Another announcement incoming?

[Watchtower]

This time I really hope they have a new Shadowman series ready to go immediately after this ends, and not months or years later as usually seems to happen.

Yep. This would be my number one complaint about Valiant. They put all this work into making these great stories and then they completely drop the ball on capitalizing on the momentum.

I think sales numbers indicate there isn't really much momentum to capitalize on. If Operation: Deadside sold better I bet we would have seen Shadowman again sooner.

The RAPTURE actually shows Valiant and Matt Kindt are trying hard to build momentum for (the Deadside and) Shadowman!

I'd also like to remind everyone that part of the reason Shadowman's in the state he's in is because Valiant forced him out half-baked in an attempt to keep the Summer of Valiant momentum rolling. It didn't help that Milligan was brought in to pick up the pieces, only for his run to leave him seriously damaged.

Shadowman used to be one of Valiant's most popular characters, and they would certainly love for that to be the case for him. In that sense, I feel like they're being very cautious, in order to make sure his (second?) retool comes out perfect.

[Bl00dsh0t]

This time I really hope they have a new Shadowman series ready to go immediately after this ends, and not months or years later as usually seems to happen.

Me too. Was hoping to see something span out of Stalinverse but doesn't look like that is going to pan out. The Valiant led on to Bloodshot Reborn and D.O.B provided the groundwork for Wrath of the Eternal Warrior so it's possible a new Shadowman series will eventuate.

I hope we see a cameo from Dr. Mirage in this.

[possumgrease]

I hope they get shadowman figured out. One of my favorites from the original line.

[Thegreatmagnet]

If they do tie-in one shots, that would be a nice shot in the arm for the line, which was previously looking a little slim.

I'm really excited about the idea that they might explore (and possibly explain) the Deadside more. I think it's a cool idea, but so far it's been kept a bit vague. It's worthy of developing the ideas more, and Kindt is pretty good at worldbuilding

Also, I agree that they should launch the Shadowman ongoing at the end of the event.

[Shadowman99]

This time I really hope they have a new Shadowman series ready to go immediately after this ends, and not months or years later as usually seems to happen.

Yep. This would be my number one complaint about Valiant. They put all this work into making these great stories and then they completely drop the ball on capitalizing on the momentum.

I think sales numbers indicate there isn't really much momentum to capitalize on. If Operation: Deadside sold better I bet we would have seen Shadowman again sooner.

It was a more general statement not specific to shadowman. It seems Valiant puts a lot of time into a story and then we don't get a follow up to the story.

The thing bumming me out about this is that sure, it's in Deadside which is great: but it's not Shadow Man. Even the 'Shadow Man' featured on the cover looks more like the 'Magpie' version that featured in the Ninjak comic a while back, rather than the (original VEI) Shadow Man I prefer. Looks like I'll probably have to bite the bullet on this and accept that the character has a new look going forward. Ah well, I might grow to like it.

Following up what FormerReader said, it seems to me that last time out we saw Punk Mambo and Shadow Man in the Ninjak comic - seeing as they're both featured on one of the covers for this comic perhaps there's a reasonable assumption that this story is something of a follow-up to that storyline? (Although it may be worth noting, from my rough guess, that this comic could be a direct follow on from the Ninjak title, so Ninjak may be ending before May? )

I agree with most folk here: I'd love to see a new Shadow Man ongoing spring out of this comic. Having said that, it seems to me that this last year or so Shadowman and Punk Mambo have become B-list characters of Ninjak's stable, so I'm not holding my hopes up for news of a Shadow Man title coming out of this book, regardless of how much I'd like to see it.

[Keith]

The thing bumming me out about this is that sure, it's in Deadside which is great: but it's not Shadow Man. Even the 'Shadow Man' featured on the cover looks more like the 'Magpie' version that featured in the Ninjak comic a while back, rather than the (original VEI) Shadow Man I prefer. Looks like I'll probably have to bite the bullet on this and accept that the character has a new look going forward. Ah well, I might grow to like it

Though weren't we already expecting a different look for Shadowman even before he reappeared as the Magpie? I speak to the trench coat, suit wearing, luchadore masked character that we saw in the big group shot in Book of Death #1 who was, iirc, was identified as an early design for Shadowman.

I think the Magpie is temporary.

[Sunlight on Snow]

The thing bumming me out about this is that sure, it's in Deadside which is great: but it's not Shadow Man. Even the 'Shadow Man' featured on the cover looks more like the 'Magpie' version that featured in the Ninjak comic a while back, rather than the (original VEI) Shadow Man I prefer. Looks like I'll probably have to bite the bullet on this and accept that the character has a new look going forward. Ah well, I might grow to like it

Though weren't we already expecting a different look for Shadowman even before he reappeared as the Magpie? I speak to the trench coat, suit wearing, luchadore masked character that we saw in the big group shot in Book of Death #1 who was, iirc, was identified as an early design for Shadowman.

I think the Magpie is temporary.

Yeah, by the end of Rapture Jack will be Shadowman again! The Magpie legend worked for Ninjak and the Op Deadside arc but it wouldn't work for a potential Shadowman series later on. It wouldn't be new (and old) reader friendly at all.

[Keith]

Hmmm... I can see the future arc now -- Shadowman confronted by a face from his past, as the Magpie returns! But why, and more importantly.... WHO???

Who it would be, I got no clue. Alyssa maybe?

[Shadowman99]

The thing bumming me out about this is that sure, it's in Deadside which is great: but it's not Shadow Man. Even the 'Shadow Man' featured on the cover looks more like the 'Magpie' version that featured in the Ninjak comic a while back, rather than the (original VEI) Shadow Man I prefer. Looks like I'll probably have to bite the bullet on this and accept that the character has a new look going forward. Ah well, I might grow to like it

Though weren't we already expecting a different look for Shadowman even before he reappeared as the Magpie? I speak to the trench coat, suit wearing, luchadore masked character that we saw in the big group shot in Book of Death #1 who was, iirc, was identified as an early design for Shadowman.

I think the Magpie is temporary.

Yeah, by the end of Rapture Jack will be Shadowman again! The Magpie legend worked for Ninjak and the Op Deadside arc but it wouldn't work for a potential Shadowman series later on. It wouldn't be new (and old) reader friendly at all.

I agree, I think the Magpie legend is well and truly done and dusted, but the Magpie image? Remains to be seen I suppose. I don't see why the possibility that Shadowman's image can't be changed going forward for the long term shouldn't be likely. Slightly progressed character development might give the character cause to take on a new image, regardless of whether it's specifically the 'Magpie' image, a re-jig of the original design or something else. There's logic there at least. Not that I really like the idea myself (I like the original design best to date) but I'm sure that the possibility is there and the 'new image' is certainly a short-term marketable aspect of the character that might aid a few more copies of the comic leaving the shelf than normal with a bit of clever marketing to support it, which in my view is both old and new-user friendly because old readers will know the change was coming which doesn't make it difficult for them to take on board, and new readers won't be much the wiser so the 'new image' won't require adjustment: just acceptance of the initial premise.

I hope the 'Magpie' thing is temporary. I don't really like the outfit personally.

[Dallow Spicer1]

I'll buy this but I'm not particularly psyched up for it.

Ninjak + Deadside is my least favourite Ninjak.

Shadowman has been a flop so far and my confidence levels in this character are on the floor.

Kindt writing magic related stories is not his strength.

I don't blame VEI for this 'soft relaunch', it's imperative they get to right with the character this time around.