Shadowman 13

[pixierosa]

Let's get this ball rolling! Lots to say, but I'll start with short and sweet:

Really liked the writing style. Milligan has a feel for the macabre without making it campy or too horror-tinged.

The art was beautifully done. It fit the story line well and sets the tone.

I am very excited for this new Shadowman. I'm already seeing the potential of the new storyline and hope that it doesn't dissolve into a bad guy of the month drama. I don't believe it will.

[blujay]

Very good start. This feels a lot more like VH1 Shadowman than previous books. And the art is amazing but what did you expect?

[hunter_peterson]

This was great! It feels just like Shadowman should. Interesting that they seem to have changed the origin- or maybe the punk mambo was mistaken? I'm looking forward to seeing how Milligan resolves that. The art was perfect, of course. I also really liked how the more aggressive Jack is clearly the same character we've been reading all along, but he was repressing it to try to be accepted by Alyssa and Dox. Good stuff. Excited for next issue.

[grendeljd]

I liked the issue quite a bit - solid writing & simply great work by De La Torre. Lots of juicy background details on this Loa & where it came from. Ejected from the pantheon of Voodoo gods? Cool. Looking forward to more of this!

Now, I haven't re-read the series in a while, but I'm thinking this new facet contradicts the origin set out in #10? Very curious to see how that plays out, if there is a contradiction there I am sure it is not an oversight & will be addressed.

I am a little less certain how I feel about Jack suddenly having a dark angry psychotic side we didn't know about. Feels mildly forced as this is a new direction for the book. I do think that as the story unfolds and gets fleshed out it will flow & fit right in.

Perhaps he doesn't have a dark side, maybe these 'senior abbettors' have an agenda that comes from being manipulated [fed false info from someone?] into deciding to destroy him... or maybe the Loa is messing with Jack in some way, and maybe it always had a dark influence over him despite wearing the amulet? Perhaps it only kept the spirit from possessing him, not completely out of his mind...

[jmatt]

Enjoyed the issue. The revamp is off to a good start, we'll have to wait to see how it unfolds.

So now Jack has a hidden, violent past. The senior Abettors mention two assaults, we have no idea if they were justified in some way; I'm guessing that will be explained in some fashion at one point. He wakes up in an alley with some victims, we don't know the circumstances behind those either; didn't kill them that we know of. And he has a hazy memory of fighting and killing some other antagonist boy when he was young.

Lessee... Jack wants the Loa out and the Loa wants out, but Punk Rock Mambo's not up to the job. Her look and backstory didn't exactly fit the dilapidated bayou cabin she inhabits but I guess I don't mind playing against type. But she's not old enough to be calling his Loa an "old rascal", that's something Nettie could get away with but it doesn't seem to fit her tenure.

Loa says Jack is too fragile to be a Shadowman, not sure what that means exactly.

Oh, and the Loa finally has a voice. That's different. And the Abettors want Jack dead? That's a new wrinkle, for sure.

[bygranddesign]

Not quite as good as #0 or #10 .. But still an impressive start for Milligan/RDLT

The art was top notch, amazing. Absolutely loved the expressiveness of the characters, the look and creepy dark feel of the swampy bayou and the run down cabin. Really liked the way the punk mambo looked .. And hope that she is a recurring character in the book. Loved the way Jack looked .. And how the Shadowman mask forms over his face in a couple of panels. It gives a feel of possession.

The art was 10 out of 10

The writing was good .. The story was very interesting ... I enjoyed the inner dialogue and the dark overtones of the story line. I really want to see Milligan push the envelope of fright even more .... I wanted the voice of the loa to be a little more menacing. It felt a little non descript. This is supposed to be a spirit voodoo god .. I want to get more of that feel from it.

Interesting that the loa wants to also be rid of Jack ... I think this will end up jiving with the issue 10 origin story (it better! Considering # 0 and #10 is one of the best origin stories I've ever read!). I think Sandria with the sacrifice of her child created this binding spell that linked the Loa spirit with the Boniface's to create this weapon (as she termed it) called Shadowman as protection from Master Darque. But I would assume before that binding spell ... The Loa spirit was cast out of the spirit pantheon as the Punk Mambo said.. and perhaps doing its own thing (like possessing other family legacies?).

Another observation .. Shadowman's look changes after the Punk Mambo tries her Voodoo on Jack .. Its never explained why that happens but I guess we should assume that this was a transformative experience for Jack, the loa and Shadowman.

Overall 8.5/10.

Great issue .. Look forward to more!

[BugsySig]

I won't repeat what others have said as I agree with most of it. I will reiterate that De La Torre's art was great and perfectly suits the book.

I don't believe the concept of the cast out loa and the origin from issue 10 can't be easily reconciled. Either the loa Sandria created goes on to be like a false god (remember the loa was cast out of Josiah and was more or less wondering until Jack removed the protective amulet, not to mention the 150 years it's been in existence) or there is more to how the loa was created/bonded with the original host.

Overall I really enjoyed the issue and finally got what I have wanted out of the book: an inner voice for Jack, a relationship between Jack and the Loa, the confused and angry Jack more akin to the VH1 version, and the feel of the Louisiana Bayou.

[chriskay99]

[jmatt]

I don't believe the concept of the cast out loa and the origin from issue 10 can't be easily reconciled. Either the loa Sandria created goes on to be like a false god (remember the loa was cast out of Josiah and was more or less wondering until Jack removed the protective amulet, not to mention the 150 years it's been in existence) or there is more to how the loa was created/bonded with the original host.

Yeah, the backstory is a little messy. But it's only been separated from the Boniface lineage for the years Jack wore the amulet.

I hope they get it right and explain it thoroughly. Please, beat us over the head with the explanation; I would be delighted to hear Jaunty recount the story with "Hoss, first, this happened, then, that happened..."). This is the book's last chance for most readers.

[Keith]

Great start, really enjoyed this issue and am curious to see where it goes.

I wouldn't be at all surprised if his thing the mambo identified isn't really the Shadowman loa, but perhaps was posessing Jack all the way back to his childhood. Maybe it's corrupting the Shadowman loa as well?

[Donovan]

Best VEI Shadowman to date. For my money, better than #0!

My only minor beef is that in some places the colours were so dark that they obscured some of the artwork. But that's really minor, as the colour was fantastic in other places, and REALLY added/made the mood!

Bravo, VEI!

[tchalla8]

Wanted to read it a second time before I commented. Sooooo much better than what we've had from Shadowman lately. The art actually creates a real atmosphere...almost Vertigo-esque...that suits the character, and Milligan is writing like he has a real plan for the future.

"You must find the one who can save you"

Maybe that's the overarching quest he's going to be on. I for one, am definitely curious.

[agent_graves]

Pretty decent beginning to Peter's first arc, although I wish they made Robert work with an inker, and I wasn't to happy with the coloring either, but overall, it was ok, the preview to #14 on Cbr, looks promising though...

I actually prefer the artist on 13x but, oh well...

Edit: #0 & #10 were amazing...

[Bone-A-Fach-ee]

Was very pleased with this issue, and the new direction of Shadowman. It didn't have to explain everything, but what was explained all made sense to me. Amazing art, very excited to see this unfold, and make us all forget about a Shadowman from a previous time...

[bygranddesign]

I don't believe the concept of the cast out loa and the origin from issue 10 can't be easily reconciled. Either the loa Sandria created goes on to be like a false god (remember the loa was cast out of Josiah and was more or less wondering until Jack removed the protective amulet, not to mention the 150 years it's been in existence) or there is more to how the loa was created/bonded with the original host.

Yeah, the backstory is a little messy. But it's only been separated from the Boniface lineage for the years Jack wore the amulet.

I hope they get it right and explain it thoroughly. Please, beat us over the head with the explanation; I would be delighted to hear Jaunty recount the story with "Hoss, first, this happened, then, that happened..."). This is the book's last chance for most readers.

read the preview Bugsy posted in the General Forum ... Milligan is very much embracing the issue 0/10 origin story

It's a GREAT preview ... and it's gotten me even more excited about where this book is going

The embracing of JJ's great ideas/origin story ... with Milligan bringing his own spin, dark overtones and focus on Jack/Loa/Shadowman relationship... to go along with hopefully RDLT as the permanent artist .. This book might have a chance to rival Bob Hall level of greatness

[Aomalle27]

I'm not all that jazzed about this issue, however I do see the potential, so I'm gonna stick with this book through this arc. The art for me was inconsistent, that had a lot of the 70's tomb of Dracula mood coloring, but for some reason skipped this method for a couple of pages, then just as mysteriously jumped back to it. I like that method, it gives the book a Gothic/Gaslight feel. And they need this incorporation of the Macabre, its what will differentiate this book from just another superhero story. All in all, it feels like a #1 issue all over again, but that's not a bad thing, because this title was lagging. New creative juice and direction should help. January should be the tipping point one way or the other.

Great start, really enjoyed this issue and am curious to see where it goes.

I wouldn't be at all surprised if his thing the mambo identified isn't really the Shadowman loa, but perhaps was posessing Jack all the way back to his childhood. Maybe it's corrupting the Shadowman loa as well?

I like this concept, perhaps dual spirits, a Shadowman legacy, plus whatever mischievous demon that has been plaguing jack since childhood. Brings new definition to 'split personality"

[BugsySig]

I'm not all that jazzed about this issue, however I do see the potential, so I'm gonna stick with this book through this arc. The art for me was inconsistent, that had a lot of the 70's tomb of Dracula mood coloring, but for some reason skipped this method for a couple of pages, then just as mysteriously jumped back to it. I like that method, it gives the book a Gothic/Gaslight feel. And they need this incorporation of the Macabre, its what will differentiate this book from just another superhero story. All in all, it feels like a #1 issue all over again, but that's not a bad thing, because this title was lagging. New creative juice and direction should help. January should be the tipping point one way or the other.

Great start, really enjoyed this issue and am curious to see where it goes.

I wouldn't be at all surprised if his thing the mambo identified isn't really the Shadowman loa, but perhaps was posessing Jack all the way back to his childhood. Maybe it's corrupting the Shadowman loa as well?

I like this concept, perhaps dual spirits, a Shadowman legacy, plus whatever mischievous demon that has been plaguing jack since childhood. Brings new definition to 'split personality"

I like this idea as well. the Dialogue with the Mambo is vague enough that there could be more than one spirit lurking in there.

[Captain Craig]

Thought I might be the only one underwhelmed. Took over a dozen posts though.
Just throwing us into a mystery about the Loa with underpinnings that it could be affecting Jack OR that Jack suddenly now has this dark side are not things I found as positives.

When we've been saying we need to know more about Jack, fabricating a dark homicidal side isn't what I had in mind in anyway.

I'm giving the arc a chance to explain itself but I was not instantly feeling warm and fuzzy after reading it like the majority posting in this thread seem to have been.

[VEI Reborn]

I will keep it simple....


If only this was how the book was from the get go. No offense to the original team but it just wasnt working before [less 2 issues]


LOVE the new direction and cant wait for more

[jmatt]

When we've been saying we need to know more about Jack, fabricating a dark homicidal side isn't what I had in mind in anyway.

I'll grant you that. But let's see how it plays out. If they come up with something that allows us to justify and explain these violent actions then perhaps we can see our way to viewing him as one of the good guys. Kind of like the television series Dexter.

I can see it also playing as a conflicted hero with a regretful past -- but atoning for that past would have to be a major motivating factor going forward.

[Spylocke]

Weren't the original Shadowman's powers a little gray though? I remember reading Bob Hall saying he never wanted to pin them down; they were seemingly powered by Jack's own belief in them. I'm not sure if I like that though seems like an easy way of getting Jack out of things in a pinch.

That's something I loved about the first series. It wasn't until the Chaos Effect that I was sure Jack even had powers. The whole thing just could have been some psychological problem where being out at night made him fearless and crazy.

I like the shift to anti-hero for Jack and I hope that the incidents in his past weren't due to forced by circumstance. I'm not looking for an easy to hate anti-hero but I'd like some moral ambiguity. I like the idea of an angry man, sometimes prone to violence, getting power and beating the odds to become a hero.

[erwinrafael]

Weren't the original Shadowman's powers a little gray though? I remember reading Bob Hall saying he never wanted to pin them down; they were seemingly powered by Jack's own belief in them. I'm not sure if I like that though seems like an easy way of getting Jack out of things in a pinch.

That's something I loved about the first series. It wasn't until the Chaos Effect that I was sure Jack even had powers. The whole thing just could have been some psychological problem where being out at night made him fearless and crazy.

I like the shift to anti-hero for Jack and I hope that the incidents in his past weren't due to forced by circumstance. I'm not looking for an easy to hate anti-hero but I'd like some moral ambiguity. I like the idea of an angry man, sometimes prone to violence, getting power and beating the odds to become a hero.

But doesn't VEI have enough morally ambiguous character already?

Out of all the VEI "heroes" now, I could think of only two morally unambiguous characters: Faith and Archer. Armstrong and Gilad is a bit heroic too. But other than that, there are actually no superheroes in this universe. Just superpowered people.

[ThatDarnCabbage]

Weren't the original Shadowman's powers a little gray though? I remember reading Bob Hall saying he never wanted to pin them down; they were seemingly powered by Jack's own belief in them. I'm not sure if I like that though seems like an easy way of getting Jack out of things in a pinch.

That's something I loved about the first series. It wasn't until the Chaos Effect that I was sure Jack even had powers. The whole thing just could have been some psychological problem where being out at night made him fearless and crazy.

I like the shift to anti-hero for Jack and I hope that the incidents in his past weren't due to forced by circumstance. I'm not looking for an easy to hate anti-hero but I'd like some moral ambiguity. I like the idea of an angry man, sometimes prone to violence, getting power and beating the odds to become a hero.

But doesn't VEI have enough morally ambiguous character already?

Out of all the VEI "heroes" now, I could think of only two morally unambiguous characters: Faith and Archer. Armstrong and Gilad is a bit heroic too. But other than that, there are actually no superheroes in this universe. Just superpowered people.

I agree, I'm all for moral ambiguity within a superhero universe, but not every single character needs to be an anti-hero. I liked that Shadowman was one of the few characters in this universe who didn't want to kill. I think way too many "heroes" in this universe are okay with killing. It makes life feel so worthless in the Valiant universe. I love that Armstrong doesn't kill. I love that Shadowman didn't, it was nice having a genuine hero to root for, but no he's a killer. Sure it's not on purpose and sure he doesn't like it, but still. I still enjoyed the issue. I just hope we can have him back as a hero again soon.

[Spylocke]

I'm not thrilled with the idea of Shadowman killing either, I just like the idea of the darker parts of the character being from Jack and not the loa. It sounds to me like a cop out that it could be an evil force causing Jack's behavior rather than his own human weakness. I love the idea of a full-on heroic Shadowman but only after he defeats his own metaphorical (and maybe some literal) demons. I find it more heroic for Jack to do good while simultaneously battling his own personality flaws.

Voodoo too often gets labelled as evil and I think it would be interesting if the loa was actually a positive influence in Jack's life.

I just realized that it has taken me 13 issues to find something worth commenting on in this title.

[Brother Darque]

in honor of this issue:

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