Shadowman has been one of many top shelf book in the Valiant stable and issue #8 in the series continues the story of Jack Boniface’s fight with Master Darque.

Official description from VALIANT:

Jack Boniface’s life is about to become a living hell. Master Darque may be trapped in the forbidden realm known as the Deadside, but his disciples on earth, the Brethren, continue to track Jack’s every move. The Brethren’s counterattack proves much more than Jack bargained for…and the people he cares about are going to pay the price…

Shadowman has taken his fight with Mater Darque to the Deadside and once he witnesses how Darque can manipulate the souls trapped will he lose all hope to save Dox and defeat Darque? Not a chance, however, he realizes he is in a realm he doesn’t quite understand and Darque’s power here is devastating. Dox has been trapped in the Deadside and now he faces the truth on how Master Darque creates his own army of twisted souls. Shadowman is fighting too many battles at once and even with his arrival with Samedi creates an uneasy alliance in which no one can truly be trusted.

Writer Justin Jordan has finally stacked all the odds against Shadowman and creates an endless cacophony of choices and alliances. None of the choices are very good but this makes for a classic test of a true hero and it’s overwhelming but great character arises from such adversity. The beginning of this issues supplies us with a great stand alone explanation of Master Darque’s power then Jordan jumps right into the current fight Dox is dealing with and then Jack’s subsequent arrival in the Deadside. The intro is solid and powerful and by the end the revelation of the impending battle is a true cliffhanger. All great storytelling devices that Jordan handles perfectly.

The art is handled by Roberto De La Torre, taking on the first section of the issue and finished off by Neil Edwards. Unlike when many artists share duties on a book this was a deliberate attempt to tell two sections and making a distinct difference in styles. De La Torre’s work is loose and edgy which fits perfectly to tell the opening tale while Edwards style gives you a sense of stability when we get to the linear second act. Both have their place and it’s a nice contrast for the story.

I like Shadowman and I love where the story is heading. Jordan is writing a terrific magic and mystical story with great creatures, monsters, ghosts with deep character. If you are looking for a non-traditional superhero with edge then Shadowman is a book you should be reading.

4/5