Shadowman Volume 1: Birth Rites

The new Shadowman is the fifth title to be reintroduced by the new Valiant. The third incarnation of the character, Shadowman is arguably the most famous of the Valiant properties based on the successful videogame based on the concept back in the late ‘90s. This new version seeks to meld what was successfully about the prior two versions - both the costumed vigilante of the original series, and the mystic defender against the realms of the dead from the second. I appreciate the attempts to be inclusive of the prior visions, as I thought they were both strong points, and this title starts to fill in a long vacant supernatural corner of the Valiant Universe.Jack Boniface was orphaned as a young boy, and spends most of his life in and out of foster-care till eventually getting out on his own. He knows little about his original parents; aside from an amulet his mother gave him with the instructions to always wear it. What is unknown to Jack is that his family line is cursed/blessed with the birthright of the Shadowman, mystical voodoo protector of the realm of the living against incursions from other realms, most notably – The Deadside, a horrible realm where dead souls can be trapped and all the nasty things that go bump in the night dwell. A horrible sorcerer named Master Darque, long thought banished by jack’s father, is making a play to return to reality, and part of that play is making sure there will be no Shadowman to oppose him.This is the first Valiant title that I had mixed feelings towards. I’ll start off with what is truly awesome… the art. Patrick Zircher draws this entire first arc, and does an amazing job. Unfortunately, the story itself is the weaker aspect, which is what is so surprising for a Valiant title. Alas, too much of this was predictable, super-hero cheesy, or just downright bad scripting. While the story itself is compelling, the scripting surely suffers. But, as many have said before… the worst Valiant script is still leagues above some of the other junk that is available in the comic-book marketplace.I do consider this volume of Shadowman to be an important purchase if you are a fan of the Valiant Universe. The VU is an interconnected place of many different flavors and genres, and Shadowman begins to flesh out an important one.

Shadowman: Birth Rites written by Justin Jordan with Art by Patrick Zircher and Color by Brian Reber has all the flair, action, gorgeous visuals and drama of a superhero cinematic experience. Justin Jordan does a masterful job carving out an interesting and layered Magical corner of the Valiant Universe. Patrick Zircher, one of the best superhero artists in comics today, brings this dark corner to life with some truly beautiful artwork. Brian Reber's colors compliments Zircher's art perfectly. This introductory trade paperback of the re-launched Shadowman introduces an updated version of Jack Boniface (aka Shadowman) from the classic early 90's version. Jack is a 20 year old kid who grew up in foster homes looking for answers about the parents he hardly knew and ended up getting much more than he bargained for - when the Loa, the Voodoo spirit that is part of the Boniface legacy, bonds with him and he becomes the new Shadowman. At times this comic feels like a made for Hollywood Superhero movie and that is both the good and the bad with this Trade. It is at times beautiful to look at with exciting action and imaginative plot but at the same time lacks some depth and insight with the main characters with dialogue that comes off as more cheesy than compelling. Overall, its still an excellent and fun read and a great start to a comic that gets better and better. .

Shadowman: Birth Rights collects the first four issues of the Valiant series that re-introduced Shadowman to the comic book world.Jack Boniface is the latest in a line of Shadowmen, the protector of our world from the Deadside, a dimension somewhere between the real world and the afterlife. But he doesn't know this, having never met his father (the previous Shadowman) and having lost his mother when he was a child. The first arc largely follows Jack as he inherits the mantle of the Shadowman and faces his first enemy.Unless one is a fan of comics that focus heavily on magic, voodoo, and the supernatural, this is probably not the best introduction to the Valiant Universe (any of the first four titles - Harbinger, Bloodshot, Arhcer & Armstrong, or X-O Manowar - is a better bet). I was left with more questions than answers as to what the Shadowman's abilities and weaknesses are, as well as the rules of how the Deadside works. The art, however, is beautiful, so if you're more drawn to comics for the art, it's visually engaging.

Shadowman is one of the Valiant line of comics' little oddities. It's part horror, part fantasy and a little bit superhero. As with all modern Valiant titles, this isn't the first iteration of the character. In fact, it's the third print version (there's also been video games with the same individual.)Occasionally, Valiant books can take a bit to get going. Modern decompressed storytelling doesn't always succeed in grabbing the reader with the first (or sometimes even second issue.) Shadowman, happily, is an exception to this trend. Introducing the newest bearer of the Shadowman title (and yes, this isn't some cliched superhero code name, it's a voodoo legacy) Jack Boniface has lots of things to learn. Orphaned at an early age, he knows nothing about what happened to his parents. he knows nothing about the birthright that was left to him by his Father, but mostly he knows nothing about the dark forces gathering in the Deadside that want to destroy him.Author Justin Jordan is another independent creator drafted by Valiant for their relaunched line. Co-Author and Artist Patrick Zircher has more mainstream credibility. Together they have created a seamless origin story with some truly fantastic artwork. By the end of this story arc, the book is rife with possibility. Unfortunately, the momentum doesn't hold up during the next arc. In the end, however, this is a great re-introduction of a classic character that has much to offer both new and old readers alike. Enjoy!

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.

good story at a decent price - tpb are overpriced to my mind - I never pay full price - rather do without