Shadowman #7 Review: The Refusal To Go Quietly

 

Shadowman #7 Cover B by Dan Brereton

 

In Shadowman #7, writer Cullen Bunn gives us a silent issue. Or should I say his best attempt? Cullen often shares his protagonists' thoughts with readers. So accompanying this issue's breakneck action is Shadowman's soliloquy.

 

 

It may not be Hamlet, or for that matter the Scottish Play. Nonetheless, it's a view inside the struggle of the hero. Like all those who set aside a normal life to take up a cause, Jack Boniface often yearned to set aside the burdens of the world, only to heave them back onto his shoulders. 

 

 

In issues #4, 5, and 6, he strove to wield reason instead of a scythe. He tried to make peace with the Deadside.

 

 

Now, as the barriers break down, and the Deadside invades our world, we see people everywhere struggling to fight back the demons. Heroes and villains set aside normal pursuits to defend their homelands. Yet Shadowman remains the key to restoring the balance. He must repair the barrier that once protected our world, or everyone's life--as they know it--is over.

 

 

Aiding Cullen is Pedro Andreo, a rising star in the penciling and inking wars. Sometimes he struggles to convey our heroes convincingly, yet he's always good in a fight. This time out, he ushers us through the chaos and violence like a seasoned veteran. 

 

 

Colorist Jordie Bellaire helps us feel Shadowman's despair, resolution, and determination. Lacking his usual spectacular sound effects, letterer Clayton Cowles comforts us with calm, reliable narrative boxes. Like Jack Boniface, Cullen leads his own team of abetters through the violent fray.

 

 

Sometimes a reader's attention wanders. Sometimes his admiration fades. But in this third issue of the Deadside War story arc, fueled by fighting and monologue, Cullen Bunn grabs and refuses to let go. For someone who loves stories driven through dialogue between the primary characters, that comes as a welcome surprise.

 

 

If you've yet to pick up an issue of Shadowman, now's the time. It may fall midway through this story arc. The series may be well on its way. Still, you'll find the issue fun, exciting, and self-explanatory. Shadowman #7 feels like the perfect introduction to the Valiant universe, while also rewarding loyal readers with character development and a world-spanning battle. 

 

 

It also reminds us that heroes are not born. They're made, time and again, everyday.

Dragon Dave

 

Shadowman #7: Covers To Die For

 

Shadowman #7 Cover A by Jon Davis-Hunt

Jon Davis-Hunt's Cover A is a team-cover. Well, okay, it's almost a team-cover. It's Shadowman, his chief Abettor Alyssa Miles, the flamboyant Punk Mambo, and their adversary--the woman they're all fighting--Lady Darkside. 

While I'm a Pre-Order guy,I love all the work Jon Dais-Hunt put into this one. I especially love Shadowman's expression here. It's like he's been told to smile for the camera, and Shadowman just wants to muck it up. 

That Punk Mambo's a bad influence!

Shadowman #7 Cover B by Dan Brereton

This time out, Dan Brereton takes up the Movie Homage Cover challenge with his take on that famous Jack Nicholson moment in director Stanley Kubrick's 1980 classic film The Shining. Author Stephen King, who wrote the original novel, may not have loved Stanley Kubrick's adaptation, but I love it! I'm guessing everyone loves Kubrick's movie these days, even people who haven't seen it! I mean, how could you not love The Shining, when it features so prominently in Steven Spielberg's adaptation of Ready Player One?

Oh, I also love it because I grew up loving Johnny Carson, once the host of The Tonight Show. And then there was Ed McMahon, his compatriot, who introduced Johnny each night with his enthusiastic "Heeeerrrrrrreeeeee's Johnny!" 

Can you hear Ed calling out from the Deadside? "Heeerrrrreeee's Punk!"

Shadowman #7 Pre-Order Cover by Christian Ward

Is it just me, or does Christian Ward do the coolest covers? He certainly wins the prize for the most cosmic covers. Diamond hasn't been listing the Pre-Order covers lately in their Customer Order Form booklets for any Valiant series, which is what my LCS hands out to all his customers. Nor can he seem to find the Pre-Orders in the Diamond system. He wasn't even aware that Armorclads had a Pre-Order option until Valiant tweeted a copy of the Pre-Order cover, and I copied it and sent it to him. 

Anyway, I sent him a copy of this one yesterday, as soon as I got a copy of it, because this image of Shadowman is so cool that I've gotta have it. What can I say? Christian Ward just does the coolest covers!

Dragon Dave

Bloodshot Book One: FCBD 2019 Extras

 

Bloodshot FCBD 2019 Special: Cover by Dan Brereton

 

While packed with great story and art, it's easy to forget that the Bloodshot Free Comic Book Day 2019 Special was only twelve pages long. Nonetheless, the good folks at Valiant Comics have included some cool extras. You'll find the interview with Syfy Wire originally printed in the issue. Even if you've previously read it, it's worth another read. 

The interview forecasts what Seeley's Bloodshot series will be about. It compares Bloodshot to a character (or characters) from another popular franchise. Seeley also says something that makes me wonder about the way he told his final story (for now) in Bloodshot #12.

 

A panel from Bloodshot #12

What? That not enough for you? Take heart! The good folks at Valiant Comics have also included three penciled pages from artist Tomas Giorello. 

I'll share a portion from each one so you can compare it to the finished scene, after Tomas has inked the panels, Diego Rodriguez has colored them, and Dave Sharpe has added the lettering and sound effects. First up is a portion of that glorious one-page panel of Bloodshot fighting the three bad guys at the beginning of the issue.

Next up is the page containing this panel of the Sons of the Last Flesh motorcade rolling out, in defiance to the dangerous snowy conditions in New York City.

Last up is a portion of the page in which Wotan Dawn orders Dr. Alison Apte to upgrade him and his followers so they can be more like Bloodshot. One thing that really surprised me was how Tomas Giorello penciled in the dark background, rather than just inking it, or leaving Diego Rodriguez to color it in black. Wow!

Well, there's your peek at the extras from the Bloodshot FCBD 2019 Special included in Bloodshot Book One. To see the rest, you'll want to check out the trade. Although I'm usually a print guy when it comes to comics, I enjoyed reading this collection digitally. I could zoom into Tomas Giorello's penciling, and appreciate all the work he (as well as the entire creative team) put into this introductory story.

 

 

Well done writer Tim Seeley, penciler and inker Tomas Giorello, colorist Diego Rodriguez, and letterer Dave Sharpe, as well as cover artist Dan Brereton and editor Karl Bollers. And well done Valiant Comics for including these cool extras in Bloodshot Book One. Great job, everyone!

Dragon Dave

Bloodshot FCBD 2019 Special: Story

Bloodshot FCBD 2019 Special: Cover by Dan Brereton

 

It always matters how you introduce a story. Begin it right, and you'll hook the reader's interest. In the Bloodshot Free Comic Book Day 2019 Special, writer Tim Seeley immediately dives into the heart of what Bloodshot is all about, and the themes that will drive his series.

 

 

 

On this snowy day in New York City, these three talk of their leader Wotan Dawn, and suggest that he is leading them toward an acceleration of the natural course of Human evolution. While "Wotan" is the name of an essay by the noted psychologist and psychiatrist Carl Jung, his title refers to one of the most ancient Germanic names for the god we have come to know as Odin.

In taking on the name Wotan Dawn, their leader evidently sees himself as the would-be king of a pantheon, and intends to usher in a new era for Humanity.

As an experienced storyteller, Tim Seeley knows the value of lightening such heavy moments and themes with humor. Thus, just as the villains agree that their moment of victory has come, Seeley delivers one of the first types of jokes every child learns.

"Knock knock?"

"Who's there?"

"Bloodshot!"

Yes, yes, I know. Now you're asking, "Bloodshot who", right? For the answer to that...

While Bloodshot is listening into various radio transmissions via his nanites, Tim Seeley shares two transmissions with us. The first concerns health and healing. The second introduces the holiday of Christmas, which celebrates the birth of the savior of Humanity. 

In this subtle way, we know that Bloodshot will defend our current world order--and its belief systems--against those who would steer it back toward paganism.

 

While Wotan Dawn would usher in a pagan religion, he nonetheless uses Christian concepts like sin and penance while ordering Dr. Alison Apte to upgrade their weak flesh with technology. In other words, to give them the abilities that Bloodshot possesses.

In case you're wondering, the good doctor's name derives from apt, which means quick to learn. Dr. Apte has used her intelligence to benefit those less fortunate than herself. Conversely, Wotan Dawn, in classic villain style, wants her to use her gifts and abilities solely to benefit him and his followers.

 

So here he is: Bloodshot. The man who The Sons of the Last Flesh would emulate. The godlike being whose abilities they crave. The term Ubermench was first coined by German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, and refers to the ultimate man, or a superhuman. Thus, Bloodshot is the ultimate superman, the perfect fusion of man and machine.

The thing Wotan Dawn doesn't understand--that doesn't somehow factor into his worldview--is that machines can be controlled. They can be used not only by their owners, but also by others. It goes without saying that in the wrong hands, machines can be used to hurt people.

Get the feeling that Wotan Dawn and Bloodshot are about to have a philosophical discussion? Well, they are. Of a sort. But as to that, and whether they discuss the merits of celebrating Christmas or Ragnarok, I'll let you discover when you read the Bloodshot FCBD 2019 Special.

Well done, Tim Seeley. Thanks for such a thought-provoking and insightful story.

Dragon Dave

The Bloodshot FCBD 2019 Special is available in Bloodshot Book One

 

Bloodshot FCBD 2019 Special: Penciling & Inking

 

Bloodshot FCBD 2019 Special: Cover by Dan Brereton

 

While story ultimately matters most, the first thing we notice when we pick up a comic is the penciling and inking. Do we find the shapes appealing? Do scenes look realistic or fanciful? Are characters portrayed consistently from panel to panel? And of course, does the inking bring out the penciler's intent, or muddy all those lines and cross-hatchings?  

Penciler and inker Tomas Giorello was the first artist to bring writer Tim Seeley's story onto the page. Let's dig into the Bloodshot Free Comic Book Day 2019 Special and see how he did.

 

Tomas Giorello's characters look muscular and powerful. They seem to embrace the No Pain No Gain motto, not only through their physical training, but also in how many piercings they sport. Also, the cultist on the right reminds me of the alien bounty hunters from the Predator movies. 

Giorello composes scenes well. His buildings have a solidity to them. The vehicles in this shot look big and sturdy, a reflection of the men driving them. There's great sense of movement here. 

Am I staring at a drawing, or a photograph?

Here we've got two panels that look like photographs tossed onto a dark surface. Both communicate that these are very bad dudes. The threat they pose to the woman is clear. 

I love the woman's expression in the second panel, as well as how she mutely holds out her hand. Before the man whose muscles are pumped up and ready to dole out serious hurt, she can't even muster a fist. Is she imploring the reader for help?

It'd be easy to leave it at those two snapshots. Yet at the bottom of the same page, we see boots running in the snow. Aided by a shift in coloring from Diego Rodriguez, the bottom panel lightens the tone of the page. We get the feeling that the situation that dominates the page is about to change.

 

Big, powerful villains demand an equally big hero. Here we see a big, muscular Bloodshot leaping into harm's way. The hero leaping down from a great height is an iconic hero move, going back to Hollywood swashbucklers such as Douglas Fairbanks and Errol Flynn. It says "I don't care if I land wrong and hurt myself. It's more important to surprise my enemy and save those in danger."

 

There's so much going on in the top panel, with the two guys on motorcycles speeding through the snow, shouting orders and shooting. Yet Giorello makes the second panel bigger, with Bloodshot just standing there, and taking all the punishment they can dole out with a few grunts.

The characters in this issue may look big and brutal, but Bloodshot is clearly the most indomitable of all.

Congratulations on making the Bloodshot FCBD 2019 Special* look powerful and realistic, Tomas Giorello. Well done.

Dragon Dave

* The Bloodshot FCBD 2019 Special is available in Bloodshot Book One.

 

Bloodshot FCBD 2019 Special: Lettering

 

Bloodshot FCBD 2019 Special--Cover by Dan Brereton

 

Reviewing comics has given me a greater appreciation for the role of the letterer. It's easy to take all those narrative boxes, dialogue balloons, thought clouds, and sound effects for granted. 

The late colorist Justin Ponsor once told me that he received the penciled and inked artwork at the same time the letterer did. Marvel would then receive his colored files, and the letterer's files, and composite them together to make the finished panels they sent to the printers. That was awhile ago, and I don't know what Valiant's process is like. Still, it gives me a sense of how the publishers interact remotely with creators all over the world, and how they speed that whole process along. 

One thing I know for sure is that Dave Sharpe does a terrific job at lettering, so let's dive into his contributions in the Bloodshot Free Comic Book Day 2019 Special.

 

The first panel in a comic sets the tone for the story. Here Dave Sharpe immediately drills us into place with his distinctive bloodshot/blood-splatter lettering. We also get the sense we're listening to a radio station, or some kind of electronic transmission, by the lightning edged dialogue balloon.

 

I love the symmetry of Dave Sharpe's lettering here. To the left, we get the hopes and dreams of these renegade cultists, encapsulated in the dialogue balloon. To the right, we get his stylish sound effect. 

Despite the symmetry, the way Dave Sharpe has written out the sound effect--letters not in a straight line, and some bigger than the others--is jarring. In his subtle way, Dave Sharpe is hinting that something is about to endanger all these men believe they have accomplished.

 

 

In this full page panel, the single dialogue balloon confirms this: that Bloodshot has arrived to halt this group's villainy. I love the way Dave Sharpe's red sound effects link thematically with the bloodshot/blood-splatter logo in the first panel. And of course, there's the sound of the bad guy's gun going off, which doesn't bother Bloodshot a bit.

 

When the cult warriors take flight, you know they're unhinged by the sheer fact that some of them are riding motorcycles across roads covered in snow and ice. The communication transmissions, contained in the lightning bolt balloons, tell us that observers are tracking the group.

The snow-covered sound effects help you hear the way the tire treads drag and slip on all that snow and ice. I want to know what that font is, Dave Sharpe! I want to write my Christmas letters with that font!

 

Here's another long, thin panel. Again, I love the symmetry here. To the left, we have the blood exploding out of Bloodshot as the cultists' bullets tear through him. But the damage they are doing to his body doesn't shake Bloodshot at all. 

As opposed to the Knock Knock the cultists heard in the earlier panel, notice how even, straight, and blocky these sound effects are. The red color links with the bloodshot/bloodsplatter logo. The way each successive BLAM gets bigger, and without a trace of unevenness, tells us that Bloodshot isn't shaken by anything the cultists can throw at him.

 

 

This may be the best panel in the entire Bloodshot FCBD 2019 Special. From a lettering perspective, it's certainly my favorite. The word uttered from the van, presumably by one of the cultists, let's us know how much Bloodshot's actions have shaken his world, if not ended his jihad, or holy war.

Most of all, I love the sound effect of Bloodshot plowing this motorcycle directly into the van. Of all the panels in this comic, this one makes me think that Dave Sharpe must have had access to the colored panels of Diego Rodriguez. Whereas the earlier sound effect echoed the snow, this one reminds us of ice. We can hear the screech of all that metal being smashed together and torn apart, while the wrecked vehicles are skidding across the icy road. 

Well done, Bloodshot! You've halted the cultists' villainy! And well done letterer Dave Sharpe, for helping us hear and feel Tim Seeley's story so effectively!

Dragon Dave

Bloodshot Book One--Cover by Declan Shalvey

 

P.S. You can read the Bloodshot FCBD 2019 Special in Bloodshot Book One.