wants to dig into this misrepresented religion in a way that hasn’t been explored in the previous Shadowman books. Voodoo is transactional, give and take, born of necessity from people who were enslaved, oppressed, and forbidden to worship their own gods. Upon reading the book I feel that Diggle's done all the research needed and steers away from Hollywood / mainstream misrepresentation of this colorful and dark tradition.
The art is simply stunning - sharp lines and vibrant colors do the trick. Once you know the story by heart, you can still admire the panels. Yes, this book is a thing of dark beauty. Stephen Segovia and Ulises Arreloa are a dream team.
Shadowman vol. 1 roused my appetite for more supernatural drama. It's well written, exciting, and action-packed book with a mix of magic and horror. A must-read for fans of voodoo and graphic novels.
I can't wait to see where the stories go from, shocking ending of this volume.
I received the book from NetGalley
The writing team is superb - Andy Diggle is an excellent writer who worked with franchises like James Bond or Daredevil in the past. I had high hopes for the renewal of the series. I'm happy to say that newest incarnation of the Shadowman is excellent.
Jack used to be an ordinary guy who found himself bound to a powerful voodoo entity. He was dragged into a world of unimaginable weirdness and finished as an automaton serving the needs of a malevolent force. In the new arc of the story, he's brought back to the land of living by Alyssa. During Jack's absence, New Orleans became strongly influenced by the voodoo deity Baron Samedi. Baron Samedi is portrayed as a mercurial trickster, and it suits him well. It makes him terrifying. Stakes are raised high and the storyline is brilliant and strong. jack and Alyssa make one hell of a team - his super abilities and her magic compliment each other. Together, they're able to stand up to supernatural beings. There's a scene where they devastate a horde of zombies - it's almost cinematic.
A big part of the book’s appeal for me is the world of voodoo, It seems Diggle wants to dig into this misrepresented religion in a way that hasn’t been explored in the previous Shadowman books. Voodoo is transactional, give and take, born of necessity from people who were enslaved, oppressed, and forbidden to worship their own gods. Upon reading the book I feel that Diggle's done all the research needed and steers away from Hollywood / mainstream misrepresentation of this colorful and dark tradition.
The art is simply stunning - sharp lines and vibrant colors do the trick. Once you know the story by heart, you can still admire the panels. Yes, this book is a thing of dark beauty. Stephen Segovia and Ulises Arreloa are a dream team.
Shadowman vol. 1 roused my appetite for more supernatural drama. It's well written, exciting, and action-packed book with a mix of magic and horror. A must-read for fans of voodoo and graphic novels.
I can't wait to see where the stories go from, shocking ending of this volume.
I received the book from NetGalley