Shadowman started out so good in the first 3 issues of this series but I’ve come to the end of the line on this one. I want a Shadowman comic that delves into the horror, the macabre, and the supernatural. Not a comic that takes a new quantum leap, time jump, every month to work in social issues and political discourse from a previous era, that are now taking over this book.
With Shadowman #5 we follow Marius, supposedly the original Shadowman (even though next month it is a time jump farther back in time), in the era of the civil war or thereabout. We get the obligatory racism, transgressions, and hate crime-tinged murder. I guess you should cover all the bases when you are drilling the political into the reader about how bad that time period was. Writer Andy Diggle is British and a quick look over his Twitter page and I get it, he’s very politcal.
However, that’s not what I want in my comics. I’m okay with a tinge of the political but this book is just overt now and I’m no longer enjoying it. I know some people in the Valiant fandom love everything about this book and that’s fine. That’s why reviews and opinions on things are completely subjective.
The art by Doug Braithwaite is beautifully done. It captures the story being told and I have no issue at all with the artistic ability on display here. I’d love to see more artwork by Braithwaite, but in another book that has a better story.
Wrap Up
Reading and collecting comic books, for me, is about the enjoyment and the journey you get from entering into another world. A bit of politics is fine, a lot, not so much. Sadly, this book is coming off of my subscription list. I just feel like this is the wrong direction for the character and I’m quite okay with Valiant fans being on the other side of me on this one.
