Jack Boniface’s soul has returned to his body after traveling through time and witnessing various incarnations of the Shadowmen. Now, in his own time, where he belongs, he faces a new threat as a secret group watches him from the shadows. Shadowman #8 kicks off a new story arc from Valiant Entertainment.

SHADOWMAN #8 REVIEW

Writer: Andy Diggle
Art: Renato Guedes
Cover: Tonic Zonjic
Publisher:  Valiant Entertainment
Release Date: October 24th, 2018
Cover Price:  $3.99

Previously in SHADOWMAN: After his plan to defeat Baron Samedi backfired, Jack’s soul found itself travelling through the ages and into the unknown. As it attempted to return to its rightful place, it attached itself to various Shadowmen of the past, each teaching Jack something about his nature. Now he is back, but someone is watching.

A NEW BEGINNING CALLS FOR A NEW UNDERSTANDING…

Jack Boniface is content. He is where he belongs, with his woman, and he knows his purpose, to fight evil. But is it that easy? After some quality time together, Alyssa begins to check on Jack’s spiritual self and finds that he is full of life energy, despite having died. The Loa he was bound to, Bosou Koblamin, is still with him, but it has retreated within Jack. There are three aspects to Bosou Koblamin, and Jack has seen two. As he and Alyssa discuss what happened, Jack begins to wonder if maybe Baron Samedi was not trying to kill him, but trying to prepare him. He had been told a war was coming, and Jack begins to think that the previous ordeal had been the Baron’s way of getting him in the right mindset to fight… someone.

Could that someone be The Brethren? When Charles Copeland, The Grand High Abettor, appears at Jack and Alyssa’s door, he bears news that two others of the Abettor Network have been killed by The Brethren. It seems that they are working toward resurrecting Nicodemo Darque, one of the most dangerous necromancers of all time. Despite having been killed by the MI-6 operative Ninjak, the soul of Darque is still active. The Brethren seem to have a plan, and that does not bode well for the world. Copeland has made his way to Jack and Alyssa to ask for help. That request includes a plan to capture the remains of Nicodemo Darque and make sure he can never be resurrected. The only problem? The remains are with the person responsible for the shadow loa becoming intertwined with the Bonicade bloodline back in 1865, Sandria Darque!

…THAT VOODOO THAT YOU DO SO WELL

Shadowman has been one the staples of Valiant’s publishing line since his introduction in the May 1992 issue of Shadowman #1. With over 80 issues of his series published, he has been one of the most popular of the Valiant characters. Now, creators Andy Diggle and Renato Guedes continue the evolution of the character and it.

Andy Diggle (The Losers, Thief of Thieves) is one of those writers who tends to bring a realistic world story that hides things in the shadows no sane person would want to see. He has a maturity about his writing that allows him to make even the most bizarre situations seems as if it is just how things should be. His writing here in Shadowman is no exception. Over his eight-issue run, he has taken the title character across time and space and into battle against ancient spirits and makes it seem right. His Jack Boniface has a different tone than the previous iterations, this one being a more serious and determined characters. His use of New Orleans as a living city is wonderful as well. The location grounds the book in a way that another fictional setting could not. He has created a world of magic and spirits which lives beside ours and seems like it is just supposed to be so. You know there are rules, but not knowing them exactly is not a hindrance. It is wonderful writing.

Renato Guedes (Superman, Wolverine) lends a gritty and realistic style to this tale. It is a near realistic style that has the weight of its creation behind it, and he translates Diggle’s script wonderfully to the page. Little accent lines on characters set them apart from their backgrounds, and it has a very pleasing realness to it. He works well thought out panel placement into his design, and it makes for a great look.

BOTTOM LINE: VOODOO, SPIRITS, AND CONSPIRACIES CAN’T BE WRONG

Shadowman #8 is one a title for comic fans who don’t care for the cape and cowl set. While it is not in the same vein as Constantine or Dr. Strange, it straddles the world of the superhero and the mature fan nicely. There is enough in it to satisfy a multitude of people, and the story and pacing will have you coming back next month to see where the story goes next.

SHADOWMAN #8 kicks off the new storyline, Rag and Bone, and looks like it will be another in a line of exciting stories from Diggle. Get your copy now and let it cast a spell over you.