Cullen Bunn, et.al., Shadowman, Volume 1 (2021). New York: Valiant Entertainment, 2021. ISBN: 9781682153741.
Genre: graphic novels and comics
Subgenre: horror, occult, folklore, heroes
Format: e-book galley
Source: NetGalley
John Boniface is the Shadowman, a New Orleans musician bound to the Shadow Loa, a powerful voodoo spirit. This gives him supernatural powers, but it also brings responsibilities for him. In this adventure, dark forces attempt to open passages between our reality and the dead side. It is up to Shadowman to close those openings and put things right.
For starters, the art in this book is very good. Early on Shadowman and Baron Samedi look very good. I particularly liked the sort of dark and fun portrayal of Baron Samedi. The art overall is colorful and can be a bit evocative.
The story itself is good and well paced. After a brief introductory note, we get right into the story. As we read on, the story grows in complexity as Shadowman works to figure out who is responsible for the breaks in the veil of reality. Baron Samedi comes along, sometimes helpful, other times not so much. He can come across as a bit of a trickster. Samedi's interactions with Shadowman are one of the things that make this a good comic. The story draws you in. I basically read this in one sitting, enjoying the plot and various details along the way.
In addition, this volume includes a gallery of images, sketches, and covers, It also features some commentary from the author and artist. The commentary on Baron Samedi is worth reading.
Overall, this is very good. I highly recommend it for libraries with comic book collections. Readers who enjoy comics with occult, horror, and/or folklore elements will likely enjoy this one. I am looking forward to a second volume. So far, one of my best reads for 2022.
5 out of 5 stars.
This book qualifies for the following 2022 Reading Challenge:
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