Re-Reading: Shadowman 11
Moderators: Daniel Jackson, greg
-
Todd Luck
- Doomed to forever roam the black halls
- Posts: 4729
- Joined: Fri Jun 04, 2004 1:02 pm
- Location: Winston-Salem, NC
Re-Reading: Shadowman 11
Xoken asked me to keep the re-reading project going while he's out of the country...
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 11
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 11
-
Todd Luck
- Doomed to forever roam the black halls
- Posts: 4729
- Joined: Fri Jun 04, 2004 1:02 pm
- Location: Winston-Salem, NC
More lessons in how to write an effective Master Darque story:
First, Darque’s reach needs to seem vast and inescapable, his power almost unbeatable. And so it here with Jack suddenly discovering his friends are followers of Darque. Poor Margo succeeded in driving home the point that there’s no escape from Darque. The waiting for that other shoe to drop for Jack and his inevitable death run was tense.
Second, Darque’s a bored immortal. If he succeeds he’ll be become all powerful. If he fails who cares? He’s got all the time in the world to become God. There’s this wonderful detachment in his personality and in Sandra’s. Life is just big cosmic game of chess to them.
And Jack’s in here too. He gets a new costume. I like the old one better but this one’s still cool. It’s all jazz, baby.
Still this ones going to be a couple points lower than last time. It’s a middle issue bridging Jack’s first confrontation with Darque to the one in issue 12. It feels like a middle issue. But it’s a good one. An 8.
Continuity Note: Madam N’Dour acted like she didn’t know that Darque was alive but in future issues we’ll clearly see she’s part of the coven that created Shadowman because Darque had resurfaced. There’s a similar scene with Nettie next issue. If I recall correctly, we never get an explanation why they played dumb or why Madame N’Dour would’ve had the sudden urge to look in Darque’s tomb. It seems all the aspects of Jack’s origin that we see in Shadowman 0 (among other places) aren’t set in stone yet.
First, Darque’s reach needs to seem vast and inescapable, his power almost unbeatable. And so it here with Jack suddenly discovering his friends are followers of Darque. Poor Margo succeeded in driving home the point that there’s no escape from Darque. The waiting for that other shoe to drop for Jack and his inevitable death run was tense.
Second, Darque’s a bored immortal. If he succeeds he’ll be become all powerful. If he fails who cares? He’s got all the time in the world to become God. There’s this wonderful detachment in his personality and in Sandra’s. Life is just big cosmic game of chess to them.
And Jack’s in here too. He gets a new costume. I like the old one better but this one’s still cool. It’s all jazz, baby.
Still this ones going to be a couple points lower than last time. It’s a middle issue bridging Jack’s first confrontation with Darque to the one in issue 12. It feels like a middle issue. But it’s a good one. An 8.
Continuity Note: Madam N’Dour acted like she didn’t know that Darque was alive but in future issues we’ll clearly see she’s part of the coven that created Shadowman because Darque had resurfaced. There’s a similar scene with Nettie next issue. If I recall correctly, we never get an explanation why they played dumb or why Madame N’Dour would’ve had the sudden urge to look in Darque’s tomb. It seems all the aspects of Jack’s origin that we see in Shadowman 0 (among other places) aren’t set in stone yet.
Jack goes looking for answers about Darque. Slow opening though its nice to see Jack's side of things. Darque can fly now, Bob Hall's building quite a villain for Jack. Things pick up in the cemetery. Devon is becoming a fun character - "Unnecessarily dramatic. Very unnecessary." And he's right, the new outfit is cool. Nothing too exciting happens here although the ending is nice. All in all a decent issue, I give it a 6.
The VCB synopsis:
Standing outside the smouldering ruins of Master Darque’s mansion, Shadowman hears the sirens approaching. With his costume ruined, he heads for home.
Later at the voodoo museum, Devon gets a visit from Shadowman in his new costume. He shows Devon a picture of Darque. Devon shows him old museum photographs and paintings suggesting that Darque and his sister have been around since 1867. Curious for more mystic advice, Shadowman visits Emilie N’Dour. She tells him that Darque and Sandria died in a car accident in the 70’s. But if Shadowman saw them alive, then Emilie wants to know who’s buried in Darque’s tomb.
The following day, Jack receives an offer for a record-deal. He wonders if this has to do with Darque’s offer to to fulfill Jack’s “deepest desire”. That night, Jack is on a date with Margo. He takes her home so that he can go patrol the night as Shadowman. But Margo suddenly starts death-running. Jack holds her, hoping to stop the process. But she’s too far gone. As she dies in his arms, Darque shows himself. Darque flies with Margo’s death-energy in him, leaving Shadowman angry for revenge.
Later, Shadowman meets Emilie N’Dour at the cemetery. They break into Darque’s crypt and open the tomb. Inside is the body of Paul N’Dour. He has been reanimated and he has a tearful reunion with Emilie. Shadowman pursues them through the cemetery, he encounters Sandria Darque amid the crypts. She warns him to “remember the day of your death”. Then she is gone.
A few days later, Jack hears one of his songs playing on the radio. Suddenly, he is in pain and realizes that he has just become a Blood-Runner.
/Magnus
Standing outside the smouldering ruins of Master Darque’s mansion, Shadowman hears the sirens approaching. With his costume ruined, he heads for home.
Later at the voodoo museum, Devon gets a visit from Shadowman in his new costume. He shows Devon a picture of Darque. Devon shows him old museum photographs and paintings suggesting that Darque and his sister have been around since 1867. Curious for more mystic advice, Shadowman visits Emilie N’Dour. She tells him that Darque and Sandria died in a car accident in the 70’s. But if Shadowman saw them alive, then Emilie wants to know who’s buried in Darque’s tomb.
The following day, Jack receives an offer for a record-deal. He wonders if this has to do with Darque’s offer to to fulfill Jack’s “deepest desire”. That night, Jack is on a date with Margo. He takes her home so that he can go patrol the night as Shadowman. But Margo suddenly starts death-running. Jack holds her, hoping to stop the process. But she’s too far gone. As she dies in his arms, Darque shows himself. Darque flies with Margo’s death-energy in him, leaving Shadowman angry for revenge.
Later, Shadowman meets Emilie N’Dour at the cemetery. They break into Darque’s crypt and open the tomb. Inside is the body of Paul N’Dour. He has been reanimated and he has a tearful reunion with Emilie. Shadowman pursues them through the cemetery, he encounters Sandria Darque amid the crypts. She warns him to “remember the day of your death”. Then she is gone.
A few days later, Jack hears one of his songs playing on the radio. Suddenly, he is in pain and realizes that he has just become a Blood-Runner.
/Magnus
-
betterthanezra
- Wanna see an unpublished Shadowman page?
- Posts: 12346
- Joined: Mon Feb 09, 2004 12:18 am
- Valiant fan since: 1991
- Favorite writer: Josh Dysart
- Location: Scoot over, I have to get in behind you.
This issue is really a build up for SM #12...but very nice stuff here.
-Brian
-Brian
I'm on Twitter follow me
https://twitter.com/#!/shadowsip" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
My Valiant story here
viewtopic.php?f=15&t=6932" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
https://twitter.com/#!/shadowsip" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
My Valiant story here
viewtopic.php?f=15&t=6932" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
-
Elveen
- I sell comics, I collect Valiant.
- Posts: 25252
- Joined: Sun Jun 11, 2006 2:44 am
- Location: Educating the future of America, or something like that
I just loved Shadowman... period.
This issue was great for many reasons:
1) Darque is shown not only as powerful, bud a real "bad guy" when he taunts Jack as Margo dies...
2) We get more evidence that Sandria is stuck somewhere between Darque and Jack.. (is she with her brother, or does she want to help out Jack, and why?) I loved this situation
3) Jack hears his song on the radio... I knew what was gonna happen next... but I could not believe it... until...
4) Jack starts running... what a great way to end the book.
and I didn't even list how cool it was that the husband was found in Darque's crypt.
quite a sweet read!
maybe not a 10, but for me a 9
This issue was great for many reasons:
1) Darque is shown not only as powerful, bud a real "bad guy" when he taunts Jack as Margo dies...
2) We get more evidence that Sandria is stuck somewhere between Darque and Jack.. (is she with her brother, or does she want to help out Jack, and why?) I loved this situation
3) Jack hears his song on the radio... I knew what was gonna happen next... but I could not believe it... until...
4) Jack starts running... what a great way to end the book.
and I didn't even list how cool it was that the husband was found in Darque's crypt.
quite a sweet read!
maybe not a 10, but for me a 9