Re-reading: Shadowman #1
Moderators: Daniel Jackson, greg
Re-reading: Shadowman #1
From the results of the poll the two highest choices were to continue the existing titles and to add Shadowman (vh1). Here's the first Shadowman book. This makes for a lot of re-reading but hopefully we can get people to jump on and maybe even go back and read some that have been done before. Let me know if it feels like too many books.
I thought we could do a book a day (that way people can read one every day or catch up on weekends), talk about it on its own, in the context of whats next, in regards to what expectations it creates and vote on how good it is. I don't have to be the one that posts everyday. If I miss a day or if someone wants to take over please do
For voting think of your single favourite comic book (not just VALIANT) as the benchmark - thats a 10 - and grade according to that.
The voting (I'm hoping) will help new readers make more educated descisions. If this turkey files maybe we can even do a list of the books according to average voting grade.
Make sure to mention what you like'd about the book, what you didn't, what you wish they would have done, your favourite panels, lines of dialogue, little bits of trivia etc.
Shadowman #1
I thought we could do a book a day (that way people can read one every day or catch up on weekends), talk about it on its own, in the context of whats next, in regards to what expectations it creates and vote on how good it is. I don't have to be the one that posts everyday. If I miss a day or if someone wants to take over please do
For voting think of your single favourite comic book (not just VALIANT) as the benchmark - thats a 10 - and grade according to that.
The voting (I'm hoping) will help new readers make more educated descisions. If this turkey files maybe we can even do a list of the books according to average voting grade.
Make sure to mention what you like'd about the book, what you didn't, what you wish they would have done, your favourite panels, lines of dialogue, little bits of trivia etc.
Shadowman #1
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Todd Luck
- Doomed to forever roam the black halls
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This is a very different issue. Unlike Shooter's first issues we've commented on so far not everything is introduced by the end of the issue. And it's not as deep or complex.
This issue is mainly told visually and is mainly about mood. And, boy, it accomplishs that in spades! This issue is very creepy. The strength of the concept carries the issue well but we don't see much of it here. It'll be easier to appreciate Shadowman when we see more of him and Jack when he gets more depth.
Still, a very good beginning. It deserves more than an 8 but less than a 9 but I'll round down and settle on an 8
This issue is mainly told visually and is mainly about mood. And, boy, it accomplishs that in spades! This issue is very creepy. The strength of the concept carries the issue well but we don't see much of it here. It'll be easier to appreciate Shadowman when we see more of him and Jack when he gets more depth.
Still, a very good beginning. It deserves more than an 8 but less than a 9 but I'll round down and settle on an 8
Shadowman was always going to be a popular character. If for no other reason than that genius logo. Fortunatly, there are other reasons - Valiant was at the top of its game here and anything they put out was going to be a hit; Valiant wasn't just a marketing gimmick (as many would have you believe today) they actually cared about what they were doing and we can see that clearly here; rarely is a superhero of african american or mulatto decent treated with such respect. Add to that a core concept as intriguing as this is and its clear why Shadowman is still popular today.
I will say that the font used on the cover is no good.
Lapham is magic here. From the first page splash he sets the mood and establishs just how cool Jack is.
Lydia is visually as interesting as the words that describe her. She's not one of Jim Lee's babes but you can understand why Jack goes home with her.
Question: I've always wondered what was the point of Dickey? Was he just a character that establishes who Jack is and fills the gap left by Lydia's bathroom break. In that case why did she need a bathroom break?
Lapham works hard as usual. Adding foreground objects to frame a panel, putting in detail that isnt necessary but adds so much, and creating a very deep focus that brings New Orleans to life.
I've read, as I'm sure many of you have too, a lot of interviews were people argue that there were just too many creators involved in Shadowman. That there was no clear origin or direction. I've seen this brough up on the boards whenever someone asks what happened to make Lydia run off so
Question: what happened to make Lydia run off?
What was the original Shooter/Englhart/Lapham idea?
I know all about the silly Master Darque-spider alien pact but that never sat right with me. It didn't even really fit the panels we see in #1. For instance what are those bubbles? Did it have something to do with the XO fight from XO #4? And if so why does she run away because of that?
Love the 9 panels that show Lydia's transformation. Someone else might have done this in a half spalsh or a full (Starlin during Unity 2k comes to mind). The Boniface POV and the detail in each panel make this great.
Once shadowman finds the mask its like a new issue/story starts (in todays comics Im sure it would be a new issue or maybe even issue 3!). We had the origin and now we have the first adventure.
I never liked the way he found it. Especially since at one point its meant to be the source of his powers.
Shadowman fights the ultimate warrior, though hes far more realistic than alot of villians that came later.
He must have looked like a looney, fighting 'free form'
The battle is a little light, the get away and though balloons a little lazy.
The last page of this book is genius and I suspect Shooter's shadowman would have been like that.
I want to give it a higher rating but cant. A strong 8
I will say that the font used on the cover is no good.
Lapham is magic here. From the first page splash he sets the mood and establishs just how cool Jack is.
Lydia is visually as interesting as the words that describe her. She's not one of Jim Lee's babes but you can understand why Jack goes home with her.
Question: I've always wondered what was the point of Dickey? Was he just a character that establishes who Jack is and fills the gap left by Lydia's bathroom break. In that case why did she need a bathroom break?
Lapham works hard as usual. Adding foreground objects to frame a panel, putting in detail that isnt necessary but adds so much, and creating a very deep focus that brings New Orleans to life.
I've read, as I'm sure many of you have too, a lot of interviews were people argue that there were just too many creators involved in Shadowman. That there was no clear origin or direction. I've seen this brough up on the boards whenever someone asks what happened to make Lydia run off so
Question: what happened to make Lydia run off?
What was the original Shooter/Englhart/Lapham idea?
I know all about the silly Master Darque-spider alien pact but that never sat right with me. It didn't even really fit the panels we see in #1. For instance what are those bubbles? Did it have something to do with the XO fight from XO #4? And if so why does she run away because of that?
Love the 9 panels that show Lydia's transformation. Someone else might have done this in a half spalsh or a full (Starlin during Unity 2k comes to mind). The Boniface POV and the detail in each panel make this great.
Once shadowman finds the mask its like a new issue/story starts (in todays comics Im sure it would be a new issue or maybe even issue 3!). We had the origin and now we have the first adventure.
I never liked the way he found it. Especially since at one point its meant to be the source of his powers.
Shadowman fights the ultimate warrior, though hes far more realistic than alot of villians that came later.
He must have looked like a looney, fighting 'free form'
The battle is a little light, the get away and though balloons a little lazy.
The last page of this book is genius and I suspect Shooter's shadowman would have been like that.
I want to give it a higher rating but cant. A strong 8
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Unblessed
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In light of our recent U2K mini discussion and 9/9/99 one (with Todd), I went and dug through the few Valiants I have here with me in CA. One of which is the Shadowman TPB (thanks Dave).
Until today, I never gave Shadowman any credit. I dove in expecting nothing great, but I was pleasantyl surprised. We have a normal, average guy, who makes an honest living playing a saxaphone at a jazz bat in Nawlins (get it right people). He meets a fan who truns out to be a little more than he bargained for. She gets "interrupted" and Jack is forever changed.
He doesn't "win" his first fight either. Just scares the guy off. And the guy isn't an arch nemisis, just a random psycho. Excellent lead in for Issue #2. It kinda reminded me a little of a Batman Year One type fight. Where Bats wasn't super coordinated, Jack wasn't sure of himself.
I gave this one a 9 because it's a high 8 and you all gave it an 8. I had to give it some balance.
~Unblessed
Until today, I never gave Shadowman any credit. I dove in expecting nothing great, but I was pleasantyl surprised. We have a normal, average guy, who makes an honest living playing a saxaphone at a jazz bat in Nawlins (get it right people). He meets a fan who truns out to be a little more than he bargained for. She gets "interrupted" and Jack is forever changed.
He doesn't "win" his first fight either. Just scares the guy off. And the guy isn't an arch nemisis, just a random psycho. Excellent lead in for Issue #2. It kinda reminded me a little of a Batman Year One type fight. Where Bats wasn't super coordinated, Jack wasn't sure of himself.
I gave this one a 9 because it's a high 8 and you all gave it an 8. I had to give it some balance.
~Unblessed
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David_Cody
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Re: Re-reading: Shadowman #1
As been noted, this is different from the other titles. More moody and psychological. Even for a publisher that tries to steer away from classical superhero stories, this one goes very far. As we know the books turns more "typical" later on but for a while we get something different and refreshing. Also great art. Just a pity it's not connecting to me. Shadowman never was my favorite. Not for any fault in the story.
/Magnus
/Magnus
Re: Re-reading: Shadowman #1
The VCB synopsis:
In a New Orleans bar, Jack Boniface plays jazz saxophone for the crowd. He has noticed a particular lady attending his recent gigs. Tonight, he finally approaches her after his set and sits with her to get better acquainted. Her name is Lydia and she’s a fan of Jack’s. He finds her exotic and enticing and they soon leave to go to her place. But when they get there, she drugs him with a paralyzing beverage. She is Lydia, the Spider Alien who recently was almost killed by Aric. And now she will drink Jack’s blood. But something interrupts her just as Jack loses conciousness.
In the morning, Jack awakens to find Lydia’s apartment deserted. He sees he was bitten on the throat. He then chacks the attic and discovers the rotting corpses of her previous victims. Terrified, Jack rushes home.
As night falls, Jack thinks about calling the police about the attic full of corpses. But an overpowering urge to hunt her down fills him and he wanders out into the night. In a gutter, Jack finds a discarded Carnival mask. He is contemplating the mask when he hears a commotion coming from an alley. Donning the mask, Jack investigates to find a masked killer mutilating a young female victim. Jack thinks of this killer as a “demon in his night”. Jack is compelled to attack. However, the killer escapes. Hearing the ruckus, an elderly woman looks out her back door to see Jack standing there in the shadows with his mask. When he disappears into the night, she dubs him “Shadowman”.
/Magnus
In a New Orleans bar, Jack Boniface plays jazz saxophone for the crowd. He has noticed a particular lady attending his recent gigs. Tonight, he finally approaches her after his set and sits with her to get better acquainted. Her name is Lydia and she’s a fan of Jack’s. He finds her exotic and enticing and they soon leave to go to her place. But when they get there, she drugs him with a paralyzing beverage. She is Lydia, the Spider Alien who recently was almost killed by Aric. And now she will drink Jack’s blood. But something interrupts her just as Jack loses conciousness.
In the morning, Jack awakens to find Lydia’s apartment deserted. He sees he was bitten on the throat. He then chacks the attic and discovers the rotting corpses of her previous victims. Terrified, Jack rushes home.
As night falls, Jack thinks about calling the police about the attic full of corpses. But an overpowering urge to hunt her down fills him and he wanders out into the night. In a gutter, Jack finds a discarded Carnival mask. He is contemplating the mask when he hears a commotion coming from an alley. Donning the mask, Jack investigates to find a masked killer mutilating a young female victim. Jack thinks of this killer as a “demon in his night”. Jack is compelled to attack. However, the killer escapes. Hearing the ruckus, an elderly woman looks out her back door to see Jack standing there in the shadows with his mask. When he disappears into the night, she dubs him “Shadowman”.
/Magnus
We know from X-O 4 that she goes to the toilets. As for the choice of Dickey Betts, wasn't Massarsky involved with the Allman Brothers?xoken wrote:Question: I've always wondered what was the point of Dickey? Was he just a character that establishes who Jack is and fills the gap left by Lydia's bathroom break. In that case why did she need a bathroom break?
/Magnus
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Daniel Jackson
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Elveen
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Shadowman and A&A are my fav. VALIANT books, and shadowman was what I always read first when I came back with my load of new VALIANT comics. I loved #1. Regular guy, no real defined superpowers (as of yet), he a musician ( ), cool as can be, great cover with him coming out of the shadows,
I agree with an earlier post in two reguards:
when Lydia transforms, great "comic book" visual storytelling
the one reason it is not a 10 with me is, the way Jack finds the mask. That never quite meshed with me, but alas...
Shadowman #1 = great VALIANT book. It's my favorite overall story/concept int he VALIANT universe.
), cool as can be, great cover with him coming out of the shadows, I agree with an earlier post in two reguards:
when Lydia transforms, great "comic book" visual storytelling
the one reason it is not a 10 with me is, the way Jack finds the mask. That never quite meshed with me, but alas...
Shadowman #1 = great VALIANT book. It's my favorite overall story/concept int he VALIANT universe.