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Shadowman (2012) (Collected Editions) #1
Shadowman, Volume 1: Birth Rites
There's a million dreams in the Big Easy. But now its worst nightmare is about to come true. As the forces of darkness prepare to claim New Orleans as their own, Jack Boniface must embrace the legacy he was born to uphold. As Shadowman, Jack is about to become the only thing that stands between his city and an army of unspeakable monstrosities from beyond the night. But is the mantle of Shadowman a blessing, or a curse? And what is the true cost of his otherworldly power? From rising star Justin Jordan (The Strange Talent of Luther Strode) and comics superstar Patrick Zircher (Captain America, Hulk).
Collecting: Shadowman 1-4
Collecting: Shadowman 1-4
112 pages, Paperback
First published June 4, 2013
26 people are currently reading
300 people want to read
About the author
Justin Jordan
536 books100 followersJustin Jordan is an American comic book writer. He is known for writing and co-creating The Strange Talent of Luther Strode, Spread, Dead Body Road, Deep State, Dark Gods and Savage Things. He has also written Green Lantern: New Guardians, Superboy, Deathstroke and Team 7 for DC Comics and the relaunch of Shadowman for Valiant Entertainment.
In 2012, he was nominated for the Harvey Award for Most Promising New Talent.
In 2012, he was nominated for the Harvey Award for Most Promising New Talent.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 reviews
January 11, 2020
3.5 stars
Ok, so I thought I had run across this character while reading Ninjak (something, something, Deadside) but I guess I was wrong? This doesn't seem like the same person at all.
Reboot, perhaps?
Whatever. It still turned out to be a decent story.
So the gist is that this new kid ends up taking up the Shadowman mantle (whatever that is) from the father he never knew. <--because of spoilery magic stuff that I just can't/won't explain right now.
What did I think?
The art looks good and I liked the plot well enough to download the next volume to see what will happen.
Ok, so I thought I had run across this character while reading Ninjak (something, something, Deadside) but I guess I was wrong? This doesn't seem like the same person at all.
Reboot, perhaps?
Whatever. It still turned out to be a decent story.
So the gist is that this new kid ends up taking up the Shadowman mantle (whatever that is) from the father he never knew. <--because of spoilery magic stuff that I just can't/won't explain right now.
What did I think?
The art looks good and I liked the plot well enough to download the next volume to see what will happen.
July 27, 2013
Jack Boniface is a young man trying to find out who his parents were and why they left him as a child, abandoning him with only a strange medallion. Now living in New Orleans after drifting for a few years, he finds out that his parents were criminals and out of anger throws his medallion into the sea. Little did he realise the medallion was protecting him from supernatural dark forces that have been looking for him for years. With his protection discarded, those dark forces are on their way to claim Jack’s untapped power for their own – but also racing to his side are the forces of good to reveal his powers to him and show Jack that he is… Shadowman!
This is my first experience with the character of Shadowman and only my second Valiant book but I understand the company and its characters go back to the 90s and have a rich history. What brought me to this title was Justin Jordan, a writer whose work on The Strange Talent of Luther Strode blew me away with how good it was. Jordan remains a solid bet as Shadowman is another superbly written book.
On the face of it, this is the kind of story that feels generic and ordinarily would have me rolling my eyes or checking to see how many pages were left before I could drop it and move on, but because Jordan is such a brilliant writer, he turns this story into something I really cared about. It’s uncanny because a dark and supernatural story where the superhero is dressed like death and wielding a scythe isn’t what I’m looking for in comics but in the hands of this talented writer? It’s exactly what I want.
Moreover, there was a lot about the story I didn’t quite get, like what the Deadside is – is it heaven, hell, purgatory, another world? – or who Shadowman is – is he Death? What is the relevance of the Loa? Does he have other powers besides the scythe? Talking monkeys? – or background characters’ motivations, his parents’ backgrounds, etc. Not coming away with a strong enough impression of any of these would ordinarily bother me and make me mark it down, but the book really draws you in and involves you in the world in such an immediate way that those things didn’t bother me in the slightest. Justin Jordan is that good.
Paired with superb artist Patrick Zircher, who makes the story look really good, and you’ve got a great first volume that’s accessible for new readers like me who don’t know the character at all but also for anyone looking for an interesting horror comic. Valiant is schooling DC on how to do supernatural comics right - Shadowman is what Constantine or Justice League Dark should be. Graphic demonic violence, an excellent cast, great writing and art, Shadowman, Volume 1: Birth Rites is a brilliant comic.
This is my first experience with the character of Shadowman and only my second Valiant book but I understand the company and its characters go back to the 90s and have a rich history. What brought me to this title was Justin Jordan, a writer whose work on The Strange Talent of Luther Strode blew me away with how good it was. Jordan remains a solid bet as Shadowman is another superbly written book.
On the face of it, this is the kind of story that feels generic and ordinarily would have me rolling my eyes or checking to see how many pages were left before I could drop it and move on, but because Jordan is such a brilliant writer, he turns this story into something I really cared about. It’s uncanny because a dark and supernatural story where the superhero is dressed like death and wielding a scythe isn’t what I’m looking for in comics but in the hands of this talented writer? It’s exactly what I want.
Moreover, there was a lot about the story I didn’t quite get, like what the Deadside is – is it heaven, hell, purgatory, another world? – or who Shadowman is – is he Death? What is the relevance of the Loa? Does he have other powers besides the scythe? Talking monkeys? – or background characters’ motivations, his parents’ backgrounds, etc. Not coming away with a strong enough impression of any of these would ordinarily bother me and make me mark it down, but the book really draws you in and involves you in the world in such an immediate way that those things didn’t bother me in the slightest. Justin Jordan is that good.
Paired with superb artist Patrick Zircher, who makes the story look really good, and you’ve got a great first volume that’s accessible for new readers like me who don’t know the character at all but also for anyone looking for an interesting horror comic. Valiant is schooling DC on how to do supernatural comics right - Shadowman is what Constantine or Justice League Dark should be. Graphic demonic violence, an excellent cast, great writing and art, Shadowman, Volume 1: Birth Rites is a brilliant comic.
May 30, 2017
Another excellent book from Valiant.
January 2, 2020
Patrick Zircher has really came into his own. His art is fantastic. The Shadowman origin is a minor revamp of the original Shadowman stories from the early 90's. Jack Boniface is an orphan who has inherited the Shadowman power from his father. He must learn to use the power to stop Mr. Twist from bringing back Master Darque.
August 9, 2017
This is the weakest of the re-booted Valiant titles (and I think at this point I've read all of them).
The first couple issues is the origin of Shadowman, and it's pretty generic and obvious. Then he battles some evil being. I typically hate magic stories because the author has the power to do whatever they want - use any plot devise, or 'cool' thing - without appeal to logic/reason/psychological coherence. Stories need to have an internal logic, and that's all thrown out the window when you have magic (which necessarily breaks logic). ex) so how did Moses get over the sea, did he have to build rafts? Ahh, fuck it, lets just let him part it with his magic powers and move on to the next incomprehensible occurrence.
The art is extremely competent and professional but lacks a specific edge, or style (which is what I always demand from a comicbook). The art would have been better served by a more interesting story, but as is it doesn't hold-up this story.
I wanted to catch up on this title because Shadowman is going to be crossing-over into some of the other Valiant titles soon, but it's going to be hard to keep reading this if the story doesn't improve in subsequent volumes.
The first couple issues is the origin of Shadowman, and it's pretty generic and obvious. Then he battles some evil being. I typically hate magic stories because the author has the power to do whatever they want - use any plot devise, or 'cool' thing - without appeal to logic/reason/psychological coherence. Stories need to have an internal logic, and that's all thrown out the window when you have magic (which necessarily breaks logic). ex) so how did Moses get over the sea, did he have to build rafts? Ahh, fuck it, lets just let him part it with his magic powers and move on to the next incomprehensible occurrence.
The art is extremely competent and professional but lacks a specific edge, or style (which is what I always demand from a comicbook). The art would have been better served by a more interesting story, but as is it doesn't hold-up this story.
I wanted to catch up on this title because Shadowman is going to be crossing-over into some of the other Valiant titles soon, but it's going to be hard to keep reading this if the story doesn't improve in subsequent volumes.
May 2, 2025
I'M SHADOWMAN.
Horror at its best! This is the second graphic novel I've read with an African-American protagonist.
December 1, 2014
3.5 bumped to 4.
Liked this just a bit better than Harbinger. Story was darker and artwork/character design was stronger. It does have the requisite "young man discovers his powers" beginning but once you get past that the story progressed nicely.
Liked this just a bit better than Harbinger. Story was darker and artwork/character design was stronger. It does have the requisite "young man discovers his powers" beginning but once you get past that the story progressed nicely.
December 28, 2016
Oh, this is a good one.
So far in the Valiant Universe, we haven't had a purely magical hero or villain. Some of the series have dabbled in magic, like Eternal Warrior or Archer & Armstrong, but Shadowman goes right in at the deep end. If this was a Marvel book, it'd be Doctor Voodoo.
As a series, this gets right into it from the beginning as we're introduced to the legacy of the Shadowman and how it affects our hero Jack Boniface. From there things hit high gear and don't really stop until the final few pages as the villain, Master Darque, begins to plot his return to the land of the living.
What really sells this one is the artwork, I think. Patrick Zircher's art is phenomenal; his use of shadow and Brian Reber's colours really create a great atmosphere and visual for the series, and I expect having Patrick Zircher co-write the series with Justin Jordan allowed him to play to his own strengths.
So far in the Valiant Universe, we haven't had a purely magical hero or villain. Some of the series have dabbled in magic, like Eternal Warrior or Archer & Armstrong, but Shadowman goes right in at the deep end. If this was a Marvel book, it'd be Doctor Voodoo.
As a series, this gets right into it from the beginning as we're introduced to the legacy of the Shadowman and how it affects our hero Jack Boniface. From there things hit high gear and don't really stop until the final few pages as the villain, Master Darque, begins to plot his return to the land of the living.
What really sells this one is the artwork, I think. Patrick Zircher's art is phenomenal; his use of shadow and Brian Reber's colours really create a great atmosphere and visual for the series, and I expect having Patrick Zircher co-write the series with Justin Jordan allowed him to play to his own strengths.
November 17, 2020
Who Knows What Evil Lurks in the Hearts of Men???
Not this guy, he actually seems to know Jack shit.
But, in his defense, this volume is his origin story and he does seem to be a pretty quick study for a museum janitor (with all due respect to all museum custodial staff out there).
I enjoyed the art and a little of the world-building that got teased out toward the end but for the most part it was "New Orleans!Voodoo!Possession!Portals!Sassy-Monkey-in-a-Top-Hat!"
Not this guy, he actually seems to know Jack shit.
But, in his defense, this volume is his origin story and he does seem to be a pretty quick study for a museum janitor (with all due respect to all museum custodial staff out there).
I enjoyed the art and a little of the world-building that got teased out toward the end but for the most part it was "New Orleans!Voodoo!Possession!Portals!Sassy-Monkey-in-a-Top-Hat!"
July 2, 2013
Justin Jordan is a name you might know if you've read his breakout creator-owned series "Luther Strode". I couldn't wait to see Jordan work on another book, but I'll be damned if his work for DC didn't fall pretty flat. But coming into Shadowman, it felt right. Everything felt exactly right. Like the other Valiant revamps, this book gets off to a great start and wastes no time with unnecessary exposition. And only a few pages in, we feel like we've known these characters for years. It feels easy, and off-hand, completely conversational
And completely accessible to a brand we reader of the book and comics alike. It's no 'Luther Strode', but it packs a hell of a punch and made me eager for the next volume.
I'm actually trying to decide which other monthlies to drop so I cannot a few of these Valiant ones in my budget as single issues. They're that good.
Although Valiant might not be pumping out the next Watchmen, it sure as hell is competing with Image's ongoing series' and keeping pace with them without breaking a sweat.
Writing: B
Art: C+
And completely accessible to a brand we reader of the book and comics alike. It's no 'Luther Strode', but it packs a hell of a punch and made me eager for the next volume.
I'm actually trying to decide which other monthlies to drop so I cannot a few of these Valiant ones in my budget as single issues. They're that good.
Although Valiant might not be pumping out the next Watchmen, it sure as hell is competing with Image's ongoing series' and keeping pace with them without breaking a sweat.
Writing: B
Art: C+
December 1, 2020
Entretenido y diferente. Un superhéroe que no quiere serlo, otro más, y con unos poderes y enemigos peculiares. No siendo experto en Marvel o DC supongo que habrá algún equivalente en ese mundo como casi todo en Valiant.
Le podría dar 3 estrellas, pero por el toque de originalidad lo vamos a subir un poco y darle 4 estrellas ****. Además como este cómic forma parte de los saldos de Medusa Cómics lo mismo podéis encontrarlo a buen precio.
Hay una coincidencia que no sé si es real o casual y mi cabeza las ha relacionado. En cierta forma, este Shadowman y más su personaje normal, Jack Boniface, me ha recordado a la serie Lovecraft Country, no sé si el libro del mismo título (Territorio Lovecraft) tendrá ese aire. Incluso los enemigos son dos hermanos como albinos con poderes y el protagonista es mestizo aunque el no lo sepa.
Le podría dar 3 estrellas, pero por el toque de originalidad lo vamos a subir un poco y darle 4 estrellas ****. Además como este cómic forma parte de los saldos de Medusa Cómics lo mismo podéis encontrarlo a buen precio.
Hay una coincidencia que no sé si es real o casual y mi cabeza las ha relacionado. En cierta forma, este Shadowman y más su personaje normal, Jack Boniface, me ha recordado a la serie Lovecraft Country, no sé si el libro del mismo título (Territorio Lovecraft) tendrá ese aire. Incluso los enemigos son dos hermanos como albinos con poderes y el protagonista es mestizo aunque el no lo sepa.
March 20, 2014
While I didn't enjoy this quite as much as some of the other Valiant relaunches, it was still a great book, with lots of wonderful concepts, and fantastically expressive characters. Zircher's art has always been some of my favorite, and it's better than ever in Shadowman. The New Orleans Cajun vibe has never really appealed to me, but the fabulous colors and imaginative narrative really drove me to a satisfying ending. I'm pretty stoked about some of what's been sewn here, and can pretty confidently recommend it for anyone who's been enjoying the new Valiant universe.
January 19, 2015
This is a pretty good start for a reboot. A new Shadowman is inaugurated while facing down a disturbing new villain, all while greater forces are working in the background. The book does a good job of setting up the main characters and environments, like the Deadside. And the action sequences are well done, and the book is lush and colorful. There are some nice character moments, too, and it feels like a good setup for the continuation of the rebooted series.
September 2, 2020
To see my interview with the writer, Justin Jordan, go here: https://youtu.be/kZfmHL7CsKU
Totally cool. Amazing art. Mr Twist is a badass villain and holy shit, how cool.
I can’t wait to see more of this. Shadowman looks really cool, and I love the overall demonic tone. This would make a great movie.
Totally cool. Amazing art. Mr Twist is a badass villain and holy shit, how cool.
I can’t wait to see more of this. Shadowman looks really cool, and I love the overall demonic tone. This would make a great movie.
September 15, 2019
Valiant keeps being awesome.
the story and art was really good
the story and art was really good
November 16, 2019
Even the weaker titles from the 2012 Valiant reboot are better than most of what's on the market. That said, I just couldn't connect with Shadowman, but it was a quick, fun read with lots of action and good characters. I'm more excited to see how Shadowman plays a role in the larger Valiant universe, connecting with other characters.
April 10, 2017
Very old school in it's framing.
World: The art is okay, the colors are fantastic but the details on the characters are a bit lacking. The world building is fairly choppy but interesting in it's concept. If not for the intro page in issue 2, I would have been lost in what was truly happening. It's not completely broken but storytelling needs to be tighter as with the world building.
Story: The story moves along very fast and for an origin story it is very 90s comic books where character motivations are very basic and straightforward. It feels very old school, including a costume with a logo on the chest. The pacing is fast and motivations as basic with a rushed ending to set things up. It's entertaining but I will need more depth of character and more fleshed out story to keep me entertained.
Characters: Very basic, people are evil because they are, people are good because the story needs it. Shadowman has very little internal motivation that readers can relate to and picking up the mantle was fairly fast and rushed. Alyssa and Dox are also very basic "training" and "team" characters with no depth at this moment. 4 issues is not a lot and with the pacing and the things that happened it's expected, but I am expecting more moving forward.
Basic in it's design, hoping for more in the future.
Onward to the next book!
World: The art is okay, the colors are fantastic but the details on the characters are a bit lacking. The world building is fairly choppy but interesting in it's concept. If not for the intro page in issue 2, I would have been lost in what was truly happening. It's not completely broken but storytelling needs to be tighter as with the world building.
Story: The story moves along very fast and for an origin story it is very 90s comic books where character motivations are very basic and straightforward. It feels very old school, including a costume with a logo on the chest. The pacing is fast and motivations as basic with a rushed ending to set things up. It's entertaining but I will need more depth of character and more fleshed out story to keep me entertained.
Characters: Very basic, people are evil because they are, people are good because the story needs it. Shadowman has very little internal motivation that readers can relate to and picking up the mantle was fairly fast and rushed. Alyssa and Dox are also very basic "training" and "team" characters with no depth at this moment. 4 issues is not a lot and with the pacing and the things that happened it's expected, but I am expecting more moving forward.
Basic in it's design, hoping for more in the future.
Onward to the next book!
January 6, 2025
(3.5 stars rounded up)
Shadowman is the series I was least looking forward to in this Valiant relaunch, but volume 1 managed to surprise me. I think the villains are what really sold the story for me. Mr. Twist is a cool character. I feel like the artwork was inconsistent in this volume, but Mr. Twist stood out as a great design. The scope of this volume feels small compared to some of the other Valiant series. That is not inherently bad, but it does create more work to keep the reader interested. Ultimately, I think Jordan manages to do that. I am at least interested to see these characters work together against the large threat that was introduced. It is an odd team, and I think that works in its favor. We will see where things go from here.
Shadowman is the series I was least looking forward to in this Valiant relaunch, but volume 1 managed to surprise me. I think the villains are what really sold the story for me. Mr. Twist is a cool character. I feel like the artwork was inconsistent in this volume, but Mr. Twist stood out as a great design. The scope of this volume feels small compared to some of the other Valiant series. That is not inherently bad, but it does create more work to keep the reader interested. Ultimately, I think Jordan manages to do that. I am at least interested to see these characters work together against the large threat that was introduced. It is an odd team, and I think that works in its favor. We will see where things go from here.
November 17, 2014
This book is certainly fun. I read this series out of order, reading Trade 3 before reading this one or the second one. I was able to fill in the gaps, had to sort of take it on good faith that the talking monkey with the top hat made sense and was introduced at some point. Well, he was introduced in this trade, along with the main character. This is what a good supernatural yarn should be, in comic book form- Beautiful artwork, horrific and disgusting sequences pulled together with a set of rules that make sense of all the magic and monsters. The writing is not as Sharp as Shadowman's Scythe, which is why the book only gets a 3 rating, but it was certainly a lot of fun.
September 8, 2017
The "last in a line of protectors against dark mystical forces" trope is a little cliche, I know, but it's also always been a favourite of mine. Tie that together with a superhuman character with an interesting take on his powers (bonded to a loa, Shadowman's powers only work at night-time), and you've got a fun character.
Valiant continues to pair people well with their characters - Jordan's got a very good sense of how to tell horror stories, and that's fundamentally what this is - a story of a superhero who's in a horror movie.
Valiant continues to pair people well with their characters - Jordan's got a very good sense of how to tell horror stories, and that's fundamentally what this is - a story of a superhero who's in a horror movie.
June 23, 2018
Good reboot of the Shadowman character, who was one of my favorites of the original Valiant line. This is really just a short intro to the character as not much has happened yet but we do see a glimpse of origin as well as an introduction to his enemies. Master Darque once again appears to be the main villain, although as expected all the characters are a little different than before.
I love the whole New Orleans Voodoo setting and the art is nice as well. This looks to have potential to be a really good series.
I love the whole New Orleans Voodoo setting and the art is nice as well. This looks to have potential to be a really good series.
January 29, 2014
Reconozco que las colecciones mágicas me tienen ganado demasiado fácil y si le sumamos temas demoníacos, voodoo y Nueva Orleans, ya me voy de cabeza. Así que como todo eso tenemos en esta colección, yo me apunto a seguirla, por mucho que pueda ser un poco confuso este arranque, al menos para mi que no leí en su día nada de la vieja valiant y no conozco a los personajes, pero lo que importa, es que me ha dado ganas de conocerlos.
September 22, 2017
Not a bad origin story. It caught me up with some things I'd read in other title and that's cool. I'm familiar with a few key players.
It just didn't wow me, yet. But, the Shadowman I met in Rapture and this one...they may be the same person, but they're also very different.
I'm hoping for a fun journey.
It just didn't wow me, yet. But, the Shadowman I met in Rapture and this one...they may be the same person, but they're also very different.
I'm hoping for a fun journey.
February 14, 2017
The art and most of the story is good, but there is very little in the way of an ending. It's great that Valiant is trying to stick to 4 issue arcs, mostly, but the ending to this was just rushed. But the first three issues were a lot of fun.
April 19, 2018
Much, much better than I expected.
Want to read
October 16, 2018I was referred to this by the Doctor Mirage story, which apparently overlaps (I think at a later point than this volume).
March 5, 2023
I am not a big fan of superheroes but Shadowman is always a great read!
June 9, 2018
The Valiant comics universe debuted during a time when I was no longer reading comics, so I was mostly unaware of them until the line’s revival 5-6 years ago. Thus this is my first experience with Shadowman.
I liked it. A lot.
There is a bit of the “reading the resume” to set the character’s backstory, but it’s relegated to just a couple panels. The rest of the main character’s history is filled in organically as we get up to speed with the danger facing the world. All of it flows unhindered by infodumps, with excellent pacing throughout. Coming off of the clunky Storm Dogs Vol. 1 TP, this was a nice change of pace.
The art by Patrick Zircher is terrific. The panels tell the story without any impedance, allowing the story to shine through. I almost want to say the art fades into the background, which is a ridiculous comment, but what I really mean is that it doesn’t call attention to itself. So many comic books make you work to puzzle out the story and figure out how the sequence of pictures fits together, whereas Zircher’s work doesn’t get in the way. It also looks great.
I’m a bit of a logo design fan and I absolutely love Shadowman’s logo, which is easily one of the best I’ve ever seen. It’s just genius. This seems to be one of the key things they kept from the original, which was an excellent choice. The updated uniform is also nice, and once again I see echoes of the costume creator from City of Heroes at work here. I even made a character who vaguely resembles Shadowman quite by accident.
I’d actually love to see this as a movie or TV series, because the visuals are varied and there is tons of potential to explore. From the bright colors of New Orleans to the subdued oddness of the otherworldly Deadside, with monsters and magic and the blend of superhero and horror (superhorror!), this would be a terrific show.
I liked it. A lot.
There is a bit of the “reading the resume” to set the character’s backstory, but it’s relegated to just a couple panels. The rest of the main character’s history is filled in organically as we get up to speed with the danger facing the world. All of it flows unhindered by infodumps, with excellent pacing throughout. Coming off of the clunky Storm Dogs Vol. 1 TP, this was a nice change of pace.
The art by Patrick Zircher is terrific. The panels tell the story without any impedance, allowing the story to shine through. I almost want to say the art fades into the background, which is a ridiculous comment, but what I really mean is that it doesn’t call attention to itself. So many comic books make you work to puzzle out the story and figure out how the sequence of pictures fits together, whereas Zircher’s work doesn’t get in the way. It also looks great.
I’m a bit of a logo design fan and I absolutely love Shadowman’s logo, which is easily one of the best I’ve ever seen. It’s just genius. This seems to be one of the key things they kept from the original, which was an excellent choice. The updated uniform is also nice, and once again I see echoes of the costume creator from City of Heroes at work here. I even made a character who vaguely resembles Shadowman quite by accident.
I’d actually love to see this as a movie or TV series, because the visuals are varied and there is tons of potential to explore. From the bright colors of New Orleans to the subdued oddness of the otherworldly Deadside, with monsters and magic and the blend of superhero and horror (superhorror!), this would be a terrific show.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 reviews