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| Shadowman #1 Pre-Order Cover by Tony Moore |
In the last post, I focused on artist Jon Davis-Hunt's depiction of Shadowman. But in Valiant Comics new Shadowman #1, there's far more to talk about than our hero Jack Boniface. So let's delve into other aspects of Jon's penciling and inking.
As you may remember from the preview pages, this giant panel is the upper-half of a two-page spread. It's our first glimpse of Shadowman. We see him fighting a demon in a back alley of New Orleans. I wish I could show it to you larger, but my blog displays art better that's tall rather than wide. Hopefully you can see all the detail Jon's built into the scene. This alley looks utterly real, and really grounds me early on.
As I mentioned in an earlier post, my first Valiant comic was Ninjak #10, which took Ninjak to the Deadside. Thus, even though I'm not a horror buff, the Deadside became a factor in my becoming a Valiant Comics fan. I looked forward to returning to the Deadside in later issues of Ninjak, and other series. Yet, all too often, it seemed that when I returned to the Deadside, the Deadside always looked different.
Obviously, the Deadside is a big realm, and capable of hosting all kinds of different landscapes and (netherworldly?) ecosystems. Still, I'd be lying if I said that this lack of consistency hasn't bothered me. At times, it seemed as though the Deadside lacked cohesiveness.
What I like about this first issue is that the demons Jack fights have the same sort of body. They also remind me of a demon from Punk Mambo #1. I like it when books from different series talk to each other, don't you?
Just because Jon Davis-Hunt spends lots of effort depicting Shadowman fighting a demon doesn't mean that he stints on the background details. See the streamers hanging from the lamppost and the wall, and being blown by the wind? See the flyers tacked to the wall? It looks like one has become unstuck, and is falling to the ground. Even if you can't read the stylized font that spells out Mardi Gras on the flyers, the art conveys what's going on.
Sadly, you also see the dead body slumped against the trash can. Blood splatters show how he was killed. He's still wearing his masquerade mask. If only his evening of revelry had ended better!
Returning to the demon, after Jack mortally wounds him, or at least makes him unable to continue his existence in our realm, I like the way Jon Davis-Hunt shows the demon dissipating. It reminds me of the way Jack's own power seems to wisp off him like smoke. It also reminds me of fireworks, which in addition to partying, wearing masks, and dressing up in costumes, is something I associate with Mardi Gras and New Orleans.
Events like Mardi Gras tend to have all sorts of religious, spiritual, mythological, and cultural significance. Could the act of setting off fireworks on Mardi Gras be symbolic of banishing one's demons? Jon Davis-Hunt's penciling and inking make me wonder.
Dragon Dave
P.S. Be sure to order Shadowman #1 from your local comic shop by April 5, 2021. Or better yet, pre-order the entire series! If you commit to the latter, you can be assured to securing the gorgeous Shadowman #1 Pre-Order Cover by artist Tony Moore when it's released on April 28, 2021.
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