1st Impression: SHADOWMAN # 10

SHADOWMAN # 10
Written by Justin Jordon
Art by Diego Bernard, Andrea Cuneo, Mico Suayan, Lewis LaRosa, Carmen Nunez, Alejandro Sicat, Stefan Gaudiano, Brian Level, David Baron & Matt Milla.
Valiant Comics

FLIPPING THROUGH:

                This issue actually takes place after the events of Shadowman # 0, getting into more about how Master Darque came to be but focuses on Sandria Darque and (SPOILERS) the origin of Shadowman.  We get some back ground on Sandria Darque and the beginning of the Shadowman line, going back to the Civil War.  

ART:

                Okay. There are a lot of people who took part in drawing this issue. And honestly, it WORKS EXTREMELY  WELL. The darker tones and the different art styles blend together to present a tragic, yet gripping love story in the heart of war. From the powerful pictures of Sandria, Marius and more in the snow, to Master Darque coming for his sister … each panel had a beautiful macabre look to them.  There is an excellent amount of detail, thanks to all our pencilers. And all our inkers do a great job giving the right shading, adds to the mood and background of the story. We get some really sharp panels that dive into the grime of war.
                 Overall, the dark look of the book works with the tone. The characters are proportioned and look historically accurate to the time it was set in.  Really good work.

WRITING:

                We get a solid story focusing on Sandria and the origin of the Shadowman line.  The focus on her was refreshing; as it is a character we didn’t see much of before. And we get a very loving yet twisted woman who does what she must to get away from her sadistic brother.  The tragedy of her love to Marius Boniface only adds a weight to the mythology. The backstory and the time period was used extremely well in this issue. The characterizations were definitely relatable for the time period. And the narrative by Sandria kept a nice, consistent flow to the issue.  Jordon gives a solid issue but I felt weird at the end. Not for what happened but just … the impact of it. It was felt but I felt it needed more time.  Otherwise, a damn good issue.

OVERALL:

                Shadowman # 10 picks up after Shadowman #0 extremely well as we get the focus on Sandria Darque after what happened. The art was excellent with some really good writing. The end wasn’t bad, just a bit fast. Yet, it was a strong showing.

RATING:

                A really good book that adds to the mythology of Shadowman with a VITAL chapter. I give Shadowman # 10 a 9 …. Out of 10.