Shadowman #5 Covers

 

Shadowman #5 Cover A by Jon Davis-Hunt

At first, you might think that Jon Davis-Hunt's cover suggests that the dead look to Shadowman for a new lease on life. If so, you'd be mistaken. As this series makes clear, Shadowman is keen on keeping a clear-cut separation between our world and the realm known as the Deadside. 

There are people in our world who seek to garner more power for themselves by drawing upon the resources of the Deadside. There are forces within the Deadside anxious to escape their realm, and live in ours. Shadowman holds the line. He's the protector of both realms.

He knows that, were our two realms to merge, there would only be chaos. Everywhere.

Shadowman #5 Cover B by Jonathan Marks Barravecchia

Jonathan Marks Barravecchia's cover pays homage to the classic movie The Thing. The way the light streams from his eyes reminds me of how Shadowman has so often brought light to dark places in our world. It's human greed--the insatiable lust for more--as well as things like hatred and fear that allow darkness into our lives.

Shadowman may dream of a world in which we do not willingly invite the Deadside into our lives. Whether he can actually do anything about that... Well, even for heroes, there are limits.

Shadowman #5 Pre-Order Cover by Adam Pollina

Adam Pollina's cover gives us a close-up of Shadowman's mask. Shadowman mused a lot on the role of masks in Shadowman #1. Far from shielding our identity, he suggested that masks reveal who we really are. I wonder: could Shadowman do the things he does, and protect us like he does, if he didn't wear his mask?

That red skull in Shadowman's eye sure intrigues. So far, the ultimate skeleton man himself, Baron Samedi, has been acting as tour guide, leading Jack Boniface to different blights, then leaving him there to clean up the mess people--and demons--have created. While I get the feeling that aspect of the series will change with this story arc, I still wonder how similarly Shadowman and the Baron view things. 

I'll be watching to see how the momentous events of this Deadside War drive them closer together, or farther apart.

Dragon Dave